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Chapter Text

Sakiya hated dances. She was four, why did they have to dress up and behave on their birthday and go to a dance they weren’t going to dance at? She just wanted to play with her dolls with Princess Azula, and that be the end of the story. Azula was her best friend, they shared everything. Why wouldn’t they? They practically lived with each other, she was always at the Fire Nation Palace, and Lady Ursa took care of them both, as well as Prince Zuko. But why did the young girls have to have a ball? They couldn’t keep themselves still that long.

“Sakiya, what’s the matter?” Lady Ursa’s voice brought the young girl out of her thoughts, shaking her head quickly as she smoothed her long burgundy dress out, messing with the silk fabric with her small hands. “Let me fix your hair, then you and Azula can play until guests arrive in the ballroom… maybe Prince Zuko would play a game with you two?” the lady told her, moving to brush her silky black hair and tuck it behind her ears, a small cherry blossom hairpiece being placed near her left ear.

“Thank you, Lady Ursa.” Sakiya said, bowing to the woman before smiling a bit. “Zuko doesn’t play with Azula and I often, he doesn’t like to.” She said with a smile. “Why do we have to dance tonight?” She asked the woman softly, who simply shrugged her shoulders, not giving her a response. “Can we go play now? I want to see Azula.” She asked the older woman’s permission, eager to play with her best friend. The woman was like a mother to her, since her own mother wasn’t around.

“Yes, sweet Sakiya, you can go find Azula and play. But when the guests start to arrive, you guys need to be ready to stop. You two need to be on your best behavior. No trouble.” Lady Ursa said softly, looking down at the girl with a smile as she went to open the door to lead the girl out. “She should be in the ballroom waiting.” she told the girl softly, watching her as she dashed off to find the young princess before she went to get herself ready for the two girls’ annual birthday ball.

Sakiya quickly ran down the empty palace halls, stopping when she reached the doors to the royal ballroom. She quietly thanked the two guards who allowed her to enter, before slipping inside and looking around for her best friend. The room was decorated extravagantly, with replica birds and cherry blossoms everywhere, the girl felt pleased. She and Azula loved birds and cherry trees. But the tiny pink flowers that came from the tree were Sakiya’s favorite thing. However, the young noble didn’t find her best friend, instead finding her brother, Prince Zuko. He was talking with Fire Prince Ozai and her father, General Bao, about something to do with learning to firebend and that he was ready to learn. Sakiya quickly walked over, waiting until the two older men had finished talking before she spoke. “Zuko, do you know where Azu is? Lady Ursa said she would be in here already and I want to play a game before guests arrive.” She said hurriedly, some of the words merging together in her jumbled rush.

“Azula’s probably just walking slow. I saw her before I got in here. She was ready. Maybe she went to the courtyard, Mother will probably bring her in.” Zuko said simply. There wasn’t too much of an age difference between the three children: Zuko had been born in July, and Azula and Sakiya had been born in March two years later. Sakiya saw the young boy fumbling with the high collar of his dress clothes, shifting to help him fix it before stepping back. She had nothing against the boy, but Azula didn’t like her being kind to him, and she didn’t dare lose her best friend in the world.

“Thank you.” Zuko had told Sakiya in a hushed tone, watching her as she sat down to his left, smoothing her dress out. She was a completely different child by herself, compared to when she was around his sister. She was quiet, polite, and cautious… almost isolated in a way when she was by herself. With Azula, she would be as loud as possible, seeming to compete for attention. This personality change seemed to always get the girls into mischief and trouble. Zuko didn’t mind though, Sakiya was like another sister to him. Their fathers were best friends and her mother had passed, so she was always here and Ursa cared for her. What he didn’t like, however, was how Azula used her against him, always forcing her to pick sides, even when she knew her friend was wrong. It drove him crazy, she was his friend too, or at least he wanted her to be.

“Zuzu, leave Kiya alone. She shouldn’t fix your shirt for you.” Azula said as she walked into the room, Lady Ursa following suit. A small sigh came from the mother’s mouth as she heard her daughter, shaking her head a bit. Azula was in a silk burgundy dress that matched Sakiya’s, as they always wore matching outfits for their parties. Azula had moved to sit beside Sakiya, smiling a bit at the girl. “Don’t let Zuzu bother you. He doesn’t like things like this. He doesn’t dance.” The girl said with a small laugh, holding her small hand up at her older brother’s protest.

“I don’t like dances like this, either.” Sakiya said simply. “I like to dance, just not here. Too many people and I don’t like it.” She explained, noticing her best friend’s grumpy expression. “You wanna play a game before any people-“ Sakiya stopped, grumbling under her breath as she heard the ballroom doors creak open, “Never mind. We can’t play now.” She mumbled with a frown, before straightening up seeing her father staring at her.

The party was boring, to say the least. It was the same thing as the year before: dancing, presents, a meal, cake… it was routine. Their cake had been two small phoenixes, a true marvel, and it had been delicious. More dolls, more clothes, more hair accessories and scarves. Sakiya had been growing beyond restless, grumbling quietly as she played with her new doll, listening to the adults at the table talk while the two royal siblings bickered over nothing in particular. Then, the bright lights in the ballroom started to dim, causing the girl’s attention to go to the center of the room. Four women stood before them, red and orange flames dancing in their hands. ‘Finally, something fun.’ Sakiya thought.

The four dancers moved smoothly, their whole bodies moving as if they had no bones, just fluid motion. It wasn’t like the dancing they had seen earlier in the night, or the dances they had taken part in… this dance was full of spirit and energy, it was changing before they knew it. Sakiya was transfixed, watching the girls move and twirl to the band that played, her eyes locked on the flames in their hands. The flames would grow and shrink, moving as the women did, and almost seemed alive itself, like it could do as it wished. She watched as they made the flames disappear and reappear on a few occasions, a grin coming to her face before she heard the music draw to a stop, frowning ever so slightly but quickly replacing it with a smile. As the lights were pulled back up and the women bowed, Sakiya couldn’t help but look to her best friend, smiling widely. “I’ve got an idea.” She told her best friend quietly, noticing the slightly younger girl’s confused expression.

As soon as people had started to dance again and the two girls had been able to leave the table, Sakiya had grabbed her best friend’s hand and ran towards the ballroom doors. Nobody was on this side of the doors, and the girl already had something figured out to convince the guards to not follow them. “C’mon, before someone notices.” The girl said, leading the princess to the doors before opening them, smiling shyly at the guards. “Hi. We’re just grabbing something from Princess Azula’s room. My father knows where we’re going.” She told them softly, lying through her teeth.

“Alright, one of us will escort you ladies there.” A guard said, before noticing the two girls shake their head, raising an eyebrow. He could get into trouble for not following them, but he would allow it, it would give him time to see if the General had really approved. “I suppose, be on your way.” He told them, before shaking his head as he saw the two young girls run off in the opposite direction of the princess’s bedroom. He walked into the ballroom, quickly finding the General, as well as Lady Ursa. “I need to speak with both of you in private.” He told them simply, before allowing them to follow him to the ballroom doors. “General Bao, did you allow your daughter and the princess to go retrieve something from a bedroom?” He asked, his question answered by the look on the man’s face.

“I did not, the girls had mentioned nothing of the sort.” Bao told the guard, shaking his head a bit. His daughter had a habit of getting herself into mischief with Azula, so the occurrence did not surprise him, nor did it surprise Ursa. “Ursa, would you look for them in the rooms? I’m going to see if they snuck to the balconies or somewhere. I know Sakiya doesn’t wander far from the palace.” He explained, watching the woman nod and rush off, turning back to look at Ozai, who looked down at Zuko as if he knew something about the situation.

Sakiya couldn’t help but grin as the two girls had made it to the royal garden, looking around happily. This was her favorite place in the palace, because it seemed the flowers and trees and animals far surpassed the elaborate palace, at least to her. “Azu, we should play dancers!” She suggested. “Maybe we could even do the fire! Did you see how they did it?” She asked the girl excitedly, practically bouncing up and down.

“They kinda just breathed and it appeared, right? Like. They did this thing with their hands when they breathed.” Azula said, waving her arms around in a similar motion. “Let’s try it! Then we can go dance with them!” She suggested with a soft giggle. “Let’s do it on the count of three!”

“One!” Sakiya said, taking a deep breath as she tried to focus, bouncing from foot to foot with a smile.

“Two!” Azula shouted, following the older girl’s lead, putting her hands out with her palms facing the sky.

“Three!” They both said, closing their eyes before opening them again, both girls letting out cries of excitement seeing flames in both of their hands. But there was something weird about their flames. They weren’t like the flames the dancers had, they weren’t red or orange, far from it. Azula’s flames were two shades of blue, while Sakiya’s flames were shimmering with gold and white. “Why are they like this? I like it. It’s pretty! And it’s warm!” She exclaimed, looking over at her friend.

“I don’t… I don’t know!” Sakiya said, before the girls heard a booming voice behind them, from the garden entrance.

“What on earth are you two doing out here?!”

Chapter Text

Azula and Sakiya’s flames immediately dispersed upon hearing the booming voice, the girls turning to see who was there. They both already knew who it was, though. It was Ozai, Azula’s father, and while he didn’t look happy, he looked more surprised than anything.

“You girls had everyone worried. The birthday girls vanishing from their own party.” Ozai told them, before quirking an eyebrow. “Where did you guys learn that? Surely it wasn’t just tonight.” He said softly, crouching down to the girls’ level.

“We don’t know what you’re talking about!” Sakiya said hurriedly, before dashing off to run behind the tree. She didn’t realize that her best friend had darted off in the same direction as her, causing the two young girls to bash heads beneath the blossoming cherry tree.

“Are you girls alright?” Ozai asked, moving to pick both girls up carefully, making sure there was no visible wounds. “Let’s get you girls back inside.” He told them, dropping the subject of the bending. He would discuss that with Bao after the party, and he would also talk with his father, Fire Lord Azulon. He would surely tell the two men how to proceed with their daughters’ bending to best fulfill their potential.

“We don’t know what we did! Why weren’t they red like the dancers’ flames?” Sakiya asked the man as they were carried back to the ballroom. People had begun to leave the party for the night, most bidding the girls a good night as they left. “Papa! Azu and I had fire in our hands! It was so cool!”

Bao smiled a bit as he heard his daughter, taking her carefully from Ozai and holding her close. “Really? That’s amazing, little one. It means that you can firebend, when you get a bit older. You will learn in time to control it.” He explained gently, having noticed his friend’s expression as he spoke to Sakiya. There was something more to the girls’ bending… something the two men would need to discuss later in the evening. What was important right now was for Bao to get Sakiya home and in bed for the night. Only then, would he return to the palace and meet with Ozai.

It didn’t take long for Bao to get the young girl to sleep for the night, having been exhausted from her day of running and playing. Once he was sure she was in a deep sleep, he slipped out of the house, making sure the doors were guarded before he made his way back to the palace. He walked towards the throne room, sighing seeing Ozai standing outside. “What is so unusual about their bending that we’re speaking with Fire Lord Azulon?” He asked the man.

“They weren’t red. Azula’s flames were blue… I’ve heard of blue flames. It means they have good control and immense power. She’ll learn to master it well.” Ozai said of his daughter with a slight smile. “But Sakiya’s. I had never seen that color.” He said with a frown.

“What color were they? Surely it couldn’t have been anything too bad.” Bao told the man, raising an eyebrow. What could be so bad about her flame color? Anything that wasn’t the traditional reddish orange was rare, what could it have been?

“They were gold. Not just yellow. They were almost completely gold, with some white and yellow mixed in.” Ozai said, still trying to rack his head for answers. “But Azula said the two of them hadn’t been trying. They watched those dancers and just copied what they started the dance with.” He explained. “My father is willing to give us more knowledge on how to proceed with the girls and their bending.” He told the man, before moving to let the guards open the throne room doors.

“Gold?! How is that possible?” Bao asked cautiously. He didn’t want anything to become of his daughter as a result of this. She was but a child, maybe it was a one-time thing and the next time she would bend, it would be red. That had to be it, he thought, just a fluke, nothing more. “Fire Lord Azulon, we apologize for coming without much notice.” Bao said, straightening his shoulders back.

“My son had explained briefly what you two were to discuss. The girls are in your hands, and as such I can only offer you my advice on how to proceed.” The Fire Lord said, looking down at the two men. “I will look into the golden flames Sakiya exhibited, I imagine nothing will come of it. It must have been a trick of Prince Ozai’s eyes, nothing more.” He told the general, before thinking. “I’ll arrange for the girls to receive private lessons for their bending. Next year they can go to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. We can easily keep an eye on their training until then. They’ll start lessons tomorrow afternoon in the gardens.” He told the men, before dismissing them.

“Thank you, Fire Lord Azulon. I am grateful for your council and help with Sakiya’s bending. She and Azula will do great things to aid the Fire Nation when they become of age.” Bao told the man as he bowed. In truth, he didn’t want his daughter to have anything to do with the war, especially if something were to happen to him. He knew Ozai would care for her if something were to happen, but he couldn’t, no he wouldn’t, let something happen to him to hurt Sakiya. He slowly left the throne room with Ozai, shaking his head a bit once he heard the doors shut. “Her flames… were they really golden?” He asked his friend cautiously.

“Bao, I had never seen anything like it.” Ozai told him honestly, putting a hand on the man’s shoulder. “But, it’s in her best interest for us to leave it alone. If Father says her flame color was a fluke, so be it. If it happens again, we’ll be sure to make note of it.” He said simply. “We’ll discuss this more tomorrow.” He told his friend, before walking off towards his chambers for the night. Bao walked home, dismissing the guards at his door as he entered.

Sakiya was still asleep, but woke up slightly as she heard rustling around in the house. She climbed out of her bed, wrapped up in her blanket and clutching her stuffed koalaotter, rubbing her eyes as she went to the kitchen. “Papa? Why are you awake?” She asked him sleepily, looking up at him.

Bao smiled as he heard his daughter’s groggy voice, moving around to lift her into his arms. “Just cleaning up for the night, sweetie. I’m sorry I woke you.” He whispered, kissing her forehead as he continued putting their few dishes away. “Now, let’s go back to bed. You want to sleep in your room still or lay with me for a bit?” He asked, chuckling seeing her instantly shake her head upon hearing about sleeping in her room. “Alright. Let’s get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow, my little cherry blossom.” He told her.

--Four Years Later—

“Do it again, Sakiya!” The instructor shouted, causing Sakiya to jump up, shaking her head a bit. Why was she out of her element today? There was nothing to warrant her being off her game. She blew a stray black hair back from her face, lowering her stance as she repeated the motion. A small red whip of fire appeared, causing the young girl to lash it at the ground just before her instructor’s feet onto a small ‘x’ painted on the ground. “You’re too hesitant, Sakiya. You did better that time. But you cannot hesitate, or else your opponent will take the upper hand.” Her instructor explained, although her stance straightened out, meaning they were done for the day.

“I’ve been trying!” Sakiya said with a huff. She was eight, why would she have it perfect? She was fine with most concepts with her bending, but when it came to the more violent aspects, she struggled. She didn’t want to use her bending to hurt anybody, but her father said she had to learn it to protect herself. “I just… I’ll continue working on it. Thank you. I look forward to our next lesson.” She said, bowing to the instructor before she dashed off. She wasn’t sure why she rushed off so suddenly. She just wanted to get out of her training clothes and get to the palace for Lady Ursa to fix her hair. It was Zuko’s birthday today, and while there was no dance, there was going to be a celebration.

“Kiya, you’re late.” Azula said, flicking her best friend’s temple as she entered the palace. “My mother still wants to do your hair. Said you need to look your best.” She said smugly. “How’d your training go today? I can’t believe your father is having you take summer lessons.” She said as she scrunched her nose, walking with her to where her mother was waiting.

“I didn’t mean to. I couldn’t get the motions right, she says I wait too long to make a move.” Sakiya grumbled. “They keep wanting me to use gold flames. And I just don’t know how to get them to appear whenever I want. They just kind of happen. But they say I’m lying when I say I can’t control it.” She mumbled, smiling seeing Lady Ursa, giving her a hug before she sat down to let her fix her hair. “I bet Zuko’s trying to work on his bending. He’s struggled in comparison to us.” She told Azula, who just shook her head in disgust.

“Zuzu is just trying to catch up to us. He won’t though, we’re too far ahead of him with ours. Father said we’re lining up to be prodigies… means we’re really good at our bending.” Azula said with a smile. If she couldn’t always appease her mother like poor little Zuko, she could be the perfect child for her father. That’s why she worked so hard to make her bending perfect. “You wanna go find Zuzu and mess with him before the party? Mai and Ty Lee should be here soon.” She said, shrugging as she heard her mother disagree to the four girls messing with the young boy.

“Sure! You go find Mai and Ty Lee, I’ll see if he’s in the garden. Probably working on his firebending or feeding the turtle ducks.” Sakiya said, smiling a bit as she saw Azula dart off, her gaze looking at Lady Ursa in the mirror. “Thank you for doing my hair, Lady Ursa.” She said, looking at the two long black braids with cherry blossom hairpieces in the ends. “I can braid my hair pretty nice. And ponytails and buns. Papa said it gets better the more I do it.” She said as she stood up, smoothing her dress. “I should probably be off to find Zuko.” She told the woman, bowing her head.

“You’re very welcome, sweet Sakiya. You’ll learn to do your hair as you get older. You do it for school, I just do it for events.” Ursa told the girl, dusting her shoulders off. “You girls should see if Zuko would play a game with you. Gives you all a chance to have fun and get rid of some energy.” She suggested. “Play catch or feed the turtle ducks for while.” She told her, shooing her off as she saw the girl dart towards the palace gardens.

Sakiya had ran to the gardens, smiling a bit as she opened the doors, closing them as she walked out. This place was still her favorite in the palace, it was always so lively and vibrant. She walked towards the waterfall, skimming her hand across the flowing water before continuing. Zuko was always in the same spot, near the turtle duck pond. “Zuko! Hey!” Sakiya said, waving to him as she walked over, being careful not to scare off too many of the turtle ducks.

“Hey Sakiya. Where’s Azula and everyone?” Zuko asked, raising an eyebrow. He knew the girls well enough; where there was one, there was all of them. Azula surely had some big plan if she sent Sakiya by herself. Or, maybe he got lucky and Sakiya was truly by herself.

“Azula was going and getting Mai and Ty Lee. I figured until they got here I could maybe help you with your firebending?” Sakiya asked in a hushed tone. Not many people wanted help with their bending, let alone from her. “You don’t have to. But when the others get here I was thinking we could play a game. You could always join us.” She told him with a small shrug, her hands at her sides.

“Why would I get help from-“ Zuko paused, processing what the younger girl had said. “Wait, you… you actually want to help me?” He asked softly. “I’d like that a lot, actually. Nobody really likes to help me.” He admitted. He got far too tense and uptight when he asked for help. When he didn’t understand, he got mad and frustrated, and he didn’t know how to express it.

“C’mon. Show me what you need help with. I can tell you how I do it.” Sakiya told him softly, watching him as he got into a position for a move. She mirrored him, smiling a bit. “You’ll want to be free. Kinda like a flame. You wanna be grounded, but still able to move.” She explained, telling him as she remembered it. “Move this leg a little more forward and cup your hands.” She instructed, following him as she made the small fire twister in her hands, with golden flames licking at her hands. ‘This hadn’t happened in a while,’ she thought. ‘Maybe its just from being calm?’ She thought, before being drifted out of them as she heard Zuko cheer.

“I did it!” Zuko shouted, smiling widely as he looked at the young bender, gasping when he saw her golden flames. He lowered his hands, letting the flames disperse and the warm feeling in his hands subside. “What… why were your flames that color? I know my sister has blue flames sometimes and they’ll end up blue, but when I see you training they’re red. Why were they gold?” He asked hurriedly, seeing the girl just shake her head a bit. He heard the garden doors open and his sister’s voice fill the air, sighing as he knew the conversation was over.

“I don’t know why they’re gold. They normally aren’t.” Sakiya grumbled, shaking her head a bit before she saw Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee walking towards them. “Hey! Azu, Mai, Ty Lee! You wanna see what Zuko learned? He’s still a little ways behind, but his flames are pretty big and he can control it!” She told the girls, nudging Zuko to show them. While Mai and Ty Lee couldn’t firebend, they saw it enough to understand what she meant.

Zuko grimaced as he heard Sakiya, sighing a bit before shaking his head. He got into the position, taking a deep breath as he made the twister reappear in his hands. Mai and Ty Lee clapped a little bit, while Azula just scoffed. “His flames may be big, but we learned that ages ago. You still have some catching up to do, Zuzu.” Azula taunted, laughing as she heard Zuko huff before he stormed off. Of course, just as he was doing good with something, Azula had to open her mouth and talk about how much better she was than him with bending. Or with anything, for that matter. Azula always had to one up her older brother.

Chapter Text

Sakiya had been training all day. Her instructor had left over an hour ago, and she was sticky with sweat, but she couldn’t quit yet. She had to make sure her form was flawless and that her flames were steady as she attacked. Hesitation, a weak flame or a loose stance would make her enemy think she was weak and incapable. She practiced the move again and again, groaning as she loosened up her stance. She shook her head slightly, frustrated. ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why do I even have to learn this? What’s the point?’ Sakiya thought, pushing her damp hair back from her face. That last time she had gotten it all right, but she didn’t feel satisfied. She hadn’t learned anything from it… it was just another maneuver, another motion to remember. She knew how to fight, and how to protect herself. She knew well beyond that, but she wanted to learn more, she wanted to have fun with her bending. Her main problem was she didn’t want to use her bending to hurt people or scare them. She wanted to make people happy, and hurting people did just the opposite.

The young girl was jerked from her thoughts as she heard her father clear his throat. “Papa, I didn’t know you were back from the palace yet… what’s wrong?” She asked him softly. Her father never showed her when he was upset, especially if it had to do with his work. Something bad had happened to somebody, she could tell. “Did something happen at the palace? Is everyone alright?” She asked hurriedly.

Bao shook his head, walking over to his daughter. “Nothing happened at the palace, but something did happen, little one.” He told her, sitting down on a small stone bench and patting the space beside him. “General Iroh… Fire Lord Azulon’s eldest son… he just lost his son on the front lines of the war.” He began softly, looking down at the young girl. “Iroh will be returning back to the capital soon. He abandoned his siege in Ba Sing Se as a result of losing Lu Ten.” He spoke. “We need to be understanding to the royal family during this time. You may not hear from Azula or Zuko for a while as the family grieves over Lu Ten. Give them their space.” He explained.

Sakiya frowned deeply as she heard her father’s words, opening her mouth to speak before closing it, unsure of what to say. She hadn’t had to deal with much grief in her life. Mother had died before she had turned two, and she didn’t remember much about the woman that wasn’t stories or paintings. “So I can’t go to the palace and play with Azula tonight? What if she comes over here or Zuko does? Is that okay? They might want someone to talk to. Or to get away.” She rambled. She could only imagine what they were going through. She had only met General Iroh and Lu Ten a few times, but Zuko talked of them both with such high regard, and they seemed nice enough. She normally heard of the general’s adventures in his letters to Zuko and Azula, while with Azula she saw the gifts he would send her. The gifts were kind in thought, but Azula didn’t do anything with them. They were just shoved in a box underneath her bed, never to be looked at again. “Maybe we should make them something to eat! That’d maybe help them feel better.” She suggested.

“If Lady Ursa allows them to leave the palace and they choose to come here, then you may spend some time with them. Don’t go trying to pull strings to get your way though, Sakiya.” Bao told the girl gently, knowing she had a habit of going to the palace when she was told not to. “We must give the family time, just as we would any other family. We do not rush grief, for it only causes you to block it until something makes it resurface.” He explained, before tapping her side as he stood. “How about I make us some lunch? While I do that you could climb the cherry trees and see if any are ready to be picked. Let’s run in and grab the basket and a drink of water.” He told her with a slight smile, leading her inside. She didn’t need to train anymore today, he knew she had trained all morning, and well into the day. “After lunch you can get cleaned up and we can go down to the marketplace for a while to get things for dinner, then we’ll stay inside a bit.” He suggested.

Sakiya heard her father, a smile breaking onto her face as she heard him mention climbing the trees to pick cherries. She knew he never liked for her to be in the trees without him being outside, let alone to climb and harvest them while he was inside doing something. “Of course I can pick them! We can make all sorts of cherry treats! We can give some to everyone. I want to help make supper.” She said as she walked into the house, pouring some water and drinking it hurriedly, then grabbing a small woven basket. “If I fill this one all the way full I’ll come inside and empty the basket.” She explained, pulling her hair back into a low bun as she went to go back outside. She rather quickly scaled up one of many cherry trees that littered the noble family’s gated backyard, smiling happily as she began to pick the ripened fruit she would find.

“Just be careful, Sakiya. I’ll try to come out to check on you in a little while. If you get scared or need help, all you have to do is yell for me.” Bao told her firmly before she went, not wanting to see the girl get hurt the one time he wasn’t watching her like a hawk in those trees. He knew he had to let her do things on her own in order to learn, even if it meant catching her if she fell. She didn’t need him to be right behind her anymore, and he understood that, so he just watched at a safe distance and kept an ear out for her safety.

Sakiya hadn’t taken long to climb to the top of the first tree, slowly making her way down the branches as she checked around for the sweet red fruit. She had been climbing the trees for years, as much as her father didn’t like it. She felt at home in the trees, the wind blowing through the branches and leaves, the smell of the flowers in the spring… she loved these trees. Later on, Sakiya ventured back inside with a full basket of cherries to eat lunch and enjoy the afternoon. She stayed inside for a while until after the pair had eaten supper. She had just climbed into the third tree, new basket in hand, as she saw somebody approaching the back gate of her yard. It was a shadowy, cloaked figure with their hood up, but it was far too small to be an adult. Only a few people came in that way, most being friends of the family. And this time was no exception. Zuko was walking towards the gate, his hands balled into fists at his sides. ‘This can’t be good. Maybe I could surprise him and cheer him up…’ Sakiya thought, knowing it was a long shot. But he seemed more angry or confused than sad, so maybe she could calm him down after he explained

‘Why would Father kill me? Surely he wouldn’t. Grandfather is just mad. Nothing’s going to happen. Azula was wrong, she always lies.’ Zuko thought as he walked towards Sakiya’s home. The two were decently close now, but if Azula was around they were always at odds with each other…it was an odd friendship. He just needed to talk to somebody and get his mind off things. First, his cousin passed away and his uncle was returning home in mourning. He knew his uncle would be seen as a disappointment, having lost the nation’s greatest advantage in the war. But now his father wanted to have the Fire Lord revoke his uncle’s place as heir to the throne, and it hadn’t seemed to go well. He and Azula had listened to a small bit of the conversation, but he left before it was over. He quickly opened the white gate, making sure it closed properly before he looked around the garden. It was late in the evening, but Zuko was sure that the younger girl was still awake, and Sakiya was hardly ever inside before lights out. He heard a rustling in one of the trees as he closed the gate, raising an eyebrow. He slowly walked over to it with his hands in a defensive position, looking up the full branches cautiously. Before he had a chance to react, Sakiya had rolled from one of the branches, hanging upside down from the lowest branch as she looked at the boy. “Get down from there before you fall!” Zuko told her hurriedly, having jumped back as a result of her movement, moving his arms to catch her in case she would fall.

Sakiya laughed a bit as she watched the boy’s reaction, blowing strands of her hair from her face as she rocked back and forth. “Why would I get down? I’ve got a good grip with my hands, my legs are all my support.” She told him. “If I really wanted to, I could just let go. My legs will support me and I’ll be fine.” She challenged, smirking seeing his face morph into concern and fear. She shifted slightly, tightening her legs around the sturdy branch before legging go with her hands, laughing a bit as she swung. “See? I’m fine Zuzu. Don’t get so concerned. I knew I could do it. Have at least a little faith.” She told him, grabbing the branch again before moving to get down, dangling her feet. She jumped down, shaking a few leaves off of herself as she stood back up. “So…why’d you come here? Normally the guards don’t let you or Azu out this late. You snuck out, didn’t you?” Sakiya asked, gesturing to the long cloak he still wore. “ Papa should be coming out soon to say it’s time for me to come in for the night to get ready for bed. But you can stay here for a bit and we can talk until then.” She said softly, walking with him towards a small koi pond, sitting down on the ground.

Zuko couldn’t help but be amazed as he watched Sakiya hang from the tree, although he also watched to make sure she didn’t slip. Ty Lee and Sakiya were always climbing trees and any other structure when the girls would all play games in the palace gardens. He saw them frequently enough, but this… this was crazy. She could slip at any second and fall from the tree branch. Why was he so concerned about her being safe? She was just a friend, like Mai… and she was his younger sister’s best friend, he shouldn’t care so much. He watched her closely when she got down, shaking his head a bit as he followed her to the small pond. He sat down beside her, his gaze staying on the multicolored fish in the pond as he heard her question. “You’re right, I did sneak out… I heard some things I shouldn’t have and everything’s confusing.” He admitted, shaking his head. “Father wants the throne… he asked Grandfather to revoke Uncle’s status as heir, since Lu Ten died and the royal bloodline would end there.” He mumbled, before continuing. “Grandfather didn’t seem fond of the concept, especially with all this just happening today. He said Father needed to experience losing his first-born. I left after that, Azula stayed.” He continued. “She barged into my room later saying Father is going to kill me, to appease Grandfather. I don’t believe her though. Azula always lies, you know how she is. I just…” he paused, sighing, “I came to get away. That’s it...” He told the girl.

“Your father won’t hurt you. Your mother won’t let him. She won’t let anything happen to you or Azula.” Sakiya told him honestly. “Fire Lord Azulon probably meant nothing of it. He surely wouldn’t have you killed, you are the first-born…” she mumbled, shaking her head. “Azula doesn’t always lie… she just kind of makes the truth stretch a bit more than it really is. Not really a lie. She always has some truth.” She said. “But you can stay for awhile. I’ll be here, unless Papa calls me inside for the night.” She told him before sticking her hand into the small pond. She smiled a bit seeing the koi surround her hand and start poking at her. “You don’t have to keep talking about it. Don’t have to talk at all, even.” She whispered to him. “I’m sorry about Lu Ten though, I know you and him were close. Tell your uncle I’m sorry.” She ended.

Zuko didn’t say anything in response to Sakiya, shaking his head a bit as he tried to clear his head. She was right… Mother wouldn’t let him or his sister get put into harms way. He watched her closely as she played with the swimming koi, her words sinking in. She was his sister’s best friend, taunting and teasing along with the other girls. But when it was her alone, she was kind, mellow, and full of hope. “Thank you, Sakiya. It was nice to just talk it out. Just… don’t tell my sister I came here, I won’t ever hear the end of it.” He said, laughing a bit seeing the girl nod her head in agreement. He jumped slightly hearing the door to the house open, standing up to bow to Bao quickly with a sheepish smile. “General Bao, I’m sorry for not letting anyone know I was coming here.” He told him sincerely.

“You are fine, Zuko. I had a feeling you or your sister would stop by for a bit. You do need to head home though, it’s getting late and Sakiya needs to come inside and get ready for bed.” The general told the young boy. “If you’d like, Sakiya can come to the palace tomorrow with me. She can play with you, Azula and the others.” He suggested, motioning for his daughter to head inside. “We’ll see you in the morning, Zuko. Head home and get some rest.” He said, leading his daughter into the house as he watched the young boy leave through the back gate. Things would surely calm down by morning, so Bao would bring Sakiya with him as he usually did. He made sure the young girl was ready for bed for the night, tucking her in to bed before he went to bed himself.

The next morning, things were far from mellow…it was actually quite the opposite. During the night, Fire Lord Azulon passed away peacefully. The funeral service was to be held in the afternoon, and Ozai was to be crowned Fire Lord, per his father’s final wishes. Ursa had disappeared during the night, causing rumor to flow throughout the Fire Nation capital. Many believed she had died as well, following a rumor that Azulon’s death had been an assassination. Others thought that the woman had just up and left, wanting to leave the Fire Nation and everything behind. The whole city was abuzz with gossip and news. Everyone was going to be going to Azulon’s funeral that afternoon, with the crowning of the new Fire Lord being just after it.

Sakiya had been amazed when she had walked through the city and the palace with her father that day, hearing all the various stories about what had or hadn’t happened that night. She knew better than to believe any of it, unless the Fire Lord said it himself, or she heard it from her father. The father and daughter were going to be in the front row at Ozai’s crowning as Fire Lord, meaning Zuko would be the crowned Prince and Azula would be the Princess. However, as they made their way to where the ceremony was being held, the young girl couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Ozai had always been like a second father to her, but the idea of him being the Fire Lord was unsettling to her. He wasn’t a bad person to her, he was kind and helped her and Azula work on some of their bending. But she had a sinking feeling about him becoming Fire Lord, and she was frightened to see what would happen to their nation under his reign.

Chapter Text

All Sakiya wanted was to go home and sleep in her own bed. She was tired of staying at the palace all the time. Father had been sent on a mission for almost a year now, and Sakiya just wanted him home and to go back to their home. The girls had recently turned ten, and Sakiya couldn’t help but not enjoy the day. Instead, she worked on writing a letter to her father, thanking the servant who offered to take the letter and make sure it was sent on a messenger hawk immediately. She hadn’t planned on doing much with the day, no training and no special royal visits. She ended up going to the palace gardens, climbing into one of the trees. Mai and Ty Lee were coming to the palace in the evening, from what Azula had told Sakiya as they ate breakfast. The girls were all going on an outing into the market with some of the guards, just to ensure nobody got lost. It was hard to get lost there, unless someone was really trying to get away… the area was all open and there wasn’t anywhere to hide. She crouched down in the tree as she heard somebody shout. She held back a laugh as she recognized it as Zuko.

“Why can’t I get this right?!” Zuko shouted at himself, shaking his head. Firebending came so easily to his sister, yet he was so far behind her in his training. When trainers in the palace helped him, all he would ever hear about is how quickly Azula had mastered this technique or that motion. Her advisors and firebending instructors weren’t even benders, he didn’t understand how she had done it. He calmed himself down, huffing as he ran through the motion a few more times. He couldn’t help but feel like he was being watched, but it wasn’t by scrutinizing eyes like he normally felt. “’Sakiya, you can stop hiding from me, I know you’re out here.” He called out.

“Am I really that predictable?” Sakiya asked as she jumped down from the tree. “I didn’t know anyone else was out here. Azu went somewhere with Lo and Li for a bit, so I came out here. At least until Ty Lee and Mai get here.” She explained, before shaking her head. “Zuzu, your stance is wrong. You’re too firm to the ground. You want to be firm, but not solid.” The girl told him as she lowered her own stance. “You want to have the ability to move freely, but have a firm core. Otherwise you’re going to always mess up.” She said softly, before going through the motion he had done, watching the golden flames come from her hands. “Now you try.” She told him as she straightened up, pushing her hair from her face.

This had become a common occurrence between the two, working on their bending. Zuko didn’t mind her help, until Azula or someone else saw, then he shut out any advice. “Why are you and my sister so good at bending? Like, you two are so far ahead. Yet, you choose to help me. Well, at least when nobody’s around.” He spoke, repeating the motions the girl showed him. “Like that?” He questioned, doing it again. “Your flames… they’re always gold when you show me stances. But when you’re doing your training it’s always normal colors.” He mentioned.

“I help you because you actually want to get better. Because it’s not easy for you.” Sakiya told him with a shrug. “You did it that right. You just need to remember to keep your feet planted, but don’t keep your body stiff.” She explained. “I think my gold flames just kind of happen. If it’s forced upon me, my body reacts to the stress and it isn’t golden.” She mumbled. “But it is true, I help you because I want to. Nobody makes me do it. Plus, while I’m stuck here it at least gives me something to do. My lessons anymore are boring.” It was the truth, her lessons anymore were just refining her skills and critiquing her form. Lessons for schooling were even worse, since she knew most of what she felt was necessary and didn’t have the desire to learn more.

“You aren’t stuck here, I’m sure Father would let you go home for a little while. Even with General Bao being gone. It is your home, after all.” The twelve-year-old prince pointed out. “How is he doing, though? It’s been over a year since he left on assignment. I know that’s hard on you. Azula’s told me about what happened last week...” Zuko said before slapping his hand over his mouth. He hadn’t meant to snoop around, it was just Azula venting about a misunderstanding shortly after the girls’ birthdays. “Forget I said that.” He rushed.

“I’ve asked him, and he’s declined it each time. Said I need to wait until he returns home. Father sent me a letter today, actually. It came by messenger hawk after we had breakfast. The Fire Lord is having them return home in two weeks.” Sakiya said with a slight smile, before it instantly faded. “What did she tell you?” She asked hurriedly, her face reddening. She had snapped at Azula, but she didn’t think the girl would go and tell others about what happened and why she had been upset. “I’m not going to forget. What did Azula tell you?” She prodded.

“It was the night of the birthday dinner for you two, and Azula had been mad you hadn’t come out of your room. After dinner, she went to your room, right?” Zuko asked. “She said she saw you crying. She said you shouldn’t be upset about your father being gone. She kept saying she couldn’t believe you had let your guard down that much.” He told her. “I hadn’t meant to known. She had been mad, so I asked her what her problem was. She shouldn’t have bothered you in the first place, and I should have never been told by her.” He explained honestly.

“She told me it was stupid for me to be sad about my father not being around.” Sakiya grumbled. “She doesn’t understand. Nobody does. My dad is the only person I’ve had that I can remember. Lady Ursa was practically my mom.” She said, shaking her head and taking a deep breath. She knew better than to work herself up and get angry, it made her want to nitpick and cause arguments. She turned away from Zuko as she heard Ty Lee’s voice, forcing a smile as she saw the girl. “Ty Lee! Where’s Mai?” She asked curiously.

“She’s wrong.” Zuko said, dropping the subject when he saw Ty Lee come bounding across the gardens. He saw Mai hanging out underneath one of the blossoming trees, walking over to talk with her. They were decently close, and Mai didn’t act differently around him like Sakiya did. He appreciated that from her, she didn’t change her attitude because of his sister.

“Mai is over there with little Zuzu. What’s wrong?” Ty Lee asked Sakiya with a frown. “Your aura is off. It’s normally so bubbly and shiny and bright. But now it feels dull and faded.” She said, shaking her head as she saw the girl just wave her off. “Sakiya, you can’t let everything get to you. Not everything has to be taken to heart.” She pointed out. Ty Lee was Sakiya’s other best friend, in some ways almost closer than Azula. She cared more for Sakiya’s well-being and happiness, while Azula had been there for her from the beginning. It was just that lately, she was more reliant on Ty Lee. She couldn’t find a way to express her emotions without it coming out as just anger. She didn’t want to be an angry person.

“I’m alright. Just ready for my dad to be home. The palace is nice and all, I just prefer being at home.” Sakiya told the girl honestly. “My aura will be fine, don’t worry.” She said with a slight smile. “Azula should be back from her outing with Lo and Li before too long. Think we’re going to the market for a bit. Might ditch the guards and find something cool or try something.” She suggested. “Figured you would be interested in tagging along. Probably too boring for Mai, too risky for Zuzu.” She mentioned, walking over to one of the trees. She climbed onto one of the branches with ease, hanging upside down with a small laugh.

“He’ll be home soon, I’m sure of it!” Ty Lee exclaimed, following Sakiya to the tree and climbing up with her. “I don’t think Mai wouldn’t want to go. She’s always going to say it’s boring but we can go.” She said with a grin. “Lo and Li take forever with Azula, you know? What could they possibly need all morning and most of the afternoon with her for?” The girl said, not wanting to have to wait too much longer. She was ready to go and have fun, not wait for two old ladies then some guards before they could leave. “Why would you sneak off from the guards? The main part of the city is all open. All the shops are there. The guards aren’t that stupid. Well, some of them aren’t.” She giggled.

“Well, I was thinking of going beyond the main plaza. Explore the side streets. Before he left, Papa showed me the best little candy shop. I want to get some candy from there. And who knows, maybe I can find some fire dancers and work on that some. I haven’t done that in a while.” Sakiya told the girl with a shrug. “The Fire Lord wants us to stay with guards, but it gets annoying. Someone watching your every breath and movement. Creepy.” She laughed. “You can always stay with the guards, I know Azula and I won’t mind. But you can’t snitch, and neither can Zuko or Mai. If they even tag along.”

“I wouldn’t snitch! I’ll go with you guys, it sounds like fun! I may not be able to bend fire like you or Azula, but dancing is always fun.” Ty Lee exclaimed. “It’s like a special treat for upper-class people. My sisters and I have gone down to the normal-class area of the city, outside of the palace areas. They can’t dance or express themselves. As long as we don’t do anything wrong, we get to do what we want.” She said with a small laugh. “I can’t wait to be done at the academy. You and Azula practically are done already. The instructors can’t keep up with how fast you two do things. I’ve heard them talking to each other before.” She told the girl. “Azula needs to hurry up, I see Mai looking all lovey-dovey with the prince.” The girl laughed, her laughter growing hearing Mai and Zuko start bickering.

“Aww, Mai and Prince Zuzu. That’s an interesting match, for sure. Azula would get a kick out of it.” Sakiya said with a slight smirk. “If only she were here to see it. You know she favors the two of you together.” She pointed out, hopping out of the tree and walking over to the pair. “You guys want to come with us whenever Azula’s ready? We’re going in to town before we’re stuck in the palace for the night.” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Zuko was about to disagree on going with the girls before he heard Mai agree, sighing. “Well, I guess I’m in.” He mumbled. “Just, let’s not cause trouble for a change. Especially you and Azula.” He pointedly told Sakiya, knowing he and Mai would be the ones responsible for them all if they’d get into trouble. He got up from under the blossoming tree, helping Mai up as well. He then heard the familiar laugh of his sister, and shook his head as he stepped back.

“There you guys are!” Azula shouted as she walked across the gardens. “We have to hurry and get out of here before supper, or we won’t be able to leave. Let’s go, let’s go!” She told the group, who just stood there. “What? Did I interrupt something? Doesn’t look like it. C’mon.” She pointed out, watching Sakiya and Ty Lee come to her side, while Mai and Zuko trailed behind. ‘Little lovesick puppies, how disgusting.’ She thought, leading the way out of the gardens and towards the palace guards. “We need two guards to come with us. We want to go into town for a while. I’m sure Father would be thrilled to find out his guards wouldn’t go with a group of noble children to ensure their safety.” Azula told the guards with a smirk, which quickly turned to a grin as she saw two guards step forward. “Great! Let’s go!”

The group was quickly escorted into town, where they all walked ahead of the two guards. Ty Lee was constantly stopping at all the clothing shops, looking for more pink items for her parents to add to her wardrobe. Mai and Zuko had just kept walking, both silent as the group walked around. Sakiya had gone into a couple little shops with Azula, before wandering off on her own. She ended up finding Ty Lee, who was whining because she thought Mai should go into a tea shop with her and the girl disagreed. “I’ll go in with you, Ty Lee. I’ve gotta tell you something.” She told the girl, walking into the small shop with a smile. She had some money with her, paying for two jasmine teas before she and Ty Lee sat down. “We’ve gotta figure out how to sneak away from the guards. It won’t be too hard, it’s just a matter of distracting them.” She said softly.

“I’ve seen some people fighting on some of the side streets. We have to go down them to get to the lower class part of town anyways. We can slip through the middle of a couple fights and lose the guards between the turns of the streets and the fights.” Ty Lee suggested as she sipped on her tea, looking over at the other girl. “I can tell Mai and Zuko about our plan if you want to let Azula know.” She told her, glad that the group would be able to leave the guards and enjoy their time in town. Her parents never minded if she left their home without anyone, she knew her way around enough. But it made sense to have the guards nearby, especially with Zuko and Azula being royalty. “But you said you wanted to tell me or ask me something… what was it about?” She asked, tilting her head as she looked at her.

“That’s a fantastic plan. Some of the fights have been with bending. Not many, but if we slip through one of them, we would lose them because they’d be trying to stop the fight.” Sakiya said, laughing a bit as the scene played out in her head. The guards would be trying to weave through fights and narrow streets, while the kids just zipped around. “I think that’ll work. Just don’t let the guards hear you telling them. Kinda drag them away. Telling Azula won’t be hard for me to do. We’ll finish our tea then go do that.” She told her softly, before hearing her question. “Oh. That. Well, um. It was nothing. Just something I’ve thought about. Probably best I didn’t say anything.” She rushed, her cheeks flushing.

“You never blush! Something is definitely bothering you! C’mon Kiya, spill.” Ty Lee exclaimed, her voice chipper and bubbly. “I know!” She said, snapping her fingers. “You like someone! You like a boy!” She shouted, causing Sakiya to shush her. “Ohhh, I see. It is you like a boy. Who is it? Is it someone I know? Does Azula know you have a crush?” She started asking, before seeing Azula walk in the tea shop, motioning for the girls to come out of the shop. “We’ll be out in a minute!” She told the princess, finishing her tea. “We can talk more about it when we go back to the palace.” She told Sakiya.

“We’ll talk about it later, yeah. With nobody else. Azula doesn’t know. Azula can’t know, or it wouldn’t be a secret anymore. Let’s wait until my father gets home… I can have you over and tell you then. I promise.” Sakiya told Ty Lee, finishing her own cup of tea, shaking her head when a lady asked if they wanted anymore. “We’re alright, we’re leaving. Thank you for the tea. Have a nice day.” She told the lady with a smile as she stood, leaving the shop with Ty Lee trailing behind her. She quickly caught up to Azula, nudging her side. “Hey, you want to ditch the guards? I want to go deeper into town. My dad showed me a little candy shop before and it’s fantastic. And maybe I can find some fire dancers and work on that more. Don’t have my lessons anymore, so I need something to occupy my time.” She told Azula quietly as they walked.

“Leave the fuddy-duddy guards and actually do something fun that isn’t aimlessly walking through shops? Sounds fascinating, what’s the plan?” Azula asked with a smirk, looking at the shorter girl. It was rare for Sakiya to suggest that they get into trouble, so she’d go along with it this time. “You’re still hooked on those fire dancers? Why does it seem so appealing? You’re the daughter of one of the best generals in my father’s army, and you just want to dance your life away?” She asked, shrugging her shoulders. “Just seems like a downgrade. But your bending is far better than most fire dancers, and you’d do great.” She said. Even if it wasn’t something she’d do, she could see why it would appeal to somebody like Sakiya. She had to be supportive of her best friend.

Sakiya puffed her cheeks in anger as she heard Azula speak, shaking her head a bit. “I wouldn’t make a career of it. It’s just something to do. It’s fun, it seems easy enough, and I’m still improving my bending while doing so.” She pointed out. “But if it came to it, I wouldn’t mind making a career of it. If I really like it. I don’t know what I’ll do yet. I have time.” She grumbled, before deciding to get back on subject. “Plenty of fights on the streets leading to the lower class part of town. Ty Lee figured if we weave our way through the fights, we could lose them. Wouldn’t be too hard. Especially if we split up. Ty Lee and I know our way around the lower class area well, my father has taken us both a few times.” She said softly, looking down one of the streets. Now they just had to wait for a big enough fight, maybe one with a crowd. She stopped as she heard a commotion, smirking a bit. “This way.” She said, turning to a wide street.

The fight was a relatively small one, with two firebenders and two sword-fighters. But the crowd that had grown around the fight made it seem even bigger. Sakiya looked back towards Ty Lee, who nodded and motioned forward. She pushed through the people in the back of the crowd, making room for the rest of the group to squeeze past. “C’mon! Hurry up guys!” She said, laughing as she saw the guards rushing towards them as they slipped into the crowd. Ty Lee led the way this time, leading them to yet another street with another fight that they weaved through. Within a matter of minutes, they had lost the guards and had made their way to the lower class part of the city. “I think we lost them.” Sakiya told the group with a grin, walking over to a small fountain in the middle of the plaza. Things were more run down, but everyone seemed happy and full of life.

“It wasn’t that hard to lose them. I think they stopped after the second crowd.” Ty Lee said with a laugh, grinning at Sakiya. “Let’s find these fire dancers and then end with some candy before we go back to the palace.” She told the group, looking around on her tiptoes to see if she could see anything. “Sakiya, where would you think they’d be?” She asked.

“Well, they’d be in an open area. Look for a crowd that’s cheering or something.” Zuko pointed out, shrugging when he saw Sakiya give him a dirty look. “They’d want to be seen, show off what they’ve got.” He explained.

“I’m glad that your name is Sakiya. I wonder if that means I need to respond to Zuzu, since my name is obviously taken.” Sakiya grumbled. “He is right though, for a change. They’d have music and we would probably be able to hear it when we’re close.” She said, walking between Ty Lee and Azula as she tried to listen for any lively music. “Sometimes your brother is a handful.” She told Azula with a small laugh. “You’d think you were the older one.”

“Sakiya, you know that’s uncalled for.” Mai piped up from behind them. She was older than the other girls, and older than Zuko, at age thirteen. “He had an idea, so he spoke out. You don’t always have to get your say on what happens.” She pointed out, waving the girl off when she opened her mouth to speak again. “I’m done with the subject. Let’s find these fire dancers so you and Azula can mess around for a bit and Ty Lee can hop around.” She deadpanned.

“Brighten up a little, Mai. It’s not like Zuzu didn’t hear Ty Lee specifically say Sakiya. She has a right to be upset, even if it’s something small and meaningless.” Azula pointed out with a shrug. “I hear music, let’s go this way. You guys need to relax, it’s not like fire dancing is going to be that boring to watch. It never has been.” She said, leading the group down a small alleyway. It opened up to a flowery courtyard in front of a building, where six dancers were performing. “I found them. Here you go, Sakiya.” The princess said, nudging the girl forward. The dancers were fun and all, but it wasn’t her cup of tea. It was something peaceful and gentle, and she liked bold and brash activities.

Sakiya grinned as the group walked, seeing the dancers come into view. Even in the dimming sunlight, the dancers were absolutely stunning, with their flames lighting up the darkening sky. It seemed to be a simple routine, they had the same footwork throughout and just changed the bending. She watched the group for a bit before stepping closer, taking a deep breath as she began mirroring what they did. She grinned as she saw the golden flames appear from her hands, continuing as she moved along with the dancers with ease. It was thrilling, and she felt so free as she danced along. She noticed the focus of the crowd had gone away from the normal dancers, slowly coming to a stop as she saw the other fire dancers stop. Then came the whispers, all about General Bao’s daughter with the unnatural flames. Guess everyone knew her flames were weird. “Thank you for letting me dance with you guys.” She told the lead dancer with a smile, bowing to them. “I’d love to learn more. Could I come back and learn under you and your dancers?” She asked curiously, her eyes glistening with hope.

The leader smiled a bit, looking down at the young girl. “You are very welcome, little lady. You can join us tomorrow afternoon for lessons, if you’d like.” She told the smaller girl, watching the crowd disperse. She had heard about this girl, and her bending… but who hadn’t heard? She was powerful, but she was also graceful and elegant. She was the only daughter of one of the best generals in Fire Lord Ozai’s arsenal. “Meet us inside when you arrive tomorrow. Wear loose clothing.” She said, smiling fondly at the girl before straightening up, leading the dancers back into the building. Sakiya walked back to the group, grinning happily as she pushed her damp hair back from her face. She couldn’t believe she was actually going to learn fire dancing.

“You were amazing Sakiya! That was so cool! You picked up on it so fast, how’d you do it?” Ty Lee questioned, bouncing from foot to foot with excitement. “The one lady was talking to you for a while, what was all that about? You didn’t get in trouble, right?” She asked, whining when Azula nudged her, a silent ‘shut up’ of sorts.

“You did really well, Kiya. I haven’t seen your flames that large in a long while. Especially with being golden too. You looked really in your element, even with people talking.” Azula said, before turning around. “Guards, you found us! It took you all long enough.” She said with a smirk, laughing a bit before seeing the serious looks on the guards faces. These weren’t the two guards they had brought with them, they were too uptight. These were two of the Fire Lord’s elite guards, part of the Royal Procession. They were definitely in trouble with Father.

“Children, we need you to come with us. Fire Lord Ozai would like a conference.” The one guard said, walking behind the children as they ushered the kids back down the alley. “You are tough children to find. All we had to do was talk to some people who saw a dance with golden flames and they led us right to you all.” He said as the two guards led them back to the palace.

“I told you guys not to get us into trouble! We shouldn’t have left the guards.” Zuko whined, before being tripped by Sakiya. “That was uncalled for.” He grumbled, looking up at the small girl, who was giggling before offering to help him up. He declined her offer, standing up and brushing himself off. Once the group was escorted back to the palace, the guards allowed Ty Lee and Mai to leave. ‘Even better, Father wants to speak to just us three.’ Zuko thought, sighing as the group was led to the throne room. “Let’s get this over with.” He told the girls softly, his entire demeanor different. All of them seemed different now.

The three children walked into the throne room side by side, bowing to the Fire Lord. Sakiya spoke first, looking up to the man beyond the wall of flames. “Fire Lord Ozai, I’m sorry we snuck away from the guards. We were just messing around and having fun. We knew they wouldn’t let us leave the upper class shops. We just wanted to explore, we didn’t mean any disrespect or trouble.” She spoke firmly, knowing if she was quiet when she spoke, she would be perceived as weak and not confident. “It won’t happen again.” She said, bowing to the man again before stepping back.

“You three know better than to leave the guards, Sakiya. Your father put you under my care while he accepted this mission, I couldn’t let anything happen to you.” Ozai told the children, his gaze on Sakiya. “I don’t want to hear of a gold-flamed fire dancer on commoner grounds, Sakiya. You may learn it, but not from commoners, whom shouldn’t be dancing in the first place. The royal dancers may teach you, after all your normal studies. It seems you have ample time.” He told the girl. “You three aren’t to leave the palace for the next few days, nor have visitors. You must learn from mistakes, and for one to learn, you all have to face the consequences.” He told them. “You three are dismissed, go wash up. Get the commoner dust off of you. If you were going to the commoner’s part of town, you should have taken the palanquins. At least then you three would have stayed clean.” He told the children before he stood, leaving their sight.

“Way to go, girls. Way to go.” Zuko grumbled. “Thanks for getting us locked in the palace for the next few days.” He said as the group walked out. He had only been there, why did he have to get punished too? It’s not like he had been the one to come up with the idea. But, for Sakiya to take the blame for all of them, that was impressive. Even Azula would have pushed the blame away from herself, rather than taking the brute force of it. Maybe that was how Sakiya was different… she never wanted anybody else to get in trouble. It had been her idea, so she chose to take the blame. Sakiya never pushed responsibility away, nor did she run to it, she let it come to her. Even around Azula, Sakiya never let herself be fully influenced by his sister’s anger and prideful ways. She was a gentle spirit, unlike most people in their nation. And Zuko was afraid that would get used against Sakiya as they all grew older, as he knew the Fire Nation didn’t believe peace was an option. Peace meant that the Fire Nation wouldn’t have control, and that wouldn’t happen under Ozai’s reign as Fire Lord.

Chapter Text

Sakiya was absolutely obsessed with her fire dancing lessons, to say the least. To appease Fire Lord Ozai, she took lessons with the royal fire dancers in the mornings. However, in the afternoon she would sneak away and take part in lessons at the commoner’s level. It wasn’t a common thing for kids, and most of the women in the commoner’s fire dancers used the beauty of the dance to seduce. Sakiya found it disturbing and disgusting, but she knew better than to speak out on it. She had just finished her second set of lessons for the day, rushing back to the palace. She knew the areas that weren’t as well guarded by the Royal Procession, and always slipped in and out from those areas. It wasn’t difficult, and nobody knew about it. She had been taking the lessons from both teachers for about a week, and enjoyed every second of it. She ran back to her room, closing the doors behind her before she took her black hair out of the top knot. She quickly got changed out of her training clothes, walking back out from the closet as she started to braid her hair back. Sakiya jumped hearing a knock on the door, walking over to crack it open. “Hello?” She asked, frowning as she looked up to see a guard. “Um… how may I help you?” She asked kindly, racking her brain for any reason she could have been caught.

“I need you to follow me, Sakiya.” The guard stated simply as he looked down at her. “Fire Lord Ozai would like to speak with you about some things.” He told her, watching as she slipped a pair of sandals on. He held the door open, allowing the young girl to walk a few paces ahead of him. “He’s expecting you inside. Go ahead.” He told her as he opened the door to the throne room, shutting it once she was inside.

Sakiya had been quiet on the short walk to the throne room, thinking about who could have saw her sneaking in and out of the palace. Even Azula didn’t know about it, to her knowledge. “Fire Lord Ozai, I was told you’d like to speak with me?” Sakiya asked, bowing to the man before meeting his gaze as she kneeled. “Have I done something wrong?”

“First off, how are your dance lessons coming? The royal dancers are teaching you well, right?” Ozai asked simply, sitting on his throne. “I thought I told you to not leave the palace grounds, especially to go down to the lower-class.” He told her, chuckling as he saw her face shift. “Your father has taught you well, why disobey things he had taught you? He has instilled honor and respect into you, and yet you run off and act as if you have none. It’s peculiar.” He told her. “I won’t punish you for sneaking around, this time. Only because I no longer have a say.” He said as he stood.

“I’m sorry, Fire Lord.” Sakiya said simply. “There is no excuse, I should have followed what you told me to do in the first place, rather than sneaking around.” She admitted, before curiosity grew on her face. “What do you mean, you no longer have a say?” She asked, before piecing it together. “Father’s home! Where is he? Can I see him? Please? I want to see him!” Sakiya told the man, starting to jump up and down with a grin. “Please tell me where he is. Is he at our home, or is he here?” She asked, looking around the room.

“Settle down Sakiya. You don’t get to see him yet. He is here in the palace.” Ozai told the girl firmly, although there was a smile on his face. “Your father has some business to attend to before he is free to leave. I will send him to your room as soon as I’m done with him. I expect no interruptions in my conversation with him. In the mean time, you could pack your things or go play with Azula, or my son. You are dismissed.” He told the girl with a smirk, walking away before the conversation could go further.

Sakiya frowned as she saw Ozai walk away, running out of the room with tears in her eyes. She hadn’t seen her father in over a year, yet she had to wait even longer to see him once he was home. She was furious, all she wanted was to go home. She was sick of the palace and everything to do with it. She stomped to the gardens, slamming the doors shut as she walked into the open area. Why did he even tell her that her father was home if she wasn’t allowed to go see him? She shook her head, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down. ‘It’s okay, I’ll get to go home tonight and I won’t be stuck in the palace anymore. I get to go home.’ She thought, smiling faintly through her tears before feeling the anger bubble up inside her once more. Who told them she was seeing both fire dancing instructors? None of her friends knew, and she never recalled the guards ever seeing her leave the palace. She took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders back as she got into a firebending stance. She started with a small series of punches, watching the balls of red flame quickly disperse. She knew better than to let her flames get out of control, it would only cause trouble. The small punches led to kicks, and when she finally got tired of bending, she just danced around. She followed the motions she had learned recently, while not using her bending. She was brought out of her train of thought when she heard someone clear their throat. “What do you want, Zuko?” She grumbled, turning to face him.

“Didn’t realize I had to want something when I see you.” Zuko told the girl, looking down at her. “Something’s bothering you. What’s wrong? Did something happen with your father?” He asked her gently, although he kept his distance. He knew her well enough, and while she normally hated conflict, she always knew how to pick a fight when she was upset.

“I’ve learned to assume when it comes to you and Azula recently.” Sakiya grumbled. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m mad. Father is home and Fire Lord Ozai won’t allow me to see him, or leave the palace until Father is ready to go home. I’m sick of it here.” She snapped as she shook her head, taking a deep breath. “Just leave me alone. You and Azula aren’t going to be able to help me. All you’re going to do is make me want to fight.” She said softly, lowering her gaze.

“Would a fight help? Just letting you get it out?” Zuko asked, moving closer to her as he saw her shrug. “We can. I’m not as skilled as you and Azula when you two fight, but you haven’t fought me before.” He pointed out. If it would help her calm down, he didn’t see the harm in it. It would also occupy some time. “I know you’re mad my father won’t let you leave, or see your own father. But there’s something else wrong. Is it with your dance lessons in the palace?” He asked, furrowing his brows when he saw her body tense up. He knew he had struck a nerve there. He stepped back as he held his hands in a defensive position, watching the girl to see how she would move.

“I said I’m fine, Zuko!” Sakiya shouted, noticing his hands were up in a defensive position. Maybe a fight would help, it would get her frustration out while also using up some time. “I don’t know. Fighting shouldn’t be my solution. I’m not like you or Azula.” She said as she shook her head a bit, taking a stance. “My dance lessons are fine. Well, mostly fine. It doesn’t matter though.” She said, throwing a small ball of fire towards him as she started to circle around him. She didn’t want to use her full strength, it wasn’t worth it. “I’m done talking about it.”

Zuko had been watching her while she spoke, noticing how quickly she took a stance once she was worked up. “It isn’t your solution. We’re not fighting because we’re both mad. We’re fighting so you don’t stay mad. It isn’t worth being mad, not today.” Zuko said, quickly dodging her flame before sending a line of fire to her right. “Don’t act like you have to take it easy on me, Kiya.” He told her, moving to her left with a smirk. “You know plenty of bending techniques, but what about when you can’t bend? Bending isn’t always the answer, especially when the enemy it too close. Can you fight without relying on it?” He questioned.

“I don’t, it isn’t that big of a deal.” Sakiya said simply, narrowing her eyebrows. “I know how to get myself out of situations where I can’t use my bending.” She told him, rushing towards him before rolling to his left. “Most opponents are right-handed, meaning they will be weaker on their left side. I’ve been taught to read the human body like a book. After injuries, the body adapts and you can notice a physical change.” She explained, circling around him as he had previously done to her. “I don’t need to worry about not being able to use my bending. It’s unnecessary since I can use evasive maneuvers.” She ended, creating a small ring of fire that expanded to surround her small frame. Now he couldn’t come close to her, meaning he couldn’t get close enough to make bending illogical.

“You really should learn some non-bending techniques. You would think that your father would have taught you something by now. He is the most powerful non-bender in my father’s military. He and Swordmaster Piandao are two of the strongest and most well-known non-benders in the Fire Nation.” Zuko pointed out, watching as she moved out of close-range combat. He wasn’t actively trying to corner her and force her to go without her bending. If that were the case, he would have actually been trying. “Studying the body doesn’t mean that you’re going to know how to protect yourself. It means nothing if you don’t know how to manipulate their body to get away safely.” He told her, chuckling seeing the ring of fire surround her small body. He knew the flame was only temporary; she would exhaust herself if she used it too long. She had to know when to call it quits and admit she had been beaten.

Zuko had been leading them to the gazebo as they sparred, slow motions backing the two towards the outdated building. He darted forward, stopping right at the flickering ring around her. “You and I both know you can’t keep this up much longer.” He said in a sing-song tone, smirking at her. “It must be awfully exhausting. Your arms must be getting sore from holding that stance for too long. Loosen up.” He told her kindly, trying to lure her into a sense of false security. He had learned it from his uncle. Sometimes when an opponent was tired, false security would cause them to let their guard down, giving him opportunity to strike when they surrendered. “Lower the ring of fire, Kiya. We both know you can’t hold it much longer, you’ll hurt yourself.” He said, smirking as he saw the flames disperse around her. He had her right where he wanted her.

“Father doesn’t want me to ever need to be in that position. He says with my body frame and small size, I should focus on evasion, rather than combat.” Sakiya told the prince, taking a deep breath after she lowered the ring of fire. It was actually nice to be in the cool shade, and out of the warm late-spring sunlight. Wait a minute… when had the two moved to the shade? She didn’t recall any sort of movement while they fought. Sakiya looked around confused, raising an eyebrow seeing they were in the old gazebo. “Very clever, Zuzu. Very clever.” She told him as she looked around. She couldn’t use her bending, but she would still be able to avoid conflict. It wouldn’t be hard, at least she thought.

“What did I tell you? You can’t rely on just your bending. You didn’t even notice the scenery change. You have to be aware of your surroundings.” Zuko told her as he stepped forward. He couldn’t use any sort of weapon because if anyone were to come into the courtyard, he would look in a position to hurt her. But he could use hand-to-hand combat and hold her in a position she couldn’t bend but wouldn’t hurt her. “What are you going to do now? You know you can’t bend in here, you’d risk catching the gazebo on fire.” He pointed out.

“I was aware of my surroundings. Or at least I thought I was.” Sakiya grumbled, stepping towards the back of the gazebo. Zuko had a point; if she were to use her bending, she would risk catching the old building on fire. There wasn’t any large holes in the walls of the building, and she knew better than to put a hole in it. He was right, she didn’t know what to do without using her bending. “Why would I tell you what I was going to do? It ruins the element of surprise.” She pointed out with a smirk as she looked behind him. If he came further into the gazebo, she could possibly dart and get past him before he could react. But she knew that was what Zuko wanted her to do; he wanted her to run from the fight. She waited until he came in a bit further, before she darted, crying out in surprise when she felt him grab hold of her.

“Calm down!” Zuko shouted as he grabbed her wrists, stepping to the center of the gazebo before standing behind Sakiya. He tucked his arms under her shoulders to hold her arms stiff, before shifting his left leg around to keep her grounded. “I’m not going to hurt you. This stance is all defense, stop struggling.” He explained to her, rolling his eyes as he continued, tightening his grip. “I’ve left you in a position where you can’t bend, and can’t easily move. I can help you learn to fight without your bending.” He told her, shifting his legs to keep her own from moving.

“Let go of me!” Sakiya whined, continuing to struggle before taking a deep breath, calming down a bit. He was right… the way he held her, it prevented her from moving, but not tight enough where he would be purposefully hurting her. “Okay, you’re right. I do need to learn… I will talk to my father about you teaching me, unless he wishes to do so himself.” She said, before hearing someone clear their throat and yell. This couldn’t be good, but Sakiya couldn’t help but grin as she recognized who’s voice called out.

“Prince Zuko! Get your hands off my daughter this instant!” Bao shouted, storming into the garden. “How dare you hold her like that, you could have hurt her.” He said as he stepped into the gazebo, watching Zuko release her. He pulled his daughter tightly into his arms, lifting her into a hug as he stared down at the young prince. Upon getting closer, he had seen it was a harmless stance, but he had only heard Sakiya yelling and thought she was in trouble.

“Papa, it’s alright. Zuko didn’t hurt me.” Sakiya rushed, looking down at the prince with tears in her eyes. This wasn’t how she had planned on reuniting with her father, but she loved just seeing him again. “I was mad… we were sparring and he brought up how I can’t rely on my bending. He put me in a position where I couldn’t bend, and was explaining how to work on bettering my skills.” She hurried, not wanting the boy to get into trouble. “I want to work on honing my skills without bending.” She told her father softly as she curled up in his arms.

Bao listened to Sakiya, pressing a kiss to her temple as he heard her try to explain what was happening. “You two are alright. I saw how he held you when I got closer, you were in no danger as long as you both stayed calm.” He said, chuckling seeing Zuko’s flushed face. “You’re alright, Zuko. I thank you for helping her calm her temper. We are going to go back to our house and get resettled.” He told the prince. The father and daughter had been invited to a meal in the palace in his honor, but he quickly rejected it. All he wanted was to get his daughter home, and to relax. He had been gone for over a year, there was so much that needed to be done at their home. It had sat vacant the whole time, with Bao having given orders for nobody to come or go from the house. “Sakiya will see you all in a few days, then we may discuss Sakiya’s training.” He told the prince, leading him back into the palace, while carrying his daughter.

“I’m sorry for worrying you, General Bao. I meant no disrespect. I would never hurt Sakiya, I swear.” Zuko said, bowing to the man with a sheepish grin. “I am sure you guys will enjoy settling into your home again, Sakiya has been ready to leave here for a while.” He told the man as they walked, before he headed off towards his room. He was glad Sakiya was going home, but he really hoped that he would end up getting to teach her more about her strengths beyond firebending.

Sakiya was thrilled, to say the least. As they packed up her things, she was bubbling with stories, telling her father everything that had happened while he was gone. Between messing around with Mai and Zuko being all cutesy, to getting closer with Ty Lee and having trips to Ember Island with Azula. Then she told him about learning fire dancing, something she was so proud of. It was non-violent, and she would be able to better control her golden flames with the peaceful movements. She talked of how she had gotten in trouble for the group leaving the guards, on multiple occasions, to go mess around with children that weren’t nobility. “I missed you, Papa. Let’s go home.” She said, grabbing some of her things as they walked out of her bedroom in the palace.

It didn’t take too long for the pair to unpack their things back into the house, both Sakiya and Bao cleaning as they went. The house had been left in good condition, a thin layer of dust covering everything. Bao had already gotten food from the market to restock their small pantry, which mostly consisted of snacks for Sakiya to have throughout the day. He had also gotten some fruits and vegetables for the pair, and by sunset the pair had settled in for the night, having already eaten supper. It had been no extravagant meal like they would have at the palace, but it was a meal they both loved. “You know, Sakiya… your mother would be so proud of you.” The man told his daughter softly as he pulled her hair back from her face. “I know you don’t remember much of her, but she always believed in being peaceful. Unlike so many people in our nation, she didn’t believe in harming others for our own gain. And you’re just the same way.” He told her gently, starting to braid her hair. He was rusty, but it was something he had learned from Ursa when he was struggling with helping his daughter. “She loved you very much, just like I do. If she were here, she would be thrilled that you’ve turned out so perfect.” He said softly. He missed his wife dearly… oh Spirits he missed her more than he could describe.

“Papa, what happened to Mother? I always hear stories of her, and see all the paintings of her around the house. But you’ve never told me what happened to her? Did she get sick? Or was she banished? Or were we attacked and she got hurt?” Sakiya questioned softly, knowing it was still a sore subject for her father to talk about. She waited until he had finished with her hair before facing him, noticing he seemed to be mulling over the idea of telling her.

“You will know when you are older. I don’t think you are ready to hear of it quite yet.” Bao told her softly, kissing her forehead when she faced him. “I will tell you when I feel you are ready.” He explained, looking at the last family portrait that was hung in the sitting room. “It won’t be for a little while, but you will find out in time.” He promised. “Let’s get you ready for bed. We have to get some things done around the house the next few days. Then maybe after that we can see about you getting lessons beyond working on your bending. Fire Lord Ozai told me that you finished all of your lessons for your bending for your age. And he also told me your schooling was going well.” He said softly as he led her to her bedroom. He tucked her into bed for the night, making sure she was asleep before he ever considered to go to bed. Bao quietly fixed things up around the house, trying to get everything as close to possible as it had been before he left. A few hours later he peeked his head in, smiling seeing the girl was fast asleep. “I love you, Sakiya. Sweet dreams, my little cherry blossom.” He whispered as he left the room.

Chapter Text

Sakiya had obtained an obsession with dance within the first year of lessons. She was always in form-fitting clothing, her hair tucked back away from her face. In public events with her father, she hid the carefree spirit and pulled the mask of the soft-spoken daughter of the general. Her father had begun teaching her hand-to-hand combat shortly after he had returned last year, and she was learning rather quickly. Prince Zuko had also been working with her on hand-to-hand, mostly on when to and not to use bending and when to use it to her advantage at close range. Azula was less than thrilled with Sakiya’s sudden bond with her older brother, sparking more than a few arguments between the best friends. Sakiya had also spent less time at the Royal Academy for Girls, only attending classes a few days a week. She felt there was nothing more for her to learn, it wasn’t like she was ever going to leave the Fire Nation. She knew more than her fair share, and felt she’d learn more from experience at her rate. Sakiya had just finished training with Zuko, groaning as she plopped down underneath the shaded cherry tree. “Thank you for working with me again today, Zuko. I appreciate that you don’t take it easy on me anymore.” She said with a smile, leaning back against the tree. “Spending the rest of the week with Mai? I know we don’t train much until after your birthday celebration. Off to Ember Island with her again?” She taunted, looking up at him.

“Training you is fun, can’t let you get off easy anymore. Why do you always act like I’d rather be with Mai twenty-four seven? Sure we’re friends, but I don’t think she likes me like that.” Zuko pointed out with a laugh. “My father told me this was the only long training session this week. I have to go to a few meetings with him apparently.” Zuko said, sitting down beside her. “Everyone acts like my birthday is going to announce who gets to eventually marry this lovely face.” He said, gesturing to his sweaty face, before raising an eyebrow seeing Sakiya’s confused look. “What?”

“Nothing… it’s just, that is what everyone’s expecting from this big celebration.” Sakiya told him honestly. It’s all that the ladies in the dance studios would talk about during lessons. Who would be betrothed to the Crowned Prince? They all knew it would be nobility, but rumors flowed all around about who it was going to be. Everyone believed it was Zuko’s choice, even though Sakiya knew his father was the one choosing. As much as Zuko may not of liked it, he was well aware of his father’s control over him.

“Really?” Zuko asked, shaking his head a bit as he saw the girl nod her head. “Father hasn’t mentioned it… I mean, it’s more than likely going to be Mai. It’s gotta be, why wouldn’t it be?” He questioned, before taking a deep breath. He didn’t understand why he wouldn’t be able to choose his own betrothed, it wasn’t like they’d marry anytime soon. He was only thirteen, for Spirits sake! There was plenty of time between now and the time he would be ready to marry. “Maybe that’s what my father is having me meet with him about today.” He grumbled, looking up at the full branches in the trees. “Even if it is a betrothal meeting, I don’t have a choice. What would I even get whoever it is? A ring? A flower? A hairpiece? Do I get them nothing at all?” He rambled, his eyes shut.

“Zuko, calm down. I’m sure if it’s about you having somebody betrothed to you, you at least get some say. At least you’re going to know ahead of time, unlike the girl.” Sakiya told him gently, smiling as she heard him talk about Mai so fondly. Mai had been obsessed with Zuko forever, everyone knew it, and the girls often teased her for it. “You could get them any of those.” She admitted, before thinking. “I’ll be right back.” She told him, running into the house before coming out holding an old blue book. “My father brought this home for me the last time he was on assignment. It’s about the Water Tribe culture and customs. Their arranged marriages have necklaces, they’re really simple and gorgeous. I doubt the Fire Lord would take insight of another culture, but I really like them. Whenever it happens for me, I’d prefer a necklace over anything else. It’s a long time coming, though.” She admitted with a sheepish smile, opening the book to a bookmarked page before handing the book to him.

“A necklace?” Zuko asked, raising an eyebrow as he took the book from the girl. He looked at the few examples in the book, making a mental note. He already knew that even if his father would consider it, the necklaces were far too modest and not bold enough to be something sought after in the Fire Nation. “Those are neat, Kiya. Maybe you’ll get one someday.” He told her honestly, handing the book back to her as he stood up. “You want to have a secret training session in a few days?” He asked suddenly, knowing he could find some time to squeeze it in. “It wouldn’t be here or at the palace. No guards, I promise. Nobody else knows about the place we’d go.” He said with a smile, brushing the dust off of his outfit.

“Eventually. It’s not my main worry right now. I just want to find something to do instead of schooling.” Sakiya said with a laugh. She didn’t need a boyfriend, that was for sure. She held the book under her arm, raising an eyebrow as she heard him. “A secret one? Why would it have to be secret?” She asked curiously, before smirking. “Well, I suppose I could. Or I could snitch you out for not having guards.” She told him, starting to laugh seeing the fear run across his face. “I’m messing, Zuzu. That sounds nice. Just come here whenever you want to do that.” She said, smiling seeing her dad step into the backyard. “Zuko was just leaving, Papa.” She told her father, frowning when she heard him say he was going to the palace as well. “Why? Fire Lord Ozai isn’t sending you away again, right?” She asked softly.

“No, Sakiya.” Bao told the girl reassuringly. “Just a private meeting with him. He isn’t sending me away again quite yet.” He promised. “Head inside and wash up, we’ll be eating supper at the palace tonight.” He informed her, nudging her side to lead her into the house. He knew what his meeting with his childhood friend was about, but he knew better than to say something in front of the two children. He made sure Sakiya was getting cleaned up before he left, making his way to the palace. The meeting wasn’t in the throne room, for a change, instead being held in a small conference room. As he walked in, he nodded seeing Ozai, bowing before he took a seat. Only one more person was to be at the meeting, and within minutes, Prince Zuko walked into the room. “Hello again, Prince Zuko.” Bao told him, gesturing for him to take a seat.

Zuko was beyond confused, why was Sakiya’s father here? “Hello, General Bao. Good to see you again.” He said, bowing to the older man before he bowed to his father, sitting across from the two men. To say he was nervous was an understatement. Had he done something wrong while training Sakiya? Maybe Bao was being sent away again and Zuko was being trusted with keeping the information safe until Sakiya could find out? “What is this meeting about, Father? I’ve heard rumors, but I’ve not been told anything.” He told his father, though he kept his tone mellow, not wanting to seem disrespectful.

“Relax, Prince Zuko. General Bao is here on official business, he needs to be present in this meeting.” Fire Lord Ozai told his son simply. “This meeting is to discuss an event taking place at your birthday celebration in a few days. We’re to discuss whom you will be betrothed to, and what you are to give them to signify the betrothal.” He explained bluntly, not giving his son a choice in the matter. “General Bao is here because Lady Sakiya is to be betrothed to you, and when you are both of age, you are to marry.” He ordered, looking over at the young boy as his face went from straight to shock.

“Father, I don’t feel it is necessary for you to find someone to be betrothed for me… shouldn’t that be my decision?” Zuko said, his jaw dropping upon hearing that Sakiya was to be his betrothed. He didn’t speak for a few minutes, letting the information set in. “Sakiya?” Zuko asked, looking over at Bao. “Does she know about this?” He questioned, frowning seeing the two adults shake their heads. “Why wouldn’t it be Mai? We’ve been practically dating since she and Azula first became friends.” He pointed out, seeing his father hold a hand up to stop the boy from rambling.

“I considered it. But upon speaking with General Bao, we believe it would be in the best interest for it to be you and Lady Sakiya.” Ozai explained. “Sakiya is not aware of the betrothal, nor will she be made aware of it before the public announcement. Nobody else is to know.” He told his son firmly, before grabbing a notebook from the corner of the table. “The Fire Sages have a book of designs for different hairpieces or rings for betrothals. Not common, but it is tradition. You have until the end of the night to bring an idea to me and the general.” He said, sliding the book across the small table. “I assume you will choose well.”

“But-“ Zuko stopped himself and shook his head. “I can see your concern in the matter, Father. Thank you for your insight and making the decision for me.” He said softly, knowing better than to argue about the situation. If Bao had approved of the betrothal, and his father felt it was in the best interest of the Fire Nation, then he supposed it would be alright. He raised an eyebrow upon seeing the weathered notebook, opening it carefully. Then he thought back to just a couple of hours ago, when he had been talking with Sakiya. “Sakiya wouldn’t like any of these.” He said simply, pausing when the two men disagreed with him before allowing him continue. “I’m just saying that she wouldn’t. We kinda talked about it today after our session. She brought me this book from inside. It was about the Water Tribes… they do necklaces. Sakiya doesn’t like hairpieces, aside from her cherry blossom ones. And rings don’t seem practical for her. She messes with her hands too much.” He explained. “She likes the betrothal necklaces used there. Maybe I could draw out an idea for one? I promise I’d get it to you both by the end of the night, if you both agree.” He suggested, smiling ever so slightly. If he had to go through with this, it was at least going to be done his own way, not how somebody else expected him to do it.

“While not being traditional, Prince Zuko brings up a good point, Lord Ozai.” Bao told his friend. “My daughter is one of unique nature, she wouldn’t want a hairpiece or a ring. She does like the Water Tribe necklaces. Most of the jewelry she owns is necklaces, says it brightens up her outfits for dancing. Something that will not harm her bending, nor be a hassle for her dancing.” He said with a small laugh. “But I’m willing to give him a chance, if you approve, Lord Ozai.” He told the man. He would have preferred to see his daughter a bit older before being betrothed, but he couldn’t go against the Fire Lord’s wishes, even if it was his childhood best friend. He wanted what was best for his daughter, and once she could make the decision, he would hope if she wanted out she would take the chance.

“It will not be fashioned off of the Water Tribe necklaces. You can use a betrothal necklace, but do not rely on the designs of their necklaces. Make your own design.” Ozai told his son. “I will give you only one chance to prove to myself and General Bao that your idea is better suited. I expect to see a design by the end of the night. If I approve, I may still make slight changes. I will have the Sages stay true to your original design.” He stated, grabbing the old notebook from the table. “You are dismissed, Prince Zuko. Remember, nobody is to hear of this. Not Azula, Sakiya, Mai… nobody at all. This meeting never happened.” He stood, nodding to Bao before he left the conference room.

To say that Zuko was flustered about his current situation was an understatement. He was completely freaking out as he paced around his room, several scrapped ideas on the ground. He had been in his room for hours, working on a design. He eventually felt he had come up with a perfect design for a betrothal necklace to suit Fire Nation culture, and more importantly, Sakiya. The necklace was a choker style around the neck, with a stretch of burgundy lace being the main material. The necklace would end around her collarbone, with a small golden flame pendant being embellished at the bottom of the necklace. Around some of the lace, he pictured small gold flecks, imagining them dancing off the light. He didn’t want something extravagant and brash, preferring a subtle tone. He finally finished the design, trying his best to make another drawing of the same necklace before he rushed out of his room with the two sheets of paper. He first went to his father, presenting the idea quickly before excusing himself, explaining the need to deliver the General his copy of the sketch. He rather quickly delivered it, watching Bao look it over before closing the door on him. It was late, but Zuko was relieved he had finished his end of the project within his father’s time restraint. Now if only he could make things not so awkward between him and Sakiya between now and then. They still had their normal training, on top of his extra session he had added. And what was he going to do about Mai, and the dates she had planned out? He couldn’t tell her obviously, but he didn’t feel comfortable leading her on. Maybe he could just play along until the betrothal, then be friends with her afterwards, if she would allow it? Why were girls so hard to read? It was awful for him.

Every day when the two would train, Sakiya could tell that there was something off about Zuko. He had canceled their secret training session, stating he had something come up and didn’t want to risk somebody finding out. He seemed very distracted, like his mind was somewhere else while they trained. She was landing hits on him she normally could never get, even when he had been taking it easy on her. “Zuko, what’s wrong? Is something bothering you?” She asked him, stepping back and straightening up. “Is it about the party tomorrow night?” She questioned, frowning a bit when he didn’t reply. “It is, isn’t it? Mai is looking forward to it. I think all of us are. Except maybe Azula, but you know how your sister gets when she isn’t the center of attention.” She told him.

“Nothing’s really bothering me. Well, at least nothing you could help with.” Zuko said as he looked over at her as she straightened her stance. “I’m looking forward to it, I guess. Isn’t much of a party, its in the middle of the day and its only like an hour. It’s just… a lot is going to change after it, I’ve just been thinking about it a lot.” He explained, taking a deep breath. Mai was looking forward to this? This was going to be even worse than he thought, since she wasn’t going to be betrothed to him. He then thought about Sakiya, looking at the girl in front of him. She wasn’t even twelve yet, he didn’t feel comfortable roping her into anything. He didn’t want to ruin her friendships with Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee. Azula wasn’t going to handle the news well, and Sakiya wasn’t going to be taking the heat for it. “Are you looking forward to it? I know you’re probably going to be with the other girls, but are you?” He asked.

“Of course I’m looking forward to it. I mean, Azula and I are probably just going to hang out with Ty Lee and Mai.” Sakiya said with a shrug. “My father said that Fire Lord Ozai requested some outfit for me to wear. Not sure why, but I can’t deny his request.” She told him, unsure on if he knew anything about her needing to dress special for the occasion. “I’m sure whatever happens tomorrow will be fine, Zuzu. You can’t be afraid of it, it’s your future. Only you can change what happens in your story.” She explained, looking around the courtyard before sighing. “I need to go, I told Azula that once we were done training for the day that I was all hers. She probably wants to harass your turtle ducks. Or work on bending techniques.”

“I’m not sure why he would request you in a special outfit. Guess he just thinks you deserve to have some spotlight.” Zuko teased. In reality, he knew why his father requested the girl wear a special outfit, due to it being her betrothal. He heard her mention having to leave to see Azula, nodding his head gently. “Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow at the party.” He told her, walking behind her as they both walked into the palace. He went to his chambers, freshening up from his training before deciding to leave his room again. He quietly walked to where he had been told to meet two Fire Sages, watching them bow to him. “My father said it’s done? Could I see it?” He asked, knowing he truly didn’t need to ask for their permission. He wanted to make sure her necklace was in pristine condition, no flaws. The Sages led him into a room, handing him the box the necklace was contained in. He opened it up, looking over the lace necklace. It was everything he had envisioned, elegant yet subtle and one of a kind. “You all did very well. I appreciate you doing this, for I know it isn’t traditional.” He told them, before he placed the necklace back in the box and closed it. He wouldn’t need the necklace until tomorrow, and he knew the Fire Sages would present the box to him in the ceremony. No reason for him to carry around the box when he would just be giving it back before the party.

The next morning was a long one, and Sakiya hated every minute of it. She had been woken up far earlier than usual, which already had put her in a bad mood for the day. Her outfit for Zuko’s party was gorgeous, but she didn’t feel like herself in it. Her outfit was a loose off-the-shoulder top that cut off around her rib cage, paired with a layered tulle skirt that went from just below her belly button to just above her knees. The entire outfit was a rich shade of burgundy, with gold embellishments highlighting the otherwise dark ensemble, and it was definitely the best thing about the outfit. “I just don’t understand why I have to dress so nicely, it’s not like this is some formal event. I don’t even like this shirt, it’s too tight.” She told her father grumpily, brushing through her hair. She pulled half of it back in a small topknot, allowing the other half to settle naturally into its long waves. The finishing touch to the outfit was her gold cherry blossom pin in the front of the topknot, which was meticulously placed. “Do I look alright?” She asked her father as she looked in the mirror. She knew she was going to discard the shoes Fire Lord Ozai had requested she wore, settling for her own shoes. She at least wanted to wear something of her own, something comfortable.

“You look wonderful, Sakiya. I’m sure Fire Lord Ozai will appreciate you wearing the outfit he requested, even if you dislike it. You don’t have to wear it long.” Bao told his daughter softly. He was in his full military uniform, looking down at his daughter from where she sat. “It is a formal event for Prince Zuko, so we all must dress for the occasion. Come now, we have to go. I’m sure Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee are going to be thrilled to see you.” He told her, walking towards the front door. He knew the truth behind why Ozai chose his outfit, and he knew why he had chosen the colors. It was all to match her betrothal necklace, all so she would be coordinated.

Sakiya smiled widely hearing her father’s praise, standing and slipping her faded wrap-up sandals on before she followed him out the door. It wasn’t a far walk to the palace, where Sakiya decided to go find either Azula or Zuko. “I’ll see you inside, Papa. I’m just going to find Azu or Zuko.” She told him honestly, before heading down the hall to Azula’s room. She knocked on the door gently a few times, opening it once Azula permitted it. “Azu! You look fantastic! You guys do too!” She told Mai and Ty Lee, who were standing while Azula had gotten herself finished.

“Kiya! I-“ Azula paused, looking the girl up and down. That was peculiar, Sakiya was dressed far better than normal, and was even dressed better than Mai. If this was Mai’s betrothal, wouldn’t Sakiya be dressed more subtle? “You look amazing as well. Not at all your normal style, however.” She told the girl, watching as Ty Lee fawned over her. “But it does look really nice on you. We were about to head to the party, just wasting some free time before.” The princess told her best friend, fixing her flame hairpiece before standing, brushing herself off.

“Let’s go girls!” Ty Lee said, smiling over at Sakiya. Once the girls left the princess’ bedroom, she stepped in time with Sakiya, a few paces behind Mai and Azula. “Sakiya, you realize you can’t keep being in love with Zuko if Mai is betrothed to him, right?” She asked quietly, thinking back to what the girl had confided her in back when she was living in the palace. It would be a pointless love after the betrothal was announced. She then grabbed Sakiya’s arm, the two catching up quickly. “How are you guys doing with your lessons at the academy?” Ty Lee questioned the three girls, laughing at Mai’s groan. There wasn’t too much for the girls to talk about, especially given where they were going. It wasn’t like they could skip the party and hang out in the gardens… not yet at least.

“It’s going very well. Little Miss Kiya hasn’t had lessons in forever. Too smart for her own good.” Azula said with a laugh as she nudged Sakiya. The princess knew that the girl hadn’t been enrolled in many lessons, having private lessons outside of the academy. As much as she didn’t like that Zuko was teaching her best friend to fight, she knew Sakiya had been growing stir-crazy from her lessons in the academy. She didn’t like to be still. “I think Lo and Li were planning a trip to Ember Island soon. I think we all should go, it would be something fun to do. It would get us all away from our homes.” The princess suggested, knowing her mentors wouldn’t mind the other girls tagging along.

“I think that’d be fun.” Sakiya said with a grin. She loved going to Ember Island, as she didn’t go very often, in comparison to Azula and Zuko. “I’m sure your mentors will have something planned up as soon as you mention the four of us going.” She pointed out to her best friend, smiling at the guards as they opened the ballroom doors to allow the girls inside. “I’ll be right back. I told my father I would find him when I got in here.” She excused herself, before wandering off to find her father. It was a small crowd, which made sense for the reasoning behind the celebration. As she walked around, she heard various conversations about who the betrothed were, tuning it out. She heard her name mentioned several times, thinking nothing of it as she found her father, walking over to him. She didn’t interrupt his conversation, waiting until she was addressed. She bowed to the man her father was talking to, smiling at her father as she looked up at him. “I’m going back over to Princess Azula, I promise to come find you before they make any announcements.” She told her father, waiting until he approved before darting off again. “I’m back, did I miss anything important?” She asked curiously, following the girls’ gaze.

Zuko was freaking out on the inside, his face blank as he followed his father into the ballroom, watching everyone bow before them before they went about themselves again. He knew his father would take his seat on the throne, only speaking to people from there. However, Zuko had already been instructed to talk to people who spoke to him. He wasn’t to answer questions regarding the betrothal, having to tell them to wait. He soon found his sister and her friends, waving over to them. Azula was who he was always compared to, but deep down, she was still his little sister and he adored her. He walked over to the girls, smiling a bit. “You all look fantastic.” He told them, chuckling as the girls started teasing Mai for the blush that overcame her cheeks. She was a year older than him, making her three years older than the other girls. “You don’t have to be embarrassed, it’s a compliment. Take it or leave it.” He teased, shrugging his shoulders.

“Thanks, Zuzu. I’m sure we all appreciate the comment.” Sakiya told him with a smile. She had been around him enough, he was definitely stressed out, even though he had gotten much better at hiding his stress. “You get to start going to meetings and doing princely things after today. Practically an adult, gross.” She said with a laugh, causing the other girls to join in on the laughter. The four girls teased the prince for a while, having a good time before he moved on to talk to more people.

About halfway through the party, Sakiya noticed everybody starting to pay attention to where Fire Lord Ozai was, Prince Zuko and Princess Azula now standing on either side of him. Fire Sages had also joined the small family, and Sakiya took that as a cue to stand beside her father at the front of the crowd. She stood to her father’s right, watching one of the Fire Sages step forward. “Good afternoon.” The elderly man announced, looking around the small crowd. “We are gathered here today to celebrate Prince Zuko’s thirteenth birthday, but more importantly to announce his betrothal.” He said, before continuing. “We are more than pleased to announce Prince Zuko’s betrothal to… Lady Sakiya. Daughter of the esteemed General Bao and Lady Suravi. Lady Sakiya, please come forward and receive your betrothal necklace.”

Chapter Text

“…Lady Sakiya, daughter of the esteemed General Bao and Lady Suravi. Lady Sakiya, please come forward and receive your betrothal necklace.” The sage bellowed, before stepping back hearing the Fire Lord hiss at him for saying Suravi’s name. He quickly slinked off, knowing he had done wrong. No one dared to say that name in the Fire Nation.

Sakiya was stunned, staring up at the Fire Sages before feeling her father nudge her, urging her forward. She slowly walked to where the sages and the royal family stood, her heartbeat pounding in her head. She watched Ozai shoot the Fire Sage a dirty look, frowning hearing him dismiss the sage and saying that they weren’t to say her mother’s name. She then looked to Azula, seeing she was in just as much shock as she was. Zuko, on the other hand… he seemed indifferent about the situation at hand. She stood where the Fire Sage pointed, noticing him hand Zuko the necklace. Now the Fire Lord’s request for her clothing made sense, as her burgundy clothes complimented the burgundy necklace. She stared forward as she felt Zuko wrap the lace cloth around her neck. It wasn’t a traditional betrothal gift for the Fire Nation, but it didn’t feel right to Sakiya. This wasn’t supposed to be her, it was supposed to be Mai. Mai was going to kill her, unless Azula did it first. “Thank you, Prince Zuko.” She said softly, unsure of anything else to say before she made her way back towards her father. She watched Fire Lord Ozai leave the party, relaxing a bit as she saw some people file out.

“What in the Spirits is going on?!” Azula shrieked, stomping over to Sakiya with her older brother in tow. “When did this happen?” She questioned, gesturing between the two of them. Mai had been nowhere to be found since the betrothal had been announced and Ty Lee was speechless, for a change. “Don’t get me wrong, Zuzu. But Kiya is a little out of your league.” She rambled, before noticing her best friend simply shrug her shoulders. That was unlike Sakiya… she never dealt with the princess’ brash attitude, why was she suddenly unaffected by it? She had to of known about the betrothal, right?

“Look, Azula.” Zuko said, rubbing the back of his neck. “It wasn’t planned, I swear. Sakiya knew nothing of it. It was all my idea, not hers.” He told his sister, trying to be as honest as possible. He knew he couldn’t say it was their fathers, it would only cause more problems. “I know it’s not ideal, but Sakiya isn’t to blame. Don’t take it out on her. It’s my fault.” He added, before looking at the three girls. “Where’s Mai?” He asked Ty Lee, frowning when the girl just shrugged her shoulders in response. That definitely couldn’t be good, he thought. “I’ll leave you girls alone for the rest of the day. Kiya, are we still on to train tomorrow?” He asked, looking over at the girl.

“She probably ran off during the announcement. We’re going to go find her.” Sakiya told Zuko softly. Wasn’t an ideal situation for him, what about for her? “I guess we are. Don’t take it easy on me. I’ll see you then.” She grumbled, before walking off with Ty Lee. Azula was going to look in one direction, while the other two girls went to Mai’s home. Sakiya’s mind was racing; Azula was mad, but she wasn’t sure how Mai would treat her. “I’ll just wait out here, Ty Lee. I’m sure that I’m the last person that Mai wants to see. If you can get her to come out, I’d like to apologize to her.” She mumbled to her friend. She was sure Mai wanted nothing more than to throw knives at the younger girl, so she knew it was best to keep her distance. She sat on the steps to Mai’s family home, her hand messing with the necklace tied around her neck. Her mind drifted off, staring in the distance with her hand covering her necklace.

“What are you doing sitting out here?” Zuko asked as he walked towards Mai’s house, curious to see Sakiya on the steps outside. She had obviously been sitting there for a while, lost in her own thoughts. Ty Lee or Azula had to be inside talking to her, if Sakiya was still sitting out here. He held his hands up in surrender seeing the girl jump up, shaking his head a bit. “I’m not here to bother you, honestly.” He promised, looking at the confused look on her face. “What’s on your mind?” He asked, although he already knew what her answer was. Her whole life had been changed, and it was his fault.

“I thought you said you were going to leave us girls alone for the night. Mai would have been included in the group. So much for not bothering us.” Sakiya grumbled, looking up at Zuko from where she sat. She rubbed her eyes a bit, looking up towards the door to the house. “I’m out here because I know if I went in there with Ty Lee, I probably wouldn’t have helped the situation.” She admitted. Azula had came about an hour ago, talking with Mai and Ty Lee inside for a little while before she left again. “What do you think is on my mind, Zuko? One of my best friends spent all day thinking today was her betrothal, only to hear the name of a girl three years younger than her get called. Azula is mad at me, but she’s going to cool off eventually. The Fire Sage got in trouble for saying my mother’s name, and I don’t know why.” She rambled, her hand still covering her necklace. “I just- a lot is on my mind and its hard. You wouldn’t get it.” She muttered. “I’m sure Mai wouldn’t-“

“I wouldn’t what, Sakiya?” A disgruntled Mai retorted, standing at the top of the stairs. “Out here with Zuko, I see. What do you both want?” She questioned, her arms folded over her chest. This should be good, she thought. The last two people she wanted to see today, and they were both right here. She wanted to scream. Today was supposed to be her day, and she was upstaged by Sakiya, yet again. What did Zuko even see in the tiny girl?

“I wanted to apologize, Mai. I knew nothing of it. I was fully expecting the Sages to say your name.” Sakiya apologized, standing up and brushing the dust off of her. “I knew to keep my distance, you didn’t want to see me. But I really am sorry… I want us to still be friends.” She added, looking at Ty Lee as she walked back down the stairs. “If you’d like, me and Ty Lee can leave. It will give everyone some time to cool off.” She told the girl, knowing they didn’t want to be nearby if Mai would get mad at Zuko. She quickly left, Ty Lee in tow as they ran back to her house.

“I really am sorry, Mai.” Zuko said, starting to walk up the stairs before seeing Mai turn her back to him. “I didn’t have a choice in the matter. I went into my meeting that day thinking I was going to be hearing you would be betrothed to me. I couldn’t go against my father.” He explained, shaking his head a bit. “Be mad at me all you’d like, but leave Sakiya out of it. She did nothing wrong. She’s already got Azula mad at her because of this. I don’t want to see her lose all her friends.”

“Funny that you care so much for her well-being, yet you don’t care for her like you do me.” Mai commented snidely, smirking at the prince. “I cannot say that I will forgive her. I may slip in a moment of anger. But who knows, maybe I’ll forget this happened and be her friend again.” She shrugged, knowing she wouldn’t forgive the girl easily, even if she had no knowledge of the betrothal. Zuko was her boyfriend, and little Sakiya wasn’t going to take that away from her. “Go chase after your little plaything. I’m sure you two have plenty to talk about.” She told him before heading back into the house, the door slamming shut behind her. Her life was flipped upside down. Her boyfriend was set to marry somebody else, her mother was pregnant, her father had just gotten another military promotion, and Mai had to be silent through it all to protect her family’s image.

Even after a month had passed, things were still uneasy between Sakiya and Mai. Azula had gotten over her anger, instead constantly teasing her best friend and older brother. If she couldn’t change it, she might as well be spiteful and taunting. Mai, on the other hand, was still refusing to speak to Sakiya. Whenever the two were around each other, a fight broke out or they had to be separated. They had all gone to Ember Island: Mai, Ty Lee, Sakiya, Zuko, Azula, Lo, and Li. The two elderly women were to watch over the children for the duration of the trip. “Time to hit the beach!” The elderly twins shouted, ushering them outside. “Remember, keep an open mind.”

“What do you guys want to do?” Sakiya asked the group as they walked down towards the sandy shore. It was early fall, so while it was hot in the afternoon, it was cool in the morning and evening. She was walking in between Zuko and Ty Lee, occasionally mumbling conversation to the girl as they walked. She had grown accepting of her betrothal, preferring to not worry about it for a while. It was a ways in the future, there was no point in her worrying about it now. “There’s volleyball, sand castles, swimming.” She suggested.

“I don’t know about you, Kiya, but I’m going to just lounge around. We have three whole days.” Azula pointed out as she found a spot to lay in the sand. “I’m sure that you and Ty Lee can swim and do some flips and tricks. You both have way too much energy. All the time.” She pointed out, noticing Zuko and Mai sit down next to each other. She knew that Zuzu had been trying to keep the peace, but she could tell Mai was still furious and Sakiya was still dodging around confronting her. “Mai, why don’t you go join them? It’s the warmest it will be all day, at least get a little sun. Zuzu’s always been pale, you could get a tan.” She quipped with a smirk.

“Listen to you, Azula. Always thinking one step ahead.” Mai said with false amusement as she stood and followed Sakiya and Ty Lee towards the water. Spirits, the water was freezing! Yet, Ty Lee and Sakiya seemed unaffected, like the water was warm and comforting. She wanted to hurt Sakiya, oh Spirits did she want to hurt her more than anything. Everyone told her she shouldn’t be upset about the betrothal, but she couldn’t get over it. Sakiya always got every little thing she wanted, and Zuko was a part of that, even if she said she didn’t like Zuko. She was jerked out of her train of thought when she got water splashed over her face, shrieking as she shifted to face Sakiya. “That’s freezing! Why would you do such a thing!”

“If you get your whole body wet, and dunk your head in, it won’t seem near as cold. Just try it.” Sakiya tried, floating a few feet away from the older girl as she closed her eyes. Ty Lee had been the one to splash her, but if she wanted to blame her, so be it. She used to be friends with Mai. But anymore, all she seemed to do was nitpick and point out flaws. In her eyes, Sakiya did everything wrong, causing the two girls to argue more times than not. “It’s not my fault you hide inside and don’t like the cold or the outdoors.” She mentioned, doing a somersault in the water before finding her footing, rising out of the water a little.

“Mai, it was just me splashing you! I thought you needed to get the cool water on the rest of you!” Ty Lee bubbled, smiling widely as she swam about. It was hard, watching two of her best friends argue. There was no reason for the arguments, and getting in the middle of it seemed to make it worse every time. “If you don’t want to dunk your whole body in, try searching for shells. You can pick them up with your hands or feet and see what they look like.” She said, digging into the damp sand beneath the water before pulling up a dusty orange shell in her hand. “See?! They’re so nice, and you can do it all day, without having to dive under the water.” She suggested, trying to find a way to keep the peace.

“I’m cold enough without getting my whole body wet. Sorry about your lu- I do not sit inside all day! How dare you!” Mai argued, scowling as she saw Sakiya swimming off. She could just grab the girl’s leg, accidentally drown her. Or they could go to a cliff and she could slip… oh what she’d do to see something happen to Sakiya. She knew it wasn’t worth her trouble… the risk wasn’t worth her satisfaction. But if she couldn’t physically hurt Sakiya, maybe she could ruin the betrothal and steal her boyfriend back again. She shook her head when Ty Lee suggested shell collecting, rolling her eyes. “You two have fun with floating and shells and your acrobatics, freaks. I’m going back to an umbrella and warming up.” She grumbled as she waded back towards the shore, sitting in the sand beside Zuko. “Why are they both so… unbearable?”

“I don’t think they’re unbearable. They just want you to have fun.” Zuko pointed out to the girl with a shrug. They didn’t come to Ember Island often… not since Mother had left. He knew that Mai and Sakiya didn’t get along, it was obvious. Sakiya had been growing onto the prince, things were still awkward between them though. When they trained, they acted as if nothing had ever happened… it made them both feel at ease. The couple formal events they had been to, however, were uncomfortable for the both of them. “Just relax, this trip is supposed to be fun. Don’t let your arguments with Sakiya get the better of you.” He explained. He watched as Sakiya and Ty Lee swam around in the water, and after about an hour of laying in the sand and doing nothing, he stood. “I’m heading in the water for a bit.” He told Mai, shaking his head when he was asked to stay. “Come with me instead. Even if you think it’s too cold. I’m sure you’ll be alright.” He suggested with a smirk.

“I… I guess I could go back in the water.” Mai relented as she stood, following the prince before seeing Sakiya swim towards him once they had gotten in the water. She couldn’t hide the grimace that came over her face, wading away a bit. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.” She hissed, going over to Ty Lee. That little floozy had Prince Zuko wrapped around her fingers, and she wore that necklace with pride. The necklace that had been supposed to be hers, not Sakiya’s. She watched the two from a distance, thinking over a plan on how to get her Zuko to come back to her.

“Hey Zuko, Mai- bye Mai.” Sakiya mumbled defeatedly, running her hands through her damp hair. “I didn’t mean to make her mad, I just wanted to apologize to her for what I said earlier.” She told him softly. Tense situations frustrated her, not being able to work her way out of them made it even worse. “She still won’t forgive me. I understand her being upset but she treats me as if I stole you, like it was in my control.” She whispered, her gaze locked on the older girl watching her from a distance. “I’m going to go back up to the beach house. I’ll see you all later.” She said before she started to wade back towards the shore. She had felt the prince’s hand brush against her shoulder as she turned away, shaking her head a bit.

“What’s up with Miss Perfect? You’re not going to go chasing after her like a lost dog?” Mai swam towards him, rolling her eyes as she saw the young girl rush towards the house. “What do you say we ditch this place? Go somewhere with nobody else… just you, and me.” She suggested with a smirk, pointing between the two of them before grabbing the prince’s arm. “There’s plenty of places we could go, c’mon. Is Prince Zuko afraid of doing something fun for a change?”

“I’m not scared.” Zuko argued, shaking his head a bit. “I guess a little fun wouldn’t hurt. I did make you come back into the water for a second time…” If the two of them did anything, Zuko knew he was in for so much trouble. His sister knew everything that happened with her friends, nothing was a secret to her. “Lead the way, Mai.” He added, following behind her as they walked back to shore. The prince had grabbed his robe from where he laid it, slipping it over Mai’s shoulders as they walked. They had gone back onto the island, Mai stopping when they reached a small grassy knoll. “So, why did you really want to come up here, Mai?”

“Can I not just want to get away from the rest of the group with my ex-boyfriend? I didn’t realize it was a crime.” Mai sat on the ground, wrapped up in Zuko’s robe comfortably. “We haven’t seen much of each other since Sakiya’s betrothal. You’re always off on meetings with your father, training with Sakiya, formal events with Sakiya, Sakiya this and that all the time. Your life practically revolves around her anymore. She’s eleven, Zuko. El-ev-en. Get a grip.” She emphasized. Why was she venting to him? He couldn’t do anything about it… none of them could. “I just miss how we used to be. Sneaking around and making out, running around with no cares.” She mumbled, before smirking a bit. “We could still do that.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea…” Zuko started, before thinking it over a bit as he sat beside her. Mai brought up a good point, they had been close and he instantly shut her out. It was easier that way, he couldn’t love Mai anymore. She was his first love, but he knew she wasn’t the one for him. “Us sneaking around is only going to lead to more trouble. If anybody finds out you’re just going to fuel more arguments. I don’t want to see anymore argu-“ He was cut off by familiar lips on his own, his arms wrapping around Mai instinctively. The two kissed for what felt like forever, before Zuko pulled away ever so slightly, his lips hovering over hers. He knew he shouldn’t… he couldn’t sneak around with Mai, yet, he yearned to kiss her again. He quickly kissed her again, tugging her closer to him. When he pulled away this time, however, he let go of her, shaking his head. “Mai, I love you but I can’t do this. It isn’t right.” He stood, rubbing his face as he took a deep breath. “I’ll… I’ll meet you back at the beach house.” He told her before he walked away.

To say Azula was thrilled was an understatement. The girl lived for action and drama, and she stumbled across something that would definitely stir the pot. She ducked behind a rock as her older brother passed, smirking a bit. She had gone to let the two know that her mentors had prepared a meal for them, but it seemed she didn’t need to inform them. She had already eaten, so she simply had been sent to round everyone else up. She didn’t think she ran up the island nearly as fast as she raced down, bubbling with the drama to tell. Now she just had to find Sakiya, and refrain from spilling the beans quite yet. She thought for a bit, before deciding to check the gardens behind the house. What was Sakiya’s deal with flowers and nature? Fire was the worst thing for plants, yet Sakiya adored them, it had to be something with her peaceful nature. Just like her old fuddy-duddy gasbag of an uncle: obsessed with plants, tea, and peace. She watched Sakiya as she worked on her bending and smirked a bit. Her training outside of the academy had improved her skills, dare she say surpassing her own skill. The small girl was mad, it didn’t take a fool to realize it, even though Azula could read the girl like a book. “You know, I found Zuko and Mai making out over on one of the hilltops.”

“You what?!” Sakiya growled, spinning around with her small whip of fire, instinctively lashing it forward before she realized who it was. She watched the flame slash at the princess’ exposed legs, gasping as she quickly ran over to Azula. The red flame had quickly dispersed, leaving behind a burn across the princess’ shins. “Azu! I’m so so sorry! I didn’t know it was you and I was mad and bending and I’m sorry!” She sputtered, watching the girl’s emotionless face as she looked down at the burn. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She murmured, stepping back from the princess. What had she just done?

“Don’t be sorry, Kiya.” Azula commented with a smirk. “You acted in defense, I can’t be mad. It doesn’t even hurt.” She told her with a laugh. While she felt pain, it was more of a dull pain, something Azula would easily forget about. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll just say I did something with my own bending. You won’t get in any trouble from it.” She promised her best friend with a slight smile. It was genuine, which was becoming rare for the princess. But she didn’t want to see Sakiya get in trouble for defending herself, she had been watching her for a while before she spoke. “I just figured you’d like to know where Prince Zuzu ran off to. You didn’t hear it from me, though. Food’s ready, go inside and eat before they get back.” She knew Sakiya wouldn’t listen at this rate. She was mad and the last thing the girl was going to do was eat or be near anybody.

“I’m still sorry. Please don’t tell anybody.” Sakiya rambled, running her hands through her tangled, damp hair. “Thank you for telling me about both things, Azula. I’m not hungry, and about the time I calm down the food will be cold.” She muttered. “I’m going for a walk. Whenever I come back I should be calmed down… I don’t want to freak out and hurt anyone else.” She said before moving past Azula, walking up the hill and finding an open area rather quickly. She was furious with everyone… but more at herself than anyone else. Sakiya spent a few hours up on the hilltop, working on her bending and evasive maneuvers. She was exhausted, but still felt anger in the pit of her stomach… or was it hunger? She wasn’t sure anymore, but she knew she wouldn’t go back down to the house if she was angry. Once the sun had gone down, the temperature had gone down quickly, causing Sakiya to grow colder the longer she was out. She eventually sat down on the ground, leaning back against a rock as she caught her breath, eyes closed. She felt like she was being watched again, groaning as she shifted to face away from whoever it was. “Go away, I’m fine. Just leave me alone and I’ll be down in a bit.”

To say that Zuko was concerned when Sakiya had vanished for hours on end was an understatement. Azula had shown up for bed with burns on her legs, blaming it on a training mistake when she was messing around. He knew his sister better than that, though, she would have never hurt herself with her own bending. Sakiya being missing at lights out only concerned him more. “You don’t look fine. You had me worried.” He told Sakiya once he found her, slipping his robe off and draping it over her. “How about we head back down to the beach house? You missed dinner, and Ty Lee was starting to think something happened to you. Let’s go.” He spoke quietly, watching her closely as she stood up.

“I had you worried? That’s nice.” Sakiya teased, rolling her eyes a bit. “Surprised you didn’t have another make out session with Mai. You know, since she’s been working so hard to ‘steal’ you back from me.” She muttered as she got back to her feet, handing him his robe. “You know, I’m kind of sick of playing like I don’t know what I’m doing. Mai treats me like I’m inferior, like I have no place being involved with you, or being friends with Azula. She acts like I’m some peasant that she can boss around just because she’s older than me and bigger than me.” She frowned, taking a deep breath. “I just needed to get some space and calm down so I’m not mad anymore.”

Zuko stayed silent as Sakiya vented, waiting until she had finished before he went to speak again. “You know, I told Mai off for what happened. I told her it couldn’t happen again. It isn’t worth the trouble.” He explained honestly. “I may have an idea on how to help you calm down, though.” He said, draping his robe over her shoulders again before shifting her so she was facing the ocean. “Just breathe and relax. I’m just going to stand right behind you.” He whispered, carefully wrapping his arms around her, smiling a bit feeling the girl relax into his arms. He stayed quiet for a while, staring out at the ocean and the moon. “You’re tired, aren’t you? You can go to bed when we head back.” He whispered softly, his lips on the back of her head as he relaxed.

“I’m not tired.” Sakiya lied, straightening up a little bit as she opened her eyes again. She carefully turned around to face him, smiling slightly as she looked up at him. “You told her off? That’s surprising, actually.” She mumbled, almost as if she was questioning his honesty. She could feel that she had calmed down, even as the two stood in silence. “I guess I could come back down to the beach house… I don’t want to hear any snide comments from Mai, though. I’m sick of it.” She rubbed her eyes a bit, shifting out of the older boy’s arms.

“I’d appreciate it. It’s getting cold out here, and I don’t think it’d be very smart for you to stay out all night.” Zuko said softly, shaking his head a bit as he heard her bring up Mai. “Well, if she tries to argue with you, you could always just keep that robe a bit longer. Or maybe you could brag about something.” He smirked a bit, looking down at the girl, who stared back up at him quizzically. He wrapped his arms around her again, leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to her lips before he was shoved away. Then he felt a warm, hard slap on his face, groaning as he moved to cover his face. “What was that for?!”

“What do you mean, what was that for?!” Sakiya yelled, shaking her head a bit. “That’s not really something to brag about! You just kissed me! I should be the one saying what was that for!” She was beyond confused, but not really mad. The kiss had actually been nice, with nobody around and the stillness of the night. Why had she freaked out so much if she liked the kiss? Her hand had been warm, not hot enough for a flame, but enough to leave a mark for a short period of time. “I’m sorry for hitting you… I panicked.” She muttered after a few minutes of silence.

“I didn’t think you would hit me.” Zuko pointed out, rubbing the tender spot on his cheek. “I’m sorry for thinking you’d want to boast that you got kissed. I shouldn’t have assumed.” He apologized. “You’re alright, don’t worry about it… how about we head back down the hill? I’m sure the others are all asleep already, but Lo and Li would probably like to see you got back safely.” He told her softly. “You can keep my robe for the night, might keep you a bit warmer. Plus, it might make Mai stop bugging you for a while.” He told her, letting her lead the way back down the hill towards the beach house. Things seemed more calm than earlier in the day… the calmest it had been since his betrothal announcement. It was nice, but he wondered how long the calm would last before something catastrophic would happen again.

The rest of the trip to Ember Island had been uneventful. There wasn’t anymore fights between Sakiya and Mai… the two avoided each other like a plague. Azula almost wished for more drama, and for Zuko to stop stealing her best friend away at random times. She wondered what happened that first night… she woke up to Sakiya and Zuko both in the room, asleep. He must have gone and found her, always worried for everybody but himself. As the group stood on the ship back to the capital, Azula couldn’t help but smirk as she thought of the trip. “I guess Ember Island really did open our minds.”

Chapter Text

Spring always came early in the Fire Nation, with the trees starting to grow leaves and flowers in early March. Azula and Sakiya were both turning twelve in just a few weeks time, and they had both been more than thrilled at the fact. It meant they could likely do more with their time. The two girls were pretty well done in the Royal Academy for Girls, and spent most of their days focusing on their bending. Well, at least Azula focused on her bending. Sakiya was more worried about her dancing, and the idea of traveling the world fascinated her to no end. Her father had been sent away for another mission in the war, meaning she was staying with the royal family once more. It wasn’t as bad as it had been in the past, especially with things having smoothed over with her and Zuko. She spent most of her days with Azula, training with Zuko in the courtyard when he had time to. As the prince had gotten older, he had grown into a few more princely duties, attending some meetings with his father and public affairs.

“Sakiya, let’s go into town and check out the shops!” Azula suggested, looking over at her best friend, who was sitting on the end of the princess’ bed. “I’ve got some gold pieces for the both of us, we can get our birthday gifts for each other. Your birthday is in two days, after all. I gotta steal you away before you get whisked off to another publicity stunt with my brother.” The girl suggested with a smile. It was rare anymore for the two girls to spend much time together anymore; they both had their own agendas to worry about. It would be nice, the two girls spending time together and enjoying themselves. “No Zuko, no Mai or Ty Lee. Just me and you, Kiya.” She promised, holding out a small bag with gold coins.

“I mean, I guess we could go… but shouldn’t we at least have some guards with us? You never know when an attack here could happen.” Sakiya pointed out gently, frowning when she heard her best friend laugh. It was a serious concern, the two girls going into town alone. Their status’ caused respect, but those who didn’t respect the royal line surely would know if the two girls were alone. They could surely handle themselves if something were to arise, but having somebody to watch their backs wouldn’t hurt. “It’s not funny, Azu. I’m being serious. Just one guard. We can always ditch them if it comes to it. We’ve gotta go now, though. I have a dance rehearsal at dusk for an event we’re doing next week, and maybe I can train with your brother for the first time in forever.”

“We’ll be back before then, stop worrying so much. I guess we could take a palanquin, have two guards go with us. As long as it means you stop whining about safety.” Azula relented. Of course, Sakiya was worried about things that wouldn’t happen. The Fire Nation Capital was the most secure place in the world anymore, aside from Ba Sing Se. Nobody could even fathom attacking the Capital, it was unheard of even attempts. “Let’s go before you change your mind and go make out with my brother.” She teased, grabbing the girl’s arm and running down the hall. It wasn’t long before the two girls were wandering about town. They hadn’t taken the palanquin after all, just having two guards trail behind them. “Kiya, look at this dress. It’d look good on you, and its burgundy.” Azula pointed out, looking into the seamstress’ shop with a grin. She knew of plenty things she could get her best friend, but she also wanted to settle with one item.

“It’s nice. But it looks like it’d be way too loose. It’s meant for more of a figure, I’m kind of just a stick.” Sakiya laughed, grinning at her friend. “It’s very pretty though.” She agreed, looking around a few shops. Azula was so picky with her own clothing, so Sakiya wanted to find something that wasn’t going to just cause the princess to turn her nose. “Look at this.” She told the princess, looking at a red and gold halter top. “I think I’ll get this for you… at least as one thing.” She told her friend softly, talking with the seamstress momentarily before handing her the gold pieces for the top. She watched the woman fold up the garment before handing it to her, bowing to her with a grin. “Thank you, enjoy your day.”

“Why did you bow to her, Kiya? You’re practically royalty, it should be the other way around. They should be thrilled by you even making an appearance in the store.” Azula muttered to her best friend, looking over some hairpieces as they wandered about some small stalls of goods. She had gotten a few odds and ends for the girl, but not a gift that she thought stood out. She needed something extravagant for her best friend.

“I bowed because it’s respectful, the shopkeeper is older than me and I appreciated her help and insight.” Sakiya told her friend gently. “I can’t use a position to command respect, I have to earn it. If I just expect respect to come to me, then I should never be in a position to have it.” She had been told that many times by her father, and always followed it. “It comes naturally to you because of your father being the Fire Lord, but I, on the other hand, have to show the same respect my father has for these people when he’s on the homeland.” She explained. She had to be perfect for her father… she was all he had left, and she didn’t want to disappoint him. It was impossible, she knew he’d be proud regardless of what she did.

Azula rolled her eyes a bit as she listened to her best friend, shrugging her shoulders a bit. “I understand. But you are betrothed to royalty, you’re kind of a big deal now.” She pointed out, before dropping the subject. Sakiya was a tough person to crack, but once she had made her mind, there was no changing it. The princess wandered about a few shops, stopping in an armory of sorts when one of the items caught her eye. It was a set of bracers, with an obsidian base and intricate gold metal forming lace patterns around the base. There was a small red gem at the bottom of each bracer, yet the gem seemed almost nonexistent in comparison to the black and gold combination of the item. “I’ll take these, here’s your gold pieces.” Azula told the shopkeeper with a smile, watching as the man placed the pair of bracers into a box. She smirked as she watched the man bow to her, before thinking about what the girls had been talking about previously. As much as she wanted to fight it, she found herself giving the man a quick bow before she rushed out of the shop. She finally had her best friend’s gift. She stepped out of the shop, looking around to find Sakiya in yet another shop. “Kiya, come on. It’s getting dark, don’t you have dance lessons?” She reminded the girl, who quickly rushed over upon leaving a shop.

To say the girls spoiled each other was an understatement, with one gift a piece having become a handful of small gifts with a big gift a piece. Azula was walking to Sakiya’s right, with the guards a safe distance away. The girls were free to talk and gossip, but still be protected. “I really enjoyed this, Azula. We haven’t done anything that was just us, it was nice.” She said as she walked, looking around the closing shops in the dimming light. The city was always gorgeous at night, with flames flickering in lamps around the streets. As the girls walked, there was almost an eerie feeling about it. Sakiya couldn’t describe it, but whatever was going on, it was throwing off the aura of the area. She raised an eyebrow seeing a metallic flash down one of the alleys up ahead, before shrugging it off. ‘Get out of your head, Sakiya. You’re with guards and you’re safe.’ She thought. It was only then that she felt a rumbling in the ground, screaming as there was an explosion of the dry earth to her left. The rocks felt like needles against the girl’s delicate skin, and that was all the girl had thought of when she passed out.

Everything happened so quickly. Azula had seen a man hanging out near an alley, but he didn’t seem to be from the Fire Nation. He had been there since they had first arrived… almost as if he had been waiting for something. Then she saw his eyes in the flickering candlelight above the alley, a faded green shade… he wasn’t from the Fire Nation at all. “Sakiya watch out!” The princess yelled. She was too late, though. She saw the man earthbend as the ground shook, before the explosion erupted to the left of the group. ‘Spirits, what was going on?!’ She thought, noticing the variety of shapes in the rocks as they hurtled through the air. Some were normal rocks, but others almost seemed paper thin. Azula groaned as her best friend slammed into her, a few rocks following suit. She quickly threw a few blasts of hot, blue fire in the direction of the dusty clouds. There was no way her flames had missed, evident by the pained shout heard through the chaos. Azula’s arms were locked tightly around her best friend, who had been knocked unconscious and stuck between several of the large rocks from the explosion. One of their guards had gone after the assailant, the other carefully moving about the rubble as more guards appeared.

“We need to get the princess and Lady Sakiya back to the palace!” A guard shouted as others appeared around him to secure the premise. Azula stood, struggling to lift the smaller girl as she did. She had several scrapes and more than her fair share bruises, but Sakiya was her main concern. She had been hit on her left side, with various hits bleeding or already bruising. She grumbled a quick ‘thank you’ to one of the guards as they hurried to move the rocks off of the younger girl, before the girls were quickly rushed to the palace infirmary. Azula had seen dozens of guards run by as they were raced inside, frowning as she saw the nurses in the infirmary start caring for Sakiya.

“Azula! I heard what happened! Are you alright? Where’s Sakiya, is she okay?” Zuko asked as he rushed into the infirmary. It had been two hours since the attack, and rumor around the palace was that the assailant had been apprehended. His sister had been cleaned up already, a few injuries still visible. He had been worried sick when he heard the news of his sister and betrothed being victims of an ambush. “I heard when they found the guy, he had a fresh burn on the back of his shoulder. Nice shot.”

“They won’t tell me if she’s okay. She isn’t awake yet.” Azula stood, rubbing the dust from her hair as she looked to her brother. “I’m lucky I got a hit. I couldn’t see him until it was too late. We saw him the whole time we were in the market. It’s my fault Kiya got hurt.” She grumbled bitterly to her brother. Sakiya had to be okay, right? There was no way she wasn’t okay, maybe a broken rib or two and a lot of discomfort, but okay. That didn’t seem to be the case though, especially if they wouldn’t tell Azula what was going on. If they had only thought about the strange man’s presence beforehand, they could have avoided the situation entirely. Then they wouldn’t have been sitting in the infirmary. Bao was going to go absolutely crazy when he found out Sakiya was hurt while he was gone on assignment.

“Azula, it’s not your fault. Neither of you knew, and the guards didn’t know.” Zuko told his sister gently. “You should head to your room and get some rest. By morning there’s no way they won’t have an update on Sakiya. If I hear anything before you, I’ll tell you.” He watched his sister’s tense stance as she left the infirmary, knowing that by morning she was going to be in a lot of pain. He didn’t know why he stayed in the infirmary so long after ushering his sister out, but it seemed worth it when he saw the nurses move away from Sakiya’s bed. It didn’t even look like the same girl, her black hair covered in a layer of brown dust, having been cut short by the nurses as they worked. A piece of gauze was covering her left eye, with a dark piece of cloth over top of it. “Sakiya… is she okay?”

“It’s too soon to tell, Prince Zuko. She’s going to be in a great deal of pain when she wakes up. She received the worst of the injuries as a result of the explosion, being the closest to it. We can’t inspect damages to her eye until she wakes up.” One of the nurses explained to the prince. “Fire Lord Ozai will be the one receiving updates from this point forward in place of General Bao. I will tell you though, she’s going to be alright.” There was no reason to worry the young prince with the ‘what ifs’ of the situation. “I’m going to have you keep a hold of this for her, though. It’s best in your care, since it is yours after all.” The burgundy betrothal necklace had been removed from the young girl, having already been cleaned of any grime from the accident.

“Thank you. I’ll keep it safe until she’s ready to have it back on. I’ll come by often to check on her until she wakes up.” Zuko said as he took the necklace, holding the item in his hands carefully. He knew there was no point in asking more questions, or hanging around the infirmary. He begrudgingly walked towards his room, his mind racing with possibilities. Why would an earthbender come to the Fire Nation just to attack two teen girls? It made no sense to him, but he was glad the man had been caught so quickly by the guards. Azula was alright, and Sakiya was going to be alright in time. He sat the necklace on the desk by his bed, before settling in his bed for the night.

Sakiya was in a daze when she woke, groaning weakly as she opened her eyes. It was way too bright in the room, and everything hurt. One eye was covered by gauze, she could tell from the darkness over it. “What happened? Where’s Azula?” She asked hoarsely, gasping in pain as she moved to sit up before quickly laying back down. Her memory was fuzzy from that night… all she remembered was going to the markets with Azula. Azula… where was she? She wasn’t hurt, at least Sakiya hoped.

“Lady Sakiya! Take it easy when you sit up. How are you feeling?” A nurse chided gently, surprised to see the girl awake. She carefully helped the girl into a sitting position before stepping back again. Ugly blue-green bruises and healing cuts littered the young girl’s otherwise porcelain skin, but the nurse was surprised that she didn’t remember a thing. “You and Princess Azula were ambushed by an earthbender three days ago. The princess was alright, she’s been in her room resting the past few days. You, on the other hand, have had to stay here. You have some bruised ribs and a lot of cuts and bruises. The only injury we are still unsure of is your left eye.” She explained softly, pouring the girl a glass of water and handing it cautiously to her.

“Everything hurts.” Sakiya grumbled as she closed her eyes again, taking a slow, deep breath. She listened as the woman started to rattle off her injuries, bringing her hand up to rub at her face. She had noticed that her once long hair had been cut, having felt the weight removed, but she couldn’t blame them. “What’s wrong with my eye?” She asked cautiously as she gingerly sipped her water, before hearing two pairs of footsteps that were all too familiar. “Zuko! Azula!”

“Kiya, I’m so glad you’re alright!” Azula rushed, carefully moving to her friend’s side. Her injuries had pretty well healed, aside from bruises littering her skin. Her ego was slightly hurt, as her best friend had called for her brother before herself, but that didn’t matter right now. “When you didn’t wake up after the first day, they were worried about when you’d wake up. They wouldn’t tell us hardly anything.”

“How are you feeling?” Zuko asked the girl softly, looking over the cuts and bruises that littered her body. They had caught the man responsible, but Zuko was furious that Sakiya had been put through so much pain. He didn’t say much, letting Azula ramble away to the girl. It was odd seeing Sakiya like this, in a daze of sorts as she listened to everyone speaking around her.

“I’m okay, I guess. Everything hurts and it’s too bright in here. I didn’t know I was out that long.” Sakiya said softly, listening to Azula as she spoke. “They didn’t want to cause anyone to worry about something they couldn’t control. I’m alright now, aren’t I?” She pointed out, moving slowly to hang her legs from the side of the bed. She shook her head seeing a nurse move to help her, biting hard on her lip. “I can do this, please…” she mumbled. She carefully stood up, gasping from the pain but standing regardless. Her legs were shaky, but she maintained her balance as she stood.

“Kiya, you’ve got to take it easy. That means letting the nurses help you and doing their job.” Zuko moved to carefully hold her up, making sure to avoid putting pressure on any bruises. He saw his sister stare at him in disgust and shook his head as he helped her back into the bed. “As soon as the nurses say you’re good to leave we can take you back to your room. I’m sure sleeping in your own bed would feel nicer than this one.” He had slept in the infirmary beds before, he didn’t know how people could do it.

“Don’t baby her, Zuzu. If she wants to move around on her own, she should be able to do so. She doesn’t need your help.” Azula rolled her eyes, looking over at Sakiya. “You missed out on your birthday… I’ve got your gifts still.” She didn’t know where she was going with her statement. Sakiya missed her birthday, because of an accident they were in getting their birthday presents. Maybe Sakiya wouldn’t want the presents at all, since the gifts were from that day.

“I’ll handle gifts from my birthday when I’m allowed to leave here. When is that?” Sakiya looked from Azula to the nurse, tilting her head curiously. She rolled her eyes hearing the two siblings bicker, realizing things were just as they always were. The two royals were arguing over her. “He can do as he wishes, Azu. He is kind of stuck with me, after all.” She reminded the girl, slowly wandering about the room. Her depth perception was way off and she felt off-balance, but she simply passed it off as her having been asleep for so long and having her eye covered. “When do I get to take this bandage off?”

“We can remove it in two days, Lady Sakiya. However, if you are feeling alright and wish to go to your room you can do so. We just need to do a quick check-up before we can let you leave.” The nurse replied, watching the girl cautiously as she moved about the room. “I’d assume you’d like to go and relax. Come over here and sit down, please. The quicker we do this, the quicker you are free to leave with the prince and princess.” She patted the bed carefully, smiling as the girl sat down. It wasn’t ten minutes before the check-up was completed, the nurse helping her up. “You need to take it easy. Don’t remove the bandage over your eye until the two days is up, and we can set up a time for you to have your eye looked at once the bandage is removed.”

Sakiya stood up again, nodding as she listened to the nurse pestering about things she could and couldn’t do. “Thank you for taking care of me. I won’t mess with the bandages until it’s time to take them off.” She promised, bowing carefully before turning to Zuko and Azula. “Let’s go before they change their minds.” She laughed weakly, letting out a childish whine as they both grabbed an arm to steady her. “I don’t need help, you guys. I’m just a little banged up, it’s not like I’m broken.”

“Sakiya, just accept that you’re hurt and we’re going to help you out. It’ll make things easier for everyone.” Zuko looked over to his sister, the two walking her back to her room. This was one thing the two royal children seemed to agree on, for a change. “I’ll let you two catch up for a bit. I’ll stop by later with some of our uncle’s tea for you.” He said, knowing the two girls had plenty that needed discussed. Her necklace was still sitting in his room anyways, he needed to grab it before he got their tea.

Azula stayed silent as she led Sakiya into her bedroom, helping her sit down. “I don’t get why Zuko’s so concerned. If you don’t want help and you don’t seem to need it, he should leave you be.” She agreed with the girl, sitting down next to her. Her best friend’s betrothal to her brother was still hard for her to come to terms with, but Azula needed to be there if anything happened. “We can open your gifts from people later. Any time I saw some gifts in front of your door that the maids hadn’t brought in already I came in and stacked them.” She pointed to the small pile of gifts, knowing some were just get well gifts or her normal birthday gifts.

Sakiya hadn’t expected to tire so easily from just walking from the infirmary to her room. Sure, she had walked around her room in the infirmary a little, but she shouldn’t be exhausted. “I meant I didn’t want help from either of you, Azula. I can’t rely on you guys to have to help me through every step of my day because I got a little more hurt than you did.” She sassed, combing her fingers through her now shoulder-length hair. She listened to the girl talk about bringing her gifts in for her and smiled ever-so-slightly. “Thank you, I appreciate that you did that for me. Me and you can open them in a few minutes. I want to get changed.” She stood carefully, walking over to her small closet and grabbing a loose pair of pants and a long-sleeved shirt. It was difficult for her to get changed, but soon she sat back down beside the princess.

Azula fought back the urge to make comments when Sakiya got changed, rubbing her face as she made sure the girl was alright. She felt obligated to help, and it was a strange sensation to the princess. She never cared, she only focused on her own problems and desires. “You need anything else before I bring some of your gifts over?” She asked, standing when she saw Sakiya shake her head. She carried over the gifts, leaving her gifts tucked into the corner. She almost didn’t want Sakiya to open them yet… it seemed like they shouldn’t bring it up until she had healed a bit more. “I believe that is all the gifts, besides the ones from me. We can save them for my birthday, just like we always do.” She suggested.

“We can save them for then, yeah… I think that’s a good idea.” Sakiya agreed, before the two started to open the gifts. It wasn’t much, a normal assortment of dresses, hairpieces, dolls, stuffed animals, and other odds and ends. Nothing really spoke out to her with the gifts. A few of the new dresses and outfits looked nice, but it wasn’t something she felt she would wear anytime soon. “Let’s get this stuff put away… I might squeeze in a nap before your brother comes with tea. As your uncle would say, I’m bushed.” Sakiya giggled, folding up the clothes and starting to slowly put things away.

“Don’t ever quote my uncle like that, it’s weird. You’re spending way too much time with him and Zuko.” Azula groaned, arranging the hairpieces on the girl’s vanity and setting the dolls and stuffed animals on the small daybed in the room. She drew the girl’s curtains closed, smiling a bit at how dark the room had become. “I’ll let you get some rest. I’ll tell Zuzu to hold off on tea time for a little while.” She said as she walked to the door.

“Azula, your brother is fine to come with tea whenever he has the time. He doesn’t have it very often, anymore.” Sakiya argued, shifting under her covers. She often watched as Zuko and Iroh would play pai sho, hearing the older man’s jokes as they played. “Thank you for your help… I appreciate it, even if I’m mad about it.” She muttered, watching the girl leave. She honestly didn’t remember falling asleep, but she woke up to someone shaking her shoulder, groaning as she tried to swat them away. “What do you want?” She whined.

“I don’t want anything. I actually though you would want your tea I promised you.” Zuko spoke quietly, a smirk on his face. “Uncle made it, he remembered your favorite is jasmine.” He told her, having sat the tray on the bedside table. He waited for her to sit up in bed, before pouring her a cup and handing it over. “I also brought your necklace back. The nurses gave it to me when you got hurt. You don’t have to put it back on yet.” He poured his own cup of tea, taking a small sip of it.

“Sorry. I didn’t know it was you. Thank you for the tea, thank Iroh for me.” Sakiya apologized, taking a quick sip of her tea. Iroh was always watching out for her, caring for her when her father was away. Plus, he was kind and had plenty of stories and awful jokes. “I’ll have to sit in on your next game of pai sho with him, it’s been a while.” Sakiya told the prince, smiling as she heard him mention her necklace. She used to hate the thing, and she made it evident to Zuko. But it had grown on her, it wasn’t the worst thing in the world anymore. “If you want, you could help me put it on now.” She suggested, going to move her hair before remembering there wasn’t as much to move. “I miss my long hair. I can’t even remember the last time it was this short.”

Zuko stayed quiet as Sakiya talked, nodding as she mentioned putting the necklace back on. He carefully wrapped the thin piece of fabric around her neck, making sure it was attached before moving away again. “There it is. And I believe Uncle and I are playing pai sho in a couple of days… you know he’d love to have you join.” He told her. Zuko despised pai sho, it was a pointless game and he could never figure it out. It was a good way to spend time with his uncle, though, so he dealt with it. “I don’t think you’ve had your hair this short since you and my sister were really little. You’ve always had it long.” He recalled, finishing his tea. “I’m going to leave, let you get some more rest. I’ll leave the tea in here, in case you want more.” He stood, then quickly leaving the room. Sakiya was never so quiet and mellow, she was always bubbly and jumpy, and Zuko was puzzled with the personality shift. It had been a big day, but he was concerned none-the-less.

Sakiya’s energy levels had definitely been recovering faster than her body was. Within two days, the last thing she wanted to do was lay in bed all day and do nothing. She wanted to train, she wanted to dance, she wanted to do anything that would make her feel productive. It took way longer than necessary for Sakiya to convince Zuko to let her watch him and Iroh play pai sho. She wasn’t sure why Zuko was so hesitant on her watching. It wasn’t like she was going to do anything… she was going to sit and drink tea and listen to Iroh’s stories. It finally took her asking Iroh in front of the prince to convince him. “General Iroh, thank you for convincing Zuko to let me join you two.” She said, sipping on her tea as she watched the game get set up.

“It is not a problem, little blossom. I’m sure it feels nice to be out of your room.” Iroh told the small girl with a chuckle. Bao had once been under Iroh’s guidance, so he recalled fondly seeing the girl when she was younger. The girl’s mother had also been a good friend of his, so when she was young he would see her when he would be at their home. The nickname had stuck through all those years, and Iroh could tell that Sakiya appreciated it. “My nephew is just concerned for you, even if you say everything’s alright.” He set up the last piece, gesturing for his nephew to make the first move of the game.

“That makes sense, I guess. He shouldn’t worry too much, though. My bandage comes off of my eye today, and everything should be going back to normal. Just have to wait until my ribs heal before I’m allowed to do any training.” Sakiya looked over at Zuko, watching him shake his head at her before he made his first move. She and Azula ran around like nothing had ever happened and she had never gotten hurt. Zuko, on the other hand, wouldn’t let her do hardly anything on her own, and was far more cautious and protective suddenly. “You’re going to lose to your uncle yet again, Zuzu.” Sakiya taunted with a smirk.

“I am not going to lose to my uncle!” Zuko grumbled, making his move before starting to think of his next. He listened as Iroh told the two stories and jokes, occasionally commenting on stories if he already knew bits and pieces of it. As the game started drawing close to it’s end, Zuko could tell he was going to lose. This game made absolutely no sense, there was no strategy or right way to play. He rolled his eyes as he heard Sakiya burst into laughter when Iroh won, shaking his head a bit. “He just got lucky this time, I almost won for a change.”

“There is no such thing as luck when it comes to pai sho, Prince Zuko.” Iroh chuckled as he started to gather up the pieces. “Would you care to play another round? You may just win one of these times.” He jested before seeing Azula walk into the room. “Good morning, Princess Azula. Would you like to join us for some pai sho and tea? It makes for a great start to your day.”

“No, and no, Uncle. I actually came to find Kiya. I figured she’d be with you and Zuzu.” Azula told her uncle, rolling her eyes as she noticed how defensive Zuko suddenly looked. “The nurses said that the bandage over her eye could come off today. I wanted to be with her when she takes it off.” She walked over to her best friend, sitting down between her and Zuko. “So come on, Sakiya. Take off the bandage. It can’t be that bad.” She pressured the girl with a grin, the hint of the smirk in the corner of her mouth.

“Princess Azula, I don’t believe the bandage should come off here. She should be down in the infirmary when the bandage is removed so the nurses can tend to anything immediately.” Iroh warned, slapping himself in the forehead as he saw Zuko move to help Sakiya remove the bandage. Of course they both wanted to see her eye after the ambush. “Be very careful, the bandage may get stuck.” He cautioned, standing to watch the children as he stood in front of the open window, knowing the lack of light would help. “How does your eye feel, Sakiya?”

Sakiya was in a daze of sorts as she felt her best friend start removing the bandage over her eye, carefully moving her hand up to feel. She could feel some small scabs and marks around where the bandage had been, causing her to grow curious as to what it looked like in a mirror. “Is there another bandage over just my eye?” Sakiya questioned, frowning a bit as she saw Azula and Zuko both shake their heads. That wasn’t good, not good at all. If there was no more bandage, she should be able to see everything clearly from both eyes, and that wasn’t the case Sakiya looked around the room, the frown only growing. She could tell Iroh was standing in front of the window, but she couldn’t see him. All she saw was a burly dark figure in front of a bright rectangle. “Guys…” Sakiya paused, looking down at the bandage that was still in Azula’s hand. “I can’t see.”

Chapter Text

“What do you mean by that? You were able to see just fine a few minutes ago.” Zuko questioned as he looked at Sakiya’s eye, frowning a bit. Her right eye was still a bright amber, with the little flecks of almost pink sprinkled throughout. He always wondered if that was why she had so much to do with cherry blossoms, from the flecks in her eyes. Her left eye, on the other hand, was a clouded amber unlike before. “Your eye is cloudy… the explosion must have gotten rocks or something in your eye.”

“Zuko, slow down.” Azula shook her head, looking at Sakiya. She could tell the girl was freaking out, but she was trying to hide it. “Everything’s going to be okay, Sakiya. You can still see perfectly in one eye. Is there anything you can see? We can head down to the infirmary.” She said, helping her to her feet.

“I see Iroh…” Sakiya held tightly to her friend’s arm as she stood, taking a deep breath as she released her grip moments later. “He’s in front of the window. I see his figure and the light in the window behind him. I see the light and dark. Shadows, I guess?” Sakiya was unsure, looking about the room. Shadows and light, that was all she could distinguish in her left eye. She nodded as she heard Azula say they could go down to the infirmary, before thinking a bit. “Azu, I’ll let you walk me there, but then I want you to leave. I have to deal with this myself. I can’t rely on you or your brother. If I can’t see, I’ve got to learn.” She walked towards the door, pausing to look back at Zuko before she left, who simply stared back at the girl expressionless.

“Prince Zuko, what is on your mind?” Iroh asked his nephew once the door had closed, stepping away from the window. He knew he would be sending a hawk to General Bao as soon as the nurses knew more, but for now he had to wait. “Sakiya is a strong girl. She will overcome her weakness and it will become her strength. You cannot assume that she won’t be able to handle herself. Look out for her, but do not force yourself upon her. She is stubborn, much like you. I am going to go down to the infirmary to see what I need to inform her father about.”

“Who said her not being able to see was a weakness?” Zuko accused as he stared at his uncle. “How am I supposed to look out for her but not step in? Those sound like opposites.” He argued, groaning hearing his uncle say he was going down to the infirmary and to send a hawk to Sakiya’s father. “I’m going to leave her be. I’m sure she wants to be alone.” He muttered, walking off to his room as he saw his uncle walk the opposite direction. Sakiya had lost some of her sight in the accident; how would that affect everything? Rumors were going to quickly spread in the capital, and people would start to assume things about her.

“Azula, I said for you to leave. You got me here fine, I need to figure out what’s going on and go back to my room on my own. I’ll come find you if I want to talk, or if I feel you need to know something.” Sakiya repeated, her hands combing through her hair hurriedly. She was freaking out, her mind racing about what all would change if she couldn’t see. She waited until Azula left before she stepped into the infirmary, slowly walking around to find her nurse from before. “When we removed my bandage we found out I can’t see. Is my sight going to come back? I can see some stuff. Like, I see shadows… I can tell if someone’s blocking a light. I can distinguish light and dark and that’s all. No colors or textures, just shadows… I don’t like this.”

“Lady Sakiya, slow down. I know you’re upset and frightened… sit down and calm yourself. We can see what we can do about your eyesight, but we can’t make any promises. Even if you don’t regain your complete eyesight, you’ve been doing remarkably well with the recovery process.” The nurse encouraged, gesturing to a chair for the girl to sit in. “Do you feel any pain around or in your eye? Any discomfort or unusual feeling?” She questioned, watching the girl shake her head in response to both questions. “Let me take a closer look.”

Sakiya didn’t think she’d ever get out of the infirmary. It took nearly two hours and dozens of questions and several nurses to tell her one simple answer. She was stuck with only seeing shadows from her left eye, there was nothing more they could do to help her. They told her to be grateful that she wouldn’t have much facial scarring, that there were so many other things that could have gone wrong. They made her feel helpless, like she couldn’t do anything for herself. She was furious as a result. She had a list of things she could and couldn’t do, things to avoid and things to look out for. She knew she shouldn’t, but she really just wanted to let her frustration out. She wasn’t mad… she was more confused and disconnected from herself. The past week had been nothing but chaos, she hardly remembered any of it. She went to her room and got changed, rather quickly realizing she would have a problem. In dark rooms, she couldn’t tell when things were to her left, causing her to bump into them if she couldn’t see them in her peripheral vision in her right. She carefully changed clothes into a loose halter top and loose pants, heading out to the courtyard. She had to take it slow, but she needed to bend, dance, something… anything to clear her head.

Zuko knew better than to bother Sakiya when she was upset, he had learned that when he was young. Azula never knew when to stop pestering her, Zuko knew from the burn Sakiya had given his sister’s legs. However, the prince couldn’t stop himself from watching Sakiya as she danced about the courtyard. She was under a small cluster of barren trees near the turtle duck pond, but he noticed both of her eyes were closed. Then he noticed the small, golden flames in her hands… so much smaller than usual, and they flickered with uncertainty. He quietly walked to the turtle duck pond, sitting down in his usual spot. If Sakiya noticed, and wanted to talk, he’d talk. If not, he would just watch and relax next to the pond. “Loosen up a bit. It hurts, but your dancing is stiffer than I’ve ever seen.” Zuko soon commented, frowning noticing the girl jump, her eyes open.

“How long have you been watching?” Sakiya turned to where she had heard Zuko’s voice. She walked towards him, sitting beside him as she looked down at the pond water. The person she saw wasn’t her… she didn’t know who it was. She was unhappy, and she didn’t know how to fix things to how they had been before. “I’m stiff because I’m stressed out. I need to make sure I have the hang of things before my father comes home. The last thing he needs to worry about when he comes home is me not knowing how to handle myself. I don’t want people to treat me differently.” She hesitated, closing her eyes as she tried to clear her head.

Zuko listened as Sakiya spoke, noticing the girl seemed more scared than anything. “Come on. Maybe you just need away from the palace. Let’s go to your house… I’m sure your koi fish would love to see you. It’ll help you relax, I’ll make sure the guards stay at the door.” He stated, standing up and helping her to her feet. He walked to her right, making sure he stayed within her sight as they walked. He occasionally would mention if there was something to her left side, only to be too late. She had bumped into several things by the time they got inside, but the prince didn’t say a word. He quickly gathered two guards, thanking them for following them as they walked to Sakiya’s.

As soon as she stepped into the backyard it was like a brick was off Sakiya’s chest. Things were just as they had been left, and suddenly she didn’t want to go back to the palace. “Thank you, Zuko.” She stayed quiet, leaving the prince’s side to wander about the backyard. She stood in front of the koi pond for a moment, kneeling down to see several fish still swimming about the bottom of the pond. “Zuko, could you give me a boost? I want to sit in the tree.” She asked, looking over at the prince. Normally, she would have just done it, but Sakiya knew she still was supposed to take it easy. “Maybe if you aren’t a wuss you could come up, too.” She smirked, watching the boy walk over to him.

“I think you underestimate me, Kiya.” Zuko chuckled, noticing her change in attitude as she set foot in her own home. “Awfully bold for a girl who doesn’t pick fights. I guess I could help you. You’d climb the entire tree yourself if I didn’t.” He carefully helped her into the tree, climbing up after her. There were plenty of branches, and it suddenly made sense why Sakiya spent so much time in the trees. “The view from up here is great.” He breathed, looking over at her. He was sitting to her left, and he could see her eye better in the natural lighting. Small scrapes surrounded her eye, with small bruises morphing into a big one that surrounded it. The iris of her eye was clouded, but Zuko could still make out the normal amber and pink flecked eye beneath the haze. “You still look great, Kiya.”

Sakiya rolled her eyes hearing the prince start taunting her and tightly gripped the branch above her as she was helped into the tree. She remembered climbing the same tree just before her father left for his assignment, talking to him about how she was going to focus on finding out what she wanted to do. Ty Lee had joined the circus, and Mai was still around the city, but Sakiya didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t choose anything now, as she now had to spend the remainder of time without her father on adjusting her sight. “My father always told me that my mother loved the view from these trees. She was a free spirit, so being high in the air helped her clear her head and destress… I guess I picked that up from her.” She laughed a bit. She didn’t remember much about her mother, just that most adults forbid talking of her and her father would say nothing of it. “Are you saying that you thought I wouldn’t look good? That’s quite rude, even for you, Zuzu. My eye isn’t that unsightly. It could have been worse.”

“No! No, sorry. I didn’t mean that. I just, you look so different. I just felt you needed to know you’re still just as pretty as before.” Zuko tried to correct himself, smiling sheepishly as he looked her in the eye. “You don’t have many memories with your mom… but the stories you remember about her are sweet.” The prince remembered very little about the woman, who was often with his mother if she wasn’t with Sakiya. He always wondered what had happened, but knew better than to ask Sakiya or anybody about it. “When we head back, I can just drop you off at your room. It’ll make it easier for you. Unless you’d like to walk there on your own.” He knew she wouldn’t want much help, but he couldn’t help but offer.

“I’m just messing with you, Zuko. It’s a nice thing to hear. I want to grow my hair back to long, but it’ll take a while for it to get that long again.” Sakiya smiled kindly at the prince, before it turned into a playful smirk as she came up with an idea. “I’d likely take the help. You saw how many times I bumped into things. It’s not my fault the palace is so dark.” She shrugged, tightening her grasp on the tree with her hands and knees. She quickly flipped herself upside down, laughing a bit as she swung back and forth. She knew it wasn’t the best idea, but it made her feel normal again, especially hearing Zuko’s panicked gasp. “Oh c’mon, Zuzu. I’m fine.”

“You shouldn’t be doing that, Kiya!” Zuko hurried down the tree, standing below her as he listened to her laughter. This was the first time she had laughed since the accident, at least around him. He held his arms up, grabbing her hands when she let them hang down. “I don’t know how you and Ty Lee do that for so long, doesn’t it make your head hurt?” He questioned, carefully pulling her from the tree, setting her down on the ground. The day had gone rather quickly, the sun starting to set and the early spring chill coming back for the night. “Do you want my robe? You never dress for any sort of weather.”

Sakiya smiled slightly as she looked up at the prince, keeping her hands in his own as she listened to him speak. “Ty Lee and I do it so much, I don’t think we even notice anymore.” She admitted with a shrug, squeezing the boy’s hands before letting them go. “I should be alright without the robe. And I dress to feel comfortable right now. If I get cold, I can always add more layers to it. Loose clothing is comfortable, so I wear it.” There wasn’t much else of an explanation to why she dressed the way she did. She slowly walked towards the back gate, opening it for the two of them before walking out. Zuko closed the gate for her, letting her lead the way, with a guard tucked to their left and right side. She didn’t bump into many things this time, which was awful surprising to her. “I might actually take you up on your robe offer. The closer we get to the palace, the colder I get. I’ll give it back to you, I promise.”

Zuko walked a few paces behind Sakiya, occasionally grabbing her arm to shift her to the left or right. He warned her before he did each time, knowing she was having a hard time with the darkening surroundings. “Can you see the steps?” Zuko asked her gently, chuckling as he heard her mention the robe. He slid it off of his shoulders, adjusting his long sleeves before wrapping the robe around her. He helped her up the steps, starting to lead her towards her room. “You can keep the robe for a couple days, if you’d like. You know my sister is going to flip when she sees it, though.” He pointed out, pressing a kiss against her temple as they reached her door. “We could do some hand-to-hand training tomorrow, as long as you take it easy. Basic maneuvers, nothing advanced… might even throw in some bending. If you want to, just meet me in the courtyard in the morning.”

Sakiya was more than surprised to hear Zuko talk about the two training in the morning, smiling a bit as she nodded her head. If anything, Zuko treated her the least differently, even right after the accident. She shrugged her shoulders at the mention of his sister, wrapping the robe tighter around her frame. “Azu can whine all she wants. We can’t really change the betrothal, not without reason.” She put her hand on the doorknob, opening it carefully. She turned back, smiling a bit as she saw the prince walking off, entering her room. She rather quickly readied herself for bed, falling asleep even faster.

The next morning, Sakiya was in the courtyard before Zuko, a loose black long-sleeved top and loose red pants on. She was wrapped up in Zuko’s robe from the night before, walking about the dense fog as she waited for him to show up for their training session. Today was going to be better, Sakiya had decided. It couldn’t be worse, she’d start to learn how to function with her injury, and things would go back to normal. She missed talking to Ty Lee about problems she wouldn’t go to Azula to… she hadn’t heard much from the girl since she joined the circus. She heard footsteps in the wet grass, turning to her left to see Zuko. “Morning, Prince Zuko. You ready to warm up and train?” She asked, smiling a bit.

“Morning, Sakiya… and yeah, I am. That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?” Zuko laughed, noticing the girl seemed bubbly and full of energy, for a change. “You’re plenty awake, you already warmed up?” He questioned, raising an eyebrow noticing his robe draped around her small shoulders. That was odd for Sakiya, who never seemed to get cold or actively wear his stuff before it was returned. He knew their training wouldn’t take long, but he wanted to clean up before he tried to go to a war meeting. He had to learn things to be Fire Lord eventually, so maybe he could get into one of the meetings and find out what he needed to learn.

“Of course I’m warmed up, I’ve been out here for at least an hour, maybe two. I woke up too early, couldn’t fall back asleep.” Sakiya shrugged her shoulders, slipping the robe off her shoulders and setting it on a rock after she folded it. She had planned on returning it, but maybe she wouldn’t give it back quite yet. It was comfortable, and as much as she hated saying it, the garment smelled like Zuko. “C’mon, snail sloth. Let’s get this done, see how badly I can beat you.” She sassed, smirking over at the prince as she lowered her stance into a fighting position. Finally, she could start doing something that was normal for a change.

“A snail sloth, really?” Zuko whined, shaking his head as he lowered his own stance. “We’ll go at your pace. See what you can handle, you’re still hurt.” He circled the girl slowly, trying to provoke her to make the first move. While Sakiya definitely had him beat when it came to bending, he easily beat her when it came to weapon combat and hand-to-hand. He ducked as she sent a ball of fire his way, moving to her left as he ducked. He sent a flame with a low sweep of his leg towards her, noticing how quickly she dodged it. He had to figure out how to play to her weak spot, as he knew in the future that’d become a problem. He hid behind a nearby tree, waiting for her to let her guard down before he jumped behind her, wrapping his arms quickly around her middle. “Try again, little koala.” He taunted with a grin, moving his arms to restrict her own. “No bending, break out of my hold.” He challenged, leaving her legs free so she could break out of his hold.

“What happened to taking it easy on me?” Sakiya pouted, grumbling a bit as she felt him move her arms so she couldn’t bend. “Y’know, I technically could still bend in this situation. I’d burn your chest in the process, so I won’t… this time.” She paused when she heard the pet name, raising an eyebrow. “Koala? Don’t you mean koala otter or koala sheep?” She questioned, starting to trail off the topic of their fight. His grip wasn’t tight on her arms, meaning if she tried to push off of him she likely could. She jerked back towards him, stomping on his left foot before spinning around, holding a flame inches from his face. She was grinning as she turned, the flame dispersing as she spoke to him. “I broke free, Zuzu. Were you even trying?” She mimicked, stepping away from him. She relaxed from her bending stance, letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding in.

“Of course I tried. But I’ve got to take it a little easy on you, you aren’t at your full strength. I wouldn’t want to hurt you.” Zuko told her, grumbling only for a moment at the throbbing pain in his foot. He had gone easy on her, but she sure didn’t go easy on breaking free. He was brought back to reality as he saw Sakiya step back, grinning at her confusion of the nickname he had come up with. He followed suit with her actions, straightening out his posture. “Neither one, just a little koala… you act like them sometimes. Always sleepy, love trees, and when you want to be you can be lovable. Then little because you’re just so tiny. So, just a little koala.” He boasted, looking down at her. “I’ve got to get cleaned up… I’m going to a meeting in a little while.”

“I may be little, but even when I’m hurt I can beat you.” Sakiya challenged with a smirk, back-stepping a few paces before a whine escaped her lips. “I’m little, not tiny. I’m not that small, and I’m not tired all the time.” Her smile faltered as he mentioned attending a meeting, nodding her head a bit as she straightened up. She ran her hands through her short hair, slipping his robe back over her shoulders. As they had trained, the morning fog had lifted, leaving the garden chilled and full of dew. “Well, I guess I’m going to get cleaned up and go see Azula for a bit… or dance lessons. If they’ll let me come back yet, at least. I’ll see you after that meeting, right?” She knew she was probably going to be ushered off, being told she wasn’t ready to start yet, so she would be doing nothing all day.

Zuko had scurried off to his room, quickly starting to clean up from his morning training with Sakiya. He had heard about this meeting a few days ago, and he figured he should start being present. What kind of ruler would he be in the future if he didn’t learn anything now? Books could only teach him so much, and the prince hated reading… especially if he could have the experience in person. He got himself dressed in his best clothes, pulling his slick black hair into a top knot. He placed his fire hairpiece behind the top knot, blowing a stray hair from his face. ‘Perfect.’ He thought, before exiting his room and heading towards the war chamber.

What Prince Zuko hadn’t expected, however, was to be denied access to the meeting. The guards moved in front of the curtains as he went to walk by, preventing him from entering. “Let me in!” He ordered the guards before feeling his uncle’s hand on his shoulder. ‘Uncle will definitely get me out of this and into the meeting.’ he thought. Why couldn’t he go to the meeting? He was heir to the throne, and he was at the age he should start attending these sort of matters.

“Prince Zuko, what’s wrong?” Iroh questioned, turning the young man away from the chamber. Surely the prince wasn’t trying to attend this meeting… it would be pointless. It was no place for a young man such as him, he needed to focus on being a child. If he forced himself to mature too quickly, Iroh knew it would surely harm the prince’s well-being. “Ah, I see. The guards are doing their job well, not letting you enter. You’re not missing anything, trust me. These meetings are dreadfully boring.” He jested, squeezing his nephew’s shoulder. It was the truth, the meetings never lasted long and only discussed strategies and troop arrangements.

“I want to go into the war chamber but he-“ The prince pointed to the guard in front of the curtain accusingly. “Won’t let me pass.” He groveled, watching his uncle turn him away as they watched more military officials flood in. He frowned as he heard his uncle speak again, shaking his head. “If I’m going to rule this nation one day, don’t you think I need to start learning as much as I can?” He quirked his eyebrow, bringing up his best point in the argument. He was the rightful heir to the throne, after all. It would be awful if he didn’t know what he was doing when he came to power.

Iroh had been about to rebut his nephew’s point, before holding his hands up in mock-surrender. “Very well. But, you must promise not to speak. These old folks are a bit sensitive, you know.” He led his nephew into the room, having him sit down beside him. It was normal talk of the ongoing war with the Earth Kingdom, strategizing their next attack. He perked up a bit at the mention of the forty-first division being sent against a group of elite earthbenders, staying quiet for the time being. It was a death sentence for new troops, or even for experienced troops that were already fighting that line. His jaw dropped as he saw his nephew stand, rushing to try to stop him. He was too late, though.

“You can’t sacrifice an entire division like that!” Zuko shouted at the general, his fists balled up. “Those soldiers love and defend our nation! How could you betray them?” He accused, staring over at the elder man. Why would they sacrifice new troops rather than sending strong troops on all sides? His strategy made no sense and would only lead to their own casualties. Zuko sat down when he saw all eyes on him, his eyes widening seeing the flames near his father’s throne increase. He was in trouble, and he knew it.

“Prince Zuko, how dare you disrespect the general!” Fire Lord Ozai boomed, standing from his throne as he stared towards his son. “You don’t dare speak out of turn.” He yelled with a smug smirk. The war room was silent, the tension thick in the air as everyone listened to Ozai belittle his eldest child. “There’s only one way for you to learn respect. You must fight in an Agni Kai, this evening.” He ordered his son, watching him look over at the general.

“I’m not afraid, Father. I’ll fight the Agni Kai, and I’ll win.” Zuko stared over at the general, feeling he would do alright in a fight. He felt he had done nothing wrong, yet it seemed everything was wrong. He watched as everyone started to file out of the war room, walking out alongside his uncle. He had been silent the entire meeting, but Zuko could see the worry etched upon his uncle’s features. Why was he so worried? Zuko could handle himself against the general just fine, and even if he lost, he’d have a great fight out of it. “I’ll be fine, Uncle. I’ll see you after I win. Don’t worry so much about me. That general won’t even see what’s coming.” He told his uncle as he parted ways with the man.

Zuko quickly went to find Sakiya, knocking three times on her door before opening it once he heard her say it was alright. “Sakiya?” He called out, closing the door behind him with a smile. He walked over to where she sat in front of her vanity mirror. He caught her gaze, his smile growing. “So… um, I might of, sort of, maybe done a bad thing.” He paused, watching closely as she was trying to work on her short hair. Why did he choose now to bother her, of all times? He should have just waited and found her later on in the day, or for her to come to him. This was important, though, so he assumed she thought nothing of his visit. “I’m fighting my first Agni Kai in a few hours.”

“Zuko, what did you do to get yourself caught up in that?” Sakiya spun around, looking the prince up and down with concern. An Agni Kai wasn’t a common occurrence, and while Zuko had skill… he wouldn’t be much of a match for any older opponent. “That’s not maybe bad thing, that’s a really bad thing. What are you going to do if you lose? Why would you do something so reckless? The last thing you need is to be getting into trouble, especially with your father ordering the fight.” Sakiya rambled, grumbling as she went along. He was a fool, there was more to the impending duel than he was leading on. The Fire Lord surely wouldn’t order a fight between his son and a general… there was a different driving force behind this. “You come find me after the fight, can you promise me that? Even if you lose, find me. Please?” She pleaded.

“I promise.” Zuko promised the girl, smiling down at her before rushing off to go get prepared for the fight. There wasn’t too much preparing to do, as after he had gotten dressed he spent the whole time practicing. He had to find Sakiya after the fight, regardless of how it went. The general would surely be a tough opponent for the prince to beat, but he was confident in his abilities beyond bending. This fight was going to be a piece of cake, he definitely stood a good chance at winning.

When evening came, Zuko felt more than prepared for the fight when he stepped into the arena, looking around the crowded stands. It seemed like everybody was there, the stands full of people. He turned around to face the general he had disgraced, his face changing to one of fear when he saw it was his father. What had he gotten himself into? This was going to be impossible! He couldn’t fight his own father! Let alone beat him! He lowered his hands from a fighting position, looking at his father pleadingly. “Please, Father. I only had the Fire Nation’s best interests at heart. I’m sorry I spoke out of turn!”

Ozai had walked onto the field with no merciful intentions, smirking as he saw his son’s face morph from confidence to fear. He knew his place, yet he didn’t know a thing about respect. “You will fight for your honor.” He bellowed. How dare the child disrespect him in front of esteemed generals, colonels, and other high-ranking military officials. Even worse, how dare his son not even attempt to fight. Immediate surrender was an act of cowardice.

Zuko shook his head, kneeling before his father and lowering his gaze. This wasn’t how the fight was supposed to be, he was supposed to fight the general he had outspoken. The idea he had spoken out on, it hadn’t been his father’s. Why was he supposed to fight him? “I meant you no disrespect.” He glanced back up to his father, tears dancing along his line of vision and fear in his heart. “I am your loyal son.” His voice cracked, and that’s when he knew he had failed… things were going to get so much worse. He knew, however, that to his father that meant nothing. No mercy for his own son and heir to the throne. Zuko was nothing to his father, and he was going to be made well aware of that fact.

“Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!” Ozai demanded, standing before his son. He couldn’t believe he had raised such a coward, a weakling who refused to fight. It was sickening, he wasn’t even going to attempt to fight him. The young prince surely was aware he couldn’t win against the man… he was one of the best firebenders around. It was a pity, even Azula would have stayed in a fighting position and accept her defeat with honor.

“I won’t fight you!” Zuko repeated, his eyes locked on the dry earth below him. He couldn’t, no… he wouldn’t fight his father. It was pointless, the prince had already lost the Agni Kai. The second he let down his stance and bowed his head to his father, he had lost. He had given up before the fight had even started, meaning he was weak. What was going to happen to him? What about Sakiya, Iroh, and even Mai? Azula would be fine, but it was everyone else watching that concerned him.

“You will learn respect!” Ozai growled, watching his son’s body tremble as he rose to his knees. He couldn’t help but grin as he noticed the tears start streaming down his son’s face when he met his gaze. A sign of utter weakness and indignity, exhibited by the crowned prince. This wouldn’t go at all, he couldn’t have a disgrace bear his name. “And suffering will be your teacher.” He made a large flame appear in his hand, throwing it towards his son relentlessly. He smirked as he heard his son’s pained scream, turning his back to him as he began to walk away. He knew he had aimed for Prince Zuko’s face, and he couldn’t care less about the boy’s injuries as a result.

Sakiya was in a state beyond shock as she watched the fight. Well, it wasn’t much of a fight… not even a fight at all. She had been standing with Azula and Iroh, and she couldn’t help the feeling of dread when she first arrived. Everything seemed off about the aura of the place… there was something wrong with the fight. Ozai had planned this all along, to be the one to fight Zuko in the Agni Kai… it was predictable. Sakiya couldn’t tear her eyes off the ground as she heard Zuko scream in pain. Azula stood beside her, fists clenched in anticipation as she watched her father burn her older brother. How could she be so eager to watch somebody go through so much pain? It was inhumane, but she knew well that Azula was more sadistic than most… she thrived off of pain and fear. Sakiya didn’t have to see it to know what happened, she saw the fiery light around Zuko, and she knew he was burnt. She also had heard the almost silent cheer from Azula, who seemed giddy as could be. She wasn’t prepared for what she heard above the screams though. Above the prince’s pained screams, the Fire Lord could be heard clear as day. He sounded unaffected by what he had done, no remorse in his voice as he spoke to the crowd.

“Citizens of the Fire Nation.” Ozai boomed, replacing his discarded robe over his bare shoulders. It had been a sad excuse for a fight, but this gave Ozai his chance to get rid of his son. “Prince Zuko has shown shameful weakness and cowardice in his refusal to fight! As punishment for his actions, he shall be banished.” He declared, thinking momentarily as he heard the crowd’s murmurs fill the arena, looking upon his son’s shaking frame. “If he returns with the Avatar, I will restore him to his full honor. Banishment is effective immediately.” He exited the field immediately, watching two nurses rush on to care for Zuko.

Chapter Text

Bao returned home a month after the prince was banished from the Fire Nation, and he was speechless. Not only had Prince Zuko been banished, but Iroh had been banished as well. He hadn’t said much about the matter, knowing the Fire Lord wouldn’t speak of it. He had been amazed at how well his daughter had accustomed to her injuries, only wishing he could have been there to help. He was standing in the kitchen cutting up vegetables for the pair’s dinner, looking over at his daughter. “So, Fire Lord Ozai wants to meet with me later. Would you like to come with me and see Princess Azula? It won’t be a long meeting… if you’d like to stay here you can.”

“I don’t know… Azula’s been too busy worrying about how to make herself out to be the best future heir to the throne and continuing her father’s ‘legacy’. I haven’t seen much of her since Zuko lost the Agni Kai.” Sakiya mocked, brushing through her hair. “I think I’d be fine staying here on my own, the only thing I’d do is go sit at the koi pond.” She walked over to her father, beginning to help him prepare the meal. “What sort of meeting is it this time? Another military one?” She guessed, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m sure the princess has had many other things to worry about than that. You haven’t seen her since I’ve come home.” Bao tried, before realizing his daughter wouldn’t relent. Her mind was set, meaning even Bao couldn’t change that. “No, it is not a military meeting. This is more of a private meeting. I can discuss details further after the fact, my blossom.” He assured, focusing on making their meal. The pair ate in silence, and as soon as they had cleaned up, Bao left. He knew plenty more about the meeting, but Sakiya surely would put up a fight.

The meeting was to be a simple one, as the terms had been in discussion since Bao’s return. The Fire Nation had taken control of an Earth Kingdom village approximately a year ago. The coastal village had proved to be a big success, with several coal mines being nearby to supply Navy ships. However, as the earthbenders had been rounded up and arrested, the village was in a state of unrest that had grown out of control. Fire Lord Ozai wanted the current man in change of the colony gone, and he felt General Bao would be the best fit to calm the crowd. He knew his friend was easy-going while still enforcing policies and procedures, thinking it would give a good chance of calming the people. The last thing the man needed was revolting colonies trying to break free of his rule.

Fire Lord Ozai promptly began the meeting once Bao arrived. “General Bao, nice to see you again. Have you thought more on the proposition I offered you? You would begin immediately.” Ozai partially smiled at the man, knowing he had been mulling the idea over for quite some time. Most people wouldn’t have been given an option to relocate, but he had given Bao a choice.

“Fire Lord Ozai, I believe it would be in the best interest for me to accept the position. I only ask we may keep our home here in the capital as well.” Bao accepted the man’s offer, smiling back at him. It would be hard for Sakiya, but he knew the girl would adapt and do well in new surroundings. “My daughter and I can depart once our necessities are packed, likely as soon as my ship is ready tomorrow morning. I will uphold the laws in place in the village, and ensure a semblance of peace.” He agreed, bowing to the man. Stepping away from his role as general temporarily was a hard decision, but he felt things would be better that way.

To say Sakiya was worried when she was told to sit down was an understatement. Her father had barely returned, and he already had things to discuss. It typically meant he was being shipped off, and yet again she would be returning to the palace. Her jaw dropped as she was told they were moving to an Earth Kingdom colony, it dropping further as she heard him say it would be the next morning. “You can’t be serious! Everything I know is here, and everyone is-“ she cut herself off, biting her lip as she thought. She didn’t have hardly anyone left in the capital. Zuko and Iroh were banished, Ty Lee was gone, and Mai still refused to be around her. “And Azula is here. I don’t want to leave our home… this is your home, and Mother’s. Why would you want to leave it behind?”

“Darling, we won’t be leaving this house. I would never do that, the house has too many memories. It will stay with us.” Bao explained as he shook his head. “We’ll still be here often, and everything will be tended to when we aren’t here. This is a great opportunity, it will broaden your horizons and give you a new set of surroundings.” He could tell she wasn’t going to hear any of it. “This can give you a new start, a new angle on your future. At least give it a chance, my cherry.” He hardly ever used the nickname, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

“Great opportunities, a new start?! I’m perfectly happy here in the Fire Nation!” Sakiya retorted, looking up at her father as she rose to her feet. “A new angle on my future, in some small Earth Kingdom village that you’re going to be in charge of? It sounds just fascinating, becoming a figurehead. Maybe in time you’ll get promoted to even more colonies.” She muttered as she shook her head. She knew she should try to be happy, to try to see her father’s vision. Leaving the Fire Nation, even temporarily, meant she left behind her whole life. She would be going regardless, it made no sense for her to fight against going. “I’ll go, but you can’t expect me to be happy about it. We leave in the morning, right? Shouldn’t we be packing?” She quizzed the man with a false smile, standing up to start packing her things into boxes and bags.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be happy about it.” Bao revealed with a chuckle, beginning to pack away things in the living room and kitchen. There wasn’t much for the pair to pack, yet it still took them until late in the night to finish. He was aware of his daughter displeasure to leaving the Fire Nation, but maybe leaving here would do her some good. She could get a new perspective on her life, and figure out what she would like to do.

When morning rolled around, Sakiya seemed entirely different. She seemed eager to leave, having already said her goodbyes and prepared herself for the long voyage. “We’ll be back soon to visit, Sakiya. We have about three days of travel ahead of us, then things will be different.” He spoke proudly to his daughter, having great hope in their future. It wasn’t entirely away from the Fire Nation, but it kept him with his daughter, and that was what mattered. He had missed so much, and by doing this, he would stop missing everything.

Sakiya knew to play off the fact she didn’t want to leave, her father’s image would be smeared if she put up an attitude as they left the Fire Nation capital. The only good thing about leaving the capital was maybe she could get to know more people, and she could focus on honing her skills. She wouldn’t have all the pressure she had with being so close with Azula, meaning she had free reign to do what she wanted now. “Things will be different, and you’ll do a great job calming down this colony.” Sakiya praised her father, her smile fading as they stepped on the boat. “I’m going to find my room on the ship, I’ll see you later.”

The small village smelled absolutely terrible, and it was incredibly secluded compared to what Sakiya had heard about. The most exciting thing about the town seemed to be a small group of citizens protesting their arrival. The father and daughter were quickly escorted to one of the largest homes in the village, which was secluded away from the main homes. The guards stayed at the door, allowing for boxes of the family’s items to be brought in by the ship’s crew. “Father, could I change into some Earth Kingdom clothes and explore? No guards, please?” She questioned, moving her things into her room. It was by no means the lavish lifestyle they had in the Fire Nation, but it wasn’t as bad as she initially expected.

Bao had been deep in thought as they walked through the village, thinking of things that he could make better. Earthbending was forbidden, and all Earthbenders had already been arrested, prompting the tension. While he couldn’t return the prisoners, he had a few ideas on how to calm things. The village square needed mending, but he wanted to speak with the villagers before making any changes. It would prevent conflict regarding changes, and would hopefully bring some semblance of peace to the village. He was drawn out of his thought process upon hearing his daughter’s request, frowning deeply at the mention of no guard. “Sakiya, you need to have a guard with you.” He cautioned, moving a box off the table. “I suppose you could go. Don’t cause any trouble, and whatever you do, don’t use your bending. I will have a guard keep an eye from a distance, but they may step in where they feel necessary. Be home before sunset.”

Sakiya had already changed into a long olive green kimono with faded gold accents, pulling her hair back into two short braids. She nodded along to her father’s prattling orders, grabbing a few gold coins in case she wanted to buy things. “I know, my bending is going to cause tension with villagers. Just like I can’t wear my gauntlets. It makes me seem more of a problem than part of the solution.” She repeated as she rubbed at her face. “Home by sunset, no bending. Got it. Love you.” She ran out the door, running down towards the village square. It was a quaint village, but most of the people seemed kind enough. She stopped as she saw a group of children her age standing around talking, cautiously approaching them. “Hello, I’m Sakiya.” She introduced, smiling nervously at the group. Spirits, what was she doing? These kids surely wouldn’t want to be friends with her if she was from the Fire Nation.

“Nice to meet you, Sakiya.” One of the boys replied, shrugging his shoulders at his friends’ worried stares. There weren’t many kids their age in the village, causing instant tension with a new arrival. “I’m Haru, and these are my friends Zi, Renshu, and Chyou.” He gestured to each gaping-mouth friend as he said their name, before looking back at her. “I’ve never seen you around here, are you new in town?” It wasn’t uncommon for new villagers, especially those trying to escape the Fire Nation. They were mistaken to go there, for it was no escape. It had been over a year since the Fire Nation colonized their village, arresting his father and many others for earthbending.

“Nice to meet you all.” Sakiya bowed to the group, making sure to use the Earth Kingdom hand symbols. She didn’t want to be associated with the Fire Nation, not with these kids. She wanted to have friends that weren’t afraid of where she was from. “My father and I just moved here. The Fire Nation killed my mother, we left our village to begin a new life.” The story had been ingrained in her from the time they left, though she didn’t fully understand why she had to lie about her past. She was a big city girl, who had been given a major downgrade after losing almost everyone she was close to. “Could I spend the day with you guys? What do you do for fun around here?”

The group had perked up at the mention of the Fire Nation, shaking their head as they listened. “Don’t speak so loudly about the Fire Nation, they kind of run this place. Talk bad about them and you could get tossed in jail.” Chyou told the other girl gently, nodding as she questioned joining their group. “Of course! It’ll be nice to not be the only girl. Don’t let the boys scare you off, they just act like they’re tough.” She laughed. “There isn’t much we do, honestly.”

“We are tough, Chy. Don’t let my little sister fool you.” Renshu argued as he looked down at Sakiya. “Fire Nation’s hurt a lot of people around here. Imprisoned our mother, Haru’s father, and all of Zi’s family. We just have to deal with them, keep them from doing anything worse to us.” He muttered as he took of the girl’s pale complexion and amber eyes. The clouded eye spoke volumes, causing questions to start bubbling in his brain. “They’ve hurt you, too. What did they do to you?”

“Renshu, you guys are twins. She isn’t that little.” Zi rolled his eyes at the boy, tensing as he spoke of people imprisoned by the Fire Nation. “You don’t just ask about how someone was hurt. Way to go and spill all the beans about us at once, Mr. Heartthrob.” He jeered. “You’re pretty cute, Sakiya. Gorgeous kimono, it suits your curves. How old are you? Fourteen, thirteen?” He questioned, holding his hands up seeing his friends stare at him accusingly. “Hey! I was just asking a question and giving a compliment! She’s hot but I just met her!”

“Dude, just shut up before you freak her out. She’s new to the village and you’re acting like a creep. She might not want to talk about what they’ve put her through.” Haru rubbed his temples, shaking his head a bit. “I’m sorry about them, I really am. C’mon, you can come with us.” Haru was intrigued by the younger girl, who had none of the common features of Earth Kingdom citizens. She was far too fair-skinned, and the amber eyes were definitely not common. “We have to be back by dinner, so we’ve only got a few hours. Probably best if we don’t swim in the creek, not today.”

Sakiya stood back as she listened to the four friends bicker, looking over at Haru. “It’s alright, really. I’m going to guess they’re always like this?” She asked, grinning as he nodded his head. “I’m twelve… what about you guys?” She walked along with the group as they meandered to a creek outside the village. Haru seemed to be the least talkative of the group, and somehow the most mysterious. She was curious about Zi’s family, were they imprisoned for earthbending? It was uncommon for a family of benders to have a non-bender, so was there something the boy was hiding? “You guys can still do whatever you were planning on doing, I can just watch.” She didn’t want them to change their plans because of her.

Chyou pulled her brown hair back from her face, tying it with a light green ribbon. “We were just gonna mess around in the creek. It’s hardly ever this high, so we normally come out here and swim in it.” She explained. “Zi is fourteen. My brother, Haru, and I are all thirteen. We’ve been friends since we were young.” She was almost immediately in the creek water, her clothes set aside of bank. Her under-wrappings were worn out, but they made do with what they had. “So, are you an earthbender? We won’t turn you in, just curious.”

“Chyou, you don’t just ask people that!” Zi scolded, splashing the girl quickly as he got into the water. “That’s an awfully detailed necklace. Interesting color, too. We don’t see very many shades of red here, and it’s so detailed…” he trailed off, pondering how the girl got a hold of something so nice. The village was well off, but the gold embellishments on the necklace made it seem even stranger. “You’re not even thirteen yet? Dang, you really look younger than that. Why don’t you get in the water? We don’t bite.” He smirked as he looked at her, before it turned to a playful grin.

“I’m not a bender.” Sakiya replied almost instantly, messing with the sleeves of her kimono. Everyone was in the water at this point, with her standing along the bank watching. “My mother was one, but my father is a warrior.” She explained softly, thinking over her answer. She couldn’t help but blush hearing the eldest boy mention her necklace, instinctively reaching her hand over to cover it. “Thank you? It was a gift from a good friend of my father’s. It was specially made.” She left it at that, knowing betrothal was far from common, and it was in the past. Zuko couldn’t restore his honor, not unless he found the Avatar… it was impossible. She rolled her eyes at the boy’s comment, thinking it over before agreeing. After removing her kimono and folding it, she quickly got in the water, fixing her under-wrappings when she rose to the surface.

The group ended up talking for hours, getting to know each other. They really seemed to accept Sakiya for who she was… except she was playing a life of lies. She had gotten out of the creek a little while ago, soaking her feet in the water as she listened to the twins tell a story about their father. It was safer for them not to know about her true identity, and she didn’t want to lose their friendship. She hadn’t even noticed the sun had long since gone down, frowning deeply as she got to her feet. “I’ve got to go, my father is probably worried sick. I was told to be home by sundown.” She rushed to explain to them why she had to leave, before noticing they were preparing to leave as well. “Do you guys want to hang out again? I don’t really have anything else to do.” It wasn’t like there was anybody else to see or talk to. She waited until they all agreed before she left, rushing ahead of them to get back to the village. What she hadn’t expected, however, was to literally run right into a Fire Nation guard. “Good evening.” She spoke to the man gently, smiling sheepishly as she looked up at him.

“Watch where you’re going you little- oh, Lady Sakiya, you had us all worried! Where have you been? Your father has had us looking for you for about two hours.” The guard gripped the young girl’s shoulder gently, urging her to move forward. “We’re glad you’re home safe, but follow guidelines set in place. If anything were to happen to you, if they’d find out you’re you, it’s over.” He reminded the general’s daughter, releasing her as he saw a group of kids come bounding up. “Good evening, children. Get back to your houses, it’s far past your curfews.”

“Sakiya, is this man bothering you?” Haru questioned, walking over to Sakiya as his friends stood aside. Of course, her first day in the village and she gets stopped by a Fire Nation guard. Well, she wasn’t stopped, she ran into him, which made no sense. The man was right in front of her, why didn’t she see him and avoid him? It was irrelevant though, he had seen the scars littering her body, the Fire Nation had hurt her before. The last thing she needed was to get hurt by another person from that retched place. “We’ll get her home safe, sir. Don’t mind her, she’s new in town.” He motioned for Sakiya to follow the group, raising an eyebrow when she didn’t move.

“I believe she will do just fine on her own. Run along to your homes now, we’d hate to see an accident with any fire. Now wouldn’t we?” The guard formed a fire in his hand, extending his palm towards the teens, who cowered in fear. People were afraid of firebending… it was surprising to Sakiya. It was all she knew, nobody was afraid of it back home. The four teens wandered off, Sakiya watching them as they walked away. “You may return home too, Lady Sakiya. Your father is waiting.” The guard urged the young lady forward, watching her as she made her way across the village square.

Sakiya was speechless as the guard threatened her new friends with firebending, seeing the fear overcome their faces. If that was how firebending was perceived here, she understood why she was supposed to keep it a secret. She nodded her head as the guard told her to head home, walking up the path. She closed the door behind her as she walked inside, smiling timidly at her father as she met his gaze. Her hair was still damp from swimming, and she knew it was well past when she was told to be home. “Papa, I’m sorry. I met some kids and we were all talking, we just lost track of the time.” She apologized, beginning to unravel her hair out of the braids.

Bao had been alright when Sakiya wasn’t home before sunset, but the darker it got, the more worried he had become. He had sent guards out looking for her, and was freaking out that they couldn’t find her anywhere within the village. “You’re alright, Sakiya. Where did you guys go? None of the guards could find you. We thought somebody found out who you were and took you.” He interrogated, noticing her damp hair. “Did you guys go for a swim?”

“We went out of the village and into the forest. There’s a creek out there and we all swam for a while. The guards just didn’t have the guts to leave the village.” The girl mused with a smirk, sitting down as she faced her father. “I ran into a guard on our way back, everyone freaked out. Why is everybody here so afraid of the Fire Nation? Why do I have to pretend to be somebody I’m not? If I don’t tell them the truth, when the truth comes out they’re going to hate me.” She knew that keeping her bending secret would prevent chaos, but living in a lie seemed like a bad idea. Something would happen and everything would come crashing down. “Plus, don’t you have to formally introduce yourself to everybody soon enough? I’d have to be there, and if I have to go too, they’re gonna find out the truth.”

“The guards aren’t supposed to leave the village unless they are going to the coal mines. So they wouldn’t have thought to check the surrounding area.” Bao was taken aback by his daughter’s question, sighing before he spoke again. “The Fire Nation isn’t perfect, just like the rest of the nations. The Fire Nation wishes to share their so-called greatness with the world. Sometimes things are handled wrong, so bad events follow. Things in this village were handled wrong. The guards use firebending as a scare tactic to force the villagers into submission.” Bao wasn’t going to lie in the reasoning behind the villagers’ fears. He simply wanted to avoid Sakiya getting hurt by anybody in the village. The evening had proved him wrong, however… most of the people here were just fearful of the Fire Nation. They posed no threat to his daughter. “Your friends could find out who you are. Living a lie is no way to live. Eventually we will go down to the village again, make our formal introductions. For now we’re going to focus on finding what needs fixed around here by talking to people. After formal introductions you may tell them the truth, but maybe not say anything about your bending?” He wanted to make the move easier on his daughter; the past few months had been a struggle for her. Bao hadn’t been there for her when Ty Lee left for the circus. He hadn’t been there for her when she was attacked by the rogue earthbender. He hadn’t been there when she lost Iroh and Zuko due to their banishment. He felt he had to make things up to her, because he had missed so much.

Sakiya’s brow was furrowed in confusion as her father explained why everyone was afraid of firebending. It was because the benders had no control, they were fueled by their anger and rage. They saw fire as a means of destruction, not as a form of life. “Everyone is afraid of firebenders, and the earthbenders who tried to protect them got arrested…. I see why they’d be afraid. And angry.” She could sense how lowly Zi thought of the Fire Nation, and she had only known him a day. The Fire Nation had torn most of the families in the village apart in some way or another. “I think that’s a good idea. I don’t want to focus on my bending. I’ll bend in private, and only be focused in hand-to-hand combat and weaponry in the public eye.” It was an easy agreement, Sakiya could very easily handle herself without her bending. Zuko had taught her well. Zuko… she wondered what the banished prince was up to, and how he was faring. “I should probably head to bed for the night. I’m sure there’s going to be several things for the two of us to do.”

It was about two months before the formal meeting of the village was scheduled. Her father had mentioned getting things calmed down and a sense of regularity before his formal introduction, but Sakiya didn’t understand why he waited that long. Sakiya was good friends with most of the kids in the village at that point, especially Haru, Chyou, Renshu, and Zi. She had hated keeping the truth a secret for so long, but now was better than never. She was dressed in a knee-length layered red dress with a gold embroidered waistline. Her hair was pulled into a tight fishtail braid, her normal cherry blossom hairpiece tucked by her ear. She had opted not to wear her obsidian gauntlets from Azula… she didn’t need them here. She wondered how the princess was doing, as she hadn’t heard from or about her since the move. She walked behind three guards as they led her to the village square, fiddling with her fingers as she saw the villagers filing in.

The last thing Renshu had wanted to do was go listen to another Fire Nation general talk about their village being a colony and all the changes they were making. The man seemed nice enough; Renshu recalled the day he stopped by his father’s shop to buy fruit. The only good thing about the meeting was that the boy could hang out with his friends. Chyou was by his side, as she always was, and they were standing around talking with Zi and Haru. “So, I’ve heard good things about General Bao. I mean, we haven’t had any new arrests for a while and everything has settled down.”

“Yeah, that’s just fantastic, Renshu. We also have so many more soldiers around whom love to put everyone in their place.” Zi scoffed, combing his fingers through his short brown hair. “The general himself seems nice enough, I suppose. But he’s Fire Nation, he has to have a dark side. He’s just waiting for somebody to slip up before he shows it. Right now he can play the good guy, here to save our village from its own demise.” He rolled his eyes, straightening his back as he looked around. There were soldiers and guards everywhere, and the square was packed. He wondered where Sakiya was, as he couldn’t find her in the crowd. She had said due to the meeting she wouldn’t be able to spend much of the day with the group, which made him curious. Why couldn’t they hang out if they were all at the meeting anyways? “Hey, you guys haven’t seen Sakiya around, have you?”

“She’s probably just running late or is in the back, behind other people. She’s short, you just might not be able to see her. I’m sure we’ll find her later, maybe we can meet her father.” Haru concluded, shrugging as he looked over at his friends. The group spent most days outdoors, occasionally spending a day at their homes to play pai sho or other games. Sakiya had been the only one that hadn’t had a group day at her house. Sakiya had a bit of a habit of being late… it had to be the only explanation, nobody could miss this meeting. His mother was standing nearby, having been conversing with other shopkeepers about their profits. “I think it’s starting, pay attention.” He told his friends, watching as the general stepped into the middle of the village square.

“Good afternoon.” Bao began, looking out to the small crowd in front of them. Broken families stood before him: no father, no mother, no siblings… some people in this village had lost everything. He understood why the people disliked the Fire Nation, no family deserved to be broken because of a bending ability. “You all may already know me from my personal visits, but I am General Bao of the Fire Nation. I’d like to begin by thanking you all for your hospitality as I have taken taken the reins in your village’s leadership.” He paused, clearing his throat. “Your village shows great potential in becoming a strong colony of the Fire Nation. I believe that there is greatness before us, with your biggest asset being the coal mines. Moving forward, I will be assisting you all with fixing things up around here. I’ve spoken with some of the village elders, such as Miss Tao. She had offered great guidance on what needs improved around here.” He nodded down at the old woman, whom stood in the front row with her family.

“That is all as far as my formal announcements. I only wish to do one more thing.” Bao didn’t want to force the people to stay and hear things from him that were unimportant. “My daughter has also accustomed well to the village, thank you all for making her feel welcome. Sakiya, step forward please.” He turned to face behind him, smiling gently seeing his daughter move forward to stand to his right. “Sakiya speaks fondly of you all, I only hope this period of peace and tranquility lasts. We plan on making the best of the circumstances. Feel free to speak to me at any time about problems and concerns you may have.” Bao ended the meeting there, giving the villagers a proper Earth Kingdom bow, followed by a Fire Nation bow before he walked away with his daughter. Sakiya had already been told to be home by supper, and Bao knew she wanted to enjoy her day.

“Sakiya is the general’s daughter?!” Renshu gasped, looking around at his friends. Sakiya had said her father was a busy man, but not that he was busy being in control of the village. Everyone seemed in just as much shock as he was, except for his twin sister. Chyou seemed unfazed by the information, almost as if she already knew. “No way! Sakiya already told you about it? That’s no fair, you knew and kept it a secret from me!” He whined momentarily, before nudging Zi. “Zi? Zi! Zi, this is when you make some comment about her actually being fire. You know, because Fire Nation?” Being from the Fire Nation meant nothing to Renshu, as long as Sakiya treated him well, he figured he would do the same.

“Very funny, Renshu. Hilarious, a true comedian.” Zi snarled, looking over to where Sakiya was talking with her father and a few village elders. How could she ever be one of them? She didn’t act like the guards did, but now he could only imagine it was a face she pulled. She wanted them to trust her so they could be fooled. Zi had fallen for it, he had let his guard down for this pretty, sweet girl just for her to be a part of the people who ruined his life. “You knew? Why didn’t you tell us?” He questioned Chyou, looking down at the younger girl. The look on her face told him all he needed to know. “You didn’t say anything because you wanted to be sure. And you didn’t want to make chaos, because not all of them are bad.” He knew Chyou was a pacifist, believing everyone had some good in them. She still should have told them the moment she suspected anything.

“I didn’t know.” Chyou defended, holding her hands up. “I had my theories. You would have been stupid to not realize there was something else going on. I mean, who would willingly relocate to a Fire Nation colony, knowing it was a colony?" She questioned, not giving the boys a chance to argue her point. “Whenever we got caught after lights out, or doing anything wrong… you guys didn’t notice? A few bats of her eyelashes and a quick apology and everything is fine? Also, her clothes are really nice. Even her Earth Kingdom clothes. They’re of good material, they paid a good price for them. So yeah, I had my theory.” Chyou had thought it over for a while, and had wanted to confront Sakiya about it. The girl was a good friend, and the fact wouldn’t change with her being from the Fire Nation. “You’re right though, Zi. I wanted things to stay mellow. Sakiya hasn’t done anything wrong.” She ended the conversation there, smiling as she saw Sakiya walking over. “Sakiya, I love your dress! It’s so frilly and the gold looks so good!”

“Didn’t do anything wrong? What do you mean by that? She’s lied to us since she first moved here, who knows what else she could be lying about!” Haru retorted, shaking his head a bit. He smiled faintly as he saw Sakiya come bounding over to the group with a grin. He couldn’t be upfront about his anger, he had to figure out what truths he needed to find out. “Chyou’s right, Sakiya. That dress does look nice on you. Actually, it looks pretty fire.” He teased, grinning seeing the blush skirting across her cheeks.

“Hey guys!” Sakiya greeted with a grin, quirking an eyebrow seeing Zi’s angry, silent stare. “Thank you, Chy…Haru. It’s one of my favorites, I haven’t worn it since before the move.” She felt more at ease now, knowing she wasn’t trying to play into a lie anymore. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys sooner. I wanted to, I really did! My father told me I needed to wait, see how the village adjusted to his leadership. He didn’t want people knowing I was his daughter and ending up kidnapped.” She wanted to try to show some sort of reasoning, why she lied. “I didn’t lie about everything, though.” Her friends weren’t good at being quiet, she had heard most of what had been said about her. Chyou had stuck up for her, trying to calm their friends down and de-escalate the situation.

“What else did you lie about, then? Let me guess, you don’t want to be our friends? Or is it you just wanted to know every truth about us before you told us the truth about yourself?” Zi hypothesized, looking the girl over closely. “You shouldn’t have even lied to us in the first place. We’ve all told you about how the Fire Nation has hurt us. You should have told us then.”

“Zi, calm down. I’m sure if you just calmed down and let her explain, it’ll all make sense.” It was weird, Renshu trying to mediate an angry friend. It was always the opposite, with everyone trying to calm him down for overreacting and starting fights. “Sakiya’s done nothing wrong. Our father has told us while some Fire Nation is bad, not all are. Sakiya and her father are some of those.” He said softly. “Chyou and our father were robbed the other day, and one of the soldiers apprehended him and brought our stuff back. Her father has offered to help our father repaint the fruit market. Give them a chance.”

“I’m sorry for lying to you all.” Sakiya repeated, her hands messing with the silky layers of her dress. “I only had one more lie. I am a bender.” She explained, stepping back from them and forming a small flame in her hand. “I’m not like most firebenders, though. I don’t like to be angry or upset, it blocks my aura. By staying calm and steady, my fire follows my mood. Fire is alive, if I’m angry and out of control, my flames will do the same. It’s kind of like a repeating game.” She closed her fist, watching the red flames disperse. “I know I shouldn’t have lied, but I was just following what I was told to do.” She bit down on her lip, looking over at Haru. While all the others were her friends, Haru acted as their leader. If he decided she couldn’t be their friend anymore, that was it.

“It will be alright. It’ll take some time. Your lies really hurt some of us, Sakiya. There’s already plenty of lies in our lives. We all trusted you, and some of that trust was lost.” Haru explained to the girl, shaking his head as he watched the frown form on her face. “But, I think the twins bring up a good point. You haven’t done anything wrong, or done anything with the intention of hurting us.” He said softly, looking over at his three other friends. “I think you can stay a part of our friend group. As long as we don’t get into any trouble and we all get along.” He said softly. They couldn’t deny the girl’s friendship, she was stuck here as long as her father stayed in charge. She needed friends, and they needed people to make their lives seem normal again. Maybe in time, things would work out and they would all be friends as they grew older, but only time could tell.

Chapter Text

Adapting to the Earth Kingdom wasn’t near as hard as Sakiya thought it would be. Life was much slower in the colony, with the same things happening day in, day out. She had her group of close friends from when she first moved, and they made life interesting for her. As they moved into fall and early winter, the twins turned fourteen. In the summer they had celebrated Zi and Haru’s birthdays. And yet, all Sakiya could think of was Zuko. She wondered if he was doing well in his banishment, and how Iroh was handling the moody teenager. Surely Zuko was annoyed with Iroh at this rate, wanting nothing more than to stop doing nothing. Playing pai sho at her friends’ house telling stories reminded her of days spent in the palace doing the same. It was hard for her, realizing she likely wouldn’t see the prince again. The Avatar was long gone, meaning he couldn’t return home.

The group had spent the cold, rainy day at Chyou and Renshu’s home, telling stories and eating snacks. Many of the stories Sakiya had heard from them before, but there were a few she had yet to hear. She was sipping on some poorly made ginseng tea, occasionally asking different questions about stories. Her mind still wandered back to Zuko and Iroh. It had been about eight months since her move, nine since Zuko’s banishment. Spirits, she pleaded everything was alright. “You guys seem to get yourself into a lot of trouble.” She laughed weakly as Renshu finished another story, watching the three boys begin squabbling over the true end to the story. Just like she and Zuko would do with Iroh’s stories, trying to prove each other wrong with ideas. Why was she so concerned? She was betrothed, not in love… right?

“Sakiya, you look down. What’s wrong?” Chyou asked, having noticed the girl seemed to not be herself. She was normally bright and bubbly, but for the past few days she had seemed upset. Sakiya and the girl had grown close, and it was hard not to tell when Sakiya was upset. “Let’s walk away from the boys, then we can talk.” The older girl suggested, grabbing the arm of the general’s daughter cautiously. Surely the boys didn’t need to hear whatever her problem was… it maybe even involved them. Chyou led the girl to her room, gesturing for her to sit on her mattress. “So, what’s going on? Which of the boys do I have to beat up? ‘Cause I’ll do it. Was it Renshu’s attitude? You know Zi can be overbearing sometimes, don’t pay attention to his taunts.” She paused, noticing the girl’s expression remained blank. Guess it didn’t have to do with the boys from their friend group. “Or is it another boy? A boyfriend?” She smirked seeing Sakiya’s face shift to surprise, knowing she had gotten her answer. “Spill.”

“Nothing’s wrong, Chy. I’ve just been thinking.” Sakiya lied, dragging her feet as her friend led her away. ‘So much for not worrying about it.’ She thought, looking at her with a weak smile. She cautiously sat on the mattress she was gestured to, crossing her legs as she looked around. She made things worse for herself, having wrapped up in Zuko’s robe as her outfit for the day. She wore loose black pants and a pinkish-red shirt underneath, letting the black, gold, and crimson red robe be the focal point of her outfit. “The boys didn’t do anything, I’m used to their bickering. It reminds me of home.” She admitted softly to the girl, laughing slightly. “A lot is just reminding me of home recently. That’s all, honestly. It’s had me thinking things from before it was all different.” She tensed up at the mention of a boyfriend, her cheeks flushing. “He’s not… well, he wasn’t my boyfriend. We were good friends, but we weren’t dating.” She rushed, groaning as she realized her friend wouldn’t drop it there. The last thing she wanted everyone here knowing was that she was betrothed to the banished prince.

“Homesick? That makes sense, you’re a good ways from home.” The girl agreed, looking out the window at the pouring rain. She had noticed the oversized robe Sakiya wore for the day, just assuming it was her father’s or something. But for the girl to confirm a boyfriend… that made a whole new ballgame. She was likely wearing his robe. “Come on, Sakiya. Tell me about him, anything you wanna tell me. The boys won’t find out, spill the beans. I won’t tell anyone, not even my brother!” Chyou urged, smiling a bit as she sat beside her. “Okay, so, no boyfriend. Got it. Good friends seems to be an understatement, though. You’re not telling me something.”

“You know how I have my necklace, don’t you?” Sakiya questioned, sighing as she saw the girl shake her head. “I’m betrothed. I’m to marry when I hit the age, into royalty.” She watched Chyou’s jaw drop, shrugging her shoulders before continuing. “I’m supposed to marry Prince Zuko… well, I was. I don’t know where any of that stands anymore.” Her voice grew quieter, leaning back on the mattress. “We were good friends before everything. Betrothal made things awkward, but still nice. I miss him… he had an attitude but was easy to talk to.” He always had to prove her wrong about something. Now that she hadn’t seen him in so long, she missed their interactions. “I haven’t seen him since before he was banished… I never had a chance to tell him goodbye.”

“Prince Zuko…” Chyou trailed off, before her eyes widened. “No way! You’re betrothed to the Prince Zuko?! Banished prince of the Fire Nation? That Prince Zuko?!” Her voice grew louder as she came to the realization, starting to laugh as Sakiya slapped her hand over the girl’s mouth. “I’m sorry!” Chyou apologized after a moment, giggling as she looked at her. “It’s just, that’s kind of unbelievable. To be friends with the soon-to-be Fire Lord. Let alone dating him. Have you guys kissed?” It really was a foreign concept to her, as the Earth King was all the way in Ba Sing Se. Friendship with royalty sounded exhausting, let alone marrying into it. She was amazed that it seemed so casual to Sakiya, almost as if it was normal. “So you and the prince were friends, and betrothal screwed things up… then the banishment too.” She quieted down, looking over at the girl. “I’m sure he’s doing alright. You could always see if your father would reach out to him or something, see if you could contact him.”

“Just be quiet! The boys would kill me if they knew.” Sakiya whined, knowing it was only slightly exaggerated. Zi hated the Fire Nation, and learning that about her would probably ruin what trust she had gained back. She didn’t want her suitor to define her… she wouldn’t let Zuko define her destiny. “We kissed a few times, yeah… usually for public appearances though. We never really kissed, not without one of us being mad.” She laughed softly at the memory of slapping Zuko for kissing her. That was ages ago, he surely had forgotten it ever happened. She frowned a bit as she heard out Chyou’s idea. Most people were forbidden communication during banishment… but maybe Sakiya could be an exception. She highly doubted it, but anything was worth a shot. “I don’t know what I’d tell him if I could even reach out to him. I could try, though.” She jumped up when she saw the boys peek their heads into the room. “Really, guys?”

“Really.” Zi repeated with a playful smirk, standing in the entryway of the room. He knew not to enter Chyou’s room, or any girl’s room, for that matter. “You guys had disappeared a while ago. We decided to check in. Did we interrupt a gossip session?” He prodded, nudging Haru and Renshu. “Today might be our lucky day, boys. Sakiya’s crushin’ on someone, now if only Chyou would tell us who.” He teased the two flustered teenage girls. It was too easy, picking on the two of them. They were easy to read, meaning it was easy to tell when they were off-guard. “Kidding, kidding. Well, maybe not. Depends on if Chyou spills the beans. It might be Haru’s lucky day.”

“Dude, shut up before you get yourself hurt.” Haru threatened emptily, bonking the fifteen-year-old on the head. The boys knew he was crushing on Sakiya, but he didn’t want her to know. It hadn’t been intentional, falling for the Fire Nation girl. Zi gave him all sorts of hell for it, but she was kind and gentle… which couldn’t be said about many people from the Fire Nation. “Ignore him, he doesn’t know the difference between friends and lovers. He thinks they’re one in the same.” Haru smiled nervously at Sakiya, standing behind the other two boys. “What were you guys talking about? It’s been really loud then really quiet… guess that’s why Zi assumed it was crushes.”

“What we were talking about isn’t important, all that’s important is that you guys weren’t a part of the conversation.” Chyou scolded, shooing them away. “Sakiya’s just a little homesick, I was giving her some advice. She could write to people back home and maybe relieve it a bit. Things here are a lot slower than in the Fire Nation. Missing it makes sense.” She explained, not mentioning much more than that. If Sakiya didn’t want the boys to know, she had to respect that. “You guys can go back out there. I think I’m gonna walk with Sakiya back to her house. Might even stay the night there, you guys could have a boy’s night.” She wasn’t trying to push the girl into leaving, just attempting to get the boys to leave them alone. A girl’s night didn’t sound bad, so maybe that idea would work.

“Girl’s night sounds like juicy drama, though. We wanna know the dirty little secrets. We don’t have much of our own guy drama, we like hearing stories from you two.” Zi chuckled, nudging Haru with a smirk. He knew the younger boy was crushing hard on Sakiya, just like he was. “I suppose you guys could do that, though. We can just meet up at the creek tomorrow, then we can head to that abandoned mine we found.” The group had initially planned on exploring the mine today, but the rain had made their plans change. Zi had found the mine a while back, suggesting it would be a good hang out space for the group. There they could be away from their families, and away from the Fire Nation guards. The boys watched as Sakiya and Chyou ran to Sakiya’s home, trying to escape the rain as soon as possible.

The next morning, Sakiya and Chyou were up early, having gone out to the creek early on. They had gone for a quick swim when they got there, the waters having raised from the rain. The water was freezing, with the winter chill settling into the village as the winter progressed. The air was still decently warm in the afternoons, but this morning a layer of cold, dense fog covered the ground. Chyou seemed comfortable in the icy creek water, as if it was a normal temperature. Sakiya, on the other hand, was chattering her teeth due to the cold. She knew she could warm the water using her bending, but there was a lot of water… it wasn’t worth it. She got out of the water, quickly redressing in her clothes. She was wearing a pair of long brown pants, matching it with a maroon tunic with a cream-colored undershirt. It was warm, and that was all that mattered to her. Sakiya smiled as she saw the three boys walking towards them, waving a little. “Took you three long enough, we were getting bored. Zi, where’s this mine you found? Further in the forest?”

“Looks like we missed out on the swim session.” Zi teased the girls, messing with Sakiya’s damp hair to prove his point as Chyou got out of the water. “Is it too cold for you, flame-girl? You’re shaking like a leaf.” Zi’s flirting was always easily passed off as his mentality and jokes, so he was always open in the nicknames. He grinned hearing Sakiya ask about the mine, motioning for the group to follow him through the dispersing fog. It wasn’t too much deeper into the forest, as the group came up at the opening rather quickly. A dilapidated mining cart stood just outside of the building, but that seemed to be the only artificial object nearby. “Here it is, I figured since it’s far enough away from the active mines, and seems to be abandoned, it’d make a cool hide out. And there’s a lot of rocks and crystals. Almost like it wasn’t mined at all.”

“Dude, this isn’t a mine. It’s a small cavern or something. Nobody’s touched it.” Haru pointed out as the group stood in the entryway. “If it were a mine, even abandoned, there would’ve been sconces, and supports holding the walls from caving in.” It was a good argument, as the cavern had no signs of ever being touched. The cart that stood nearby was years beyond usefulness, meaning it had long been forgotten. “Still would make a good hideout for us all, though. Chy, did you guys grab the torches?” He wondered, nodding as he saw the girl hold up six torches.

“If we run out, Sakiya could also just firebend, it’ll make enough light.” Chyou mentioned, picking up the bag that held the torches. She ushered the group towards the cave, handing a torch to Sakiya as she took the lead. Chyou stood beside her as they walked, knowing if there were rocks in their path, she could move them. Of all the teenagers, Renshu was the only non-bender. However, Chyou had been the only one to reveal her bending to Sakiya. Zi and Haru thought it was too big of a risk. As the group ventured further into the cavern, it became more obvious it was unexplored. Various crystals, stalagmites and stalactites littered the cavern, the light from the torch bouncing off the objects. Chyou was in awe as the group ventured deeper, bending a large rock out of the middle of the path. The group came to a split in the paths, stopping for a moment. “Which way? I think we should go to the left.” She suggested.

“I agree with Chyou, the left seems like a safe option. It’s a wider path than the one on the right.” Sakiya pointed out, holding the torch down each path. She had heard two of the boys bickering behind the two girls, figuring it was just Renshu and Zi with their normal teasing and bickering. “What do you boys think? Which one should we take first?” She turned to face the three teenage boys behind her.

Zi straightened up when he saw Sakiya turn to face them, shrugging his shoulders. “I think the left sounds cool. The right path is a bit snug, we’d all be close to each other. Don’t know if Haru could handle himself.” He taunted, grinning as he heard the girls start laughing. Haru was definitely going to get his payback on the older teen, Zi knew that as soon as he said it. While Zi could play off his crush on Sakiya with his attitude and jokes, Haru really couldn’t. And boy, did Zi like to make it obvious. “Lead the way, lovely ladies. Gotta have our benders in the front.”

“Stop flirting with my sister. And with Sakiya, too.” Renshu ordered Zi, though he had the same smirk plastered on his face that the other teen presented. “I’ll trail behind. Let’s go, let’s go!” He ushered the group forward, rolling his eyes as he heard Zi and Haru start bickering, again. There wasn’t even a new topic, they were still arguing over Sakiya. It was obvious that she wasn’t really interested in either of them. Maybe she was a little into Zi, but honestly Renshu couldn’t blame her. He didn’t understand why the two boys were so obsessed with the little firebender, considering how they disliked everything else involving the Fire Nation. As the group started going down the left path, Renshu could tell the arguing between Zi and Haru wasn’t slowing down. “Hey, Sakiya? Hand Chyou the torch and come back here, if you could.”

“Why does she need to be back there with you, Renshu? She’s kind of the only fire we all have if the torches run out. She’s just a little important.” Haru pointed out, rolling his eyes a bit. Zi was really starting to get under his skin for a change. All the older boy would talk about was how he could easily get Sakiya to be his girlfriend, while Haru would struggle. He wanted to shove him against the wall, attach him with rocks and leave him. He couldn’t do that though, Sakiya didn’t know either of them could earthbend. That was the last thing she needed to know, and it could get all three benders arrested.

“Haru, chill out. You’d think you were the hothead of the group if you didn’t know better. Let flame-girl through so Renshu can talk with her.” Zi smirked mischievously, shifting against the wall to let Sakiya pass him. This was rich, making Haru act like a fool because he was getting under his skin. “There you go, Renshu. Keep the little firebender safe, who knows what could happen. We could come across the long-lost Avatar.” He laughed, knowing it would be impossible. It was likely some waterbender in the Northern Water Tribe, there was no way an airbender was still around.

“Zi, Haru, calm yourselves.” Sakiya handed the torch off to Chyou carefully, making sure she had an extra one before making her way to the back of the group. With the echoes throughout the cavern, the boys had been far from quiet with their arguing. She didn’t understand their obsession over her, but she didn’t dare intervene. That was something for the two of them to solve themselves. She had Zuko, or at least she would have him when he came back… maybe. “Keep walking, turtle-ducks, nothin’ to see back here.” She motioned the teens forward, while she and Renshu stood back a few paces. “What’d you want to talk about?” She looked at him quizzically, walking to his left. “Have they been arguing the whole time?” She asked, watching Zi and Haru shove each other back and forth as they argued. Chyou had turned around a few times to scold the boys, which ended the arguing for mere seconds before it started up again.

“Why don’t you guys just talk to her? If you both ask her out, then you two can stop arguing over it. I can tell you though, she isn’t interested.” Chyou told Zi and Haru, shrugging as they tried to argue that she was wrong. “Whatever. Don’t say I didn’t tell you.” She grumbled, holding the torch ahead of them as they walked. They were acting stupid over Sakiya, and she knew Sakiya wasn’t interested. “It’s gonna get tight, be careful of these sharp rocks to your left, Sakiya.” She warned the girl behind her.

“Chyou, stay out of this. It’s not like she has a boyfriend or anything. We’d surely know about him by now.” Haru pointed out, quirking an eyebrow as Chyou simply shrugged her shoulders. “You know, we should do that, thanks for the idea. We totally hadn’t thought of that.” Haru was being sarcastic for a change, shaking his head a bit as he slowed his pace so he was closer to where Renshu and Sakiya were behind him. He wasn’t thrilled with what he overheard, though.

“I know the other two are obsessed with you, but would you want to go on a date or something sometime? It’ll get you away from them for a bit one day.” Renshu questioned the girl with a genuine smile. Sakiya was another little sister to him, but he knew that him taking a shot while the other boys argued would prove a point. “We could even just hang out as friends and not call it a date.” He suggested, gently grabbing her arm to move her away from the sharp stones his sister had warned her about. He saw Haru, shrugging his shoulders with a grin.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! No way! Renshu that’s not fair!” Zi yelled, turning on his heel as he looked back at the pair, noticing Haru staring with an open mouth. “What is all this about? You know how we feel about her dude! I liked her first, I should have the first date!” He argued, rolling his eyes as he felt Chyou touch his shoulder. “Don’t you dare tell me to calm down, Chy.” He snapped.

“Renshu, what in the spirits do you think you’re doing?” Haru queried. “You’ve told us before Sakiya’s just a friend. Why are you asking her out?” He asked, before hearing Zi. “That does not mean you get the first date! Dude, that isn’t how it works and you know it!” Zi just assumed because he was more confident that he could have whatever he desired at any given point in time. “Sakiya, are you really going to go on a date with him?”

“Haru, you were going to go your whole life and not say anything because you don’t have the balls to get rejected.” Zi told the teen honestly, before quickly shoving him towards the wall. He didn’t hit the wall hard or anything, but a sudden rumble rose from above them. Small pebbles started to fall, causing Zi to grumble under his breath. “Of course, the one time I do something it blows up in my face.” The cave was going to have a collapse of some sort. “Chyou, see if you can control the rocks from this side. Renshu, you and Sakiya need to back away in case it breaks off.” He was calm about the situation, straightening out his posture.

“Look what you did! You’re causing a cave-in and you’re acting like nothing happened.” Haru didn’t understand why he was shoved in the first place, but he had hit the rocks just right. He pressed his hands against the rocks, bending some of them back into place. Then, all of a sudden it wouldn’t bend. It wasn’t just rocks and dirt, meaning there was likely metallic ore preventing it from being bent. “It’s gonna fall! Chyou, get Sakiya and Renshu away. It’s not just rock, there’s not much we can do.” He ordered the girl, moving to try to bend away some rocks as they fell.

Chyou heard Haru tell her to get her brother and Sakiya away, and promptly raised the ground below the two teens and pushed it backwards before the rocks fell. The rocks separated the two groups, leaving the three earthbenders separated from the other two teens. “Are you two happy yet?” She hissed, wedging the torch into the collapsed rocks. “You both know Renshu sees her as another sister. Plus, she’s not interested in either of you! I know that for a fact.” She then grabbed the torch again, leading them down the path they had blocked off. “Maybe we’ll come to another path intersection. C’mon. We can’t worry about trying to get back that way.”

Sakiya was discombobulated from the sudden events, carefully getting to her feet. “What on Earth just happened?” She could have swore she saw Zi and Haru earthbending, which meant her suspicion had been right. She brushed rocks and dust off of herself as she stood, forming a flame in her hand before lighting the extra torch she had. “Let’s head back this way… take the path we didn’t take before.” Her mind was slightly fuzzy, and everything was bouncing around in her brain. As the two walked back down the path in silence, she decided to explain. “I don’t like Zi or Haru. They’re sweet and all, but I can’t date either of them.”

“What do you mean by you can’t? Like, you don’t want to, or you physically can’t?” Renshu pondered, walking behind her as they started to make their way down the narrow path they had previously avoided. He knew Sakiya had been thrown off by his question, but otherwise thought nothing of it. The path was barely wide enough for one person, but as the pair walked further, it opened up to be about three people wide. The crystals started changing in color as they delved deeper, the white and green tones transitioning to faint shades of blue and purple.

“I actually can’t. You know how I’m from the Fire Nation?” Sakiya reminded him gently as she walked. “Well, I have someone back home. He’s not there right now, but maybe eventually he’ll be able to come back. I grew up with him, and this necklace was a gift from him.” She mumbled, though the more she told herself about it, the less she believed. The necklace hadn’t been a gift, it had been symbolic… but it meant nothing right now.

“Oh… I’m sorry.” Renshu apologized, starting to walk ahead of the girl. “I’m sure you two will be reunited soon. He’s lucky to get the girl everyone’s fighting over.” He teased, raising an eyebrow as he looked forward. “There’s a spring or something up ahead, I hear water.” He informed the girl, rushing ahead of her.

The spring was a natural wonder: a three-layer waterfall had formed in the center wall along the back of the cave. It was a large spring, covering most of the area, leaving enough room to comfortably walk about. The natural water sparkled in the torchlight, Sakiya forming a flame in her hand. She handed the torch off to Renshu, lighting the unlit one he had and wedging it into the far wall. “This is so cool! I wonder why nobody’s ever come down here, it’s private and it’s huge.” She slipped her sandals off rather quickly, testing the water with her toes. “It’s ice cold, but it feels really nice. I could heat it up, make our own hot spring for our group.” She didn’t know if it would work, it was a different aspect of her firebending. She lowered her hand into the water, taking a deep breath as she focused on heating her hand. It wasn’t difficult, as she couldn’t light a flame under the water, but it still took a little concentration to get the water to slowly rise in temperature.

“Well, we’re in the middle of winter. I would hope that the water coming from the spring would be cold.” Renshu held the torch near the two of them and crouched down to watch her as she messed with the ice cold water. He saw steam soon rising from the water, looking down at the small girl in amazement. “That’s so cool! Is it actually hot?” He questioned, before feeling the water with his fingertips, quickly pulling them back with a startled yelp. “Very hot. Little too hot, but it’ll be alright.”

“It isn’t that hot, Renshu. I think you’re just scared of a little heat. Might be too hot to handle.” Sakiya taunted, laughing as she turned to face him. Hot springs were common back home… well, hot anything was common back home. Hot springs, hot days, hot food, hot candy; if it wasn’t hot, it wasn’t done right. She hadn’t grown accustomed to the difference in the weather. It was still nice, but things were colder than she had ever known. She had heard of the Water Tribes, with their cities and villages of ice. How could people live like that, freezing all the time?

“I’m not afraid of a little heat!” The older boy crossed his arms, looking down at her with a grin. “Not everyone grew up in the Fire Nation, or with it always being hot. Cold spring water is still amazing to soak in.” He shrugged, sitting down beside her as he removed his boots, soaking his feet in the steaming water. “I wonder how Chyou and the other two are getting along.”

“Haru! Stop trying to shove Zi into the rocks while he’s walking! And Zi, stop aggravating Haru and shoving him back! Just bend the rocks and we can try to get out of this ore-riddled mess!” Chyou shouted at the two boys, who were still arguing back and forth, shoving each other as they did. They constantly fought over Sakiya when she was around, and fought if she was ever brought up in conversation. Sakiya had already confided in her about her betrothal, but she had made it a point not to say anything. These boys were testing her today, though… she had to tell them.

“I’ll stop when he realizes that Sakiya is too good for him! All he’s going to do is be reckless and do something to get himself and her hurt. Then he’s going to blame everyone except for himself! He’s too reckless for Sakiya, she needs someone who cares!” Haru shoved Zi backwards once more, bending a few rocks out of the group’s way as they tunneled their way through the ore and rock. He was leading the group, moving rocks to the side as they went. Zi was taking the lead any time the two shoved back and forth, trying to make himself out to be better. “I think we’re getting close to somewhere, the rock is getting less ore in it. More of it is bendable.”

“Of course she’s too good for me! She’s too good for either of us, you fool! You weren’t going to say anything and live your hopeless romantic dreams in your head and fantasize about her. At least with me, she would actually know how I feel. She wouldn’t deal with whatever wall you’ve put up.” Zi retorted, shoving past the younger teen to lead the way, moving rocks to the side and being careful not to hit anything. “Chyou, knock some sense into Haru, would you? He’s not listening to reason. He doesn’t need Sakiya, she’s too bright and bubbly for his meek, quiet personality.”

“Both of you need to shut up! Think with your heads, not your heads.” Chyou snapped, stopping where she stood. “Sakiya doesn’t need either one of you. She has a boyfriend back home, in the Fire Nation. She’s going to marry him. I guess that’s what her necklace means. You both have been too worried about trying to catch a girl you can’t even have.” She spilled the truth, rubbing at her temples. These boys were ruining their friendship, over a girl neither of them could have. “Why else do you think she’s never responded to the flirting or doesn’t accept the gifts? She sees you guys as friends, nothing more, nothing less. Don’t believe me? Ask her yourself when we get ourselves out of this mess.” She dropped it there, moving past the shocked, motionless teenage boys as she took the lead.

“She’s basically engaged?!” Zi looked ahead at Chyou in disbelief, figuring the girl was just pulling his leg. It made sense though, Sakiya didn’t react to the flirting and refused any gifts from the two boys. “Why didn’t she tell us? Why’d she tell you? Is it girl code or something, keeping secrets from the guys?” He wasn’t really upset about finding out indirectly, he trusted Chyou. “Guess it didn’t matter if you had the guts to tell her you liked her, Haru. The little flame-girl has a flame-guy, he’s probably a firebender who could kick your ass.” He laughed, using the girl’s nickname to try to lighten up the situation. Haru was still his friend, it was just that they had grown apart in disagreements… normally over girls. Renshu kind of held the group of boys together, as much as it concerned Zi at the thought.

“Being with him doesn’t mean that they’re going to get married, Zi.” Haru reminded the teen, though he knew he was already over Sakiya. The dude could flip a switch and act like nothing had ever happened, unlike him. Haru would have to struggle with getting over his crush on Sakiya, watching his best friend get over the same girl as if it were easy. “You realize Sakiya doesn’t have to tell us anything, right? She trusts Chyou more than she trusts either of us, so it would make sense for her to fill her in on that.” He had walking again, being partially aware of the sound of water echoing through the tunnel they were digging. They were near a water source of some sort. “Why did Renshu ask her out, then? If she can’t be in a relationship besides her current one, why even consider him?” He spoke the thought out loud, shrugging when he recalled that he actually spoke it. He groaned hearing Zi start up with the taunts about Sakiya, quickly shoving the older teen against the wall. “Just like he’d be able to kick your ass. You act tough, but when it comes to it, you don’t like to fight.” Haru never cursed, but Zi managed to get under his skin just right. He quickly bent the rocks behind the teen, shoving the teen back as he fell from the sudden hole in the wall.

“Haru, what did you just do?!” Chyou yelled, before hearing a splash from where Zi fell. Water? Where did that come from? She back-stepped, looking over Haru’s shoulder to see Zi standing waist-deep in water. He was soaked to the core, but he seemed more surprised than anything. It was really loud, as the hole was right beside a waterfall. Torchlight dimly lit the area, which was odd. Nobody else had been in the cave, except for Sakiya and Renshu. “Sakiya! Renshu!” She exclaimed, bending a few steps down to the water before she hopped in. It took her a moment to adjust to the surprising heat of the water, wading over to where her twin and friend stood.

It all happened so quickly, seeing Zi come from a sudden hole in the wall, to seeing Chyou and Haru slowly making their way down from the same hole. She hugged Chyou, laughing a bit seeing she was soaked through with water, just as Zi and Haru were. “Nice to see you guys made it out safe. Surprised all three of you are still alive.” She grinned as she taunted the group, looking around as she noticed the torches starting to dim more. They had been lit for too long, meaning it would grow dark soon. “Why don’t you guys sit here and dry off? I can try to use my firebending to help speed it up.” She suggested.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Sakiya. I mean, firebending can be pretty dangerous when it comes too close to people.” Renshu warned, frowning when he saw the girl wave him off, before gasping as he felt the warmth of a flame just below his neck. “What are you doing?! You could’ve killed me!” He whined, looking down at the giggling bender, watching as she proceeded to walk away from the group. Once she made a little distance between herself and the group, they watched her form two rings of fire to circle her frame. It wasn’t the fire they saw with the Fire Nation guards, though. “Why is it gold?” He speculated, watching the earthbenders hold their hands to the gentle flames to attempt to dry off.

“She’s got all sorts of tricks up her sleeve. She’s probably a prodigy or something, like the Fire Princess you were obsessing over a while back.” Zi had remembered Renshu talking about some Fire Nation publication about the prodigy princess with blue fire, so he assumed it was a similar case with Sakiya. “It’s not a very hot fire, or are you controlling that? We’ve seen your firebending before, when you’ve trained. Why wasn’t it gold then?” He knew the others had been wondering the same thing, but he just had to be the one to ask.

“I don’t know why. It just does it sometimes. I have to be at ease, if I’m violent about it, it won’t react the same. Fire is life, it grows and breathes like we do. I have to show respect for the fire, because it can take life in an instant.” Sakiya had remembered learning that from Iroh, playing with her father and some of their old pai sho friends. She had wanted nothing more than to go outside and play in the rain, but instead she learned more about her firebending and how she could control herself. “Princess Azula?” She asked, hearing Zi mention the girl. “She and I are both prodigies. Azula’s flame is more precise and deadly, making it blue. Colored flames are rare, almost unheard of.” She and Azula were the only two she was really aware of. “We really should start to head back… who knows how long we’ve been out here? We can come back and make this our hideout some other time. We know how to get back. You three can bend rocks and make it look like the cave ends before the spring, hide it.” She suggested, smirking as she saw the two earthbending boys look at her in surprise. “You guys slipped up, better keep a better eye on it. Wouldn’t want you guys to get caught. I don’t think even I could convince the warden or my father to set you free if you get arrested.”

Chapter Text

Winter came and went much faster than Sakiya thought it would, and soon it was March. Her thirteenth birthday was fast approaching. Her black hair was finally flowing past her shoulders again, nearly a year after the earthbender attack. Her friends still didn’t know about her eyesight being partially taken by an earthbender, instead blaming it on a training accident. Sakiya was getting ready for the day, slipping on a tight black top and loose yellow pants that stopped about her knees, finishing the outfit off with Zuko’s robe and a pair of worn-out sandals. Her outfit wouldn’t really matter, later in the day. She and her friends were going to be going to the spring, which had become their hang out and a safe place for bending. She hugged her father quickly as she walked out of her room, smiled a bit, and then said in a rush, “Morning. Do you have any plans later? Once I come home I can help make dinner. I won’t be out late, I promise.”

Bao had been reviewing some paperwork when he felt Sakiya hug him, hugging back as he looked down at her. “Happy Birthday, cherry blossom. I’ve got nothing planned until evening. We won’t be eating dinner here. I figured a trip back home would be a nice surprise for you, we’re going to be leaving at sunset.” He explained with a grin, setting the papers he had been reviewing aside. “Princess Azula has been made aware of us coming home for a while, I believe she was going to make some time to spend a few days with you. So, as long as you’re home in time for us to board the ship, we should be alright.” She had grown so much in the past year, physically and as a person. Being away from the bustling capital had done good for her, he only hoped she would continue to mature as time went on.

“We’re going home? Since when?” Sakiya questioned, her smile growing as she heard him explain that she had to be home before sunset in order to get on the ship. “I’ll be home before then, I swear. We’re just going to the cave and swimming for a bit. I’ll keep an eye on how dark it’s getting.” She knew once she stepped into the cavern, any aspect of time was lost. She just had to trust herself with what time it was. “I’ll see you soon, I’m not missing going home for a visit. I need to find Azula something before we leave, though.” She hugged her father again, rushing off to the village square. Things in the village had improved greatly since her father had started, and most everyone was happy. The guards didn’t have to be quite as strict anymore, and had started actively engaging with the villagers. She said hello to people she passed, occasionally stopping to look at various things being sold in the shops. She bought a few things on her way through, packing them into a small bag before she made her way out of the village. She had to wait until someone else got to the cavern, as she couldn’t move the rocks enclosing the spring.

“There she is, the birthday flame-girl herself! You’re up early. And man, do you look good. You’re what, ten?” Zi taunted the girl as he walked out of the mouth of the cave. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. You’re thirteen! That’s a big one, lucky you made it this far. Everyone else is already down at the spring. They made me wait out here until you got here so I can close it off again.” He explained as he ushered her into the cavern. As they had begun using the cavern as their hideout, they had widened some of the paths that had once been snug, making it easier for the group to go to and from the spring.

“I wear this outfit all the time, Zi. Not like it’s anything fancy. Fancy clothes are saved for when I’m actually in the Fire Nation. Nice materials and all.” Sakiya laughed, pulling her hair out of her face as they walked down the tunnel towards the spring. In the months since adopting the hide-out, the group had done a lot with the space. A few ragged, handmade sconces were littered about the walls, illuminating the water and the surrounding area. Chyou had come up with the idea of a dividing wall in the spring, for privacy between the boys and girls. There were plenty of holes to allow water movement, and they had all agreed the waterfall was a safe-zone, no peeking and no sneaking around. If they all wanted to interact normally, it was easy to change things around, or hang out on one side of the spring. Sakiya had been heating the spring more times than not, but not near as hot as she had in the beginning. “Really? You guys started swimming without me? Couldn’t have waited five minutes?” She clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth, setting her full bag on the ground before removing the robe she was wearing. She barely had time to set the robe on top of the bag before she was being shoved into the water, resurfacing with a gasp. “Really?!”

“Sorry!” Renshu apologized through his cackling laughter, while getting back in the water. “If I didn’t do it, Zi would have. Just sayin’’.” He felt the chilly water turn warm and shook his head a bit. “You firebenders are just walking heaters, ya know? Like, you’re either extremely warm or you shake like a leaf.” It was the truth, Sakiya could dress in hardly nothing and be fine. But if she got cold, multiple layers of clothing and she would still be chilled to the bone.

“He’s got a point, Sakiya. Zi would’ve tossed you in, rather than pushing you. And trust me, he’s got a lot of distance throwing people. A whole two feet, sometimes backwards.” Chyou loved taunting Zi, as it made up for all the jokes and teasing everyone received from him. While being the sensible one of the group, it was always nice for each of the teens to let their guard down. “You came with a bag loaded with stuff, you going somewhere after this?” She speculated, noticing the starts of a grin on the other girl’s face. “So, where are you going?”

“We’re going home for a little while. I’ll have to bring you guys back something. I’m sure you’d all like fire flakes, or fire gummies… or any of our candies.” Sakiya rambled, pointing over at her bag. “It’s just souvenirs for my friends back home, if I get to see them all.” She hadn’t heard any news about Zuko, meaning his banishment was still in effect. She had tried to reach out a few times, but her messenger hawk came right back each time empty-handed. She knew she would see Azula, but Mai and Ty Lee were unknown factors. “I think my dad was saying it’d be about a two week trip. I’m ready to go, the warm spring nights on the beach, maybe a trip to Ember Island…” she trailed off, her thoughts drifting back to Zuko. Maybe she could try reaching out to him again.

“Sakiya? You alright over there?” Haru questioned, noticing the girl’s bubbly face fall flat as her voice drifted out of the conversation. Getting over the bubbly firebender had been difficult, but Haru was getting through it. Neither him nor Zi mentioned her mysterious boyfriend, but they both would see the disappointed look on her face whenever her hawk would return after a trip. “Your trip is going to be fine, you’ll see everyone you haven’t seen in a while. Don’t stress out about it, you won’t enjoy it as much.” He was floating around on his back, moving closer to the waterfall as he relaxed in the steaming spring water. “Is it boyfriend troubles?”

“Haru, you don’t just ask a girl if she’s having boyfriend issues. That’s just rude.” Zi criticized, leaning back against the edge of the spring as he watched everybody else float around. He had been trying to work on being more responsible, and getting over his crush on Sakiya. It hadn’t been going easy for either attempt, but it was progress. “Why don’t we split up for a bit? We can bend the wall up, and you two girls can talk? Let’s do that.” He waded over to Haru, the two getting out of the water to bend the partition wall into the spring. There was plenty of room to get around, and the three boys rather quickly moved to the side opposite of the two girls.

“You don’t have to do that, Zi.” Sakiya rushed, rubbing her hand over her face as the partition was put up. Normally the only time they put it up was when they were going to be using the spring for bathing, not for drama. “They didn’t have to do that.” She muttered to Chyou, starting to wade over to the waterfall. They had put a little ledge near it for seating, Sakiya sitting there as she tried to figure out if she wanted to even talk.

“I think it would help you to talk about it. You were just fine when you were talking, then you just kind of stopped.” Chyou advised, following the girl towards the waterfall. It was harder to hear, but it made it easier for private conversations. “Zi’s trying to be sensible, trying to learn boundaries and where to step away. But Haru has a point. Is it something with Prince Zuko?” She didn’t want to push the girl into talking, but especially with news of her leaving for a little while, it might help her.

“I was just thinking. The last time I went to Ember Island, I went with Zuko and Azula and some friends. It was weird… but it was fun. The last time I was in the palace, I was with Zuko. Well, not the last time. But the last day before everything changed.” Sakiya admitted. “I haven’t told you much about my messenger hawk, Kiwi…” she paused, leaning her head back as a small stream of cool water trailed away from the waterfall. The cool sensation calmed her, especially with her foggy mind. “I’ve been sending Kiwi out every now and then. Just little messages, sometimes talking about you guys. About my dad, memories, asking him how he’s doing. Normal stuff, I guess. I send them off, and a few days later he always comes back. No message, but he’s taken mine.” She muttered, shaking her head a bit. “It’s silly, really. His uncle probably just grabs my notes and stashes them away so Zuko doesn’t see them.” It was probably the truth, but it didn’t help her case any. She just wanted to know that Zuko was doing alright in his banishment. Agni, she had even gotten a few messages back from Azula on occasion, which was how she heard about all the capital drama she was missing.

Chyou was momentarily speechless. What did she respond to that? She knew saying ‘I’m sorry,’ would only work so many times. It wasn’t like she could relate to how she felt. She hadn’t even met royalty, let alone have friendships and relationships with them. “Maybe going home for a bit will do you some good.” She suggested. “You’re probably right, his uncle could be intercepting the messages so he doesn’t even know you’re trying.” She hated seeing Sakiya upset, they all did. The girl didn’t have a foothold on her emotions, wearing her heart on her sleeve. “Cheer up! It’s your birthday, after all. You can be sad and mopey on your way back to your crazy life in the Fire Nation.” She joked, nudging the girl’s shoulder. “It’s not something you can control, Sakiya. Focus on the present, you can’t control the past or future. Focusing on things beyond your control make you lose control.” She advised, before hearing the boys start snickering and yelling.

“I guess you’re right. I can be sad some other time. I won’t spend time with you guys for a while. I can’t spend it being sad.” Sakiya agreed reluctantly, thinking over the older girl’s advice. She quirked an eyebrow as she heard the boys’ raised voices, before seeing a mound of dirt rush across the ground. Well, not a mound of dirt, for there was a stack of rumpled clothes on top of it. Sakiya sunk deeper into the water as she heard the boys jostling about, before seeing Renshu dart across her line of vision. “Dude! Clothes, put them on! My poor eyes!” Sakiya screeched, ducking under the water.

“I’m sorry!” Renshu squeaked as he reached his pile of clothes and picked them up. He was quick to put his clothes back on, and then turned to face the group again. “Chy, tell her she’s good to come up. I’m clothed.” He laughed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous grin. They had been horsing around, and Zi had earth-bent the teen’s stack of clothes out of sight. He hadn’t even thought about the fact that the girls were there. He just rushed and went to grab his clothes, then realized that Sakiya and his sister were staring. “I’m sorry, Sakiya. I didn’t think about it. Once the wall was up, we decided to go ahead and bathe while we waited.” He rambled.

Zi was holding his sides as he appeared from the other side of the wall, his hair drenched from water and his face red from laughter. “Sorry, flame-girl. He’s all good now.” He said, laughing a bit seeing both girls laughing. Whatever the two had discussed before their interruption had bettered Sakiya’s mood, which was relieving. While he still cared for the girl, her happiness was more important. “If I didn’t know any better, you girls were talking about boys.” He teased, nudging Renshu as he sat down with his feet dangling in the water.

“Unlike me, Sakiya doesn’t have to deal with seeing… that. Reasonable reaction.” Chyou laughed, gently grabbing the girl’s arm as she waded towards the boys. Things never stayed awkward for long within their friend group, which she was grateful for. “So what if we were talking about boys, Zi? You only wish we were talking about you.” She rebutted, a small smirk on her lips. “We might leave the spring a little earlier. One of the shops might have something we can send you off with.” She pondered, assuming the girl would want something to snack on during the voyage back to the Fire Nation. “Plus, I forgot my gift for you at home. Renshu didn’t remind me.”

“It’s not my fault you forgot your gift. I have mine.” Renshu argued, pointing to the three gifts sitting near the entrance. “Zi and Haru could’ve reminded you too.”

“Don’t get me involved in your sibling drama. You forgot your gift, just own it, Chy.” Haru laughed, looking over at Sakiya. “So, you said you wanted to bring some snacks back from the Fire Nation? Can you make sure some of them aren’t going to burn our tongues off? Not all of us like to have the heat of a thousand volcanoes in a piece of candy.” He grinned as he heard the rest of the group burst out in laughter. It was the truth, most of the candies from the Fire Nation were unbelievably hot. Sweet candies weren’t well known from the area, for the spices overtook anything sweet.

“Not all of our candy is spicy!” Sakiya fussed, pulling herself out of the water. She sat between Zi and Haru, pulling her soaked hair from her eyes. “My father took me to this candy shop when I was younger, it had been my mother’s favorite. They have the best taffy candy, and the best sour candy. Ice cream is also really popular there, if you can eat it before it melts.” Memories of she and her father trying to slurp down the melting cream mixture played through her mind, furthering her laughter. “One time Zuko and I went there after some formal thing we had to go to. He was still in his dress robes, and boy did he freak out when he lost his ice cream.”

“Well, you can’t really bring us ice cream, flame-girl.” Zi nudged her as he spoke. She had mentioned this Zuko character more, he just assumed it was her boyfriend that Chyou had mentioned. The name sounded familiar though, Zuko. “Maybe you and Zuko can ruin another set of dress robes with cream.” He taunted with a smirk, before standing up. “Zi, what the hell?!” Sakiya scolded as her face flushed with embarrassment. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself.” Zi apologized, grinning as their friends erupted with laughter. Zi decided to drop the subject as he reached his hand out to help Sakiya up first, before offering a hand to Haru. He offered his hand once more when Chyou started to get out of the water, shrugging as he saw the girl cautiously accept his hand. “I can be nice and not an ass, sometimes.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Chyou huffed, shoving the teen’s hand away as she wrung her hair out, slipping her sweater back on over her under-wrappings. “Come on, we can stop and see if Miss Tao has any mini fruit pies we can buy. Sakiya can open her gifts while we eat.” She suggested, picking up one of Sakiya’s bags of souvenirs. “You’ll have to write from the Fire Nation, I want to know how your visit goes.” She reminded the girl. The boys gathered their clothes and their gifts, and soon the group was heading out of the cavern, and back into the village square.

Sakiya walked a few paces behind the group, and could see her father’s ship being prepared at the dock. It still surprised her just how close the cavern was to the village, and how close the village was to the sea. Anticipation was killing her, but she knew she needed to appreciate her current company. “I’ll try to write, if I get a chance. Maybe I’ll get a picture sketched of me and a friend to send you!” She offered, knowing she hoped to see Azula, if time allowed. “Miss Tao, good afternoon!” She greeted the village elder with a bow and a smile.

“Good afternoon, children. I see you all went for a swim.” Tao gestured to the damp children. “I hear it’s your birthday, Sakiya. Happy Birthday.” She congratulated. “What could I get for you five? I have some fresh fruit pies, and I even have a few custard tarts left from this morning.” She offered.

“We sure did. The water felt great today.” Haru told the elder with a smile while looking around the group. “I think we’ll get our normal order. Four fruit pies and a custard tart.” It was a common snack for the friend group. Tao made the best pies and tarts in the village, and she always was willing to talk to the group of young teens. “Here’s the copper pieces, please take them this time.” He slid the coins over to the woman, watching her disappear into her shop and return with the five small pastries.

“Thank you, Miss Tao!” The group recited in unison, before bursting out in laughter. They meandered away from her shop, heading over to Chyou and Renshu’s home to enjoy their treats. “Go get your gift, Chyou. We’ll sit out here and eat while Sakiya opens her gifts.” Renshu told his sister, grabbing her fruit pie from her and shooing her off. He sat down with the rest of the group, setting his bag in the center. The other bags followed suit, and when Chyou returned, hers was added to the pile.

Sakiya favored the custard tarts Miss Tao made, while her friends all got fruit pies. She raised an eyebrow seeing the four gifts in the center of their circle. She scarfed down part of her tart, and sat it aside for a moment to grab a gift. It was wrapped in a loose, yellow silk fabric, with a failed attempt of a bow on top. Definitely one of the boys’ gift for her. She opened it up, laughing a bit as she saw a small variety of wrapped candies, including a few specially made. “Zi, you better not have made your aunt make these just for me.” She scolded with a grin, cautiously tying the ribbon back around it. His aunt made candies to sell in her market, which were a hit with children. And a huge hit with Sakiya, who only ever ate sweets and spicy foods. “Tell her thank you for me, I’ll be sure not to eat them all at once… maybe.”

“She offered to make them for you. She knew how much you liked them in the store. Then the rest is just odd and end snacks we get in.” Zi said with a grin, glad the girl enjoyed his gift. There wasn’t many things he could think to get the girl. His aunt’s candy was always a hit. “Open Haru’s next, or he might just explode.” He got a rough shove for that one, groaning as he sat back up. “Dude, I’m joking. Chill.” He heard Haru laugh, rolling his eyes playfully.

“You don’t have to open mine next, Sakiya. Just grab a random gift.” Haru leaned back a little, watching the girl choose her next gift, coincidentally his. They weren’t marked, but everyone knew who each gift was from.

“You two are both on edge for no reason, loosen up.” The youngest of the group reminded, even though she had been the one being told that earlier in the day. This gift was much smaller, just a small, carved wooden box with an intricate bow tacked on it. “Your mom did a great job with the bow, Haru.” She saw the boy flush a bit in embarrassment, giggling as she opened the small wooden box. “Hair pins and silk wraps? I haven’t been able to find these at all since we moved here.” She was slightly flustered, as she hadn’t worn her hair in a top knot since before she lost her eyesight. “Thank you, Haru. These will come in handy when I go home. Actually,” she paused, grabbing a deep green wrap from the small pile in the box. It was a methodical process to tie her hair up, but she had done it enough that it had become reflex. “Silk wraps make top knots look good.” She closed the box, setting it to her left.

“How do you just… do that?” Chyou was dumbfounded, having never seen Sakiya put her hair up in much more than a braid. A top knot was a whole different ballpark, yet Sakiya did it like it was nothing. “Never mind that, green looks great on you.” She complimented, before seeing Sakiya reach for the next gift. It was from Renshu, and Chyou knew exactly what it was. He hadn’t known what to get her, so she had helped him out. It was a simple set of brushes, ink, and paper, with green and gold ribbons for tying up notes.

“Thank Chyou for the idea. She mentioned a while back that you have a messenger hawk. Now you have an excuse to write to us.” Renshu encouraged, noticing her handle the items. “Hopefully you like them. That just leaves Chy’s gift.” He was most excited for his sister’s gift, as he had watched the girl work on it for quite some time.

“I’ll write to you guys, even though I’m only going to be gone for a few weeks. I’ll be right back, it’s not like we’re moving back to the Fire Nation.” Sakiya piped up, double checking that the caps of the ink were sealed tightly. She reached for the last bag in the circle, pulling it towards herself. “Why is it so heavy?” She pouted childishly, before proceeding to open the gift with a grin. She couldn’t believe what she saw. It was a few sets of clothing, very obviously hand-made. The first one she unfolded turned out to be a goldenrod hanbok set with forest green accents. It looked to be about her size, or maybe a little larger. The second was a forest green kimono, with goldenrod accents that matched the hanbok. The final item, though, was surprising. It was a pair of slim black pants, partnered with a red and gold shirt that had a halter-top style. “These are beautiful, Chyou. You did fantastic on them, and they must have taken you forever.” She was amazed that it was more than one hand-made item, but Chyou seemed unfazed.

“They took a while. I had already started on the first two for myself, but I didn’t like how they looked on me. I altered them slightly to make them seem more your style. I saw the red fabric one day at the market… you realize how rarely we see red fabric? Even with having the Fire Nation here, we don’t see much fabric.” She rambled, before drifting back to the topic at hand. “They might be a bit loose, but I didn’t think you’d mind.” She knew that with her bending, loose clothes would be beneficial. “Happy Birthday, Sakiya. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of stories to tell us when you come back from visiting.” She said softly, having turned to point at a guard as he walked up to the teens. “Babysitter alert.”

“Chyou, you have got to stop calling them babysitters. It’s gonna backfire on you sometime.” Zi warned, having seen the guard’s eyes narrow. “Good afternoon. How can we help you?” He questioned, although they all knew why he was there. It was time for Sakiya to leave.

“Babysitter? That’s a new one, kids.” The guard mused, looking down at the five teens. “I’ve come to gather Lady Sakiya.” He informed, watching the girl stand up and gather her gifts. He picked up the two bags of souvenirs, and started to lead the way to the docks.

“I’ll send a hawk when we get close to the Fire Nation, it should get to you guys by the time I get there.” Sakiya hurried to finish talking with her friends, offering quick hugs to each of them. She thanked them once more for their gifts, before chasing after the guard. She looked back towards the village once they reached the docks, noting that the four teens were still sitting at the twins’ house on the hill. She then boarded the ship, taking her belongings from the guard and carrying them to her quarters for the journey.

Zuko was not happy to hear his uncle inform him that they had to make a detour. “What could be so important to take us off-course? Absolutely nothing.” He hissed, pacing back and forth along the deck of his ship. “We’re altering our course entirely, we need to be getting to the Southern Air Temple to search for the Avatar. But no, we have to go the opposite direction. This will set us back by at least a week, and for what?!”

“We received a letter from the Fire Lord, your father. We are gaining another crew member. We are to meet Captain Zhao on the docks of the Pohuai Stronghold. There he will give us our new crew member and we can head due south to the Air Temple.” Iroh reasoned with his nephew, watching him pace with frustration. “We still must follow your father’s orders, Prince Zuko. Now, stop pacing and drink some tea. Chamomile does wonders for stress.” These had been trying times for the teen, but Iroh saw no sense in him worrying over changed plans. “We’ll arrive at the stronghold in two weeks time, maybe less. It also gives the crew a chance to restock supplies.” He poured his nephew a cup of tea, narrowing his eyes as he watched the teen turn away.

“I don’t have time for tea! We don’t need anymore crew members! I will find and capture the Avatar, and return home to my honor. I want my life back. Going to Pohuai takes us straight past the Southern Air Temple.” Zuko seethed as he walked to the deck railing. The past year had been awful. Agni, it had been downright terrible. They had gone to the Northern and Western Air Temples with no luck, making a few scholarly stops along the way. The knowledge of the past lives of the Avatar had led them to nothing but dead ends. The Avatar was a fruitless effort, yet Zuko couldn’t give up on his search. “If we have to divert course, I need to train more. The Avatar has all four elements, compared to my one. I need the advanced move set.” He walked back to his uncle, sitting down across from him. He was so sick of relaxing and drinking tea; Uncle thought of this as a vacation, he had no worries. He groaned as he saw a messenger hawk come flying down from the sky, grabbing the note that was in it’s talons before the note was snatched.

“Ah, my good friend remembered to write to me once again.” Iroh had grown to recognize Sakiya’s messenger hawk, whom he had learned had the name of Kiwi. “Don’t fret, nephew. My friend has asked about you several times. They wish you well on your search for the Avatar.” Iroh never replied to the messages, nor did he allow Zuko to see them. He ignored Zuko’s demands of learning the advanced set, simply sipping on his tea. The teen was far too impatient for the advanced set, letting his anger control his bending. “We will train more, Prince Zuko. But we will not begin the advanced set for a little while longer.” He unrolled the scroll, reading Sakiya’s message before rolling it back up. He sat it on the table, pouring himself another cup of tea. “I believe today is Lady Sakiya’s birthday, is it not? She turned thirteen today.” Zuko had nearly choked on his tea, causing a bubbly laugh to erupt from Iroh.

“How could I forget her birthday?” Zuko grumbled, having set his tea aside. There wasn’t anything he could do about the day, it just reminded him of the day that was soon to come. He had been exiled only a week after Sakiya’s birthday, and that was something he could never forget. “Thirteen years old, just like Azula will be in two weeks.” He couldn’t find the words to say to his uncle. Sakiya had faded into the back of his mind within the first few months of his exile. It make the prince upset to think about her, and how she had probably moved on with her life. It had to be hard, being known as the banished prince’s betrothed. If she even wore the necklace anymore, that was. He finished his chamomile tea, setting it aside as he rubbed at his face. The burn across the left side of his face had turned into an ugly scar, and it had partially damaged his vision and sensitized his hearing. Not enough for him to be concerned, but enough that he had to really concentrate on his tasks.

“I was not accusing you of forgetting her birthday.” Iroh shook his head at his nephew’s words. “Ah yes, Azula will also be thirteen in the coming weeks. Maybe you should write to Lady Sakiya, I’m sure she would love to hear from you.” He never mentioned that the girl always wrote to him, but occasionally mentioned he should do the same. “Letting your feelings out to someone you trust will relieve a great deal of stress.”

Zuko had tried to write dozens of letters to Sakiya since his banishment, but he burnt each and every one of them. He couldn’t get his thoughts on paper, or he said too much and got frustrated. “I might… just a simple ‘Happy Birthday’ would suffice.” He knew it would end up being much more than that, but Iroh didn’t need to know that. “I’m going to go to my quarters and write to her, I’ll bring it to you to send off when it’s ready.” He was gone before Iroh had any chance to protest, disappearing below deck.

The Fire Nation was just as warm as she remembered, or maybe Sakiya was just happy to get off of the cold, musty ship and into the fresh air. She stood behind her father as they got off the ship, her hair in a traditional top knot with her old cherry blossom hairpiece. Her outfit, however, was far from traditional. She wore the red and gold halter top outfit Chyou had made her, with Zuko’s robe thrown around her shoulders. She was more than thrilled as she walked down the ramp, being sure to follow her father’s footsteps as they made their way to their home. They were to have dinner with the royal family that night, meaning Sakiya was free to do as she pleased until then. The first thing she did was go out to the backyard, checking on her koi fish. They were still swimming about, as fat and happy as ever. She popped her head into the house again, looking at her father. “I’m going to go dance for a bit. I’ll be back soon, or I’ll meet you at the palace!”

“Just meet me there, Sakiya. I’m heading there to speak with the Fire Lord before our meal.” Bao informed his daughter, dusting off old portraits that were scattered about the home. “Just stay safe, and please don’t get yourself into any trouble.” It was an unnecessary warning, but it was one Sakiya loved hearing.

The royal dance studio was as busy as she remembered it, with noble women dancing about gracefully and singing traditional Fire Nation songs. Sakiya was welcomed back with open arms, dancing along with the group as if she had never left. She caught up with those she had been close to, whom informed her on a few things that had happened in her absence. This place was always a safe spot for her, especially after Zuko’s banishment. She was able to let her guard down, without fear of someone making anything out of it. No new students had joined in her absence, which wasn’t surprising. There were too many parameters that had to be met to join the noble group, as most people were forbidden from dancing at all. Her inner fire had never felt so at ease, bending her golden flames along with the other dancers. She had definitely missed being this at ease with her bending. A year surrounded by earthbenders had had it’s effect on her and she was more solid than she had been before. Though she remembered to continue to let the fire breathe through her, she had to be relaxed and in control of her own situation.

To say Sakiya had completely lost track of time would have been an understatement, as by dinner time she was racing to the palace from the royal dance studio. Her hair was completely down at this point, her hairpiece in hand as she allowed the guards to open doors for her. She still wore her betrothal necklace, hidden beneath the high collar of the halter top. She rushed into the dining hall, smiling sheepishly at her father as she screeched to a halt. She hurriedly put her hair into the top knot again, bowing to Fire Lord Ozai before she took her seat. “I apologize for being late, Fire Lord. I lost track of the time.” She apologized, before her eyes met Azula’s across the table. The girl had matured a lot over the past year, easily a few inches taller than her. “Thank you both for inviting us for dinner, it has been a long time.”

“You are excused, Lady Sakiya.” The Fire Lord stated, his eyes narrowing as he watched the girl. She had changed very little in the year she spent in the Earth Kingdom, which surprised the man. A year away certainly changed most people. He was silent as the group ate their meal, as conversation would start after the food was gone. As the servants cleared the table and brought in cups of tea, Ozai spoke again. “I heard that the colony has been thriving under your control, Bao. As to be expected.” He had spoken with Bao before their meal, commending his work as a public official, rather than a military one. “As for you, Lady Sakiya. I have heard you kept up in your bending practices, and otherwise had an easy life in the Earth Kingdom colony.”

“I wouldn’t call it easy…” Sakiya left it at that, knowing better than to disagree with the man. “It took a long time to adjust. Things that are customary to us aren’t the same for them. And it was a major change going from such a big city to such a small village. Everyone knows everybody, and we were made welcome. I brought some things home for Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee.” She looked over at Azula with a grin, sipping on her tea. Maybe they could get out early, as they always did in the past. Normally during these meals, Sakiya, Azula, and Zuko would be dismissed while their fathers spoke, leaving the children to do whatever they pleased until it was time for Sakiya to leave for the night.

“Father, I believe you and General Bao have plenty to catch up on and talk about. Is it alright if Sakiya and I are dismissed to catch up ourselves?” Azula questioned, waiting for her father’s approval before she and the other teen rushed out of the room. The doors had barely shut before Azula embraced the girl, laughing quietly as she pulled away. “I thought Father was going to flip when you came in like that, so scrambled. You’re still horrible with time management, aren’t you?” It wasn’t so much a question as it was a statement. Azula had grown a few inches taller in the year Sakiya was gone, and her figure was starting to fill out. Sakiya, on the other hand, was still short and a stick, almost as if she had never left.

“My time management is just fine, Azula.” Sakiya insisted, looking over the girl to note any changes. “Unlike here, the Earth Kingdom is more laid back. A year of no time restrictions or expectations, aside from a curfew. Not that I ever really was expected to follow it.” She and her Earth Kingdom crew had gotten away with more than their fair share of trouble. Sakiya wanted to do anything and everything during her trip home, but she still wanted to make time for Azula and her other friends. “How have things been going here? I’m sorry that we lost touch.” Losing contact with each other hadn’t been the fault of either girl. Sakiya was in the colonies, while Azula was in the capital learning everything as the heir to the throne. As the girls wandered towards Azula’s room, Sakiya had a thought. “Why don’t you grab your gift and we go to Mai’s? Grab her and Ty Lee both, and we can exchange gifts at my house. I have souvenirs that I brought back for everyone.”

“Things have been going wonderfully here, Kiya.” Azula wasn’t entirely lying, but it wasn’t the full truth of the situation. She knew so much about being the heir to the throne, yet, she knew nothing at all in what mattered. “You didn’t hear?” She queried, tilting her head. She grabbed the girl’s gift from inside her bedroom door before facing her again. “Ty Lee isn’t around anymore. Rumor has it, she ran away and joined the circus.” That had happened around the time of the summer solstice, while the capital was deep in celebration. “Mai should be around, though. Her mother had her baby, a little boy. Mai despises him.” It was an honest comment, Mai never really was at her home anymore. Mai still held animosity towards Sakiya in regards to Zuko, but maybe time had helped the issue. As the girls made their way outside, Azula spoke again. “I’m going to assume that you don’t want to take a palanquin to Mai’s?”

“Ty Lee is gone?” Sakiya frowned, thinking about what her friend had said. It made sense, Ty Lee always spoke of her six sisters, and not wanting to be exactly like them. The circus was a long ways away from her family, and it was probably exactly what she needed. She walked to Azula’s right, rolling her eyes at the mention of the palanquin. “Azu, I can literally see Mai’s house from here. We do not need a palanquin. A little bit of walking won’t kill you.” She hoped that Mai wasn’t still mad about her betrothal to Zuko. It was nearly two years ago, old news. She let Azula lead the way down the palace stairs and to Mai’s house, watching the teenage girl open the door moments later. “Long time, no see, Mai.”

“What do you want?” Mai deadpanned as she saw Azula and Sakiya at the front door. “Not long enough, Sakiya. Glad to know you’re just visiting, not staying permanently.” She didn’t understand what she still had against the girl. She came waltzing back from the colonies as if she had never left, welcomed back by everybody.

“Good to see you too, Mai. I just thought you’d want out of this dreary house of yours, away from your new baby brother.” Azula was almost glad to see the hatred between her two friends still stood strong, as if nothing had changed. “Sakiya wanted to invite you to join us. Catch up, just like old times. Who knows? You could have some fun for a change.” The princess already knew the older teen would decline the offer, but it was always worth extending, as a formality.

“I’d rather not, Azula. I’m not much of a reminiscing type of person.” Mai grunted, her gaze narrowing as she noticed the robe that covered Sakiya’s petite frame. “You realize that wearing the clothing of the banished prince looks bad on you and your father, right?” Mai pointed out to Sakiya with a smirk. In a year, Mai hadn’t grown any less spiteful of Sakiya, who was Little Miss Perfect in the eyes of the Fire Nation, even with Zuko’s banishment. But, if there was one thing she knew how to do, it was getting under the girl’s skin.

“And you know being hung up over your ex-boyfriend for two years doesn’t look good, right?” Sakiya answered with a raised eyebrow, choosing to stand her ground, which she had never really done before. “You think Zuko would have chosen you, had he been given a choice?” Maybe being in the colonies had changed her, she certainly wouldn’t have spoken up for herself in the past. But if Mai wanted to be spiteful, Sakiya would give her plenty of reason. “Your father is nobility, yes, but he has yet to do anything… noble, perhaps.” The raven-haired teenager began, shaking her head when Mai opened her mouth to speak. “You always want to talk future and being reasonable, Mai. A non-bender in the royal bloodline could ruin the Fire Nation. Imagine a non-bender in charge, the Royal Family’s perfect image would be tarnished. Azula, isn’t that right?” She turned to look at her best friend, waiting for her response.

Sakiya almost never stood up for herself when it came to insults, let alone from Mai. So, to say it caught Azula off-guard was an understatement, the teenage girl blinking rapidly before she heard the question. “She’s got a point, Mai. And she could be right… maybe Zuko wouldn’t have chosen you.” She agreed, noticing the older teenager’s face shift to a look of pure hatred. A nerve was definitely struck, and Sakiya and Azula both knew it. “Anyways, I think Kiya will leave her gift for you here, and we’ll be on our way.” The princess reasoned, nudging her best friend to set the small gift down before they turned away to make their way back to the palace. The pair were able to hear Mai stomp down the steps to retrieve the present, followed by the slamming of the door. “What in Agni has gotten into you? What was that all about?”

“What do you mean?” Sakiya questioned as she shrugged her shoulders, not really thinking about what she had done. Okay, maybe she had crossed a line… way too much time with her crew from the colony. But she had to stick up for herself sometime, might as well be now, she supposed. “Mai doesn’t want to be friends with me. I’m tired of letting it bother me, figured it was time to let her see how it feels. I learned things while I was gone, including how to stand up for myself.” She explained as they made the short trek back to the palace, before making their way to the gardens. “You’ve still gotta open your gift, Azula.” She pointed out as they sat down on a bench overlooking the turtle duck pond, and passed the gift to the princess.

“You learned how to stick up for yourself, but not how to be on time? You never were one to have an attitude before.” Azula chuffed, shaking her head as she took the small brown box from her friend. Of all things for Sakiya to pick up while she was away in the colonies, it was an attitude… definitely something to get used to. She looked down to open the box, pushing aside the ugly green folded cloth to reveal a small golden flame hairpiece. “Kiya, where did you find something like this?” It was far less elaborate than she would typically wear, but the piece was gorgeous, and seemed to be far sturdier than it was on first glance. “Thank you, I actually really like it.” She admitted.

Sakiya let out a slight laugh as it was pointed out that she hadn’t learned to be on time, but had developed an attitude. She didn’t really see it that way. Maybe Zi and Renshu had rubbed off on her a bit too much, but it wasn’t a bad thing. “Well, I found some gold plating a while back, messing around in some old mines, and my friends in the colony helped me clean it up and make it into the hairpiece. It’s more sturdy than normal ones that heavy, better for fighting. It shouldn’t fall out the second you start moving.” She explained, having tested it out herself during some of her training. “The colonies really aren’t that bad. I’ve missed home, though.” It was much warmer here than it was in the colony, especially for March. “I got to see snow for the first time.”

“I might wear it sometime, you’ll never know.” Azula smiled, knowing the hairpiece would be added to her collection, some of which she had yet to wear. She groaned at the mention of the colonies and shook her head. “Not that bad? You were in a coal mining town, it probably reeked of ships all day. And snow, the cold in general? Count me out.” The furthest Azula had been was Ember Island, but if she were to become Fire Lord, she wouldn’t really have a need to travel anyways. It wasn’t of interest to her, at least at the current moment. “It’s gonna be a nice trip to Ember Island. I’ll talk to Lo and Li, enjoy a little getaway—” The princess let out another groan as a guard walked up to interrupt, watching the man bow. “What is it?”

“Sorry to bother you two, Princess Azula, Lady Sakiya.” The guard apologized. “But I’m afraid I need to cut this visit short, Lady Sakiya is being requested for an audience with Fire Lord Ozai, immediately.” There was no getting out of whatever it was, but the guard had been told it was to only be Sakiya, Azula would be going about her normal routine. “If you could follow me please, Lady Sakiya.”

“I, uh, okay? I’ll talk to you later, Azula!” Sakiya got to her feet and gave her friend a hug, grumbling a bit under her breath about guards ruining everything before straightening up her outfit and leading the way out of the gardens and towards the Fire Lord’s throne room. She knew better than to talk to members of the Royal Procession, the guards didn’t really have the time nor the desire to talk idly like those she had dealt with in the colonies for the past year. She thanked them quietly as they opened up the doors, slowly making her way inside to see her father… and a man who looked to be from the Navy who stood in the shadows she couldn’t quite see, with a smug look and a nasty aura. The dark-haired teen was quick to bow to the man, as well as to the Fire Lord as she stood next to her father. “Why am I here?” Sakiya questioned her father quietly, keeping her gaze straight ahead, her face emotionless. Every time she had been called to the throne room hadn’t been in her best interest, as the records had shown. “You’ll find out in a moment, cherry blossom.” Bao assured his daughter gently, looking towards the front as the Fire Lord began to speak.

“Lady Sakiya, thank you for joining us so promptly.” Ozai began as he came into their view, or at least mostly. “I trust you’ve had a nice visit. But you’re going to be setting sail again.” He started, watching for any reaction or sign of disrespect from the girl. “Being as you’re betrothed to my disgrace of a son, I believe it would benefit his search for the Avatar if you were there to assist him. Captain Zhao will be transporting you to meet their ship in a week’s time, so you’ll be leaving promptly.” Ozai had been discussing this with Bao since the moment Sakiya and Azula had left dinner, with Zhao joining in on the conversation once he had arrived. “You are by no means banished at this point in time, but you are to join the ship immediately, and you’ll be leaving the palace with the Captain, rather than your father.” Sakiya’s necessary belongings had already been moved to Zhao’s ship, meaning there was no way for the girl to stall. “If there are no further questions, you’re all dismissed to head to the docks.” Ozai finished, glancing towards the half blind teenage girl and her father, then to Zhao, nodding once before he left.

Sakiya should have known this would happen. She was betrothed to the banished prince, why wouldn’t she be joining him? But why not just pick her up from the colonies, or have her father drop her off? Why did it have to be this creepy old man, who wouldn’t stop gawking at her? Upon the Fire Lord’s dismissal, Sakiya let out a deep breath, running her hand over her face. “It’ll be alright, Sakiya.” Bao assured gently as he hugged his daughter, though his eyes were locked on Zhao. “We’ll trail behind you, Captain.” Bao’s ranking as a General still gave him some say, but he felt he needed to have some time with his daughter, since they wouldn’t have much more time. Zhao narrowed his eyes but obliged, leading the way out, though he looked back a few times to make sure the father and daughter were behind him. “You always say things will be alright, but I don’t really think that’s the case here.” Sakiya told her father as they walked, keeping her eyes on Zhao as he walked ahead. “I’m gonna be stuck on a ship with that creep for a week, then live on a ship until the impossible becomes possible.” She tended to lean towards optimism, but this situation wasn’t giving her many options. On the bright side, she would get to see Zuko and Iroh for the first time in well over a year.

“Things do look and sound rough, but I know you’ll find a way to make the best of it. You never let the bad in life get you down, somehow you always find a way to make it better.” Bao reminded his daughter with a gentle smile, sniggering at the mention of ‘that creep’. “I am not fond of Captain Zhao myself, blossom. Growing up, he and your mother were good friends, I kind of came into the picture and ruined their relationship.” He explained gently. “But, he will make sure you get to Zuko’s ship safely. And you can always send a message out on Kiwi, you’ll still be able to reach me.” Bao had made sure that his daughter’s messenger hawk was going to make the voyage, knowing it would ease her mind some. “You’ll be alright. If things don’t work out, I can see what I can do, at least get you back to the colony.”

“He dated Mother?” Sakiya repeated with a disgusted look, listening to her father’s advice as they neared the docks. “I’ll give it a chance… I didn’t like the colony for a long time, but I grew fond of it. Maybe the same will become of this situation.” She wasn’t optimistic, as she didn’t like being on ships for more than a week, let alone full-time. She had been looking forward to spending time in the Fire Nation, then going back to the colony she had grown to call her second home. “I’ll send Kiwi soon with a letter.” She promised her father as they reached the dock, hugging him tightly as she saw Zhao approach them. “I love you. Be careful.” She was released from his hold, turning to face the man who would be ensuring her safe voyage. “Thank you for agreeing to take me to meet Prince Zuko, Captain Zhao.” She told the man, deciding it was best to play it kind.

“The pleasure is all mine, Lady Sakiya.” Zhao told her with a slight smile, before nodding to Bao. “I’ll send you a messenger hawk when I get her to the Pohuai Stronghold.” He said simply, bowing to the general before turning his focus back to the teenage girl he had been entrusted with. “Let’s get you on the ship and make course, then.” He remarked as he led her onto the ship, only minutes later for the ship to leave the dock, preparing to take Sakiya off to yet another journey.

Chapter Text

While Sakiya had wanted to spend more time in the Fire Nation, the Fire Lord had different plans for her, and immediately sent her off to join Zuko in his quest for the infamous Avatar. Captain Zhao’s ship was full of shadows, with little light within the ship’s interior. All the lights were too dim, and she could hardly see anything to her right, making the large vessel hard to navigate. After a full day on the ship, all she knew how to get to from her temporary quarters was the main deck, the mess hall, and the bathroom.

Dinner the first night was… interesting, to say the least. There was a surprising amount of options, compared to her week’s voyage from her father’s colony to the Fire Nation. The table was strewn with different Fire Nation delicacies: roast duck with jook, extra-spicy fire noodles with komodo chicken, several soups, some plain noodles, and a large array of snacks and treats. “Captain Zhao, this is far too much food for everyone in a night.” Sakiya had commented, having very little on her plate, compared to the rest of the man’s crew. She had plated up small portions of some items, but others she had actively avoided. Sizzle-crisps were the worst, the taste of them was enough to make Sakiya gag. The extra-spicy fire noodles were what the teenager had loaded her plate with, but after a few bites, she had narrowed her eyes at her plate. “You said these were extra spicy?”

“Oh believe me, the men will go through most of this food before the end of the night.” Zhao assured the teenager, having stopped his conversation when she spoke up about her food. “I’ve heard you can handle a little bit of heat, I thought they’d suffice.” The man countered, before catching the gaze of his cook from across the table. “If they’re too spicy, I can always have the cook get some with less fire sauce for you.” He offered.

“Could I just have the fire sauce?” She questioned. “There’s no spice to them.” Sakiya lived for spicy foods, and while the sauce had some heat to it, it wasn’t nearly enough to be considered spicy, let alone extra. She heard a few disgruntled mutters from Zhao’s crew at her comment, shrugging her shoulders before smiling as the cook brought her a small bowl of the sauce. “Thank you, I’m sorry for the trouble.” She apologized to the man, who simply waved her off. She was silent for a while, her eyes focused on her food as she listened to the conversations flowing around her. One man’s wife was expecting a child, another was talking about his recent trip to Ember Island, one made comment on seeing Sakiya dancing in her short time back in the Fire Nation… they seemed just like normal men. Except for Zhao, who was seated to her right, completely silent. She didn’t have to be half-blind in order to know that he was staring at her the entire time she ate. It was why when she finally pushed her plate away, she wasn’t surprised when she heard the captain’s voice.

“Lady Sakiya, you’ve hardly touched any of the food. One of your father’s men said you were fond of any snack food.” Zhao commented, having noticed that the young teen hadn’t eaten much of anything at all, aside from the noodles. “There’s even sizzle-crisps and flaming fire flakes, I’ve heard they’re your favorites.” The naval officer wasn’t expecting to get a laugh out of Sakiya, furrowing his eyebrows as she spoke up.

“I’m not very hungry tonight, thank you, though. What I did eat was delicious. And I don’t know who told you that I liked either of those snacks, but they obviously don’t know what they’re talking about.” Sakiya pointed out, shaking her head some. “Prince Zuko absolutely adores sizzle-crisps, I can’t stand them. Fire flakes aren’t bad, but they certainly aren’t my favorite… I really have to want them to eat them.” She knew when she made her way to leave the mess hall, she’d likely grab a few cookies and some mochi in case she decided on a snack during the night. “Who told you that those were my favorites? You could have just asked me foods I like.” She commented.

“Ah, well I guess that you would have different tastes in foods than your mother did.” Zhao muttered under his breath, a bit quieter than he had spoke before. “I apologize for the assumption, I’ll have the cook speak with you tomorrow to see if there’s anything he can prepare for you that would be better suited.” Of course, Zhao got the absolute pleasure of transferring the spoiled child of his past love and the man that had stolen her from him. He should have known better than to assume she would like the same things Suravi had liked at that age. “If you’re done for the night, I could lead you back to your quarters.” He offered, assuming that although she had now been on the ship an entire day, she couldn’t navigate it.

“I’ll be alright, thank you.” Sakiya tried to shrug off the mention of her mother, knowing that it was information that she really shouldn’t know, and that she really wasn’t interested in the matter at this point. “Have a good night, everyone.” She excused herself, grabbing a small plate of cookies and different mochi before heading out of the mess hall and down the corridor towards her quarters. Just under six days, and she would be able to let her guard down and relax.

Sakiya felt a little more comfortable once she was in her quarters, having locked the door and moved a few items in front of it. It was something she tended to do on most ships, aside from her father's, in order to ensure at least a semblance of safety. If anyone tried to get in her room, she would hear the door hit everything in front of it. Kiwi was perched in his cage beside her bed, fast asleep, and Sakiya was definitely glad that she had been able to take him with her. The hawk brought at least some comfort to her, a constant when everything else around her had changed. "We'll be out of here soon." She mumbled under her breath as she got ready for bed. She decided on just a baggy pair of pants and a long sleeved shirt, curling up in the bed and at least attempting to get some rest.

The following evening had been just as bad, if not worst. Sakiya had gotten a chance to talk to the cook, and she ate a good dinner, but comments from Zhao had put her in a sour mood. From bad-mouthing her father to making comments of the teen's similarities to her mother, she was on edge. It seemed nothing her father had done was right to Zhao, from his expeditions to the Great Wall in Ba Sing Se to his successes in the colonies. What sent Sakiya over the edge, though, was when Zhao made a remark about Suravi having left Sakiya with Bao because she couldn't handle the child. She didn't excuse herself from dinner, instead heading out and to the main deck without saying a word.

'He wants a response. Don't give him one. It's exactly what he wants.' She thought to herself, taking a few deep breaths as she relished in the calm from the ocean. She was quickly jerked out of her thoughts, however, as she heard Zhao clear his throat from the entrance. "You have something else you'd like to say to me? Let me guess, I'm just like my mother when I get angry? Or is that another issue you have with my father?" She quipped, shaking her head. Having heard the man insult her father most of the evening with his crew, Sakiya had been wearing thin on patience, and her attitude was coming through pretty fierce. "If all you're going to do is insult my family, I don't want to hear it."

"Well, I certainly see the resemblance you share with both of your parents. That's not why I'm here, though." Zhao corrected with a small scoff, noticing the raven-haired girl wasn't turning to face him. His goal truly wasn't to upset her, but to get a rise from her in some manner. Maybe then he could see her infamous golden flames that it seemed everyone had seen but him. "Though you're far less impulsive than either of them. Suravi acted very strongly on her emotions, and your father can have quite the temper, impulsive tendencies are only to be expected."

"What is it you want from me exactly, Captain Zhao?" She finally turned to face him, having been sick of the snide comments and the comparison of her to her parents. "You want me to be impulsive? To act irrationally when people insult my family? There's a time and place to be impulsive, and it definitely isn't here." She snapped, bringing her hands up to mess with her hair, almost in effort to calm herself down. "If you want to fight a kid so badly, go ahead. Maybe it'll help that big brain of yours." She knew the man wouldn't fight her, he had no reason to challenge her to a fight, and she certainly wouldn't fight him while she was angry, if she could avoid it.

"Oh believe me, a fight with one of the best prodigies of your time sounds absolutely fascinating. But, as you said, there's a time and a place, but not here and today. Members of the crew were concerned when you stormed off, said I should come check-up on you." Zhao told Sakiya with a dark smirk. "Though, you may benefit from letting off some steam." He shrugged, turning to walk back inside the ship. "And Sakiya," the man paused, thinking over his choice of words. "If I wanted a fight, you would know. I'm not looking for a problem with you." He stated calmly before walking away, leaving Sakiya alone on the deck once more.

"Benefit from blowing off some steam? You're kidding." Sakiya mocked once she heard the door close again, pursing her lips as she walked towards the helm of the ship. It was slowly growing dark out, but it was still light enough to see their surroundings. People had gotten under her skin before, sure, but never like this. Even the worst people in the colony weren't as unruly as Zhao, and that was saying something. The teen was tense, staring out to sea for what felt like ages before she turned herself away, letting out a deep breath. Zhao wasn't worth her being upset, all the man wanted was a response, she couldn't give him exactly what he wanted. She wouldn't let him get to her, she just had to push her anger aside and focus on the calmness of the surroundings.

The obsidian-haired teen was able to calm herself down soon enough, straightening her posture as she looked around. Everybody had gone about their evenings, thankfully leaving her alone. She didn't necessarily need to fight someone, but she needed to work on her bending, to prove to herself that she wasn't still angry. She made sure nobody was close by before she started going through her firebending techniques. She wasn't doing anything strenuous or advanced, muscle memory guiding her through her basic forms. It wasn't about precision or hitting a target right now, this was all about her ability to breathe, and letting the fire move through her. Her flames were a normal shade of red and orange, much as she expected, as she was far from being in a peaceful state of mind. It seemed to help, though, because after going through her basics twice, she was calmer, deciding then to head back down below deck and towards her quarters.

The first thing Sakiya did on her fourth morning on the ship was head towards the mess hall for something quick to eat from the cook, explaining that she wouldn't be present at any meals during the day. He was about the kindest person on the ship, but she didn't explain her reasoning for the lack of presence. Three more days, maybe a little less, and she wouldn't have to deal with this ship anymore. While she knew traveling with Zuko in search of the Avatar wouldn't be easy, it had to be better than dealing with Zhao daily. For a man in charge of a ship, he certainly made his way around, seeming to do absolutely nothing but boss his men around and find something or someone to complain about.

A day of training would surely ease her spirits, or at least that's what she thought. It would get her mind off of things, give her something else to think about. Training had helped calm her down the night before when she had been upset, meaning that today she could train with a better attitude, even if she just ran through the motions. It sure beat staying in her room all day and night to avoid the captain of the ship, which had been her only other course of action. She pulled her shoulder-length hair back out of her face before making her way towards the top deck, straightening her bracers once she was outside. It was a perfect day for being outside: warm and sunny with a nice breeze, which already put Sakiya in a better mood as she walked towards the helm of the ship, passing many of Zhao’s crew as they also attempted to enjoy their day.

Once Sakiya had distanced herself from the crew enough she had lowered her posture, going through the basic firebending maneuvers she had just done the previous evening. Her movements were less erratic today, as the fire flowed through her freely. Her emotions were rooted, she wasn’t allowing any thoughts to intrude as she kept her focus. As she started to build herself up to more advanced techniques, Sakiya made sure to keep her eyes peeled for any nearby crew members in order to prevent any accidents. With each difficult stance and motion the teenager did, she felt herself becoming more and more relaxed… which was a strange concept. Exhaustion worked wonders on stress, she supposed. She had paused momentarily to answer a few questions from the crew, though she didn’t look directly towards anyone, keeping her focus on the horizon.

Several hours had passed before Sakiya finally decided to call it quits on her training session, taking a few deep breaths as she relaxed some. The cook had been kind enough to bring some water up for her a while back, and she finally took the chance to drink some of the liquid. It was well after mid-day at least, she thought. Maybe she would send another message out to Zuko, once she got herself cleaned up. That way the prince would be made aware of her arrival to his ship, if he didn’t know yet… she presumed Iroh would have kept that information to himself. Sakiya gathered the few items she had come above deck with as she headed back down below, heading immediately towards the mess hall. She made small talk with the cook for a few minutes as she got something to eat, mostly just with the few questions she had thought of while she was training. If they arrived at the stronghold early, what would they do in the meantime? Since she was joining the banished prince, was she on the brink of banishment herself, should she not help capture the Avatar? The man didn’t have any true answers for her, though he did express his opinions on the matter.

A quick bath to rid Sakiya of sweat and stink was exactly what she needed after her long training session, having redressed herself in the halter top and pants that Chyou had made her before heading back towards her room. Avoiding Zhao had worked great, her aura was clear again, not being weighed down by the dingy, nasty aura that rolled off of the man. That was, until she opened the door to her quarters, finding the man standing in the room, rummaging through the personal belongings that she had chosen to board the ship with. “Captain Zhao!” She shouted, prompting the man to whirl around. “Why are you in here?” She hissed, narrowing her eyes as she quickly made her way over towards the man and grabbing her things, tossing them onto her bed. There weren’t many things… it was items she felt she would need in the week’s voyage, and everything else she was sent with was locked up and would be placed onto Zuko’s ship.

“Ah, Lady Sakiya, I take it you enjoyed your bath after a long day of training?” Zhao questioned, ignoring her question as he watched her go through her things. “You need not worry, I haven’t taken any of your belongings. Though, you do have some very… peculiar things. Earth Kingdom clothing, for one. I have received word on my ship of a possible problem, within our last two trips to port. So, I’ve been checking all quarters, belongings included.” He reasoned, stepping back towards her door and making sure it was closed, not wanting his men to catch in on his lie. “I do believe all of your belongings passed inspection. No signs of a threat.” He assured, clearing his throat. “Your trainers at the Royal Academy seem to have done a great job. Coming from a master, your form is impeccable, and you have an excellent mastery for such a young age.” Truly, she was a prodigy, there was no doubting that in Zhao’s mind. If the girl wasn’t against conflict, she would put up a good fight against even most firebending masters.

“I don’t care if you feel there was an issue with anything I had in here, this is my space for another three days!” Sakiya snapped, her eyes locked on the man as he stood in front of her door. “If you needed to search for anything in my room, you should have asked me, or at least waited until I was present!” It was odd, how he seemed so calm over having invaded a guest’s space and acted as if nothing had ever happened. She let out a scoff when the captain mentioned that she had been trained well and shook her head. “I’ve been away from the Academy for… maybe two years? There was nothing more for me to learn, I had no desire to attend. I partook in private lessons from that point forward. Those lessons helped me more than my instructors there ever did.” She corrected, before realizing that their conversation meant that Zhao had watched her as she trained. It was his ship, she understood there would be a chance he would see, but it seemed to her that he had been intently watching, if he was able to make note of her form and her movements. “I don’t appreciate being watched so closely, Captain.” She informed him, knowing that a critique was surely coming after his comments from the night previous. “And I would suggest you leave my quarters. Immediately.”

“And if I don’t?” Zhao challenged, raising an eyebrow as Sakiya tried to order him out of her quarters. “I think you’ve forgotten who’s ship you’re on, you have no jurisdiction here. This is my ship, and I do as I please.” He reminded as he folded his arms over his chest. “I would have expected you liked the attention of being watched, why, you’re a dancer, are you not? Those women adore being watched, it’s a part of the lifestyle.” He commented, having heard his men talk about the golden flames the girl produced during the dancing she so willingly partook in. “Your fire doesn’t have a consistency in color or size, however. You’re unsure of your own strength and power. I’ve heard the talk around the whole Fire Nation, the picture-perfect prodigy with golden flames that rival the Princess’ blue ones. Though, few have ever seen your flames of legend.”

“I don’t care who’s ship this is!” Sakiya argued, pointing to the door behind Zhao. “I may be a dancer, but that does not mean I want somebody watching my every movement, especially not in my own space!” She reiterated, before letting out an irritated groan when the man mentioned the color and strength of her flames. So that’s what this was about, her golden flames. “Thank you so much for your observations, not that I asked for them. The color of my flames has nothing to do with the strength of them. Now, I would appreciate it greatly if you left my room and didn’t associate with me for the remainder of my time on your ship.” She knew he would make a comment if she tried to boss him around again, so she played it a bit safer. Eventually, the bozo left Sakiya alone, the teenage girl immediately shoving things in front of her door, in an effort to prevent anybody from entering the room for the remainder of the night.

Normally, a weeks voyage was nothing to Sakiya: it took a week to go from the colony to the Fire Nation, and vice versa. Their destination was even closer than her home for the last year, meaning that as long as conditions remained fair, Zhao’s ship would dock at the Pohuai Stronghold within the next day or so. Sakiya’s mind was set, even if Zuko wasn’t there yet, she was not going to remain on the ship, regardless on if it would be allowed or not. Zhao was beyond a creep, in her opinion, and her goal for the next day was to avoid him, yet again. Though, her day started rough compared to her plans, as she ran straight into the man as she made her way towards the mess hall. “Watch where you’re going.” She hissed, before realizing who she had bumped into.

“I could tell you the same thing.” Zhao remarked, shaking his head. She had been the one to walk into him, though she looked like she was watching where she was going, as he walked directly to her left, on the opposite side of the hall. “We should be arriving to drop you off with the banished prince sometime tomorrow.” He informed her simply before walking away. After the incident the night previous, the last thing Zhao needed was for Sakiya to cause a scene in front of the crew. His authority should not be questioned, much less questioned by a young girl. Though, every time he looked at Sakiya, Zhao felt memories of his own youth bubbling up inside of him. Memories of himself and her mother, Suravi, growing up together. It wasn’t important, in his opinion, as Suravi was gone and what had happened was in the past, nothing could change it. Though, that didn’t quell his hatred of Bao, or his sudden interest in Sakiya, who had many similarities to her deceased mother, both in looks and actions.

Sakiya hadn’t seen Zhao, but she also hadn’t really been paying attention to anybody ahead of her. He was to her left, and aside from the occasional torch, it was dark in the hall. It was hard for her to see people if there was no light to help her distinguish a shadow. She let out a sigh of relief as the captain walked away after a surprisingly brief conversation, continuing her trek to the mess hall to grab an early lunch before she would go about her training for the day. Sakiya knew that once Zhao dropped her off with Zuko and Iroh, she’d likely never see him again, and she couldn’t wait to never see the man and his nasty personality ever again. She ventured back to her room long enough to set some fruit next to her bed as a snack later in the day, before heading above deck to practice for the day.

Training for today, she made note to face the bridge of the ship. If Sakiya was going to be watched, she might as well face her ‘audience’. She didn’t go through basic motions today, instead working on advanced techniques right from the get go. She started with a simple ring of fire, relaxing some once the orange ring appeared around her small frame. With each deep, calm breath, Sakiya watched as her fire seemed to move in sync with her, pulsing slowly as she kept her focus on using the same amount of power with each move. Once the ring of fire dissipated, she formed two fire whips in her hands, sending quick hits as she moved gracefully around the deck of the ship. For her, bending was an art, more than a weapon. Sure, she could always use her fire to protect herself, but it was so much more than that. Sakiya remembered hearing once from Iroh that fire was alive, and that had stuck with her, because she had realized early on that it was the truth. In one motion, a controlled fire could hurt someone, even herself, meaning she always had to keep some semblance of control if she were to use her flames, otherwise the flames would grow out of control. As she went through more and more techniques, she grew calmer, and was able to comfortably add more power to her fire, finishing off her training session with a long series of punches, blasts, kicks, and spins, an occasional gold spark appearing, but otherwise a normal colored flame. ‘What a pity, no show for the poor Captain. That’s what he gets for watching again.’ Sakiya thought smugly, having caught a glimpse of Zhao on the bridge, staring directly down towards her as she made her way back below ship to clean up.

“You had a lot more power today. A great show, your skills must rival Princess Azula’s pretty well.” Zhao told Sakiya as he found her heading towards her room after yet another bath. “Though, instructors at the Academy can only do so much. Learning from a true master will help you master the art yourself.” He indirectly offered his services, though he knew it would be turned down, especially with the look of irritation and annoyance on the teen’s face. “It was just an offer, and it will stand for the time being, should you ever change your mind.” He told her reasonably, leaving the fuming firebender behind as he made his way to his office. He hadn’t expected Sakiya to follow him, closing his office door before there was a loud knock almost immediately after. “Ah, Lady Sakiya, what a surprise! What can I do for you? Already rethinking my offer? I can always send word to the prince that you won’t be joining on his fruitless search for the Avatar.”

“Quite the opposite.” Sakiya snapped at the man’s assumption, closing his office door as she slipped inside, though she lingered at the door. “I came to ask you what the world your problem is with me! You’ve acted nothing but strange since the moment I was put in your trusted care to be transported to Zuko and Iroh!” She began, folding her arms over her chest before continuing. “You’ve compared me to my mother and my father countless times in the last few days. Nothing I have done has seemed to be right. I am not my father, nor am I my mother. I may be good friends with Princess Azula, but that does not mean I am just like her. You don’t know me, nor do you know my life, or my friends and family. So stop acting as if you have any right to have an opinion!” Everything came rushing out of Sakiya’s mouth. She hadn’t been compared to her family most of her life; Suravi was a forbidden subject within the nobility in the Fire Nation. All Sakiya knew was that when she was… two, maybe younger, her mother had passed away of some sudden illness. Nothing further had ever been explained to her, and after years of asking, she had gotten tired of not receiving an answer. “My father mentioned that you and my mother were good friends in the past, I couldn’t care less about that. Friends of my mother have little standing with me.”

Zhao was perplexed for a moment, at how suddenly Sakiya’s attitude had seemed to change with a moment’s notice. Once again, a similarity he recognized from her parents. Though, that was the problem Sakiya was pointing out. “You are awfully brave all of a sudden.” He commented with a sickening smirk, shaking his head as he took a seat at his desk, keeping his eyes locked on the teenager as he allowed her to vent. “I am truly sorry I’ve made you feel unwelcome here, Sakiya.” He gave the backhanded apology to see truly how naive she was, and was surprised with just how quickly she let her guard down and seemed to relax. “I don’t mean any harm. Your father is right, I was a very good friend of your mother’s, before he was in the picture. There is some animosity, yes, and I apologize for having taken it out on you. Why don’t you have a seat, and I can explain things to you better? Allow you to have a glimpse of why I may compare you to your mother?” He offered, gesturing to the seat cross from his desk. “Very good, you see? You can trust me. I mean no harm.” He reassured, sitting up some. “Now, where do I begin?” He questioned, thinking of where to start telling Sakiya about his time with her mother.

“Your mother came from a very well-known noble family, a whole lineage of strong firebenders. Naturally, she was a gifted bender, top of the class.” Zhao began, relaxing into his chair as he fell into telling his story, immersing Sakiya into things he remembered and saw in his mind. Suravi had been a beautiful young woman, with long, straight black hair and amber eyes with hints of pink in the irises. She seemed to tower over most other people their age, and she was a force to be reckoned with. If Suravi had been more of a hot-head, she would have been a fantastic warrior, but that was the downside for her: fire was a gift, fire wasn’t something that should have been used for harm. Suravi was a skilled fighter, yes, but she much preferred to avoid a fight with fire. Zhao and Suravi had both trained under the great Admiral Jeong Jeong, where Zhao learned the greatness of their power and Suravi had learned of the dangers that came with fire. Suravi had become cautious with her fire, displaying strong self-control and discipline, unlike Zhao.

To say Zhao had been in madly love with Suravi would have been an understatement; they were great friends in their youth, and even into their adulthood. They had indulged in a brief relationship during their time with Jeong Jeong, and while things had ended, they were on mutual terms, and their friendship had seemed to grow even stronger. Zhao had focused on his military career, and Suravi had chosen to stay in the city and take on some noble responsibilities within her household, but the two had stayed in close correspondence over the years. Whenever Zhao would have returned from a voyage, Suravi’s was the first place that he would go to, and once he felt he was able to, he had even proposed. He hadn’t actually expected her to agree, as it was some childish agreement they had growing up, getting married if they were both still unwed by a certain age. What Zhao hadn’t planned to happen was for the Fire Nation Prince and his friends to get in the way of his picture-perfect ending.

As it turned out, Suravi had become a popular young woman within the nobility of the Fire Nation in Zhao’s absence, having earned the friendship of Prince Ozai and his circle of friends. Now whenever Zhao was around, it seemed the prince and everyone associated with him was there. There was a young soldier, supposedly the prince’s best friend, and the occasional girl, but normally just the pair of young men. Zhao hated it, but Suravi was set to be his wife, and they were to marry after he would return from serving in the Earth Kingdom. He frequently would receive letters from his dear fiance, and on occasion would find the time to send one back. She was one of the only people to hear of his trip to the Si Wong Desert, where he had discovered a hidden underground library, full of knowledge of all the nations, providing him with information to help the Fire Nation win the war. Upon his return, though, he was met with the news of his engagement being broken off, and the woman of his dreams had been betrothed to the prince’s best friend. Zhao had later found out that Prince Ozai had pulled some strings with the Fire Lord in order to help his friend get the girl of his dreams. The low-life non-bender had weaseled his way into their lives, and now Zhao was the one being pushed away. Bao was a formidable man, towering over most with his beefy and lanky physique, but he had a kind nature that Zhao had lacked in himself. His friendship with Suravi had quickly been expunged, leaving him truly alone for one of the first times in his life. It had turned Zhao into a bitter man very quickly, having grown desperate to prove himself as worthy, if not for Suravi’s love, than to simply prove to anybody that he was a better military man than Bao. He watched from a distance as Bao and Suravi created a perfect life together, watching their marriage alongside the marriage of Prince Ozai and his bride, Ursa. That was supposed to be him, standing alongside Suravi, creating a family with the love of his life. For years following his ex-fiance’s marriage, Zhao had tried to convince her time and time again that he had changed, that she deserved more than a non-bender. And after a few years of marriage, it was soon announced that Suravi and Bao were expecting their first child in just a few short months, causing the last straw to break for Zhao, which prompted a confrontation between the two men.

Zhao had burst into Suravi and Bao’s home unannounced that same evening, fuming with rage as he stormed inside. “Colonel Bao!” The firebender boomed, looking around for where the man would be hiding from him. His vision was white with rage when the man appeared from the back part of the home, narrowing his gaze. “I’ve had enough! You’ve taken everything and anything that should have been mine.” He hissed, forming a large ball of fire in his hand. “Why don’t we step outside so you can feel what it’s like to lose something?” He threatened, his voice carrying throughout the home. When Bao denied a fight, stating that it was not the proper time and there was no reason, Zhao grew even more enraged. “I said step outside, Colonel.” Zhao repeated, heading towards the backyard after Bao.

Zhao had not anticipated the non-bender putting up such a strong fight against him, once they actually began to fight. Zhao could hardly get a flame to hit Bao, let alone do damage, yet Bao had managed to get out of precarious situations in order to land hits at such a close distance. When Zhao landed on his back yet again, he let out a ravenous yell, struggling back to his feet, about to throw another blast before he heard a sudden voice from a distance. “That will be enough of that!” Zhao had heard Suravi shout, both men whipping around to see the pregnant firebender. “Zhao, how dare you barge into our home?! You know you are no longer welcome here. If you have an issue with my husband, you have an issue with me. Get out or I will take action.” Zhao had known Suravi for long enough, if she was angry, a threat was more of a promise, and when he saw her face, he knew it was best for him to leave.

Two years later, Suravi suddenly disappeared, seemingly without a trace. It was publicized days later that she had died giving birth to her and Bao’s second child, who also passed. Zhao had been promoted to captain of his own ship by that point, receiving the news several weeks later. So years later, to see the only child of his ex-lover, it was bittersweet, truly. Sakiya looked almost identical to her mother, though she was much shorter, having not gotten a growth spurt to match the height of her parents quite yet.

As Zhao seemed to reach a conclusion to the story of his youth, Sakiya sat up a bit straighter, her discomfort evident. It brought a bit of light to why Zhao hated her father so much, but it didn’t justify how he had treated her during her stay. “I’m sorry that you had to go through… all of that. But, it by no means gives you any right to act in the manner you do. I am not my parents, you have no right to be mad with me for the way you were treated by them.” The teenager had no room to talk, she had barged into the man’s office madder than a scorpion bee. The man was an absolute creep, and the fact that she was the ‘spitting image’ of her mother didn’t help her case any, the way he looked at her was sickening. Maybe finding out the story of what had gone down between him and her parents wasn’t the best idea, as Zhao seemed to be almost disoriented, in a deep state of… hatred, or maybe even a dream-like state? “Captain Zhao, are you alright?” She questioned, watching the man stand up.

“Oh, don’t you worry, Sakiya, I’m more than alright.” Zhao assured with a wicked smirk, having come up with a perfect solution to his problem. “Though, you’re looking quite tired, how about I guide you back to your room? I must have bored you to sleep with that story, and it’s awfully late.” The captain would retire to his own quarters as well, having spent enough time in his office, even before Sakiya had barged in. He nodded when Sakiya hesitantly agreed to be guided to her room, allowing her to exit his office first, trailing behind as they walked down the corridor in silence, before Zhao cleared his throat. “I do hope you enjoy one of your last nights on my ship, please don’t hesitant to ask me or my men for anything you could need.” He offered as they arrived at her door, watching how she turned to her right to face him as they spoke at her door.

“Thank you, I appreciate the offer.” Sakiya shook her head some at the mention of asking him or his men for anything she needed, before realizing that she couldn’t hold the same animosity as her parents towards him. “Actually, would you mind fetching a cup of tea for me? Your cook… Johann, was that his name? He normally expects me about this time and he’ll clean up while we drink some tea.” She explained, knowing that would give her a few minutes before he would return. She nodded as the man agreed, closing her door as she slid inside. He had gone from a hateful man, to a creepy one, all the way to hateful again… and now he seemed normal, which was still passing off as creepy to her. But, she didn’t see any problems arising for just getting some tea, she thought it would all be fine. About five minutes had passed before Sakiya had heard a knock on her door again, waiting for a moment to see if the man would enter before she spoke. “You’re alright to come in, Captain Zhao.” She had already snuffed out two of the four torches in her room, providing her with enough light to see some shadows, but it was far less light than she would have during the day.

“Johann wishes you a good night, and I believe he said this was jasmine tea.” Zhao informed Sakiya as he stepped into her room, looking around before setting the cup beside he beside table, jerking his head back when he heard a shrill squawk in his ear. “Ah, I forgot about your hawk.” He grumbled, shaking his head. “Is there anything else you could need for the night? I can always turn out the last of your lights for you.” He offered, before nodding as Sakiya turned down the offer. “Alright, have a good night.” He told her, heading out of her room, though he didn’t go very far. He heard Sakiya shuffling things around her room, likely in front of the door, as he had noticed every night prior on the ship. He waited about two hours before returning to the corridor her room was in, opening the door slowly. There was pressure, and the captain was surprised that she could move that many items in front of the door in the first place, before hearing a glass shatter, followed by the dreaded bird’s screeching. So much for getting into her room unnoticed, there was no reason hiding now, he had to think of a lie, and quick.

Sakiya hadn’t been asleep long before she was woken up to the sound of Kiwi screeching, letting out a loud groan as she quickly sat up, rubbing her hands over her face before forming a flame in her hand to see what the bird was going crazy about. “Captain Zhao?!” She asked groggily, shifting to get out of the bed. “What’s the meaning for all of this?” She asked, eventually getting Kiwi to quiet down at least slightly.

“We’ve had a run-in with some water-benders, the men are above deck. Somebody needed to make sure that you were safe.” Zhao rushed to explain, though he figured the girl would see right through him, and he was correct, as she let out another groan. “I’m only here for your safety, now get over here.” He ordered, watching the girl hesitate for a minute before heading over. Maybe the girl being half asleep worked out better in his favor, as she was a bit disoriented. “Now, I’m going to lead us to my room, you’ll be safer there, it’s further below deck.” When Sakiya disagreed, however, the man turned to face her. “I was trying to make this easier for you!” He growled, grabbing the girl’s wrist, extinguishing her flame as his other hand went to her neck, applying a gentle pressure when the girl started to shout for help. “Quiet! Nobody is going to hear you, little one.” His voice dripped with malice, adding a bit more pressure to his hand as she eventually quieted down. “Now, let me explain to you how this is going to work, I’m going to do whatever it is I please, and there’s nothing you’re going to do to stop it.” It was far from an explanation, rather an order of things that were to happen. And when Sakiya started to struggle in his grasp, he tightened his grip once more, until he felt the teenager stop struggling and go quiet.

Zuko was livid when his ship arrived at the Pohuai Stronghold with no signs of Zhao’s ship. “Uncle!” He shouted, whirling around on his heel. “Where are they? I thought you said they were to meet us here?” He questioned. “We need to head to the Southern Air Temple as soon as possible to continue searching for the Avatar! We don’t have time to be doing nothing waiting on another crew member we don’t need.” Zuko wanted nothing more than to go home, and every day that they had to alter their course or stop for any and every reason, it was one more day that he wasn’t home. He had to restore his honor and get his life back, there was no other choice for him, he wouldn’t live the rest of his life as the banished prince.

“Calm down, Prince Zuko.” Iroh chided as he moved to stand by his nephew’s side. “Lieutenant Jee was able to get us here a bit early, Zhao’s ship will likely come to port in the morning or early afternoon tomorrow. For now, we need to go to the shops and restock on supplies. Your men are tired, and they deserve to have an evening to relax.” He reasoned, having watched the men head off of the ship to explore some of the shops. “I would suggest you do the same, tomorrow will be a long day, and we will begin our trip to the Southern Air Temple, just as you have wanted.” He reasoned. They had already had no luck at the Western Air Temple, and the Northern Air Temple had been re-inhabited by refugees, there was nothing they could possibly find that would help in their search of the Avatar. “I do believe that a new crew member will benefit you greatly, Prince Zuko. It will provide you with a fresh set of eyes, ones that may offer you some great insight. Now, let’s head onto the shore, perhaps we can get a nice, hot meal here. And some more teas!” He offered.

Sakiya awoke several hours later with a hoarse groan, blinking groggily as she tried to remember what exactly had happened. She remembered being woken up by Kiwi and finding Zhao in her room again… but after that, there wasn’t anything she really remembered. She was careful to get to her feet, letting out a small groan as she stretched her body, though the noise was replaced with a soft gasp of pain. She hurt everywhere. She didn’t think she had slept that badly, maybe it was just some growing pains, surely, nothing more, nothing less. Though, as she woke up more, she started to piece things together. She was not in the clothes she thought she had gone to bed in, and she definitely hadn’t left Kiwi out of his cage. Wait, Kiwi was out of his cage? The teen turned to where his cage was, finding it broken on the ground, open. Okay, not good, Sakiya thought to herself. Something had happened that night, and it hadn’t been good. As she moved slowly around her room, the pains became more evident. Her body ached, her neck and throat hurt, her head was pounding… maybe she had gotten into a fight? She hadn’t remembered any fight, especially late at night.

Sakiya determined it was daytime before ever leaving her room, slowly getting dressed in a pair of loose black pants, with a short-sleeved black shirt. She took a deep breath as she put her necklace on as she looked in the mirror, a puzzled look overcoming her face as she noticed bruising around her neck. How in the world would she possibly explain that? What would she say? Okay, breathe Sakiya, it’s fine! You’ll come up with something, surely. She could just stay in her room until the ship was docked, and by then maybe she’d have a better memory of what had happened. She carefully settled her necklace around her neck, brushing out her hair and hoping that the black, shoulder length locks would hide what her necklace could not.

It seemed to be ages before Zhao’s ship pulled into port beside Zuko’s much smaller vessel, the banished prince letting out an over-exaggerated groan. “Finally! Uncle, I’ll go with you to greet my new crew member, speed things up and get us out of here as soon as possible!” He ordered, noticing Zhao on the deck of the ship, but no signs of any potential crew member of his.

“I don’t believe that is necessary, Prince Zuko.” Iroh reasoned with the impatient teen, looking towards the lieutenant of their own ship. “I will handle getting our new crew member from his ship to our own, and some of your men will be coming with me to make sure their belongings are placed properly on the ship.” He wasn’t going to let Zuko go with him, knowing that Sakiya and Zuko hadn’t seen each other in almost two years. Their reunion did not need to be in the presence of Zhao. “Now, we’ll be returning within the hour, and we will be ready to set course to the Southern Air Temple.” Iroh assured before he made his way off of Zuko’s ship, stroking his beard as he mosied his way over to Zhao’s much larger naval ship. “Ah, Captain Zhao! I trust that it was an easy voyage, and that Lady Sakiya provided you little trouble.” He boomed with a grin, looking around the deck for the teenage girl. “Ah, well, where is Lady Sakiya? Surely she’d be rushing to get off of this ship.”

“General Iroh, great to see you again.” Zhao greeted with a phony grin, nodding his head. “She didn’t provide any trouble at all, really. I believe she was still below deck in her quarters. We had an unfortunate run-in with some pirates yesterday evening, she hasn’t been quite the same since.” Zhao shot his men a look when one tried to speak up, knowing that he had to cover any and all of his tracks. “I can lead you down to her quarters, I’m sure she would benefit from seeing a familiar face.” He reasoned, beginning to lead the general below the deck of his ship. When they approached Sakiya’s room, Zhao knocked on the door twice, about to knock a third time before the door was swung wide open. “Ah! Lady Sakiya, glad to know you’re finally awake. Johann missed you at breakfast, he’s waiting above deck to bid you farewell.” He explained, noticing the teenage girl’s blank stare, hoping all his cover work wasn’t for nothing.

Sakiya had felt when the ship stopped moving, having gathered up all of her things and prepared to rush out of there as soon as possible, but with as few people seeing her as she could manage. When she heard the firm knocks on the door, she was whisked away to the night before, her face paling as she opened the door to see Zhao. “Good morning, Captain Zhao.” She greeted hesitantly, turning her head back into her room as Kiwi started to squawk obnoxiously, muttering a soft apology before turning back and seeing Iroh standing behind the captain. “Iroh!” She shouted with a sudden smile, shoving past Zhao in order to receive a big hug from the pot-bellied man.

Iroh had grown concerned, seeing how Sakiya had opened the door. She normally looked so full of life, bouncing around the room and lighting up any dark space. But today, her spirit seemed dull, as if something had tarnished the very existence of her spirit. She seemed to react poorly to the captain, causing Iroh to lock away a question in his mind for later on. “Lady Sakiya!” He greeted, cautiously hugging the young girl as her arms wrapped around him. “It has been far too long, little blossom. You have grown so much since I saw you last.” He reminisced, before noticing that Zhao was silent now that Sakiya was out of her room. “Captain Zhao, would you mind holding the door for some of the men as they grab Sakiya’s things? I believe she needs to get out of this horribly dark place. Prince Zuko and I thank you greatly for transporting her safely.” Iroh thanked the man, before walking to Sakiya’s left as they made their way above deck. “I trust you’ve been well, Sakiya. I cannot believe it has been nearly two years since I last saw you. Prince Zuko will be so excited to see you.” Okay, maybe excited wouldn’t be the word for it, but it was surely going to get a response from the distraught teenage boy.

Sakiya didn’t say much in Zhao’s presence, nodding her head when Iroh suggested getting her off of the ship, quickly moving to head down the hall. “It’s been a long time. I trust you and Prince Zuko have been doing well.” She reasoned, clearing her throat some as she let out a soft sigh. She shrugged some at the mention of Zuko being excited to see her, figuring that he hadn’t known she was joining him in the first place. As they came to the top deck of the ship, Sakiya looked around, saying a quick goodbye to Zhao’s crew before she trailed beside Iroh, slowly walking off the ship, and onto Zuko’s.

Zuko was fully expecting another crew member, but when he saw his uncle leaving Zhao’s ship with a girl, he let out a loud groan. Great, he thought. Yet another reason they would have to stop at every port they saw. “Uncle Iroh! You said we would be leaving thirty minutes ago! Time is of the-” Zuko stopped dead in his tracks when he realized exactly who it was that Iroh was walking with, having not realized it until they started to walk up the ramp and onto the ship. “Sakiya?! What are you doing here?! And where is my new crew member!” He shouted, quickly turning so the teenage girl couldn’t see the scar along the left side of his face, or at least couldn’t see it as well.

“Prince Zuko!” Iroh scolded, stepping away from Sakiya once they were on board the ship. “That is no way to great your new crew member!” He shook his head, before realizing that Zuko had probably set himself up for yet another adult, not a child, and surely not Sakiya. “Lady Sakiya here is our new crew member, she’s going to provide us with some great insight on the Earth Kingdom, and maybe she even could help us track down the Avatar!” He told the teenager hopefully, before seeing the steam rising off of his head. “Ah, I believe it would be best we give Prince Zuko some time to process everything. In the meantime, why don’t I show you your quarters? I’m going to be giving you my room, so that you have your own private space.” Iroh turned to Sakiya, motioning her forward as she trailed sluggishly behind him. “I can also show you around the ship, and by the time we’re done, perhaps Prince Zuko will be ready for conversing.”

“Well hello to you too, Zuko.” Sakiya told him with a furrowed eyebrow, before looking at Iroh as he spoke, relaxing a bit as she recognized that she was truly safe here. “Of course, lead the way, Iroh. And you did not need to give up your room for me, really.” She didn’t need much space, just somewhere to sleep and somewhere to get away from everybody. As Sakiya was shown around the ship, she grew weaker and more tired, letting out a small hum of understanding as Iroh ran in circles around her, explaining anything and everything on the ship. Though, the longer Iroh droned on, the more lethargic Sakiya became. “It all sounds great, Iroh. How about we head above deck, sit down with Prince Zuko for some tea? Today has been a lot for me, I believe I’ll go to bed quite early.” She reasoned tiredly, glad to hear the man agree before he waddled off towards the ship’s mess hall, leaving Sakiya alone for a few minutes to collect her thoughts as she walked above deck. She saw Zuko pacing the helm of the ship, shaking her head some as she took a seat, watching him for a few minutes as she let her exhaustion from her trip settle in. “Prince Zuko!” She shouted after deciding she was done watching. “Care to join your uncle and I for some tea? Perhaps you could tell me where we’re heading next in your search for the Avatar? Any leads you’ve had?” She questioned, almost glad to see the teenager walk over to her with little hesitation now, sitting down directly across from her.