1. Prologue

**WELCOME TO EXISTENCE**

**Disclaimer:** This story will follow the main storyline of the show, but I will try to make it a little more original and spice things up a little here and there. Characters and dialogues that you recognize from the show belong to their rightful owners, but the Shou character is mine.

THIS HAS BEEN RE-WRITTEN.

You see, when I finished watching the show, my muse jumped on me and forced me to write this story. It was choppy and bad in some places, so I decided to take some time, control the excitement and sit down to work with a clear head.

Without further ado, please enjoy the story!

* * *

Prologue

"You are the next Avatar, Aang."

Even though he knew, deep inside he knew, Aang could still not believe it being said out loud like that. It wasn't only deep in his heart now, it wasn't just a hazy feeling somewhere in the back of his head. Someone had said it out loud, making it more… final. A fact. He _was_ the Avatar. And it wasn't just anybody who'd said it – it was monk Gyatso, his guardian, mentor and best friend in the whole world. Which, for some reason, made it worse.

"Normally, we would have told you of your identity when you turned sixteen." Gyatso let out a small sigh, "But there are troubling signs… Storm clouds are gathering."

"I fear the war might be upon us, young Avatar." The monk sitting in the center said gravely.

"We need you, Aang." Gyatso added, not making the boy's sudden baggage of his title any less easier to deal with. The monk noticed Aang's crushed expression and a worried frown appeared on his old, wise face. "Perhaps we should go and summon the Shou now," he addressed the other monks.

They turned to look at him with wide eyes and alarm. "Gyatso," the one on the left started, "Do you think it wise?"

"There is a natural order to things like that!" another protested.

Aang raised his head to look at his old friend with curiosity. He had never heard the term 'Shou' before.

"He knows his role now, and it is our duty to give him as much help and guidance as we can. The Shou is just that." Gyatso explained calmly. "With the dark clouds almost over our heads, I think we should summon it as soon as possible."

"Perhaps you're right…" another elder muttered, "But it is early. Too early."

"Maybe, but it's better than too late."

* * *

"Gyatso?" Aang looked up at the man as he followed him down a steep, spiral staircase. Every boy growing up in the temple knew that the area was out of bounds for everyone except the elder monks, and even they did not enter it too often, as far as Aang could recall. "What is a… shoe?"

"Shou," the old monk corrected gently. "I'm afraid I cannot offer a good explanation, but I will try. A Shou is the Avatar's right hand. It is a Spirit bound to the Human World by a connection with the Avatar. It is a protector of the Avatar line, a guide in the Spirit World and a source of power. Usually, the Avatar summons it upon turning sixteen, but…" he looked down in worry, "I hope it will come today."

"What if it doesn't?" Aang asked, feeling suddenly nervous.

"It should. It is your guardian, after all."

"But… How do I summon it? I have no idea what to – " the boy was so busy looking up at the monk's face that he nearly walked into heavy looking door that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"This is as far as I can go." Gyatso said, putting his hands in his sleeves. "You need to complete this journey alone, Aang."

"What? But what do I have to do?" Aang gulped, looking at the dark door. "Do I… say anything?"

"Just go in." The old monk grabbed the metal circle and pulled the door open. "Don't worry, Aang. You will know what to do."

It was dark inside, too dark to see farther than a few feet. Aang didn't feel to comfortable by the sight, but with one more look at his friend's kind, reassuring face, he managed a shaky smile and slowly walked inside. The door closed behind him on its' own, but he didn't see that. Nor did he catch the worry and unease on the monk's face that immediately appeared once he had his back to him.

"It's so creepy…" Aang said to himself to make the emptiness of the room less scary, and immediately after he said the words, the room lit up slightly. He could see the stone floor and walls, and a weak flicker of light on the far end wall in front of him. Feeling intrigued and scared at the same time, Aang took a few steps towards it. The closer he got, the brighter the light became and soon he reached the wall.

At first sight it looked like a painting. A beautiful, highly realistic painting featuring a forested island in the middle of an ocean, with rocky mountains looming in the distance. There was a small clearing visible between the trees, a small camp fire in the middle. Aang gazed at the painting in wonder, taking in the live colors and realistic shapes. He stared, unblinking, when the colors shifted, the small fire growing to engulf the forest around it, the ocean darkening, high waves appearing, the mountains in the back cracking in half. The whole picture was shaking, but Aang could not look away. He didn't even blink when the whole room wavered around him, everything else but him and the painting blurring away. He didn't react when the echo of a whisper sounded in his ears and grew louder and louder and louder, until his whole body was filled with the mighty sound.

The colors melted off the picture, the sound died short and Aang was facing the frame, the picture gone, replaced by a smooth surface of a mirror. His wide eyes stared back at him. The Airbender blinked a couple times and let out a long sigh. Just as his heart started calming down, his reflection disappeared.

"Aah!" Aang cried out in surprise and took a step backwards. His back collided with something, making him yelp out again. Unconsciously, he realized he hadn't passed anything at any point of his stay in the room. He spun around.

The first thing his wide eyes noticed was a loose necklace with the water symbol engraved on a gleaming, upside-down kite-shaped pendant. It almost looked tear-shaped, but more angular. The pendant turned out to be connected to a thin silver chain which was tied around a neck, which turned out to be a part of a girl, who was glaring down at him with narrowed eyes, her arms crossed.

"AAAH!" Aang tumbled back, his hands ready in a bending position. He made a move to send a wave of air towards the stranger, but nothing happened. He looked down at his hands, then at the girl. It was hard to see in the dark, but he registered that she looked like a teenager, not much older than himself.

"What do you think you're doing, Avatar?" she spoke in a quiet but demanding voice, and the echo made him shiver.

The fear gave way to confusion as he stared at her, then back down at his hands. "I… uh,"

"Aren't you a bit too young to summon me?" she asked, her eyes scanning him from head to toe. "You haven't had your sixteenth birthday yet, have you?"

"Well, I…" Aang finally lowered his hands. "No, not yet. But the monks told me who I am because of the war, and Gyatso said I had to come here and -"

"That's enough." The girl interrupted him, uncrossing her arms. Her eyes softened and Aang's widened as he noticed it – when she was glaring at him, her eyes were dark blue, but now they looked a light shade of green. He noticed another strange thing; the way her shoulders slumped when she relaxed and the breath she released… She seemed tired. Exhausted. "Let us find a place to sit and we will talk more. We cannot stay too long in this room," she threw a short glance at the mirror, which was now a blank white canvas.

"Wait a minute," Aang spoke up as she turned towards the door. When she paused and looked at him through her shoulder, he continued, "Who are you?"

"My name is Shui Lian," she said simply, "I am your Shou."

* * *

Aang couldn't help but stare at the girl. They were sitting in Gyatso's chamber, where he and the old monk would play Pai Sho from time to time. She was kneeling in Gyatso's usual spot, her fingers entwined on her thighs as she stared back at the young Avatar, with equal curiosity.

She looked just a few years older than him, fifteen or sixteen tops, but her aura held unexplainable wisdom that was far older than anyone he'd known. She had long midnight black hair that was straight and reaching to her waist. Part of it was braided; there were two braids on either side of her face, starting near her temples, going around her head, and two more below the first ones, behind her ears, that also went around her head. The four plaits met at the back of her head and were tied together, forming one, thicker braid. Her eyes were a soft greenish color, glinting with interest like the sun glinted in water.

Her dress was quite simple, the top similar to a sleeveless kimono, with the left flap over the right one, but the neckline was a little too low for it to be called 'traditional'; her collarbone and another inch of skin below exposed, the pendant resting in the center. The dress reached a little past her knees and had slashes on both sides that went all the way up and almost disappeared under the wide piece of fabric that was tied snugly around her waist, with close-fitting shorts peeking out. The whole dress was a dark blue color, but the piece of fabric and the shorts underneath were a lighter shade blue, closer to the color of the sky. What intrigued the young boy the most, however, was her face. Or, rather, the marking on it. A small upside-down kite right in the middle of her forehead. It was a very pale color, almost white, barely visible on her skin, but it was there.

"It is a sign of water."

Aang jumped, immediately prying his eyes away from the mark. "Huh?"

She didn't seem bothered by his staring, though. "The mark on my forehead. It's an ancient sign of water."

"Oh… Why do you have it?"

"Because I am a Water Spirit."

Aang's frame twitched. "T-the Water Spirit?!"

The girl smiled politely. "Oh no. I am a part of the Water Spirit, sent to the Human World to protect the Avatar." The smile vanished when she grew serious again. "Now, I have already told you my name. From now on, you shall call me Lian. Never say my whole name out loud."

"Why?" Aang asked immediately.

"Names bear power, Avatar, and the only one that can have power over me is you." She explained vaguely before moving on. "I am your Shou. Protector and guide. We already share a bond on a spiritual level, but we will need to complete the ritual and once it's done, we will truly be connected. After that, we will – "

"Wait a minute," Aang interrupted, "What ritual?"

Lian blinked, then her serious expression softened. "Don't be afraid. First, you need to acknowledge the fact that you are the next Avatar. Once you accomplish that, we will proceed. It's painless," she added with a small smile, "Just our spirits connecting to each other. When it happens, I will never lose track of you and will be able to hear you on another level of existence. You shall draw power from me, and I from you."

The boy took a few seconds to let the information sink in. Not only was he suddenly responsible for the whole world, but he also could say goodbye to any kind of privacy he'd like to have. "Why haven't I heard about a Shou before?"

"A Shou is like an Avatar's shadow. It accompanies the Avatar on his journey of learning to control all the elements, but not interfering. I am forbidden to get in the way of anything that is not life threatening. I am here to keep the Avatar from any mortal danger and," she hesitated the slightest second, "from himself."

"From himself? Why?"

"Avatar, you are a bit too young to possibly imagine…" She paused, then sighed. "A master of the four elements is the master of all elements. The power that comes with being able to bend _everything there is_ must be quite… tempting at times," Lian looked at the boy in front of her seriously. "Sometimes, a Shou is the only thing standing between an Avatar and madness. Do you understand?"

Aang nodded, feeling a little sick. Being an Avatar was not fun at all, but now it was dangerous to oneself, as well? Man, no party here.

"Do not worry, young Avatar," the girl smiled reassuringly. "While I am at your side, you shall come to no mortal danger."

Boy, he would love to believe that.

* * *

The cold evening air made Aang shiver slightly under his thin clothes. He stood in the middle of the empty playground, a place that once held so much fun and games, and now was like a desert. All his friends abandoned him, because he was the Avatar. Everyone looked at him differently now that he knew who he was. He looked the same and acted the same, he was still the same boy he was a few days before. Nothing changed, he wasn't even stronger from simply hearing about what he can achieve! But, sadly, no one seemed to see it the same way he did. Even the monks. The monks, who had taken care of him and the rest of the young Air Nomads, now wanted to take his best friend, his only friend away from him…

"Avatar?"

Aang turned, a scowl appearing on his face on its' own. He hated that title already.

Lian walked up to him, her eyes darkened by worry.

"Is anything wrong? Forgive me, but without the bond all I can do is guess."

And the Shou. Another reason on the mile-long list of 'what about being the whole world's hope sucks'. He didn't want that bond. He didn't want her in his head every day all day, going through his thoughts and feelings. He really didn't like it when she always tried to be by his side, attempting small-talk or not needed comfort, so he'd done everything he could to avoid her as much as possible. She didn't seem to get the idea and constantly chased after him. If it wasn't so serious, it could have been fun – like an endless game of hide-and-seek.

"Nothing." He snapped and turned to walk away. He knew it wasn't her fault, that she was only there to do her duty, but still… It was hard to accept a total stranger walking behind him like a shadow. She was a Water Spirit, so he was sure to give her some respect, but no one could force him to like her so quickly. And, why did he need a protector, anyway? Wasn't he already powerful enough to take care of himself, being the Avatar and all?

And she insisted on calling him 'Avatar', even when he asked her and told her not to. It was beginning to drive him insane.

"Once we complete the bond, you won't be able to lie to me so easily, Avatar."

"Would you **stop** calling me **that**?!" Aang shouted suddenly, twisting his body around and forming his hands to send a blast of air towards the girl. Nothing happened. That made him even more furious. "Why can't I just **blow you away**?! I don't want your _stupid_ bond! I don't _want_ a protector! I don't want to be the Avatar!"

Lian did not react. She just stood there in the middle of the playfield, watching as the young Avatar stomped away. Once he was out of sight, she let out a sigh. "He's too young for this mess."

She looked up as the storm clouds gathered above. The first drop of rain fell right between her brows.

By the time monk Gyatso discovered that Aang was missing, the boy was far away, flying on the head of his pet bison through the storm, barely hanging on as the animal struggled to keep some distance between them and the raging ocean. By the time Gyatso found Lian, the bison lost the battle with the mad storm and he and the Avatar sank into the freezing water. When Aang slipped into the Avatar state and trapped himself and the animal in a ball of ice, Lian felt it. Briefly and fleetingly, but she did.

And it was the last thing she experienced.

* * *

**A/N**: I hope that raised some interest, even though it's just a prologue :) It's my first fanfic in years, but the show inspired me so strongly that I had to try and get back into writing shape :D

In case you're interested, the Chinese symbol for 'shǒu' (pronounced just like you see it – sho-u) is 守, which, according to the dictionary, means 'to guard; to defend; to keep watch'. Since it has the same meaning in Japanese, I decided to trust the dictionary definition and thus picked the word :)

I hope to see you in the next chapter. If you liked it, please leave me a review :)


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N**: I was afraid that my efforts would go unnoticed, but it turns out a few people liked the prologue, and so here we are in Chapter One! Thank you so much, **IDontUsuallyReveiw-ButWhenIDo** (haha, great name!), **Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967**, **xXFallen-Angel-Of-DarknessXx** and **makiyah** for reviewing last time! I hope you will continue to find this interesting :)

* * *

Chapter One

The sky above her head was red. Like blood.

Lian blinked weakly once, twice, but the color did not change. She was floating in a river, going with the stream like a piece of wood. Her eyelids felt so heavy and she was so tired she couldn't fight with the feeling of total exhaustion and gave up. Before her eyes closed completely, the sky turned dark blue again, with the moon shining brightly over her head. A second before her eyelids glued shut again, she thought she saw the moon disappear.

Then, her body jolted as her eyes flew open. The incredible light poured out from them, and soon her whole body began to glow the same brilliant white light. She felt the anger, the white hot fury bolt through her, but then, after what felt like a second but probably was longer than that, the moon reappeared on the sky and her light died away instantly. Her hand shot out of the water and grabbed onto a hard, wet rock. Summoning all the strength she had, she pulled herself onto it, then crawled a little until she was sure she reached steady shore. The river she left behind continued its' journey forward, the faraway sound of rushing water slowly dying down as she lost consciousness once again.

Days passed as she laid concealed by the bushed, sleeping.

* * *

Iroh ran behind his nephew as fast as he could, putting more and more distance between them and the crazy princess Azula and her ship. Ever since her visit, Iroh knew there was more to the story than what she'd told them. His brother, Fire Lord Ozai, was never a forgiving man, even when it came to his own children… The man watched Zuko's back as they ran by the river. He wondered how his nephew would react once they stopped running. The boy didn't deserve the mess he was put into.

Just when he thought they were far enough to take a short break, Zuko collapsed to his knees, panting heavily. Iroh gladly did the same.

"I think we're safe here," he said between gasps of air.

Zuko did not reply. Instead, he took out a familiar knife and, without much hesitation, reached up and cut off his ponytail in one swift move. Without looking away from the ponytail in his clenched hand, he passed the knife to his uncle, who grimly mirrored his actions. Together, they let go of their hair, watching as it drifted away in the river, officially marking them as refugees of the Fire Nation.

As the two gazed thoughtfully after what they had let go of, Iroh noticed that his shadow grew darker as a strange light came from behind them. He turned, making his nephew shift his attention as well. There, behind the bushes, white light flashed, but it died out just as suddenly as it came. Gripping the knife in his hand, Iroh got up silently and made his way towards it. Zuko stood, ready to firebend. The old man readied the knife, his other hand reaching to part the bushes. Once he saw what was behind them, he lowered the weapon.

"Oh my," he breathed as he stared at the unconscious girl. She was lying on her side, her dark hair concealing her face. There was dirt and mud stains on her cheek and all over her blue dress, but no cuts or bruises visible. Iroh found some relief in the fact that there was no sign of blood and she seemed to be breathing weakly but steadily.

"What is it, uncle?" Zuko joined him and noticed her as well. "Who's that?"

"I have no idea, but she's alive." Iroh replied, carefully coming closer. She did not move an inch, her barely visible eyes closed. "We have to help her."

"Help her? We don't even _know_ her!" Zuko contradicted, "And besides, who will help _us_ now? We're _refugees_!"

"Prince Zuko," Iroh turned to look at his nephew sternly. "You can't look at it like that. She is unconscious, defenseless and alone. We need to take her somewhere safe and look after her until she's awake."

"Oh yeah," the boy said sarcastically, "Somewhere safe. Like the Earth Kingdom? Or maybe our _home_, the Fire Nation? Where _is_ safe, uncle?"

"I don't know, but we can't just leave her here." Iroh said finally, crossing his arms. "Now, will you kindly help your uncle out and volunteer to carry the poor thing?"

"Tch," Zuko turned around. "You want to take her, _you_ carry her." And he began walking away.

Iroh sighed and looked down at the girl. "Alright then, up you go,"

* * *

They traveled all day, making their way through the dense forest. Zuko decided to ignore his uncle's show of being too tired to carry the passenger, though it was difficult, with the old man panting and gasping and moaning and shifting the girl he was carrying on his back. Nighttime fell and they decided to take a break and set camp in a small clearing. Iroh laid the girl on the ground near the fire that his nephew had started and went to get some water. Only then did Zuko really look at the unconscious girl.

She looked young, maybe around his age. She was covered in dirt from head to toe, her dark blue dress rumpled, but not torn anywhere. Something near her neck gleamed in the firelight and Zuko tentatively came closer to inspect it. It was a necklace, but instead of a silk ribbon around the neck, the silver kite-shaped pendant with a strange engraving was attached to a longer, thin silver chain. Zuko leaned closer and his eyes narrowed. There was a water symbol on the pendant. He directed his suspicious glare to her face. Briefly, he noted that it wasn't tan, like the other Waterbenders he'd seen. But then his attention shifted to the strange, pale mark of an upside-down kite figure on her forehead that was partially hidden by her messy bangs. Frowning some more, he leaned in to study it. It was small and barely visible in the firelight.

"Ah, you think a sweet kiss will wake her up?"

Zuko shot back so fast he lost his footing and fell on his behind. "I wasn't about to - " he hissed at his uncle, who was smiling widely in return. "She has a mark on her face, and a pendant with the water symbol!" he shouted defensively.

"Is that so," Iroh sat down cross-legged next to her and eyed the necklace and the mark shortly before taking the piece of cloth he'd soaked in the cold water, brushed away her hair and put it on her forehead.

Her eyes snapped open so suddenly it made the old man jump. Before he knew it, his hand was knocked away and the girl back flipped away from him and his nephew, who was in his firebending stance.

"Who are you?" two voices mixed into one as the girl and Zuko asked their question in unison. She shifted her eyes from the old man to him. In the firelight they appeared dark blue and full of suspicion, but also… confusion and fear.

"Please, don't be scared," Iroh stood up slowly, making her look away from Zuko to him frantically. "My nephew and I found you near the river. You were unconscious, so we took you with us. We mean you no harm."

Her eyes never left his face as he spoke. Once he was done, she shifted her gaze to Zuko. "Do you mean no harm as well?"

"It depends," he bit back, not leaving his bending position. "Who are you?"

"My name is… I'm…" the girl seemed to struggle, before she looked at Iroh again. "I'm… not sure."

"How can you be 'not sure' about your name?" Zuko demanded.

"Zuko!" his uncle said sternly before taking one step towards the scared girl. "Don't worry. You must have hit your head at some point. Focus on anything that you can remember."

"I…" she frowned. "I don't think I remember anything. Just… That I was… falling?" the last word was spoken with some uncertainty.

"You fell into the river?" Iroh asked gently.

"Well, no… I just fell… I was falling down for a long time."

She looked so genuinely lost when she tried to recall the details, the old man felt a pang of pity towards her. Zuko, on the other hand, relaxed only slightly, his hands ready to shoot fire at any sign of trouble.

"Do you remember your home? Or anything else about yourself?" Iroh questioned.

"My home… No, I don't. I'm sorry." She looked down.

"No, no, don't be sorry," Iroh took a few steps towards the girl, who started shaking slightly. He reached out and touched her shoulder lightly. Her eyes followed his hand from her shoulder all the way up to his face and he noticed that her eyes are not dark blue, like he thought they were when she had opened them, but a pretty hue of greenish blue. Like the color of clear water in the ocean. "You can trust us. We will help you."

A shaky smile appeared on her dirty face. "Thank you."

* * *

"So," the girl began as they settled around the fireplace. She sent a sidelong glance at Zuko, who kept his distance. "I could hear you a little when I was asleep, and I think I heard your name was… Zuko?"

Both Iroh and Zuko looked at the girl, alarmed. If she knew his name, she could be aware of other things as well, like his true identity. She seemed not to notice their anxiety and turned to the old man. "But I didn't catch yours, I'm afraid."

"My name is Iroh," he admitted, thinking if she knew Zuko's name and didn't tie anything else to it, here was no point in making up another name for himself. He noted that she didn't react to his name, either. Curious. He eyed her necklace. "That's a nice piece of jewelry."

She looked down, as if she'd seen it for the first time. "Yes," she said, grabbing the pendant and fingering the engraved symbol. She closed her hand over it protectively. "It's important. I never take it off." She added quietly, surprised at how strong it sounded.

"It's a sign of water." Zuko uttered from his spot, watching her suspiciously.

She lifted her head to give him a strange, confused gaze. "I said that." She let out, then blinked in bewilderment. "I mean… I said that to someone… a long time ago. I think."

"Looks like your memory is gradually coming back," Iroh smiled at her, and she returned it with gratitude. He hoped it wouldn't bring any trouble along with it.

They sat in silence for a short while, Zuko's eyes drifting towards her guardedly from time to time. He was not at all comfortable with the stranger, who knew their real names and offered no knowledge about herself in return. When she got up and announced that she had to wash up a bit, Zuko followed her with his suspicious gaze as she disappeared in the bushes towards a small pond he'd tried fishing in earlier.

"What's on your mind, Prince Zuko?" his uncle's voice snapped him back to reality.

"That girl," he began, frowning. "She knows our names, but we don't know _anything_ about her." He looked at his uncle solemnly. "We need to keep an eye on her and not let her escape."

"Escape? She's not your prisoner, Zuko," Iroh chided lightly, but his nephew did have a point.

"What if she remembers the war and who we are, then runs and tells the first soldier she comes across about us hiding in this forest?" the young man said quietly, voicing all of Iroh's thoughts. The old man frowned thoughtfully as his nephew continued. "Our best guess so far is that she's from a Water Tribe, which automatically makes us her enemy. Actually, right now we're _everyone's_ enemy, so it doesn't really matter who she is and where does she come from. If she remembers something, anything more…" he trailed off, his teeth grit. Then, he shot up suddenly. "I can't let her run now."

"Zuko…" Iroh began, but his nephew already stormed off, his hot head taking over as usual. The man sighed before laying down in front of the fire.

Zuko made his way towards the pond, not bothering to hide the fact that he was coming. "Hey, girl," he called out to let her know where he was. There was a fleeting thought about hoping she was already past her bath and that she was dressed. "You're taking way too –"

He froze. The girl was standing in the middle of the pond in her clothes, the water reaching up a little past her waist and making her dress float around her. She was all wet, her hair clinging to her back and face, and she was holding a water lily flower in her cupped hands. There were a few more of those floating around peacefully in the pond.

"Hey," he took a step forward, but she kept looking at the flower as if it was the first time she'd seen anything like it. And, was it just him, or did he notice that her pupils were missing?

The girl turned to him abruptly, making him tense up. Her eyes were wide and appeared almost scared, the pupils in their place.

"I think my name is Lian." She said in a strangely strained voice.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Thank you, **IDontUsuallyReveiw-ButWhenIDo**, for commenting again! I hope I will not let you down!

* * *

Chapter Two

After a short debate by the fire, Iroh had agreed to let the girl, which they now knew as Lian travel with them for as long as she needed the company. The gratitude on her face made him hope that plan wouldn't backfire on him and his nephew anytime soon. Zuko was against the idea, but his uncle asked for his trust, and who else could the prince trust anymore? His uncle was all the family he had, and if he believed his plan was good, Zuko had to as well.

They traveled for days, setting camps in the late evenings and walking when it was bright. Lian had only a few memory-stirring episodes throughout their journey. Once, Iroh had caught her in the middle of a fierce rain. They had set camp under an exceptionally big tree, finding shelter in it's open bark, but when Iroh awoke suddenly, he noticed the girl standing in the middle of the clearing, rain pouring down on her as she looked at the clouds with a dazed expression on her wet face. When he called her by her name, she did not turn to look at him.

"It was raining when I fell," she'd uttered so quietly, he barely heard her through the rain. "There was a storm. Lightning. And then I fell."

It was then that he discovered her fierce fright of lightning. She'd cowered behind him for a good hour after one bolted through the sky.

But the most bizarre thing she'd said was a few days later, when they were taking a short break in the shade. She'd been asking all kinds of questions about the world, and soon Iroh was forced to tell her about the war. He'd done it as generally as he could, without going into too much detail, but once he mentioned that the Fire Nation had started a war, her greenish blue eyes widened and she let out a gasp.

"I didn't think Fire Lord Sozin would go into war so soon!" she'd exclaimed, making Zuko choke on the fruit he was eating.

"Yes, he had…" Iroh said slowly, his eyebrows furrowing. "A hundred years ago."

After that, Lian had ceased to ask questions about the war or the Fire Nation. And Iroh had started to watch her closer than ever. She kept acting weird, sometimes stopping in the middle of the road to look at things like she'd never noticed them before, but nothing alarming had come out of her mouth since then. Her face was either smiling brightly, or shining in wonder constantly, like a child who's looking at the world for the very first time.

"Uncle," Zuko had began one evening, when Lian was busy searching for wood a few feet away. "Do you think she's _faking_ the amnesia?"

Iroh had stroked his beard, throwing a glance at the girl. "I'm not sure… Faking amnesia is not as easy as you'd think, and she seems sincere. But something is definitely not normal about her. We have to be careful and wait for some more of her memory to be back."

Then, one day, Iroh tried making tea out of a poisonous flower while Zuko and Lian went to find food, and they were forced to go into the nearest village and look for help. Zuko snatched a straw hat from a fence and put it on to hide his scar. He caught Lian giving him a disapproving glance, but he ignored it.

Thankfully, it didn't take too long to reach the clinic. Iroh took off his shirt, uncovering the rash that had spread all over his body, and sat down on a stool in front of a young nurse. Zuko and Lian sat down on a bench near the entrance, the girl staring at Iroh's changed skin in something close to awe.

"You must not be from around here." The young nurse said, rubbing a gooey green thing on Iroh's rash. "We know better than to touch the white jade, much less make it into tea and drink it!"

The old man laughed, scratching his head sheepishly. "Oops."

"So where are you traveling from?" she asked with interest.

"Oh, I…" Lian began, but Zuko stood up and cut her of quickly.

"_Yes_, we're travelers."

"Do you have names?" The girl asked again, smiling.

"Names?" Zuko said quickly just as Lian opened her mouth again. "Of course we have names. I'm…" he shot Lian a look to keep her quiet, and ignored her irritated glare. "I'm… Lee. This is um, Ann. And my uncle, uh… Mushi."

Iroh leaned over to shoot his nephew an unhappy look. "Yes," he then turned to the nurse with a facetious smile, "But my nephew was named after his father, so we just call him Junior." He threw a grin in Zuko's direction, making the boy make a throat-cutting gesture back. Lian couldn't help but giggle at the silly men.

"Mushi, Junior and Ann, huh," the nurse turned to Zuko, making him drop his hand quickly. "My name is Song. You three look like you could use a good meal," she said, swapping Iroh's hand away from the rash he tried to scratch. "Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"Sorry," Zuko looked away, "But we need to be moving on." He ignored Lian, who snapped her head around to look at him pleadingly.

"That's too bad," Song said sweetly. "My mom always makes too much roast duck…"

"Where do you live, exactly?" Iroh asked immediately, and the matter was settled.

* * *

"My daughter tells me you're refugees." Song's mother uttered as she put the roast duck on the table and seated herself, "We were once refugees ourselves."

"When I was a little girl, the Fire Nation raided our farming village. All the men were taken away." Song said, bowing her head in sadness. "That was the last time I saw my father…"

Lian, who was busy poking her piece of meat with chopsticks, again acting like she'd never had roast duck before, also looked down. She tried to remember her own father, but it was impossible. She concentrated more, but her mind was blank, as if she'd been trying to imagine something unimaginable.

"I haven't seen my father in many years." Zuko's quiet voice made her look at him. His eyes were downcast.

"Oh." Song said sympathetically, "Is he fighting in the war?"

Lian did not miss the pause Iroh made in his eating.

"Yeah." Zuko said simply, closing the topic.

"I see," Song turned to look at Lian. "And what about you?"

"I…" Lian began, feeling lost. She was aware that everyone at the table were looking at her, the two men almost expectantly. "I lost someone too… because of the… war." She looked down, surprised at the sudden sadness that filled her. "I'm sorry, I can't really talk about it."

Everyone nodded and let the topic go, but she managed to catch Zuko as he studied her intently. When she turned to him, he averted his eyes, looking into his bowl thoughtfully.

* * *

Lian had just finished her tea and stood to leave Iroh, Song and her mother at the table. She slid the door open and found Zuko sitting on the wooden patio and staring into space with the ever present scowl on his scarred face. She often wondered about it, but never had the courage to ask him. It looked like he'd been burnt by a flame, and that made her think if that was the reason he and his uncle were running from the Fire Nation. Iroh had been exceptionally careful to leave that part out of their conversations.

Zuko noticed her immediately, but did not acknowledge her presence in any way. She didn't take it as a 'go away', so she came closer.

"So," Lian began, kneeling down a few inches away from his right side. "Your father fights in the war."

He didn't answer.

"Do you… worry about him?"

Zuko's scowl deepened, but other than that, nothing.

"You know," she tried again, "Sometimes I get bits and pieces about myself when I least expect it. Tonight, at the table, I remembered something else."

His golden eyes narrowed further. Silence.

"There is someone I know in the war. I can't really remember who it is, but I know that… that I should be with that person. I should be helping. I should be… there,"

Zuko finally turned to face her. "How can _you_ help anyone in a war?" he asked and realized that it sounded very rude and unkind. Too late.

To his surprise, Lian didn't look offended or angry. Instead, she looked sad and lost, so sad and lost it almost made him feel sorry for what he'd just said. Almost. "I feel like I… failed."

His eyes widened. It took him a few seconds to take it in. What does she know about failing? What can she possibly understand about having a duty and not succeed? _Who did she think she was?!_ But before he had the chance to pour all this out, the door slid open once more and he turned to see Song looking at him kindly.

"Can I join you?"

Zuko threw a quick glance to his right, but Lian was gone.

* * *

"Thank you for the duck. It was excellent," Iroh said gratefully as the three stood outside of Song's house, all packed up and ready to go.

"It really was. And thank you for letting us rest," Lian clasped her hands in front of her and bowed deeply.

"You're welcome." Song's mother smiled widely as she handed Iroh a package containing some leftovers. "It brings me joy to see someone eat my cooking with such... gusto,"

"Much practice," the man patted his stomach. Zuko threw his uncle a glance before turning around to leave. "Junior!" Iroh stopped him. "Where are your manners? You need to thank these nice people,"

Zuko turned and bowed shortly without looking up. "Thank you," he uttered simply.

"Please excuse him," Lian offered, bowing once more. She remembered what Iroh had said to her a few nights before and quoted him, "He's really cranky when he's tired,"

"I know you don't think there's any hope left in the world," Song rushed forward, speaking to Zuko's back, "But there _is_ hope! The Avatar has returned!"

After the word 'Avatar' left Song's mouth, Lian heard no more. Her eyes widened and she felt a strange pulse running through her whole body. As if her very soul wanted to rip out of her and escape. She barely held back a scream as the pain soared through her veins.

"…okay?"

She swayed on her feet and felt Iroh grab her arm to support her.

"Ann, is everything alright?"

"I…" she stuttered, "I'm… fine. Just a little…" She shook her head and offered a smile to the worried looking women and Iroh. "I guess you have to excuse me as well. I must be as tired as Lee is!"

They finally parted with Song and her mother, and followed Zuko out of the property. Lian felt her legs shaking, but the strength was gradually coming back.

"What are you doing?" she heard Iroh hiss, as if he was far away. "These people just showed you great kindness!"

She forced herself to look up. Zuko was sitting on top of an ostrich horse, scowling down at his uncle. "They're about to show us a little _more_ kindness." He offered his uncle a hand, "Well?"

Iroh looked back at the house they've just left, then at Lian, who was barely standing on her own, and finally, at the ground. With resignation, he helped the girl up first and then got on the animal behind her. They rode off, unaware that Song had seen everything and was gazing at them with sadness through a small crack in the door.


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you so much, **IDontUsuallyReveiw-ButWhenIDo** and **Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967** for leaving reviews last time!

* * *

Chapter Three

"_You know, ceremony or not, we _are_ connected. You can't hide from me!"_

"_That doesn't mean I can't try!" a voice in the distance called back angrily._

Lian lied on her back away from the fire, her arms crossed behind her head and her eyes directed at the stars. She studied them with intensity, as if they could hold answers to some of her questions. The echoes of voices at the back of her head only raised more of those. The Avatar. Why did it sound so… important? She understood what an Avatar was, but what she felt back there was too strong and too strange for her to explain. An almost physical pull.

"_I know you don't think there's any hope left in the world, but there is hope. The Avatar has returned!"_

Even recalling it made her whole body clench as the pulling sensation overcame her senses. And that feeling of dread, like what she was doing at the moment was _wrong_ and that she should _be_ somewhere right now, somewhere else and with someone else.

"_There is hope."_

Oh yes, she did feel that hope. Hope that whatever she'd done wrong, she could make right again. Somehow.

"_The __**Avatar**__ has returned!"_

"_I don't WANT to be the Avatar!"_

Lian rolled over and stood up quietly. She threw a glance at the camp; the ostrich horse was curled up near the fire and Iroh was happily snoring away, covered by a warm blanket Song's mother had given them, but Zuko was nowhere in sight. She looked around, trying to locate him, but apparently he wandered off somewhere. So she decided to take a stroll herself. Something was not right. She felt restless and sore, as if she hadn't moved in a long while. Which is not true, since she'd been traveling with the two men for a couple days now. She walked downhill until she reached the river, then turned to walk with the stream, the noise calming her.

She discovered that she loved water. She loved being near it, she loved drinking it, she loved taking baths, and there was no better way to wake up and get ready for the day like splashing some water on her face. Sometimes, she would sit near a river or pond and spent long moments of their breaks just cupping the water in her hands and slowly releasing it. Lian walked alongside the rushing river and looked down at her distorted reflection. Her hand reached up and she saw herself rub the pale kite shape on her forehead. She didn't remember where it was from. She didn't remember much and that was making her more and more irritated.

And sometimes, when she felt exceptionally irritated, Iroh's makeshift tea cups he was drinking from at the moment exploded.

The necklace gleamed on the unstable surface of the water and she raised her hand to her neck, tracing the small silver links that made the necklace and looked down at the pendant. It was important, she knew, but could not tell why. It was to be never taken off, at any cost. She knew that, she was sure, but when she tried to recall who had told her that or why, she was met with emptiness. Her hand fell to her side and the pendant gleamed again. Something else shone as well, in the corner of her eye.

Lian's head whipped to her left, where she thought she saw something odd. She waited a few seconds and there it was – fire. She gasped. The forest looked as if it was on fire. With the idea to run back and warn Iroh evaporating from her mind, she ran towards the place she saw the flame bursting against the night sky.

Lian reached a spot where the trees gave way to a small, rocky clearing right next to the river. In the center of that clearing was Zuko. He stood in a strange position, with his hands outstretched, then did a series of elegant dance-like movements and then… Lian could not believe it.

Bright orange flames shot out of his hand.

"Firebender!" she heard a scream. A second later she realized it was her own scream, and another second later Zuko was facing her, fire escaping his open palm and heading right towards her. Lian closed her eyes and raised her arms to cover her face.

_Psssh…_

When the hot wave of fire failed to make contact with her body, she tentatively cracked one eye open, but at the sight before her both of her eyes became wide open.

There was a wall of water right in front of her.

As soon as she saw it, however, it wavered and fell down with a _splash_. She looked down and noticed that there was a trail of water coming from the river that was right behind her and connecting to the puddle that was a wall just moments earlier. When she turned back to look at Zuko, he was back in his firebending position, alert.

"I _knew_ it!" he yelled at her. "I knew that you were a Waterbender from the start! How you stare at the river like a freak and how uncle's tea exploded in his face! It was you!"

"N-no, I…" Lian stuttered. Every time a piece of her past clicked in, she felt lost and confused, because it was always too sudden and too little. It was so… exhausting. "Listen, I don't waterbend. I don't think I -"

"You don't _think_?" he repeated, dropping his stance and walking up to her, his fists clenched. "How can you say anything like that? You can't even remember who you _are_,"

That made her snap.

"Well, at least I know who _you_ are," she shouted back, tired of her memory loss, tired of the travel, tired of his attitude, tired of lies. "You liar! And to think I actually felt _sorry_ for you! I thought you lost your parents in the war or something! What a poor boy, travels with his uncle, has this scar on his face when he got burnt," she spat.

Neither of them noticed the storm clouds gathering above their heads as they continued to shout at each other.

"You _dare_ pity me?!" Zuko bellowed as the first drops of rain fell on their heads, "I am Prince Zuko, son of Fire Lord Ozai! Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, and heir to the throne! You're a pathetic peasant, who struggled to even remember her own _name_!"

If he had anything more to say, Lian did not wait to hear. Her fist connected with his scarred cheek and the force of the punch combined with the element of surprise sent him flying backwards. His back hit a tree, knocking the wind out of him, but also steadying him on his feet. For a moment, he just stood there, leaning against the tree, eyes wide, but the hot fury that spread through his body like wildfire pushed the initial shock away. Without thinking, he sent a fireball right at her, but it evaporated as the raindrops created a shield in front of her.

If he wasn't so blinded by his anger, he'd notice that she had not moved an inch to make the shield appear. But all he was seeing was red. The girl unnerved him from the very beginning by the thick, mysterious aura and unclear motives, but as time passed, his unease only grew stronger. She acted so nice and innocent, so in _awe_ of the world, and his uncle clearly grew to like her as a companion, and she had no idea about the war, and she had no idea who _he_ was. Every time she remembered something, he grew more and more nervous and questions piled up. And she had too much _nerve_ for someone in her position. She dared _punching him_, for Agni's sake!

Zuko continued his firebending, sending blasts of fire at Lian, who skillfully dodged every single one of them and continued to come closer to him. When she landed right before his face, he threw a fire punch at her, but she ducked, going into a crouch, and made a low roundhouse kick aimed at his ankles, making him fall. He landed on his right arm, which sent a shock of pain through his body, but also helped him level with her and send a powerful ball of fire right at her face. She raised her hand to cover her face and a thin water shield appeared. It caught the fireball in time, but the impact sent Lian skidding across the rocky clearing, the heat wave making her eyes sting. She got up, and there was Zuko, sending a small rain of fire right at her. She managed to side step and twirl away from most of them, the rest being caught by an umbrella-shaped water shield above her head that appeared every time the flame came too close for her to dodge. She danced around the prince as he sent more and more fire her way. The circle she was doing tightened with every step and she was, once again, right in front of him. Zuko was ready. His fist caught fire and he sent a punch she had no chance of avoiding.

But she didn't. Instead, she caught his fist in her an inch in front of her face and instantly, two things happened almost simultaneously; Zuko's flaming fist was painfully extinguished, but as the fire died out under her fingers, the curtain of anger fell and Zuko looked Lian in the eye.

It was like looking at the ocean during a storm. Dark, clouded and very, very cold.

He took notice of her other hand which curled into a fist and instinct kicked in. Zuko's cheek took another punch and Lian had her breath taken away as his fist collided with her stomach. Both teens fell to their knees in front of each other, holding their hurting and sore body parts. The rain began to die down slowly, the downpour turning into a light drizzle and the darkest clouds passing.

It wasn't until the rain stopped completely that Lian spoke.

"I will not tell your uncle what I've learnt tonight," she said quietly, facing the ground, her wet hair shadowing the upper half of her face. "Not yet."

"Don't expect me to do the same," Zuko barked back, but he doubted he would tell uncle Iroh anything. Someday, perhaps, but not until he figured it out first.

"Well then," she looked up with a mischievous glint in her eyes (which, Zuko failed to fully register, were more green than blue again), smirking, "Will you admit to losing to a girl?"

"Losing? What are you taking about?" Zuko huffed, "You had no chance."

Her smirk turned into a genuine smile and soon after that, Lian started laughing. She threw her head back and laughed, as if she'd waited a long time to do that. Zuko stared at her, thinking she'd finally lost it completely, when she toppled back and fell on her back, still laughing like a crazy person. She calmed down after a short while and opened her eyes. The clouds almost passed and some bright stars shone above their heads.

"I've always wanted to try this," she breathed out contently.

The ache in her body disappeared.

* * *

True to her words, Lian had not said a word to Iroh about her discovery, and was only a little surprised to notice Zuko had done the same. A day after their 'incident', the three reached a bigger town and decided to stock up and earn some money. Iroh and Zuko sat down on a pile of straw in the shade, the ostrich horse resting behind them, and Lian took every water pouch they had to fill them up in the river that ran through the village.

"Spare coins for weary travelers?" Iroh spoke as a man walked past them. The man threw some change into Iroh's hat and walked away without a glance in their direction.

"This is humiliating!" Zuko growled, his arms crossed and face hidden by the straw hat, "We're _royalty_. These people should be giving us whatever we want."

"They will," his uncle said with a smile, "If you ask nicely." He spotted a pretty young woman and showed her his hat, "Spare change for a hungry old man?" he asked in a weak voice.

"Aww," the woman reached out to her sleeve and took out a coin. "Here you go," she dropped it into his hat.

"The coin is appreciated," Iroh said, throwing the woman a sidelong grin, "But not as much as your smile!"

The woman giggled at that and walked away. Zuko slapped his forehead.

"Which reminds me," Iroh continued as the woman disappeared, "Are you ready to tell me where did you run off to with Lian the night before?"

"What?" Zuko exclaimed loudly, making some people look their way. "I did not 'run off' with her!" he continued in a hiss, "I went to train and she… I don't know where she was," he looked away from his uncle.

Iroh raised his eyebrows at that, but did not comment. A man stopped in front of them and he readied his hat to ask for change, when the stranger spoke first.

"How about some entertainment in exchange for..." he whipped out a gold coin and smiled down at them cruelly, "a _gold_ piece?"

"We're not performers," Zuko snapped.

"Not professional, anyway," Iroh added and moved to stand up, singing. "It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se, but the girls in the city they look so prett-ay!"

"Come on, we're talking a gold piece here!" the man said displeased, and took out a sword. "Let's see some action!"

Zuko's eyes narrow in anger. His hands were crossed and hidden in his sleeves, but they were tingling to let out some flames on the man. He briefly considered it.

"Please, spare my uncle, kind sir," Lian's voice rang from behind the man. She jogged towards them with a worried expression. Zuko managed to catch her warning glance, but she quickly averted her eyes to look at the man.

"Hello there, young lady," the man grinned wolfishly at her. "Would _you_ like to dance?"

"Sir, please, we're all tired from our long journey," she began, but the man cut her off by pointing the sword in her face, the tip an inch away from her nose. Zuko tensed and noticed his uncle straighten his back ever so slightly.

"Do you want that gold piece or not?" the man asked with a taunting smile.

And that was when things went a little strange. Something in Lian's face shifted and she lost the soft, almost begging expression. Her eyes never left the man's face and when she moved, it was swift and quick. She knocked the sword away with the back of her right hand and her left palm made contact with the man's chest.

"Don't you have some business to attend to elsewhere?" her voice dropped to almost a whisper.

The man's cruel expression faltered and he blinked. "I… have. That's right. I need to be somewhere," he made a move to sidestep Lian, but she pressed her hand to his chest, stopping him.

"And the gold piece?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes, the gold piece…" the man threw it on the ground in front of Iroh, who watched the exchange closely and with curiosity. Zuko's eyes, which never left Lian from the very beginning, narrowed.

Her dark expression shifted into a smile as she dropped her hand. "Thank you very much, kind sir!"

The man nodded distractedly and passed her in a hurry. Iroh took the gold coin and looked up at the girl.

"Such a kind man," he said lightly. He looked at the girl and said in a neutral voice, "Thank you for the interesting display of female charm, dear."

Zuko studied Lian's face, but couldn't find anything beside that damn smile that never seemed to leave her lips. His uncle showed no suspicion, but the tone of his voice let Zuko know that he'd been paying very close attention as well.

* * *

Since then, the food had been getting better and better in quality whenever Zuko went to look for it. Iroh immediately knew why that was and how was it happening, but did not comment on it. It was hard to disapprove of Zuko's methods, when the food he'd brought was so delicious and nourishing.

Of course, he hadn't earned it in any legal way. It started with him stealing a mask of a Blue Spirit and after that came the swords from the man that tried to humiliate his uncle and threatened Lian. Then came the good food and money, and they didn't need to beg for any on the streets. Iroh decided to set up camp in a small cave created by a few giant stones. He said that once their bodies fully recover, the journey would be more bearable. And, to Lian's delight, there was a body of water that was too small to be called a lake, but big enough to take a proper swim. Needless to say, that immediately became her favorite spot. She took the opportunity to wash her usual blue uniform and change into Earth Kingdom-style clothes she'd picked up in the last village – a comfortable set of a green sleeveless shirt and brown pants, with a dark green piece of material that was tied to her waist like a belt.

There was a small waterfall that brought water into the pond, and the very sight of it stirred something in Lian's memories. There was something vaguely familiar about the sight, something that made her instantly feel relaxed and at home. One day, after an exceptionally long swim, she decided to check the waterfall out and went on a small trip upstream.

Lian didn't make more than a few steps, when she heard rustling. She turned in that direction and saw a figure dressed in black creeping through the bushes, carrying a chest under their arm. As quietly as she could, she came closer. The figure stopped and it took off a mask she couldn't see from her angle, but she would recognize the scarred cheek anywhere. Lian was about to back off as quietly as she approached, wanting to leave him alone, when he flipped the mask so that she could see the front.

It was a Blue Spirit mask.

* * *

Zuko could not help but notice that something was wrong with Lian. She was acting like a different person. Whenever he looked at her, he caught her staring back hard, her arms crossed, a frown on her face. Whenever he tried to pass some food in her direction, she turned her head. She didn't even touch the grilled fish and sweetbread he knew were her favorites. All she did was accept tea from his uncle, but when Zuko presented him with a gold tea set, she refused that as well.

"Is everything alright, Lian?" Iroh asked, concerned by the girls' unusual gloomy behavior.

"Yes, thank you," she replied, glaring at Zuko. "I'm just feeling a little _sick_."

He returned the gesture, but did not say a word. Lian got up from her spot in the corner of the camp and walked towards the exit. "I'm going for a swim," she threw over her shoulder before disappearing.

His uncle eyed her retreating form before sighing and sitting down in front of the fire. "Looks like you did some serious shopping," he began. "But where did you get the money?"

"Do you like your new teapot?" Zuko asked, avoiding the question.

"To be honest with you, the best tea tastes delicious whether it comes in a porcelain pot or a tin cup." Iroh got up, walked over to his nephew and knelt beside him. "I know we've had some difficult times lately. We've had to struggle just to get by," he put a hand on the boy's shoulder, "But it's nothing to be ashamed of! There is a simple honor in poverty," he said strongly.

"There's _no_ honor for me without the Avatar." The prince said quietly.

"Zuko…" his uncle sighed, "Even if you did capture the Avatar, I'm not so sure it would solve our problems. Not now."

Zuko looked away angrily, "Then there is no hope at all."

He was about to leave, but his uncle grabbed his robes. "No, Zuko!" he said loudly, pulling the boy back. "You must never give in to despair! Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give _yourself_! That is the meaning of inner strength!"

Zuko looked at his uncle in silence, then got up to leave. He exited the cave and did not notice Lian, who was standing near the entrance, half concealed by one of the bigger rocks. Her eyes were glued to his back, clear like the ocean before a storm – stormy blue and pupil-less.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N**: I am very happy to see the hit marks going up every time I update this story. Thanks to anyone who continues to click the 'next chapter' button! Knowing people pay attention to what I've created is the most rewarding feeling. And **Raux**, thank you for the lovely review! I was hoping you'd like it ;)

Oh, and one last thing – I have re-written bits and pieces of the previous chapters. No major change has been made, just a few details that, I realized, may be important later on in the story (much later, I think). If you feel like it, go back and have a look. If not, it's okay.

Please enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter Four

Zuko made his way towards the forest, heading for the tree he'd been using to hide his mask. His uncle didn't understand him, no one could. Without the Avatar captured and delivered to his father, there was no honor at all. Especially not in 'simple poverty'. There was nothing honorable about being a poor peasant. There was even less honor in a prince disguised as one. He felt his jaw clenching. There was a mess inside his head and he needed to organize it a little. A short trip to the nearest village in his Blue Spirit disguise would help him clear his mind. And push him into making a decision.

Zuko found the spot and reached into the hollow of the tree. The mask was not there. His heartbeat racing, the boy knelt down to look deeper into the hollow, but it was empty. The mask was nowhere in sight.

"Looking for something?"

His head snapped up. Lian was sitting on one of the branches above him, looking down at the prince with a frown, the mask in her hand.

"Give it back!" Zuko demanded, his fists curling up.

Lian continued to look at him with anger, but it was different than before. She looked almost offended. But then again, so was he.

"I said, **give it back**!" Zuko repeated with more force, sending a fire blast in her direction. Lian jumped off the branch, the flame missing her by an inch. She landed directly in front of the boy, dropped the mask on the grass, grabbed him by the front robes and pushed against the tree's bark all in one second.

"You shouldn't mess with the spirits, boy," she spat, and he was more than taken aback by the dark tone of her voice.

"_What_ is your problem?!" Zuko yelled in her face, his hands clasping around her wrists, "Everything was just fine yesterday! You loved it when I brought you fish and sweetbread and candy, but when I did that today, all you did was glare and frown at me! What changed?!"

Lian glared and frowned all the way through his speech and then some, but her grip weakened and she let him go, taking a step back. Her shoulders slumped.

"You really should be careful with what you're doing," she said, her voice bare of all the fury it had a second ago. "Using a Spirit mask like that… It can be dangerous."

"It's what's been giving us food, clothes and money," Zuko uttered, still angry. He made a move to bend down and retrieve the mask, but Lian scooped it up faster. He was about to demand it back one last time, when he noticed her expression.

She held the mask as if it was made of glass instead of hard wood, the fingers of her free hand trailing the carvings delicately. Her face was wistful as she took in every detail. They stood in silence for a short moment, before Lian let out a pained sigh and extended the mask towards him.

"Be careful, Zuko."

Zuko stared at her with wide eyes. She was looking at him without anger or irritation, or even her usual cheer or wonder, but with worry. He couldn't recall a single person, beside his mother and uncle, who would look at him like that.

"Be careful to never lose _your_ spirit," Lian added with a sad smile and he finally managed to move his arm and take the mask back. As soon as the wooden object left her hand, Lian turned and walked away. Zuko felt that he should stop her and say something, but he had no idea what should he say. Feeling strangely uncomfortable, he let her leave.

* * *

Hours passed and evening turned to nighttime when Zuko returned to the cave. He walked up to his uncle, who was busy arranging the food in the bag. They were to leave camp and continue traveling at sunrise. Lian was poking at the fire with a stick. She looked up when Zuko spoke.

"Uncle," the prince began quietly, careful not to look in Lian's direction. "I thought a lot about what you said."

Iroh turned to his nephew slightly, pleased. "You did? Good, good."

"It's helped me realize something. We no longer have anything to gain by traveling together." Lian tried to catch his gaze, but he was stubborn not to let her. Iroh's face fell and he closed his eyes as Zuko finished, without anger, but also without any hesitation. "I need to find my own way."

With that said, he turned to grab his backpack and walked out of the cave. His uncle waited a moment, before going up to the ostrich horse and grabbing its reins. Iroh looked back at Lian, who needed a second to understand, and when she did, she nodded a little.

"Wait!"

Zuko turned around to see his uncle with the ostrich horse. The man handed him the reins and Zuko reached for them. Then, with a streak of hesitation, he risked a glance into the cave. Lian was looking at him from behind the fire, her head cocked to the side as she regarded him with a almost calculating expression. Like she was trying to pry into his mind to see what he was thinking. When she saw him looking her way, she offered a small, sad smile.

Averting his eyes quickly, Zuko grabbed the reins, mounted the ostrich horse, and galloped away, not looking back.

For some time, Iroh stood in the same spot and looked after his nephew, even when the dust settled down.

"It's my fault," Lian said quietly as she moved to stand behind him. "I yelled at him earlier about the stealing, and now…"

"No, it's not that," Iroh let out a sigh. "My nephew is just… lost. He knows what he wants, but doesn't know how to get it and struggles with his burden. Despite everything that has happened to him, he has good in him. He just doesn't believe he does," the man's shoulders slumped further. "I hope he finds his way soon."

"He will," she put a hand on his shoulder in a reassuring manner. "As long as he has people like you by his side, he won't be lost forever."

Iroh glanced at the girl with a small smile.

They were lying in the cave with the fire getting weaker, when Lian spoke again.

"I heard your conversation earlier."

Iroh did not reply, waiting for her to continue.

"You talked about capturing the Avatar."

There was no reply.

"Zuko said that without the Avatar, he won't have his honor."

Lian turned to look at the man. His back was facing her.

"I know who you are. I've known for a while now. I caught Zuko firebending one night, but promised not to tell you that. You're not just any refugees. You're a part of the royal family."

Iroh's back stiffened slightly.

"But I don't care. All I know about you is that you saved my life when you decided to take me with you. I am eternally grateful and forever in your debt."

She saw him relax.

"But I need to know why." she said in a strong voice, "Why does Zuko want the Avatar?"

A few seconds passed in silence and stillness. Then, Iroh turned to face the girl, his face sad and serious.

"It's a long story."

Lian leaned forward hungrily. "We have time."

* * *

Even after his nephew had left him, Iroh maintained his easy, carefree and kind demeanor throughout the journey. Whenever he spoke about Zuko – and he did that a lot – he'd always tell her all the good things about the boy. He explained Zuko's past and told her all about what led them on the search for the Avatar. Lian took in the whole story, feeling a mixture of pity for the scarred prince and another, stronger feeling of distaste, but she managed to hide it from Iroh. She wasn't sure why it was there herself. And when Iroh had asked her if she wanted to join him on the search for his missing nephew, she agreed gratefully. She found that she'd grown fond of the man and was lost in more ways than one without him.

In turn for his upbeat spirit and excellent company, one day she'd told him about the strange feeling she'd been experiencing every time the Avatar was mentioned.

"The Avatar is a symbol of hope," Iroh told her that evening, "People, who lost something or someone in the war, people, who think that the dark days will never be over – everyone, who struggles in life is filled with hope by the Avatar. He is supposed to bring balance into the world and keep it from the destructive ways of war. He is the world's protector, after all."

At the word 'protector' Lian felt the powerful tug again and choked on air, almost coughing her lungs out as a result. Iroh then rushed to pat her back and offer her a cup of tea when she regained control of her breathing.

Once she heard him sing a traditional, positive song as he readied the fireplace, and she responded by dancing to it playfully around the fire. He clapped to the rhythm and she laughed, spinning around and gaining speed to match his rhythm, until she collapsed near the fire.

"I can't remember my father at all, my mother as well," she confessed then, staring off into the flames. "Even when I'm getting small flashes from time to time, I've never been able to recall my parents." She tilted her head to look at Iroh, who just finished brewing tea. "Is being with you like being with a father?"

The question had startled him. He almost spilled his tea when he looked down at the girl, who was staring at him with wide, genuinely curious eyes. She was lying on her back, her dark hair sprawled around her head. The soft firelight made her look young, like a child, and that was when Iroh realized he hadn't even asked her how old was she exactly. He'd assumed that she was around Zuko's age, but there were times when she said or did something that made her seem older than sixteen. Much older.

"Not all fathers act like they're supposed to," he said finally and saw her frowning, probably thinking about what he'd told her about Zuko's father. "But I believe it might be like that." He added a little sheepishly. "A parent is a person who makes you feel safe and wanted, who comforts, cares for and protects their child no matter what." His voice broke a little at the end.

The way he said it made her ask, "Do you have any children?"

"I had a son," Iroh said quietly, staring into the fire. "He died in the war."

Lian was up in a matter of seconds. "I'm sorry," she uttered.

"He was a soldier under my own command." Iroh said, as if to himself. "Trying so hard to make his father, the General, proud…"

A sad silence rolled in, then Lian crossed her legs and faced the fireplace. "Always trying to impress their fathers, even when it's not needed, or when it's not worth it… Boys are such stubborn creatures." She said with finality.

Iroh began to laugh loudly at that, rubbing his face. The movement made her look at him with a smile, but then she froze, when she saw his cheeks moist with tears. She managed to pry her eyes away from the image which, she found, fascinated her and saddened at the same time. Instead, she focused on the flickering flames and pretended she saw nothing out of the ordinary.

* * *

"Aaah!" Iroh exhaled, leaning against a rock, "Isn't the weather just perfect?"

"Perfect for a nap," Lian kicked back and lied on the grass, letting the sun warm her face. She closed her eyes in content. "Only for a moment, though. You still have to teach me how to play Pai Sho today. You promised you would."

"With pleasure, my dear!" the man chuckled as he poured some tea into a wooden cup. "Would you like some?"

Lian was about to answer, when she heard something hitting the rock Iroh was leaning against from behind. The impact made the old man stumble forward and fall to his knees. Lian sprung up in a second, her head whipping to the girl that jumped on top of the rock.

"Ooh," the man moaned in pain, massaging his backside, "That really hurt my tailbone,"

"Who are you?" Lian demanded, "What do you want?"

"I'm the girl who will kick your butts if you try anything funny!" the stranger replied hotly. Lian blinked. The girl couldn't have been older than twelve. She wore typical Earth Kingdom clothes in green and beige and her eyes, which were barely visible due to her long bangs, were a dull milky color.

"We won't try anything, promise," Iroh said as he got up slowly, "Not after that display."

"We're just travelers," Lian added, relaxing. "We're not looking for trouble."

"We don't have to." Iroh added with a smile. "Would you care for some tea?"

The girl sat down heavily as Iroh took out two cups and retrieved his fallen one, then proceeded to pour the hot drink into them.

"Here is your tea." He passed the first one to the stranger, then to Lian, who took it with a bow. She glanced at the girl. There were dark bags under her eyes, as if she hadn't had a good night's sleep in days. Iroh must have studied her face as well, because he said, "You seem a little too young to be traveling alone."

The girl accepted the cup. "You seem a little too old." She turned in Lian's direction. "And you're no adult, either."

Instead of taking offense, Iroh laughed. "Perhaps I am."

"I know what you're thinking," the girl began with a sigh, "I look like I can't handle being by myself."

"I wasn't thinking that," the man disagreed.

"You wouldn't even let me pour my own cup of tea!" she said in somewhat an accusing voice.

"I poured your tea because I wanted to, and for no other reason," Iroh stated calmly.

"People see me and think I'm weak. They want to take care of me. But I can take care of myself _by_ myself."

Lian smiled at this. "Doesn't it sound like somebody we know?" she directed her question to the man, who smiled back at her.

"You sound like my nephew," he explained to the girl. "Always thinking you need to do things on your own, without anyone's support. There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you help you. Not that I love you", he cleared his throat, "I just met you!"

That made both girls laugh. "So, where is your nephew?" the stranger asked.

Iroh's gaze fell to the side, so Lian answered, "We've been tracking him, actually."

"Is he lost?" the girl asked again, and it was Lian's turn to look away.

"Yes, a little bit," Iroh admitted. "His life has recently changed and he's going through very difficult times. He is trying to figure out who he is and he went away."

"So, now you're following him." The girl stated.

Iroh sighed a little. "I know he doesn't want me around right now, but, if he needs me, I'll be there."

Lian looked into the distance. The words seemed awfully familiar. She'd heard someone else say something like that before, a different old man in a different time…

_"The Avatar does not accept me," Lian said, struggling to keep her voice calm and even. "He summoned me into this world, and now he won't accept me!"_

_"Please, just try to understand him," an old monk was kneeling in front of her, looking at her with sympathy. "He's just learnt who he really is. He needs time to come to terms with his new identity. Once he does that, I'm sure he will want you by his side."_

_"But he summoned me!" she looked down at her clenched fists in anguish. "Doesn't he understand, that a Shou once summoned cannot return to the Spirit World in its' Avatar's lifetime without him? What am I supposed to do while he 'comes to terms' with being who he is?"_

_"He thinks he doesn't need you now, but the time when he does need you will come, and if it comes, you will be there for him."_

"…your nephew? Maybe you should tell him that you need _him_ too."

Lian looked up sharply. The girl had already picked up her bag and was walking away. _'Who was that old monk?'_ she thought, absently staring after the stranger. _'Why was I talking about the Avatar? Why can't I remember…?'_

"You seemed lost in your world there," Iroh said with a smile, "Good weather and hot tea can make you do that."

Lian blinked, tearing herself away from all the questions, and looked at him as if she'd seen him for the very first time in her life. "You are a very wise man." She said, making Iroh blink in bewilderment before he composed himself.

"Have you ever doubted?" Then, he turned to look at the direction the girl went off. "I think it's time we moved on."

* * *

The two entered the abandoned-looking town, following the sound of battle. Iroh looked up and froze upon spotting a bright, icy blue flame in the distance. He told Lian to find shelter and wait for him before he took of in the direction of the blue fire. The girl gripped the strap of her bag, feeling herself growing excited for some reason. Suddenly not in the 'standing by' mood, she climbed one of the ruins of a building and balanced on its' rooftop. All buildings, or what was left of them, were close to each other, so it was easy to make the jump between one and the other.

Lian made her way through the town, her eyes peeled to the ground. She followed the sounds of battle and the occasional blue flame. Finally, she jumped and landed on a roof that looked like a simple gust of wind would make it collapse and noticed people down on the ground. Six people were surrounding one girl in the corner of two remains of walls, all in a fighting stance, all concentrated on the girl so hard they failed to notice Lian standing there on the rooftop. She saw Iroh among them, and there was Zuko as well, right next to the strange girl they'd shared tea with just hours before. There was another girl with a long, dark brown braid and when Lian's eyes fell upon her, she immediately thought, '_A Waterbender_', and a second later realized that she knew it was true, but had never seen the girl in her life. Her eyes traveled to the next person and… And…

And then she saw him.

The cornered female had said something about enemies and traitors working together and threw her hands up in defeat, but all Lian saw was the second boy on the right. A bald boy with tattooed arrows on his head and hands. Air Nomad clothing. The Avatar. There was that pull again, the powerful tug of her very soul that almost made her fall from the ruins. She felt an odd burst of happiness that flooded her body and it almost made her want to cry. It was as if the mere sight of him saved her life. Lian made a move to jump down in front of the boy and hug the spirits out of him when, in the corner of her eyes, she saw the cornered woman performing an attack.

Time was reduced to slow-motion and her mind went out like the light. The vile girl pointed her fingers right at Iroh and her fingertips sparked with electricity.

The first thing that hit Lian was the intent to kill. She felt it like she felt the sun on her skin hours before, like she felt the wind moving her hair. The spark turned into a full-blown string of electricity, and it was aimed, Lian was sure, at the man's heart. Without casting another look in the Avatar's direction, Lian lost herself in the moment and _willed_ herself to appear elsewhere. She disappeared from the rooftop in a small cloud of mist and reappeared right in front of Iroh, her arms outstretched, her eyes narrowed and pupil-less.

The thunderbolt hit her square on, electricity flowing through her whole body and soul before getting out through her back and finally landing on it's target. Although the killing intent was taken away when she tried to shield the man from it, it still managed to sent Iroh flying. Lian stood on her feet just long enough to hear a scream, and to see all four elements combine into one right in front of her.

Her last thought was '_Avatar Aang_' before she collapsed into darkness.

* * *

**A/N**: If you like the story, please let me know that I'm on the right path. If you have comments or constructive criticism, I really want to hear (er, read) it. I tend to re-read every chapter over and over again, but I still manage to miss some things and, as you can probably tell, I struggle with grammar – English is not my first language ^^'

Please leave a review!


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N**: Wow, 6 reviews! I am so happy! Thank you, **C**, **GoldenGyrfalcon**, **Kellieekelliee**, **Redshoes07** and **Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967** for taking the time! And thank you, **Raux**! You are way too sweet :D Nothing makes me as motivated to write as reviews. I hope you will continue to enjoy my story :)

* * *

Chapter Five

It was exquisite.

The dense, rich green forest that surrounded her was filled with animal noises, most beautiful colors and scents one can only imagine. Lian pulled a few branches of a nearby weeping willow away as if they were a curtain and her eyes lit up with joy. A vast, clear blue lake came into view, with a few big rocks near the shore and a waterfall in the distance. She walked towards the lake slowly and as she passed, the bushes she'd brushed against sprouted brightly colored flowers. Her bare feet sank into the golden sand and Lian sighed contently, feeling peaceful and at home. The water was inches away, waiting calmly, and she was once again her own ruler.

Lian was one step away from touching it, when something thin and hot tied itself around her throat with an audible _snap_. Her hands shot up immediately and she felt metal burning her fingertips.

"_It is time."_

'_No,_' she thought frantically, fighting against the pull as the noises of the forest began to die down. '_No, no, it's too soon!_'

The chain yanked her back a few steps, but she struggled. The glorious lake, the clear blue sky, the green forest – it all started melting into one fuzzy image as she was pulled further and further back. She tried grabbing the chain once more, but it seemed to burn itself into her skin.

'_No, please, I'm not ready!_'

"_The Avatar needs you now."_

One last powerful pull backwards and she found herself falling.

* * *

Zuko entered the broken-down shack in the deep outskirts of the abandoned city, carrying Lian's unconscious body in his arms. He put her down gently on the dirty, dust covered floor before returning to dismount his uncle's limp body from the ostrich horse. The task wasn't as easy as it was with the girl, but eventually Zuko had both his companions under the roof, the ostrich horse tied to a post in the back with plenty of shade and water.

Moving quickly and with precision, the prince fished out a thick roll of bandages and a small jar with some leftover medicine that Song had given them. He loosened his uncle's clothes and applied the strongly scented goo all over the red, bothered skin, noticing the place lightning had struck directly. Applying just a little more medicine in that particular spot, Zuko looked up at his uncle's face with worry. His heartbeat and steady breathing assured the prince that Iroh would live, but the longer he remained unconscious the more anxious the teen grew. Tying the bandages up to keep them in place, Zuko stood up and glanced at the opposite end of the room.

Lian's face was calm, for the most part. There were times where her brow twitched, or lips parted, a shiver ran through her body, but other than that, she looked like she was merely sleeping.

He'd been surprised to see that she was alive. After what seemed like an hour of weighing his options and trying to find some sense in the situation, he had picked her up and walked alongside the ostrich horse all the way to the shack. Staring at her face as if answers would appear written all over her forehead, Zuko twisted his own face in a thoughtful scowl. There she'd gone and done it again. He'd seen it with his own eyes; she had appeared in front of his uncle out of nowhere. And then, when he'd yelled at the Avatar and his little gang to leave, he'd seen something even more strange and infuriating. The Avatar was looking at her face in a very, very odd way. The rest of the group listened to him and backed away, but the Airbender kept turning around to throw a glance at Lian. Zuko could not place that look, but he knew he didn't like it. It was as if he'd almost… _recognized_ her.

Alas, there was nothing more to do than wait for her to wake up. '_If she ever wakes up,_' Zuko thought, shifting on the floor slightly. He'd be furious if she left him without a single word of explanation. Zuko looked down at the thin roll of bandages he was toying with unconsciously. Wondering if he should check the state of her skin as well, Zuko moved closer until he found himself kneeling beside her.

She had jumped in front of his uncle to protect him from an attack.

The realization was sudden and managed to baffle him somehow. They didn't know who she was – '_Agni, even she didn't know that!_' – and yet she was there, appeared out of thin air right in front of Iroh. Zuko's frown deepened slightly when his thoughts focused on his sister. The way she released the attack, it was so fast and seemed so easy… He didn't even have the time to blink and it was charging at his uncle, and Zuko could do nothing but stare. And Lian _materialized_ just in time… His eyes slid from her face and down, stopping at the area below her chest, where Azula's lightning made contact.

'_She probably looks worse than Uncle,_' the scarred prince mused, lifting his hand hesitantly. He sneaked a quick glance at her face and regretted it immediately. It made him feel like he was doing something he wasn't supposed to do. Was that the case? Should he just leave her as she was, without even taking a look at her injuries? He only wanted to make sure…

'_Get it together,_' Zuko scolded himself. '_You have to take a look somehow,_'

After one last second of hesitation, his hand landed on her stomach. Encouraged by the fact that nothing happened, Zuko moved his hand to the hem of her thin shirt to lift it up.

"Oooh,"

"Uncle!" withdrawing his hand as if burnt, Zuko left the girl and knelt by his uncle's side just as Iroh cracked his eyes open. "You were unconscious. Azula did this to you. It was a surprise attack."

Iroh lifted himself up slowly, wincing as he touched the bandages. "Somehow, that's not so surprising," he remarked dryly, then looked through his nephew's shoulder. "Lian!" he uttered, trying to stand up, but failing with a groan, "Is she okay?"

"She's unconscious," Zuko said, also shifting his eyes to the girl. "But she's alive."

"I'm glad you've taken her with you," Iroh uttered quietly, nodding at he prince.

Zuko looked down, unable to meet his uncle's eyes. "I did it because I have a lot of questions," he rushed to say, "Like how did she _appear_ in front of you."

"And how is she still alive." Iroh added. When his nephew looked at him with wide eyes, he elaborated, "Azula was not planning to poke me with that attack. She wanted to do as much damage as possible, maybe even kill me." He nodded in Lian's direction, "When Lian jumped in to save me, she took the killing intent away, leaving only pure energy. The question is how did the attack… go _through_ her without killing her?"

The men fell silent as they watched Lian breathe in and out. Then, Zuko reached for a kettle he'd prepared earlier, poured some tea into a cup and handed his uncle. "I hope I made it the way you like it."

Grateful, Iroh took a sip, but as soon as the tea touched his tongue, he yelped in surprise and disgust. "G-good," he masked his feelings quickly. He took another sip to quickly finish the drink, "That was very, uh... bracing!"

Zuko poured him some more and Iroh accepted, tossing the drink out the window when his nephew wasn't looking.

"So, uncle, I've been thinking," Zuko began solemnly, "It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a _chance_ against her. I know what you're going to say," he said quickly, "That she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her."

"No," Iroh put the cup down, "She's crazy and she needs to go down."

Zuko blinked in surprise, then nodded.

Iroh got up shakily and looked down at his nephew. "It's time to resume your training."

* * *

It was dark all around her.

Lian looked from side to side, but she couldn't see anything at all. She was standing on and was surrounded by complete darkness. And it didn't feel right, for some reason. In fact, it felt very, very wrong. As if she was being watched by hundreds of eyes, the intensity of their glare making her skin tingle. The only thing she knew at the moment was that she should move, get away, go back. To Zuko and Iroh.

Iroh…

The last time she saw him, she'd shielded him from an attack that most certainly would take his life. So, was she dead? _'No, I'm not,'_ Lian though, once again surprised by the certainty of her inner voice. _'I can't die.'_ Shocked by the thought and yet somehow completely calm, as if it was a fact she has been familiar with for a long time, Lian tried taking a step forward, but her feet were stuck to the non-existent ground. The cold, alien feeling of dread stirred at the bottom of her stomach when she pulled at her legs. Neither moved.

"_Why?"_

Her head turned, eyes searching frantically for the source, but the unearthly voice that spoke seemed to be coming from everywhere. From behind, from the front, from both sides, up and down and from within her head.

"Hello?" Lian called out, her voice echoing weakly. She swallowed, trying to get rid of the horrible dry feeling in her throat.

"_Why did you choose that human? The Avatar was right there."_

"Who's there?!" she yelled louder. The voice was oddly familiar, but she was sure she'd never heard it before. Or had she? She was so confused that she didn't understand her own chaotic thoughts.

"_You were created with only one purpose."_

Pain exploded at the back of her head and Lian flinched, squeezing her eyes shut. Behind her eyelids she saw a colorful, serene scene with lots of green grass, golden sand and crystal water, but it flickered briefly and was swallowed by the darkness. Another firework of pain and the view came back, but it looked like she was being dragged away from it, away from the blooming flowers and the waterfall which seemed to be calling her name. For a brief moment, barely a second, she felt different. Powerful. Invincible. _Angry_.

Suddenly, her arms flew to the sides, outstretched, and she felt an icy cold sensation as if her wrists were caught in invisible shackles. Immediately, Lian began to struggle against them, but the more she did, the farther the cold feeling spread up her arms. The strange mixture of rage and power evaporated as quickly as it came and she was left confused once again.

"No, s-stop!" she cried, trying to pull her arms away, but to no avail. Panic rising fast, Lian began to thrash around and scream, "I did what I felt was right! The man saved my life and I saved his! It was right!"

"_You are the Avatar's Shou. You are forbidden to interfere in earthly matters unless your Avatar is in danger."_

"The Avatar left me a hundred years ago!" she screamed back, pulling at the invisible restraints with all her might and not really registering what was coming out of her mouth. The ice cold feeling covered her arms and snaked to her chest. "I did what was right! I saved a man who saved me! It was right!"

Somewhere in front of her, a blue light sparked, making the girl freeze in her place. It danced in a circle and her eyes widened, pupils shrunk. Lighting.

"_**NO!**_" Lian screamed, her body jerking as she tried to move out of the way. "It was right! It was _right_! **It was right!** It was… AAAAAAH!"

* * *

Her head was exploding. She felt her skull pulse with such pain that it made her feel dizzy. Something was running through her body, radiating from somewhere right below her collarbone and spreading to her legs and arms, mixed with her chi. Her fingers twitched and a small flicker of lightning appeared between them. She grit her teeth and felt she had to let go of that thing somehow, just breathe out and release it. Her low growl turned in a short scream when she forced the thing to detach itself from the chi and Lian jerked up, a string of blue lightning escaping through the pendant of her necklace, crashing into the wooden wall. The impact created a small hole, but didn't cause any other damage.

Lian fell back, crashing against the floor. The pendant that was resting below her collarbone was burning her skin, but she barely felt it. She was disoriented and hurt. The straw, damaged roof swayed and she slipped back into oblivion.

It didn't last long. Not more than an hour later Lian's eyes opened once more. It took a while to adjust them to the early afternoon light, but when they did, she sat up tentatively and looked around. A run-down shack stripped of all furniture, familiar looking baggage and a fireplace that was currently extinguished. When she felt a little stronger, Lian got up and used what little water was left in the pot to freshen up a bit. Her eyes landed on her one-strap bag and it all came back to her.

"Iroh!" she called out, looking for the older man frantically. Somewhere not too far away from the shack, an explosion sounded and she braced herself.

Lian walked out of the shack cautiously, staying in the shadow as another explosion shook the ground. She peeked around the corner and saw Zuko lying in the dirt win an angry expression on his face.

"Why can't I do it?!" he screamed, frustrated, "Instead of lightning, it keeps exploding in my face! Like everything always does!" his shoulders slumped.

Lightning? Lian blinked as she remembered a deadly current of blue lightning cursing through her. Her hand twitched at the memory.

"I was afraid this might happen," she heard Iroh speak, and saw him coming towards his nephew. Her heart did a small summersault of happiness when she saw that, apart from some bandages, he seemed healthy and well. "You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you."

Zuko turned to him with an angry frown. "_What_ turmoil?"

Iroh's next words were too quiet for her to hear, but she did catch Zuko's strong response, "But I don't feel any shame at all! I'm as proud as ever!"

Lian huffed at that despite herself, but Iroh continued calmly and this time she did hear what he was saying. "Prince Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but its _source_. True humility is the only antidote to shame."

"Well," the boy scowled at the ground, "My life has been nothing but humbling lately."

"I have another idea." Iroh said, "I will teach you a firebending move that even Azula doesn't know," he pointed at himself with a smirk, "Because I made it up myself!"

Lian saw Zuko turn to his uncle and smile sincerely. It was the first time she'd seen him smile like that, his trademark scowl gone without a trace. Feeling a smile form on her own lips at the sight, she backed away into the shack to leave them to their training and rest.

The sun began it's journey towards the horizon line when Lian emerged from the shack again. She saw Iroh and Zuko moving in a wave-like manner, Iroh explaining something to his nephew, who was listening closely. She smiled a little and started walking towards them. She watched as Iroh pointed at the sky with two fingers of his right hand, his left hand pointing from the right arm, then down to the stomach area, rubbed it and laughed, but Zuko didn't seem too amused. Finally, Iroh pointed at the sky with his other arm and lowered them both, walking up to his nephew.

"… The stomach detour is critical. You must not let the lightning pass through your heart, or the damage could be deadly," he pointed two fingers at Zuko's chest and Lian paused. Something about that scene seemed familiar.

.  
_"_… _I can teach you, Avatar! I can teach you to control your chi, I can teach you to make it flow as you command, I can – "  
But the bald boy was already out of her sight.  
_.

"You may wish to try a physical motion to get a feel for the pathway's flow. Like this," Iroh took the same stance, pointing his left hand at the sky and tracing the path with his right hand. Zuko mirrored him. They did that twice and Iroh spoke again, "Now, are you focusing your energy? Can you feel your own chi flowing in, down, up, and out?"

"I think so," Zuko said uncertainly.

"Now, Zuko, don't lie,"

The men turned and noticed Lian walking towards them with a smile.

"Lian!" Iroh exclaimed with surprise, jogged up to the girl and, before she could say anything, engulfed her in a hug.

Lian's eyes widened at the gesture, but let out a laugh and hugged him back. "I'm so glad you're okay, Iroh." Her eyes shifted to Zuko, who surprised her further by looking somewhat relieved to see her standing. The look soon melted into one of careful suspicion. She returned it with a bright smile, which in turn made him look away with a huff.

"_I'm_ okay? It was you who took the worse hit, foolish girl!" the man scolded, pushing her away and holding at arm's length. He searched her face with worry. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm okay," she nudged him in the shoulder gently, a grin forming on her face. "Just a little _light_ headed!"

Iroh couldn't help but laugh at the silly pun that she'd picked up from him at some point of their journey, but grew somber quickly. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Lian shrugged, her expression sheepish. "It was pretty bad after I woke up, but I think the worst is over now."

"How is that possible?" Iroh asked, and Zuko noticed there was a perfect mix of genuine curiosity and an undertone of suspicion in his tone.

It was so subtle that Lian didn't seem to notice. "I'm not too sure," she admitted with another shrug, "All I know is that I wanted you safe, and the next moment I… Well, I can't seem to recall much more after that."

"You appeared in front of Uncle and survived Azula's attack," Zuko supplied dryly from the background. "I was hoping you'd have something to say about that."

Iroh looked from his nephew's hard scowl and dead set glare to Lian's face, which all of a sudden slipped into an impassive expression. After a second, a small smile appeared on her lips.

"That's a nice trick you're trying to learn there," she began unexpectedly, walking up to him. "But you're not focusing on your chi at all. Here," she moved behind him and nudged his wrists up. Zuko was about to tell her that the last thing he wanted was her help and what else she could do with it, but then her two fingers touched his and he jumped, surprised by the delicate jolt that ran through his body.

"The lightning enters your body through those two fingers," she said and he felt her breath tickle his ear. She was standing way too close for him to feel comfortable, not to mention concentrated. "You let it travel down your arm," her fingers made said travel lightly and Zuko could feel the hot sensation they left behind, "Then, the lightning enters your stomach as you concentrate to let it out," her other hand came from around him, and for a slight moment it felt like she was hugging him from behind, but then she took the first hand away. A strand of her hair grazed his neck, sending a shiver through his body as she continued, "You allow it to go up your other arm all the way to the fingers," her fingertips made contact with his and there was that sensation again, that hot spark when her skin touched his, "And you let it out in the direction you point at."

Finally, she withdrew her hand away and stepped back. "So? Do you feel it now?"

Zuko was unable to reply at first. Once the heat of her body stopped radiating on his back, he could focus on what she'd done and, to his shock, he did feel something. Staring down at his hands in wonder, Zuko nodded. Lian smiled and turned to walk away.

"I'm going to make some tea. Please take a break soon, Iroh. You shouldn't be on your feet too much," with a short bow, she left them.

Zuko watched her leave for a moment before turning back to his uncle. He was about to ask if they could train some more, but the expression on the man's face made him almost choke on air.

"What?" he demanded as his uncle stared at him with squinted eyes and the most suggestive grin he'd seen.

"Do you _feel_ it now, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked sweetly, his grin widening. "I bet you felt it, if that blush is anything to go by!"

"I... I," Zuko felt said blush resurfacing, "I am _not_ blushing!" he resumed his stance, refusing to look at his uncle. "Can we continue or not?!"

They did until the sky darkened with storm clouds and Iroh decided that his nephew was ready. Zuko was excited to have finished, and asked his uncle to throw some lightning at him to try if he'd really mastered it. Iroh refused hotly and Zuko rode off on the ostrich horse, wanting to find his own lightning to train on.

Iroh watched him leave with resignation, then walked towards the shack just as the first drops of rain poured down from the grey sky.

"Finally!" Lian exclaimed as he entered, but her smile fell as she saw him face. "What's wrong?"

"Zuko ran off to train with real lightning." Iroh sighed and slumped down.

"But that's dangerous!" Lian cried, standing up immediately, "That idiot!" she looked at Iroh. "Isn't there any other way for him to see if it works? Without the chance of him killing himself?"

The man grabbed his tea mug and sighed again, deeply. "I'm afraid not. Lightning is a form of energy that can flow through one's body following the trail made by their chi. There is no energy similar to that, aside from chi itself."

Lian looked down, then blinked. "Chi… itself?" she whispered to herself. Her wide eyes traveled from the fire to Iroh before settling on the entrance of the shack. Without another word, she bolted outside.

Iroh stared after her with raised eyebrows. "Young people," he muttered, taking a sip of his drink.

* * *

Zuko's angry voice rang through the heavy rain as he challenged that thunder to strike him. Every time thunder rumbled through the sky, Lian ducked and covered her head, and was able to resume her run after a few moments of deep, calming breaths. She ran as fast as she could and soon noticed the familiar ostrich horse in the distance. She waved her hand and an umbrella-shaped shield appeared above the animal, while she waited in the rain, letting the water soak through her hair and clothes and prickle at the exposed skin of her face, neck, arms and legs. She waited while hugging herself and covering her face every time there was a flash from behind the clouds.

Zuko appeared a long, long while later, his eyes downcast and sort of red around the edges. He looked so exhausted and disheartened as he raised his arm to wipe his face with his soaked sleeve. He noticed Lian huddling against the rock next to the animal and stopped dead in his tracks.

"What do you want," he rasped out, looking at the ground near her feet.

Without looking at her he could see that she braced herself and glanced at the sky with wary before straightening her back. "Let's try your technique out,"

At that, Zuko looked up sharply. "Are you mocking me or something? Why are you here?!"

Lian returned his angry gaze with a calm and serious one. "Take your stance." She said as the rain poured down on them.

"Get lost," he barked, walking up to the ostrich horse. He reached out to grab the reins, but her hand clasped around his wrist, making his eyes widen in surprise before he regained balance.

Lian released his wrist and walked away from him and the animal, circling the prince. He kept his eyes on her until she made him turn around, then crouched slightly, her hands in the same position he'd been mastering the whole day.

"Take your stance, Prince Zuko!" she repeated loudly and somewhere in the distance lightning rumbled quietly. Her jaw twitched and her whole frame shook, but she stood her ground.

Zuko was taken aback. She had never called him that.

Lian seemed to grow tired of waiting, because she focused, breathed out and pointed her fingers at him. Zuko instinctively pointed his own fingers, half-expecting lightning to come out of hers, which he knew was ridiculous. It seemed that nothing came out from her pointed fingers, but then Zuko felt as if his fingertips were on fire, the invisible flame licking through his body, growing cooler as it entered his arm. He stumbled back in shock.

"Focus!" he heard Lian's voice somewhere in the distance. His hand was shaking violently, the cold flame pulsing inside, trying to tear his whole arm apart. Then, just as sudden as it came, it vanished. He looked at his hand. There was no sign of the pain that had just ended.

His golden eyes met Lian's. She did not move from the stance, looking at him with her narrowed eyes, wet strands of hair clinging to her forehead and cheeks.

"What was that?" Zuko asked, his voice barely louder than the rain.

"My chi." Lian replied simply. "Get ready, it's coming again!"

Pushing aside the million questions for the time being, Zuko readied himself and Lian pointed at him once again. His fingers burnt, the foreign energy entered his body and he willed it to travel down his arm and into his stomach, but once it got there, he lost concentration and felt it slipping out of his control, making him double over with pain. The chi evaporated from his body as Lian summoned it back.

"Come on, Zuko!" Lian encouraged, "Push it out!"

On his third try, he managed to mix her chi with his own, push it out of his stomach and into the other arm, but hesitated with directing it and Lian had to pull her energy back again. Both teens were panting with effort.

"It's not as easy as I thought," Lian breathed to herself before straightening up. "One last time, Zuko. Remember the path and direct the flow where you _want_ it to go. Ready?"

Zuko nodded with determination and recalled the path her fingers designated earlier that day. Lian's chi entered his body again. His arm burnt as it passed to his stomach, then to his other arm, and this time, he did not hesitate. He pointed his arm up and let out a yell as he released the power that coursed through him, his fingertips tingling as the chi exited his body. He was looking up, in the direction he'd fired, and after a few seconds he saw that the small amount of Lian's chi made the storm cloud above him tear and disintegrate. For a moment, Zuko was standing in a rain-less spot, a piece of cloudless sky above his head and the faint moonlight illuminating his figure, reflecting in his triumphant eyes.

"I…" he said as another cloud covered the empty spot and the rain resumed. "I DID IT!"

He looked in Lian's direction and a vast portion of his joy dissolved hen he saw her on her knees, breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?" he knelt by her side and put a hand on her shaking shoulder.

She let out a huff of laughter. "I'll live," she whispered, "I just… Imagined it would be easier, for some reason." She raised her head to look at him and he saw her blue eyes flicker with exhaustion.

Zuko jumped on the ostrich horse, which was still shielded from the rain, and pulled her up behind him. Lian put her arms around his torso and rested her cheek against his shoulder. Zuko felt her relax against him and gripped the reins, nudging the animal to start walking.

They rode back to the shack in silence, when Lian spoke up weakly.

"Could you… not mention anything to Iroh? Please," she huffed out.

Zuko glanced back at the top of her head. "Sure," he agreed after a moment. "But how were you able to do it? Release and control your chi outside of your body, I mean?"

Lian was quiet and he turned his head as far as he could to look at her. She was fast asleep.

* * *

**A/N**: Listen up, my lovelies! I am almost at the finish line with university, but I need to put extra work into papers and exams, so I ask you to be patient. As soon as I'm finished (I should be done by the end of the month), I will be able to focus solely on this story. Just so you know, it's all planned out and the general sketch is complete, so all that's left is to actually sit down and write, write, write :D

Please be patient and send your love and encouragement through reviews! Thank you all!


	7. Chapter 6

It's been way too long... I'm very sorry you had to wait, but the next one is almost done and will be up in a few days to make up for the long break :)

Thank you, my dear Readers, especially **bendergurl123**, **Sokkatara**, **SoulDea**, **Guest 1**, **Guest 2** and **Guest 3**, **Raux, VIVI**, **TeamTHEFT** and **kurojitsu** for taking the time to review. Each and every one made my day :D

I hope you enjoy this chapter and forgive me for taking so long to update. I _promise_ to never keep you waiting like that ever again!

This chapter takes place during "The Desert", after Appa has been kidnapped.

* * *

Chapter Six

Something was wrong, very wrong. Something was missing, something valuable. Very important. She felt as if something (_someone_) drilled a hole inside of her, and she felt the emptiness. The feeling was suffocating and dark, dark and hot. She was angry. No, more than angry; furious. And frustrated. And so…_ determined_.

_Where is he?_

Lian opened her eyes slowly, her head pounding steadily. She felt like she had just screamed her heart out in the middle of a canyon and had to listen to the echo of her own voice getting louder. In reality, she was sitting on the ostrich horse, sandwiched between her two companions, her head resting lightly against Zuko's shoulder. It had been a difficult few days, with the weather getting hotter and not a drop of water in sight. Perhaps that was what made her so… cranky. Mad. Upset.

A distant voice grew closer once she slowly came to and she recognized it as Iroh's groans of pain right behind her.

"Whatisit," Lian mumbled into Zuko's shirt.

"Oh, nothing at all," Iroh cried weakly before resuming his pained moans.

"Maybe we should make camp." Zuko said finally. Lian lifted her head from its' resting spot. It felt way too heavy.

"No, please!" Iroh protested with a big sigh, "Don't stop just for me!"

Zuko threw an annoyed glance through his shoulder which Lian caught and mirrored, and pulled at the reins, stopping the animal. The three dismounted (Lian tumbled slightly making Zuko furrow his brows) and Iroh sat down heavily on a flat rock. Lian landed next to him, then tipped herself backwards and lied on her back. Her head was killing her and the weather was too hot. Their drinking water supply was getting low and there was no river to stock up. Where could they find water? A river, a pond, anything. Where was it?

_Where?_

Lian closed her eyes. She noted with some surprise that she wasn't asking about water anymore.

The ostrich horse moved suddenly as if it'd picked up a scent and Zuko shifted into a defensive position.

"What now?" Iroh moaned, standing up.

Soon enough, five rhinos with dangerous-looking men riding them circled the three.

"Colonel Mongke!" Iroh uttered cheerfully, putting a hand on Zuko's shoulder. His nephew did not relax. "What a pleasant surprise!"

Lian turned her head to look at the rider Iroh had addressed. He was a dangerous-looking man, with gold hoop earrings in his ears and nose and a feather tucked into his hair. She hoped they would leave them alone; her head was about to explode and it really was _too hot_.

"If you're surprised we're here, then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps," the man replied, hitting his metal-covered forearms against each other, sending sparks fly. The rest of the warriors readied their weapons.

"You know these guys?" Zuko asked.

"Sure." Iroh said lightly, "Colonel Mongke and the Rough Riders are legendary. Each one is a different kind of weapons specialist. They are also a very capable singing group." He added as an afterthought.

"We're not here to give concerts," the man addressed as Mongke said angrily.

"Thank the Spirits,"

All men turned to look at the girl, who never moved from her position on the rock. Iroh's and Zuko's brows shot up and they noticed she seemed vaguely surprised that the words actually came out, as if they slipped out. Then, her face returned to the half-calm, half-pained expression she had before. She sat up slowly , rubbing the back of her head. "Can… Can you just go? We're not looking for trouble."

Mongke laughed cruelly. "You're not _looking_ for trouble? Girl, we're here to apprehend fugitives like you, you don't need to look for trouble. You _are_ trouble."

"Would you like some tea first?" Iroh interrupted kindly, "I'd love some. How about you, Kachi?" he eyes the man with the braided beard. "I make you as a jasmine man. Am I right?"

"Enough stalling!" Mongke roared, "Round 'em up!"

The man with the iron ball and chain attacked, throwing the ball right at Iroh. The old man kicked it in the direction of another Rough Rider, making the ball tie itself around the Rider's animal's leg. Then, Iroh ran up to the surprised rhino and slapped its' behind, sending it galloping away. The ball-and-chain wielding man had no time to react as he was yanked off his animal and sent flying.

Another man fired flaming arrows at Zuko's back, but the boy turned and chopped them in half in midair with his palm, then sent a string of fire that went through the man's bow and damaged the string.

Seeing that the two had the situation under control, Lian grabbed their ostrich horse's reins and tried to calm the animal down before hopping on. She extended her arm to Iroh, who grabbed it and jumped onto the ostrich horse with surprising swiftness. She led the animal forward, where Zuko was waiting to join them. He leaped forward and, with an impressive turn, landed perfectly in front of her. Lian looked back to make sure they were safe.

They weren't.

"Look out!" she called as she saw the last warrior throw a bomb in their direction. She tried reaching for the reins which Zuko was holding, grabbing his hands instead, and pulled them back to slow the animal down. The bomb hit the ground in front of them and exploded, creating thick black smoke. Zuko kicked the ostrich horse to make it go as fast as possible and they broke through the smoke, leaving the last Rough Rider standing on his own.

"It's nice to see old friends," Iroh said pleasantly from behind Lian.

"Too bad you don't have any old friends that don't want to attack you," Zuko remarked wryly.

"Hmm... Old friends that don't want to attack me..." Iroh repeated, as if he had trouble imagining it.

Despite her foul humor, Lian chuckled quietly. Then, she noticed she hadn't let go of Zuko's hands, so she did as inconspicuously as she could, grabbing onto his shirt for support instead.

Of course, he noticed.

* * *

Lian's humor gradually plummeted again as they rode on. The sky turned darker as the sun travelled lower as the three refugees rode on in silence. Eventually, they reached a village and stopped at a small, crowded bar. They were lucky enough to seat themselves at the last available table and Lian offered to get them drinks. Both Iroh and Zuko couldn't help but notice how quiet she'd been acting all day, so they let her go.

Iroh sat down at the table with a sigh and moved to look around, but caught his nephew staring at their female companion who was talking with the bartender. The man behind the counterscoffed and shook his head at her. She reached out and grabbed his arm before he could walk away, making him turn to her once again. His face lost its' gruff look and his eyebrows shot up before a wide, knowing grin spread on his face. He said something and Lian's head went up and down in an eager nod.

"You could try and ask," the man uttered, making Zuko tear his eyes away with a start, "Although I would advise against it. Give her a little time, and if she's still –"

"What are you talking about, Uncle?" Zuko looked as far away from the bar as possible.

Iroh smiled, but caught Lian making her way back to their table with a small tray in her hands. She set the tray on the table and snatched a bottle from it before anyone could spare it a glance. Iroh took his cup with a nod of gratitude, but Zuko eyed her bottle with a small frown.

"What is that?" he leaned in to read the label, but she turned the bottle so that he couldn't. She tugged the cork open and Iroh's eyes widened as the smell hit his nose.

"What are you _doing_?" he asked her incredulously. "You can't drink that!"

"Don't," she warned, turning her back on him and taking a big gulp. Her face contorted slightly as she lowered the bottle.

"Is that… alcohol?" Zuko asked disbelievingly.

"You're not old enough! How did you even manage to buy that?" Iroh continued to scold her, reaching out to take the drink from her hands, but before he could, she stood up and took a step back.

"I think I'm gonna go over there," she said in annoyance and walked away to take a seat at the bar.

Zuko and Iroh exchanged glances, their eyebrows raised.

* * *

Lian felt awful. She knew she was behaving scandalously, but she couldn't help it. She knew something was not right, she could feel it – but not being able to put a finger on it made her grow more and more irritated, as if she had an itch she could not quite reach and scratch. She tried to think it through as she ordered and opened her second bottle, blaming her mood on the fact that they've been traveling through a desert with not a drop of water anywhere but in their pouches. Perhaps she was just cranky from the uncomfortable ride. But the source of the mood drop was something that was deeper than all that. Lian felt suddenly alone and angry at no one in particular. She ordered another drink and glanced in the direction of their table. She saw her companions get up and join an old, bald man who was sitting at the Pai Sho table. Zuko's annoyed expression caused a wry smile to appear on her face.

Her attention turned to them again as she finished her third bottle. By then a light buzzing began replacing the throbbing in her head.

"It's over!" a man with long hair walked up to the Pai Sho table, accompanied by a man dressed in formal robes. "You two fugitives are coming with me!"

Lian's eyes narrowed, but the Pai Sho player reacted immediately. "I knew it! You two are wanted criminals with a giant bounty on your heads!" his voice was unnecessary loud as he pointed at them with his finger. For some reason, Lian thought he looked comical.

"I thought you said he would help!" Zuko growled at his uncle, who was smiling calmly.

"He is," he replied quietly, "Just watch."

"You think you're going to capture them and collect all that **gold**?!" the player turned to the strange duo, putting extra stress on the last word. That made the whole bar stop and look in their direction.

"Gold?" someone repeated.

One by one, the men in the bar stood up from their seats. Lian whirled around to the bartender. "One more to go, please," she said quickly.

"Uh, maybe we shouldn't," the man in the formal robes said uncertainly.

He barely finished saying that when every guy in the bar rounded against him and his companion.

"Come on," Zuko hissed from behind Lian, and before she knew it, she was spun around and tugged after him and out of the bar. Her hand clenched around the bottle protectively.

They followed the Pai Sho player until they reached a flower shop in the center of the town. The man closed the door behind them carefully, then turned to Iroh and bowed suddenly.

"It is an honor to welcome such a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus. Being a Grand Master, you must know so many secrets." He said cordially.

"You're a White Lotus member!" Lian exclaimed in a loud whisper before she could stop herself, then paused. "Wait… what's a White Lotus?"

"Now that you played Pai Sho, are you going to do some flower arranging, or is this club going to offer some _real_ help?" Zuko ignored her, following his uncle and the man further into the shop.

"You must forgive my nephew. He is not an initiate and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts." Iroh explained in a pained voice.

The Pai Sho player-slash-White Lotus member smiled before knocking on the back door. A small rectangular hole in the middle slid open and another man peeked out.

"Who knocks at the guarded gate?" he demanded.

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries." Iroh replied cryptically.

Lian's eyebrows shot up, but the answer must have been a right one, because the door opened and he and the Pai Sho player entered the back room. Zuko made a move to follow them, but the door closed shut in his face. The rectangular hole slid open again and Iroh's narrowed eyes appeared.

"I'm afraid it's members only." He said flatly. "Wait out here."

"Can I become a member?" Lian pushed Zuko away and leaned against the door, trying to peek through the hole. "I have knowledge that could interest you and your friends," she paused, her brows furrowed in a confused manner. "I think."

Iroh laughed. "I'm sure you do, dear. How about you entertain my nephew with that knowledge?" and with that, the hole was shut.

"No one can entertain Mr. Grumpy," Lian mumbled.

"Hey!" Zuko protested, "I'm not the one that's been moping around the whole day!"

Lian shuffled over to a table and picked up the flowerpot that was on it. The flower growing in it was dry and almost dead. She looked at the brown petals with a small frown and set it down somewhere else before lying down on the now empty table, her legs dangling in the air. "Yeah, well, it's a bad day. You're having a bad _year_."

Zuko scowled. "You have no idea."

"I have more idea than you know."

Zuko crossed his arms and leaned against a stone pillar, his eyes closed. He wished his uncle would hurry up with his secret club meeting. Somewhere in the back of the shop, a clock ticked the seconds away. Ten… Fifteen… Agni, why was it so slow?

"You should frown less."

Zuko's eyes flew open to see Lian standing in front of him, her eyes studying his face closely. "Aah!" he yelped and faltered, almost falling over. "Don't stand so close! What's wrong with you?"

"I might have had one too many of those magical bottles," she replied, her face impassive but her speech a little rushed, and did not stop studying him. She was standing so close, he could almost see his own reflection in her wide eyes. He refused to let her get to him, choosing to ignore her scrutiny. Of course she would go and get herself tipsy, that irresponsible, irritating, untrustworthy –

"I like your hair." Lian said suddenly and, before he could register her words, brought her hand up to run her fingers through it. Zuko moved instinctively, catching her wrist before she could touch him.

"Maybe you should sit down and get some rest," he said with annoyance, focusing his exasperated gaze somewhere near her chin. She was standing way too close.

"Maybe you should smile more." Lian retorted childishly. "I saw you smile once before, and you looked good. With that scar on your face and that eternal frown, you look like a vengeful Spirit,"

It was hard to keep the embarrassed blush away from his face when she said things like that. Releasing her wrist, he decided to take some offence from the last part and ignore everything else she'd said. "Maybe I will, if you back away," Zuko tried to keep his voice strong and demanding and, surprisingly, she listened. Lian sat down, her back against the pillar, knees pulled to her chest and arms around them. She looked up at him.

"I really hope that was a promise," she said and there it was again, the way the light went out from her eyes, that plummet in her mood that irritated the living soul out of him. "If I died right now, I would be the one to become a vengeful Spirit."

"What are you talking about?" Zuko fought to keep his voice not too loud. He didn't know why was she acting the way she did, but it was beginning to seriously aggravate him. "You won't die right now or anytime soon, so don't even think like that! And…" he wavered, but continued as she directed her big-eyed gaze at him, "And you're way too nice to become a vengeful Spirit." He tried making it sound like an insult, but the thankful smile she gave him made him look away quickly.

"I think you're nice, too." Lian said in a quiet, sleepy voice, "Even though you try not to be, you're a good guy, Zuko." She rested her head in her arms. "And keep the hair, okay? I saw one of the old wanted posters and trust me, you're better off with than without."

Zuko looked down at her, his cheeks tinted with a pale blush despite the scowl he trid to keep on. She had her eyes closed and the bottle she'd taken with her from the bar slipped out and rolled away from her. It was empty. With a sigh, he sat down and leaned against the pillar as well, willing his uncle to hurry up.

Neither of them noticed that the flower Lian had touched earlier straightened its' stem and the petals bloomed a pretty pink color.

* * *

Lian heard voices coming from somewhere above her, and a gentle hand landed on her shoulder, shaking her slightly. The simple gesture felt like someone had created a rocky avalanche inside of her head.

"Mmm," she moaned, opening her eyes. "Stop the earthquake,"

"Rise and shine, Lian," Iroh ignored her grimace, grinning down at her cheerfully. "We're on the move again, next stop – Ba Sing Se!"

"Ba Sing Se?" Zuko repeated and she cowered at the volume of his voice. "Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom capital?"

"Shh," Iroh shushed, pointing at the girl with some amusement. "This little lady had one too many drinks yesterday."

"The city is filled with refugees. No one will notice two more." The man that had helped them the night before explained calmly.

"Two?" Zuko shot a glance at Lian, who also raised her head in alarm.

"I wasn't sure you'd like to join us." Iroh admitted, looking down at her.

"Oh…" Lian stood up, grabbing the pillar for support. "I'm… Well, I…"

"Of course, if you want, you are more than welcome. Our passports should arrive any minute now and I asked for one for you, in case you do agree to come." Iroh continued kindly, "We can hide in plain sight there. And it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation, even I couldn't break through to the city." Then, he looked away with a dreamy look in his eyes. "The food is delicious, the people are nice, and the girls are beautiful," nudging Lian playfully, Iroh added, "You'll fit right in, if you choose to come." He then sent his nephew, who looked just a little annoyed, a sly glance. "Don't you agree, Zuko?"

Zuko almost choked on air in reply. He directed one of his famous glares towards his uncle as he felt the temperature in the room shoot up. The old man must have had one too many drinks during his little 'secret meeting' as well.

Lian giggled weakly, deciding to save Zuko from the embarrassment of replying. "If you don't think I'm getting in your way or anything like that, yes, I would love to come along." It's not like she had anywhere else to or anyone else to be with… She frowned as she felt a painful pang in her heart. Yes, Ba Sing Se sounded like a place to go to.

All of a sudden the front door opened and a man rushed in. "I have the passports for our guests," he showed three pieces of paper, "but there are two men out on the streets looking for them."

Iroh and Zuko looked at each other.

* * *

The inside of the clay flower pot was incredibly hot and stuffy, which did not help at all. Lian huffed, irritated. Her air supply seemed to have thinned considerably since they left the flower shop. She straightened her body as much as she could and pushed the fake flowers up. She peeked out and her eye caught Iroh doing exactly the same.

"Is it safe now?" she asked in a whisper, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. "I'm going to suffocate here,"

"If you're feeling so uncomfortable, how about trading places?" Zuko hissed from the front. He was pulling the wagon through the sand, sweat dripping from his face hidden by a wide, straw hat.

"Keep walking, Prince Zuko," she shot back, diving back into the pot.

Iroh chuckled. "You heard the lady. Just a few more minutes and we'll be out of sight." He ducked back inside.

"Just few more minutes, easy for you to say," Zuko grumbled, "I have to carry all the weight, as usual."

There was a muffled sound coming from Lian's pot and Zuko paused again, annoyed. "What is it now, _princess_?"

She didn't reply, but her pot began to shake, very slightly at first, but it quickly turned into a tremble so violent it almost made it fall off the wagon. Zuko let go of the stick and hesitated, taking a step towards it. The brown clay pot shook and lightning-shaped cracks formed on it's smooth surface. Zuko stopped dead in his tracks when a blinding white light poured from the cracks.

Good thing he did, because a second later the pot exploded, sending shards of sharp-edged clay all over. Lian tumbled out of it, lading on the hot sand on all fours. Zuko was at her side in two long strides, knelt down and noticed that her body was shaking as much as the pot had been.

"Lian!" he called, grabbing her by the shoulder. "Lian, what's happening?!"

"_Tell me where Appa is!_" the low growl that came out of her mouth was not Lian's voice at all. It was deep, dangerous and unearthly, and it made Zuko want to take a step back. Instead, he gripped her shoulder tighter.

"Lian, snap out of it!" he yelled, trying to get her to look at him. When he did, he froze.

Her irises and the small upside-down kite on her forehead were glowing white.

"What the… **LIAN**!" Zuko grabbed her by her forearms and squeezed painfully, trying to make her snap out of whatever it was. She directed her glowing gaze to him and he was more than taken aback by the hate and hurt that poured out. As soon as she looked at him, however, something in her face shifted as a shadow of recognition passed over it, and the light began to fade, leaving her eyes wide, greenish blue and very confused. She swayed and slumped forward, landing in his arms limply, the light finally going out completely with one last powerful tremor.

"What… was that?" his uncle asked, staring down at the girl. Zuko didn't even notice him getting out of his flower pot.

Lian panted heavily, like she'd been the one to pull the wagon all the way from the flower shop to that point, and Zuko could feel her heart hammering against his own chest as he sat on the sand, his arms around her, not daring to move.

"I have to…" she gripped the fabric of his shirt weakly as her breath began to even out, "I _need_ to go to Ba Sing Se."


End file.
