Being in a Fire Nation colony was new to Avani. Sure, Ryuu was from the Fire Nation but he had lived in the Earth Kingdom since he was two years old. Aang was the only one excited -though he had kinda affected Avani's emotions into being excited too, but she wasn't- to be near firebenders.

They were looking at a poster about the Fire Day's Festival, where there was going to be cultural exhibits, jugglers, benders, magicians.

Sokka was the first to voice their concerns, seriously "You might wanna rethink that" He nodded at a poster next to the Fire Day's Festival one "Look at this"

Aang and Avani walked closer to the poster, a mix of worry and excitement hitting them, making them frown at each other wondering what emotion came from who.

"That's a poster of you" Avani pointed out

Aang nodded, smiling

"A wanted poster!" Sokka exclaimed "This is bad"

Aang removed the poster from the wall, starting to read it.

Katara stared at the wanted poster uneasily "I think we better keep moving"

Aang looked at Katara. "I have to learn firebending at some point and this could be my only chance to watch a master's up close"

Interest filling Avani made her nod slowly. Aang flashed her a wide smile. However, what Aang didn't know was that Fire was the next element in line in the Avatar cycle for Avani and if the entire Fire Nation was against the Avatar and if they found out an Earth Kingdom girl could bend fire, they would immediately kill her. But she had to bend fire too. She had to master it.

The thought made her pause and silently began panicking for such thoughts that didn't hear when Katara convinced Sokka from going.

"Ava?" Aang snapped her out of her thoughts, sensing her panic and smiled reassuringly. "Come on. We're going to the Festival and we need disguises"

Avani nodded slowly, sarcastic "Sure, this is gonna be fun"

Aang grinned "I knew you'd think so"

~8~

While the three of them had disguised themselves with black cloaks, Aang wasn't as stealthy and put up his orange shawl over his head.

Avani facepalmed 'This was actually us once upon a time, Korra?' She thought with a grimace.

"It's like you're a whole different person" Sokka deadpanned

Katara giggled

"Let's go" Avani sighed, grabbing Aang's wrist "Let's get this over with"

Avani pulled Aang forward to the town, the siblings following behind as they reached the colony, seeing people in masks.

Katara tilted her head, "I think we need some new disguises"

"Where are we gonna get masks like that?" Sokka asked

A Mask dealer was close by "Get your genuine Fire Festival masks here!"

Sokka narrowed his eyes, "That was surprisingly easy"

The four of them chose their masks, Katara and Avani picked ones of ladies with make up and when they saw Aang's being a red one with a frown on it, and Sokka's a blue smiling mask, they made a face at each other, nodding in agreement as Katara removed their masks and switched them off, Aang now with the smiling one and Sokka with the frown.

"Much better" Avani told them, smiling

Aang pointed "Hey, there's some food"

Sokka smiled, "Finally!" He walked closer to the shop keeper "What do you have?"

"Flaming fire flakes!" The shop keeper answered, "Best in town"

Avani made a face, never liking those spicy flakes Ryuu liked to eat. A pang of sadness hit her when she thought about Ryuu and shook her head, biting her lip. She didn't want to think about him

Sokka smiled "I'll take'em!" He gobbled down the fire flakes, but after a moment he started having a spasm from the spiciness. "Aaahhh! Hot! Hot!"

Avani laughed, "What did you expect, Sokka? 'Flaming fire flakes', huh?" She smirked "Sweet and fluffy?"

Sokka huffed, fanning his burning tongue.

Aang shook his head smiling, looking around "Hey, look at this"

They looked toward a puppet show about the Fire Lord conquering an Earth Kingdom federal while children cheered. Avani made a face, slightly concerned, pulling Aang and Katara away from there

"Oh! Ava, where are we going?" Aang asked

"To this crowd, the puppet show is creepy" Avani answered, leading them toward where there was a man doing fire tricks, her interest for firebending overshadowing her denial for being the Avatar and Aang could tell how interested she seemed for firebending that increased his own desire of learning it.

"I gotta learn that trick!" Aang exclaimed seeing the man upstage

The man beamed, "Thank you!" He looked at the crowd "For my next trick I need a volunteer from the audience!"

Aang waved his hand up in the air all around childishly. "Oh! Oh! Me! Me!"

Avani couldn't help but laugh

Sokka pulled Aang's arm down, sternly "What do you think you're doing?"

"I want to get a closer look" Aamg answered innocently

"It's better that we don't attract any attention to ourselves" Katara told them

The showman pointed at Katara "How about you, little lady?"

Katara backed away, nervously "Uh"

"Awww, she's shy" The showman cackled, prompting everyone to chuckle as well "Leeet's give her some encouragement, folks!"

Everyone began to cheer for Katara

Aang folded his arms, pouting "Awww! That could've been me"

Avani patted his shoulder sympathetically

The showman sat Katara down in a chair, tying her to it "This next trick is called 'Taming the Dragon'. You will be my captured princess!" He bended a fire dragon, using dramatics for the show "Don't worry, young maiden! I will tame this fiery beast! It's too strong, I can't hold it!"

Aang looked in fear "We gotta help her!"

Sokka shook his head "No, we don't want to make a scene!"

They looked toward Katara when the showman exclaimed the rope of the 'dragon' was breaking and without waiting for approval, Aang jumped to the stage, using airbending to save Katara, dispersing the flames, losing his mask in the process.

The showman scowled "Hey, you tryin' to upstage me, kid?"

Aang sheepishly, started a goofy dance as everyone booed at him for running the trick

A man near Avanai suddenly perked, "Hey! That kid's the Avatar!"

Aang stopped dancing, running away

Sokka, Katara and Avani followed him

"I think it's time to go" Sokka exclaimed

A man appeared, running alongside them "Follow me! I can get you outta here!"

The kids hesitated for a moment but had no other choice, following the man

They heard a guard from behind them "There they are!"

The man threw a series of explosives toward the firenation soldiers following them

Avani slowed down, whirling around to stomp the ground with her feet, sending a slab of earth their way to throw them out of balance, continuing to run behind the others

Aang blew his whistle "I'm calling Appa!"

"I hope he can really hear that bison whistle!" Sokka told him

They made a sharp turn down one of the several alleys

"This way" The man told them, before running back again "Okay! Not this way!"

They made another turn, but the way they came was blocked by soldiers. The man threw another smoke bomb, running past them into another alley but they came across another dead end where there was an enormous supply of fireworks.

They looked up as Appa arrived, smiling in relief

"Appa!" Aang called out "Down here!"

Appa landed between the kids and the guards with his backside facing the guards. Appa airbended a gale force of wind that made the guards getting blown out of sight. Everyone got up on Appa and flew off before they could return

The man with the kids had picked up a bomb, throwing it to the fireworks supply to blow it up, creating a beautiful display of fireworks

The man removed his hood

"Nice touch setting off the fireworks" Avani told him

Sokka looked impressed. "You really know your explosives"

The man shrugged "I'm familiar

Sokka squinted his eyes, gasping in realization "You're a Fire Nation Soldier!"

The rest of the kids tensed, looking at the man

"Was" The man corrected quietly. They relaxed at that "My name's Chey"

~8~

After a while, the group found a place to land and set up their camp.

Chey was telling them about himself "I serve a man. More than a man really, he's a myth, but he's real, a living legend, Jeong Jeong the Deserter. He was a Fire Nation general, or wait, was he an admiral?"

Sokka was unamused "He was very highly ranked, we get it"

"Yeah! Way up there!" Chey told them "But he couldn't take the madness any more. He's the first person ever to leave the army - and live. I'm the second, but you don't get to be a legend for that. That's okay though. Jeong Jeong's a firebending genius. Some say he's mad - but he's not! He's enlightened"

Avani leaned forward in interest "You mean there's a firebender out here who's not with the Fire Lord?"

Aang jumped in excitement "We've gotta go see him! He can train me!"

"We're not gonna go find some crazy firebender!" Sokka snapped

Chey stood, annoyed "He's not crazy! He's a genius! And he's the perfect person to train the Avatar! That's why I followed you into the festival"

"Look, thanks for the help" Sokka told him "Butt we're leaving for the North Pole in the morning"

Avani bit her lip, disappointment filling her. More than anything now she wanted to learn firebending from a a well known master

Aang frowned, glancing at Avani briefly before turning to Sokka "Sokka, this could be my only chance to meet a firebending master who would actually be willing to teach me"

Katara sighed "It can't hurt just to talk to him"

Sokka looked at his sister in annoyance "That's what you said about going to the festival! Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?"

Avani knew Sokka had a point. According to the cycle, Aang had to learn water first. But, in her own cycle, she had to learn fire first. So, call her selfish but, this was the only way she'd be able to learn fire or at least the basics before she moved to the next eleme-

Air.

Avani closed her eyes in exasperation. The only airbender around was Aang, and if he knew she could bend air, that would lead to explain to them how she could.

Being surrounded by men wearing straw hats and light armor, wearing tribal make up snapped her out of her internal conflicts as they pointed at them with their spears.

"Don't move!" One of them hissed

~8~

The kids and Chey were escorted away from their camp and toward the tribal folks' settlement.

The leader was angry, looking at Chey "Jeong Jeong told you not to look for Avatar!"

Sokka blinked, looking at Chey accusingly "Hold on, you know these guys?"

Chey smiled, nodding "Oh yeh! Lin Yee's an old buddy! Right, Lin Yee?"

Lin Yee was unamused "Shut up! Keep moving" they kept walking down the hill where they reached a little cottage with leaves and logs. "Go on" he nodded at Chey "He sees you only"

Chey slumped, looking at the kids "Oh that's okay, we can chat later"

Aang looked toward the cottage "Is that where Jeong Jeong is? I need to talk to him right away"

Aang tried to move forward, but got stopped by a spear shaft.

"No!" Lin Yee snapped "You wait there" He pushed Chey forward. "Go now!"

"Don't worry!" Chey reassured "Everything'll be fine. He's a great man, great man!"

Chey walked toward Jeong Jeong's cottage.

~8~

After a while, Chet walked out of the cottage, looking downcast.

"What happened?" Aang asked "Can I see Jeong Jeong now?"

Chey sighed sadly "He won't see you. He's very angry that I brought you here. He wants you to leave immediately"

"Finally!" Sokka exclaimed, stretching his arms "Lets hit the road"

Aang looked sad "Why won't he see me?"

"He says you're not ready" Chey answered "Says you haven't mastered waterbending and earthbending yet"

Avani tilted her head aside; perceptive

Aang looked shocked "Wait, how does he know that?"

"He saw the way you walked into camp" Chey answered "He could tell"

Aang frowned, "I'm going in, anyway!"

Aang walked toward Jeong Jeong's cottage.

Avani looked at Chey "What are the odds this will end badly?" Chey frowned "Aang is supposed to learn waterbending first and then earthbending. Learning firebending must probably mess up the cycle, right?"

Katara looked worried as if just realizing that "Lets hope this ends well"

Avani and Sokka nodded, the latter pouting as no one listened to him, having a feeling this was going to end very badly.

~8~

Aang skipped to them, grinning "He's gonna teach me!"

And that's when Aang's training began. Avani tried to sit as close possibly to hear what Jeong Jeong was teaching Aang without raising suspicion, concentrating in bending the rocks in front of her, only using her mind to move them.

Sokka was sitting in a boulder by the river, fishing and Katara practicing waterbending.

"Widen your stance" Jeong Jeong instructed Aang. Aang did as told but it wasn't enough for the Master. "Wider! Bend your knees. Now, concentrate" Aang expressed his concentration. "Good, good!"

Jeong Jeong turned around to leave

"Wait!" Aang called out "What do I do now?"

Jeong Jeong turned around. "Silence! Talking is not concentrating! Look at your friends, are they talking?" Avani briefly looked up, seeing him pointing between herself and Katara. He then pointed at Sokka "Even that oaf knows to concentrate on what he's doing!"

Sokka looked up, annoyed "Hey!"

Aang frowned "But what am I concentrating on?"

Avani looked up

"Feel the heat of the sun" Jeong Jeong answered "It is the greatest source of fire. Yet, it is in complete balance with nature!"

Avani knew this, however by being with Ryuu all those years, she knew the core of firebending was learning to control your breathing, fire came from within you, fire was driven by desires, by love, by life. Not only destruction as Jeong Jeong seemed to be treating that element, he feared it. Avani could tell, but how can you fear life?

Avani closed her eyes, dropping her grip on her rocks, trying to ignore everyone around her, breathing in and out, trying to feel the warmth of the sun, feeling the life inside her and everything surrounding her. She could feel something shifting from within her, she could feel her hands warming up but knew there was no fire. She wasn't ready for that.

Jeong Jeong had walked inside his cottage, wondering what he was going to do with the young Avatar, he wasn't ready for fire yet and had a feeling Avatar Roku knew that, and wanted to teach the boy a lesson of not rushing things out, to not fight against the flow of things. He wanted the boy to understand the severity of the element but he was eager, he wasn't listening. He wasn't paying attention.

The candles inside his cottage flamed up, growing in intensity like they did before and Jeong Jeong gulped nervously, turning to face the older Avatar

"I'm teaching the boy as requested" Jeong Jeong bowed, not wanting to anger the spirit

"I know" Avatar Roku spoke quietly, his eyes moving toward the window where he could see the Earth Kingdom girl meditating, "I have another task for you..."

Jeong Jeong followed his gaze, confused "She's an earthbender"

"And a firebender" Roku told him. The deserter gaped incredulously "She's the Avatar of her time"

The Ex-Fire Nation Militar blinked in shock "So those legends are true?" Roku nodded curtly "Earth. So, the next element for her is fire?"

"She's ready to learn a new element and you're going to teach her" Roku told him "But beware, Aang doesn't know how connected they are, how their spirits are one, so you're not to tell him. The girl has to"

Jeong Jeong looked at the girl, considering

~8~

Aang and the Deserter went toward the mountain where he was going to teach the Avatar to master breath control. He left the young Monk to do so, returning to his cottage, seeing the Earthbender still on the same position, her posture relaxed and from where he could see, the girl had already mastered the basics.

Jeong Jeong looked around to see the Water Tribe siblings were nowhere to be seen and he walked closer to the girl, seeing her muscles tensing and stopped

"I see you've mastered the true art of earthbending" Jeong Jeong commented making her open her eyes "What is it you call the third yin?"

"Waiting and listening" The girl answered "Sesmic sense"

Jeong Jeong half smiled, "Where did you learn to master breath control?"

The girl hesitated "Not all fire Nation seek for destruction" she told him. The Deserter frowned "My friend was a firebender. We grew up together and he taught me how he learned firebending"

"Your friend was taught well" Jeong Jeong said after a moment. "Something is holding you back from firebending"

The girl looked up, gasping in shock "What?"

"I know who you are, kid" Jeong Jeong told her. "What I don't know is the reason why were brought back in time, but what I know is you were sent here without a proper mastering of the other elements" The girl shook her head "You've mastered Earth, and I can tell fire will come naturally to you, yet something's holding you back from bending it"

The girl sighed "Just don't say it out loud" Jeong Jeong raised an eyebrow, "I'm doing something wrong. I can feel and control my breathing, but.... I can't bend the Fire"

Jeong Jeong tilted his head "You're afraid. I understand that"

"No" the girl told him bluntly "You're afraid of your own element. You're afraid of fire. You think of it as destruction, as pain. Something wild and a curse" Jeong Jeong nodded slowly, "But I'm not denying I'm not afraid of something, but it's not fire. When you see destruction, I see life. I see guidance through the dark, I see warmth"

"Then what you're afraid of?" The Deserter asked

The girl didn't answer, looking at the rocks she began bending "Are you really teaching Aang when you know he's not ready?"

Jeong Jeong hummed to himself, walking away "He'll learn when it's time. Without water or earth mastered he can't learn this discipline"

"But I can?" The soft question coming from a strong headed earthbender caught him off guard and he turned to the girl who was watching her hands

"It's the second element in your cycle you have to learn, so yes" Jeong Jeong answered simply "You're already on your way to Master the basics of destruction"

~8~

Avani found herself thinking about Jeong Jeong words, sitting in a secluded part of the woods where neither of her companions could find her but close enough she could see them with seismic sense. She sat with her legs crossed on the ground, a lit candle in front of her. She had her hands in her lap as she stared at the candle in hesitation.

"I can do this" Avani murmured under her breath, closing her eyes "Korra did it and Aang did it. I can as well, let's not think about us being an earthbender"

Concentrating in her breathing was difficult now she had a purpose in mind, consciously trying to bend fire. She tried and failed to meditate, opening her eyes in frustration when suddenly she heard shouting and dropped her meditating stance, standing up and walking toward the commotion, seeing Aang excited with a leaf in his hands, a small flame burning in it and Katara in front of him, looking worried.

"Guys?" Avani called warily, walking closer.

Aang turned to face her, showing her his merit, excited "Look, Ava! I created fire! I made it!"

Avani's eyes went to the flame that grew and shrank in size as Aang raised his voice, becoming cautious "That's good...."

Katara cleared her throat, nodding slightly as she looked at the other girl who looked wary as well, "And that's really great, Aang but you should take it slow"

Avani nodded in agreement, following the Fire at every flicker, muscles tensing as if prepared for the worst

Aang grinned, tossing the Fire from one hand to the other and from behind him, throwing a blast of fire away from them, beaming.

Avani cringed at the destruction that followed it's trajectory "Aang..."

"Now that's some firebending!" Aang nodded, grinning.

Katara and Avani exchanged worried looks

"You're not ready for bending the Fire, Aang" Avani told him sternly

"Aang, you'll hurt yourself!" Katara exclaimed at the same time.

"I wonder how that juggler did it" Aang wasn't paying attention to them, wanting to master the element he wasn't realizing he didn't have proper control of it but the earthbender did, twisting her feet on the ground, creating an earth wall around herself and Katara to protect them from the Fire that Aang accidentally lost control of, managing to shield themselves in time, but not before a small flame of fire hit Katara in her hands making her scream in pain.

Sharply, without realizing she did it, Avani unsocnsiously bended the Fire away from Katara as if it pained her emotionally having hurt her, running toward her as the Fire hit her earth wall

"Katara!" Avani gasped, kneeling next to the crying girl who was cradling her hands to her chest, eyes closed tightly in pain

"I'm so sorry!" The girls heard Aang run closer from the other side of the earth wall but Katara's flinch made Avani twist her fingers to endure the rock wall, impeding him from reaching them

"It's alright" Avani soothed, helping the waterbender stand, lightly tapping the ground to lower the earth wall when Sokka tackled the guilt ridden Avatar to the ground, blaming him for hurting his sister.

Katara hid her face on the girl's shoulder as she bended them away from there as Jeong Jeong came and told them to leave immediately.

~8~

Katara sniffled as Avani led her to the river. "It hurts"

"I know" Avani said softly, "I tried to stop the Fire"

Katara smiled weakly as they sat down on the shore of the river "How is this the second time you care for me?"

Avani grinned slightly "I have to pay somehow you saving me from drowning"

Katara managed a small laugh as she dipped her hands in the water, grimacing in pain before her expression relaxed in relief, both girls watching the water around Katara's hands glowing before it healed her from her burns

"Wow" Both girls gaped in amazement

Avani sensed Jeong Jeong coming even before he spoke "You have healing abilities" They looked up at him "The great benders of the Water Tribe sometimes have this ability. I've always wished I were blessed like you - free from this burning curse"

Avani frowned

"But you're a great master" Katara pointed out "You have powers that I will never know"

Jeong Jeong stared at the water, "Water brings healing and life. But fire brings only destruction and pain. It forces those of us burdened with its care to walk a razor's edge between humanity and savagery. Eventually, we are torn apart"

Avani opened her mouth to retort he was wrong when suddenly a blast of flame hit the water in front of them, looking up seeing several Fire Nation Soldiers in boats coming to them

Jeong Jeong stood, getting into a bending stance, breaking the flames that washed him and the girls over "Go get your friends and flee!" He told them, "Do not come back here or you will all be destroyed" Katara tried to pull Avani away but she resisted, pushing her toward where Aang and Sokka were. "Hurry!"

Avani groaned, stomping the ground and sending Katara away "Go! I'll be right behind you"

Katara hesitated but did as told, running to inform her brother and Aang they had to leave.

Avani turned to the Deserter, a determined glint in her eyes

"No" The Deserter snapped, redirecting another blast of flames "Get out of here"

"I face things head on" Avani smirked, stomping her feet on the ground, lifting up two boulders upwards and punching the air, sending the boulders toward the boats.

"Don't start with me, stubborn head" Jeong Jeong scowled "Earth isn't enough for you to face them"

"I can" Avani insisted, hitting the ground with her hand, sending a wave of vibrations down the water that shook the earth beneath the river and tipping off some of the boats making some soldiers to fall straight to the water

Jeong Jeong looked impressed "Nice, Master" He turned serious as he noticed certain admiral in one of the boats, turning to the young Avatar "Now, go to your friends, this is something I have to do on my own" Avani opened her mouth to protest but Jeong Jeong raised a hand, seeing the earthquake she created was fading and the other soldiers were stabilizing themselves on the boats. "If you bend the Fire again, they will notice something different about you and won't take long to put two and two together like I did, kid. And if that happens, not only Aang will have a bounty on his head, but you as well. So, Leave"

Avani sighed, realizing he was right "Okay" She bowed slightly, "Careful, Master"

Jeong Jeong nodded, watching her leave before he turned to his Ex-Nation, features hardened as he looked at his old student, Zhao.

~8~

Avani ran in a hill of earth, flattening it to the ground once she reached the others, however she only saw Katara and Sokka packing

"Where's Aang?" Avani asked, running closer "We gotta go!"

Katar looked at the girl, relieved "We thought something happened to you and Master Jeong Jeong. Aang went back for you two"

Avani looked panicked, "I slowed them down and Jeong Jeong told me to leave! I knew I shouldn't have!"

Katara grasped the earthbender's arm before she could return to the danger, dragging her back to Appa "No, Avani. We have to trust Aang he'll save Master Jeong Jeong, we cannot risk you going there too again"

They climbed Appa and went to find Aang, only to see him ducking and avoiding a Firebender's blasts of fire, some very close of hitting Aang.

"Who's that?" Avani asked

Sokka didn't take his eyes away from the fight, a dark tone in his answer "That's Admiral Zhao" Avani paled slightly, flickering her eyes toward the firebender, the moon spirit coming to mind and the Princess' death. "Zuko's competition to capturing Aang"

"Oh" Avani murmured, her fingers fidgeting nervously as they watched the boats around Zhao sinking and burning from his lack of self control.

"Aang, come on!" Sokka called out "Lets go!"

Aang hoped on Appa and they flew away. Aang looked around, "Wait! Where's Jeong Jeong?"

Avani had a little smirk in her lips, "He and the others are safe"

Sokka shrugged in disagreement "They disappeared"

Katara looked at Aang, worriedly "Aang, you're burned! Let me help you"

Katara bended the water from her canteen and began to heal the burn on Aang's hand, relieving him from the pain and relaxing his muscles.

"Wow, that's good water" Aang told her in amazement

"When did you learn that?" Sokka asked

Katara shrugged, sending a wink to Avani who smiled, "I guess I always knew"

"Oh, well..." Sokka began sarcastically "Thanks for all the first aid over the years. Like when I fell into the greaseberry bramble" He pointed at her angrily "Or that time I had two fishhooks in my thumb!"

Aang and Avani laughed in shock "Two?"

Katara smiled in amusement "He tried to get the first fishhook out with another fishhook"

The Avatars laughed

Sokka was still being sarcastic. "Oh, and the time that mink snake bit me! Thanks for healing that up. That was great. Really helpful"

Katara bursted out in laughter, joining the Avatars.