The sun shone in the Plains Village, located in the lands of the Earth Kingdom. Sounds of pigkens pigcows and pigsters echoed nearby. People worked and lived as normal as usual.

Among people in the village, a young, 13-year-old girl with dark brown short hair, tan skin, dark brown eyes, green shirt, pale brown pants and brown shoes stood in front of a crying young boy. The young boy had brown ruffled hair, fair skin, brown eyes, eco green shirt, brown shorts and brown slippers.

The girl's skin trembled in worry, fear and hesitation as she faced a group of three young teenagers looking forward to picking on the crying boy.

The group of teenagers contained one girl and two boys.

The girl had dark brown hair, light tan skin and green eyes. She wore a chartreuse small robe with green dress and brown flats.

The first boy had light tan skin with chubby cheeks, arms and legs, and dark brown thin hair. He wore a green shirt with brown shorts and dark brown slippers.

The second boy had black curly hair, tan skin and brown eyes. He wore a light green shirt with a green scarf-like belt, light green shorts and beige slippers.

"S... St-Stop being so mean, Harutski. Y-You're hurting... m-m-my lil' brother," the 13-year-old girl said with a worried expression. Then, she got into her fighting position.

The girl's right foot was slightly forward with her left foot slightly behind her. Her fists slightly reached out towards another girl, known as Harutski, and her friends. "If you lay a hand on him, then... then..." She attempted to show her determined expression, but all she could show was a worried desperation to stop the group of kids from bullying the young boy, known as her younger brother. "...I have no choice but to stop you!"

Harutski scoffed as she and the two boys got into their fighting positions. Those were the same fighting positions the girl had made, except that they were more stable and less stiff.

Harutski's lips widened to an evil smirk. "You wanna pretend to be a hero, Dori? Well, no one's gonna fall for that." She paused.

Harutski's left fist made contact with her right palm. Her right hand enclosed her left fist, then she cracked her knuckles on her left hand. After that, her hands switched positions. Then, she cracked her knuckles on her right hand. "After all, you're a firebender." She paused again. "And firebenders..." Her head shifted to the 13-year-old girl. "...threat people's lives."

The 13-year-old girl, whom Harutski called "Dori," freaked out a bit. She witnessed Harutski and the two boys charging towards her. Because Dori's dad taught her a little bit of martial arts, she attempted to apply his teachings and use the martial arts techniques against them. Punches and kicks were attempted by Dori, but whenever she tried, she ended up being blocked and hit.

Soon after, a punch on the right stomach led Dori to fall on her knees. Her hand held her right stomach as pain rushed over her body.

It took a few moments until Harutski waved at her mockingly. "See ya later, Dori." Then, she and her friends laughed as they ran from Dori and her younger brother.

Soon after, Dori felt a hand on her left shoulder. A split second later, she heard her brother's voice. "Nidoria, are you okay?"

Dori, whose real given name is "Nidoria," glanced at her brother, who was kneeling beside her on her left. She gave him a pained smile. "I'm okay, Kugo. Just a little pain in the stomach."

Nidoria's brother, known as Kugo, held a worried expression on his face. More tears filled his eyes. But he managed to hold them in. "I'll go get help. You wait here, big sis."

Nidoria nodded as Kugo rose back on his feet and ran from her to get help.

At that point, a female voice, which was exactly the same as Nidoria, narrated to the readers, "At this moment, I knew that we've been outcasts ever since we moved here from the Fire Nation."

———————————————————

3 years later...
Spring 100 AG

Nidoria walked down the streets of the Plains Village with a gloomy expression. She recalled her memory of trying to stand up for the crying Kugo. As she did, the same female voice continued narrating to the readers.

"The firebenders threaten people and their lives. My brother, Kugo, and I are part of the firebending family, but we and our parents never do anything wrong."

After Nidoria recalled, she looked at her surroundings. As usual, people in the village gave her deadly daggers.

"Even so, everyone looks down on us."

Just then, a female voice snapped Nidoria back to reality. "Hey, Nidoria!"

Nidoria's feet halted. Then, she turned to see who had called her. Her gloomy expression switched to a surprised one as she saw what's in front of her.

Three best female friends smiled at Nidoria, with one of them waving at her.

The one waving at her was a peach-skinned short young lady with hazelnut eyes and brown wavy hair tied to a high ponytail. She also wore a green dress with a dark brown scarf-like belt and brown flats.

Another girl had mocha skin with dark brown shoulder-length wolf cut hair and brown eyes. She wore a green long-sleeved shirt with light green sleeveless vest, light green short skirt, green band-like belt and brown shorts. She also wore brown sandals.

The third girl was a peach-skinned girl with black short hair and brown eyes. She also wore her green dress and brown flats.

The girl, who had waved her hand, gave Nidoria a smile. "Come with us. We can help you get your mind off things."

Nidoria could hear whispers from the villagers, but she didn't care. She smiled at the girls.

"Well, almost everyone."

Nidoria nodded. "Yes. Of course. Thanks, Izugail, Liyah and Khelsi."

"Anytime," the girl, known as "Izugail," said. Izugail was the one who waved at Nidoria moments earlier.

"It's our honor," the second girl, known as "Liyah," said.

"You're welcome," the third girl, known as "Khelsi," said.

With that, Nidoria walked towards Izugail, Liyah and Khelsi. Thus, they began another one of their hangouts.

———————————————————

A bit later on...
Backyard, Izugail's House

Nidoria, Izugail, Liyah and Khelsi gathered in the backyard of Izugail's house. The backyard contained a medium-sized sandy space with a small wooden house used for sleepovers and other friendship activities.

Nidoria and her best friends sat around the circle doing their usual activities. Izugail and Liyah chat about random topics. Khelsi sat there, doing nothing except writing and making doodles in her notebook. As for Nidoria, she sketched and designed characters for her own story. It was inspired by her two favorite book series. One was from her childhood days and another was from her current teenage days.

Nidoria's childhood favorite book series is "The Ninja in Green," a story where an Earthbender named Florence was destined to face the rock monster that's possessed by the dark lord. After that, Florence and her ninja friends face various enemies and encounter problematic situations like talking to her evil father. So far, Nidoria had finished all 16 books.

Nidoria had read the sequel book series to "The Ninja in Green." It's entitled "The Next Ninja in Green," a story where a young boy, who's a fan of the Ninja in Green, trains to become a ninja and face various enemies. The thing is, the young boy is a non-bender. So far, the "Next Ninja in Green" has 2 books. She currently finished the first book and she couldn't wait to buy book two.

By the time book two came out, Nidoria stopped reading the series because she had gotten to another book series, which was "The Non-bender Hero." The Non-bender Hero is a story where a boy desires to be a hero, but he is looked down on by others because he has no bending abilities. Even so, he strives to become the hero by training in martial arts and weapon combat.

The story Nidoria was currently creating is called "A Hero's Path," a story where a non-bender is destined to master earthbending techniques in order to defeat a big threat that's coming to the world.

One of the characters Nidoria had drawn for the story was Roki. He had black hair tied to a high ponytail and a scar on the left side of his face. He wore his red martial arts outfit and he was drawn in an action firebending pose.

When Nidoria finished, she wrote Roki's name beneath the drawing. A happy and satisfied smile spread across her face as she closed her sketchbook and pulled it close to her chest. A gut-feeling of excitement washed over her body. She couldn't wait to see what her friends think of the characters she drew.

With that, Nidoria stood and walked towards Khelsi. "Excuse me? Khelsi?" she said in a gentle voice.

Khelsi stopped writing and making doodles in her notebook. Then, she turned to Nidoria with a gentle smile on her face. "Yes, Nidoria?"

Nidoria responded by lending Khelsi her notebook. "What do you think of the characters I designed?"

Khelsi retrieved the sketchbook from Nidoria and opened it. She flipped the pages quickly until she came across the new drawings Nidoria had made today. Her eyes widened in awe as sparkles appeared in them. "Wow," she muttered. When she finished, she gave the sketchbook back to Nidoria with a smile and a nod. "Nice."

Nidoria retrieved her sketchbook as she replied with a close-eyed smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Khelsi said.

With that, Nidoria walked her way towards Izugail and Liyah. Then, when she got near them, she halted and waited for them to finish chatting.

After a few minutes, Izugail and Liyah stopped chatting. Then, they turned to Nidoria. "Yes?" Izugail asked.

That's when a reminder popped into Nidoria's head. "Oh, right." Then, she opened the sketchbook and flipped the pages quickly until she came across the drawings she had made today.

"You made another drawing? Can we see it?" Izugail asked.

"Yeah, sure," Nidoria said, handing Izugail her sketchbook.

Izugail retrieved the sketchbook and she laid it on her lap, allowing herself and Liyah to look at the drawings.

"Whoa," they said.

"These are cool characters," Izugail said. Then, she laid her right index finger on the drawing of Roki. "This one looks like Zuko."

"Wait, he does?" Liyah asked in a British-English accent.

"Yes!" Izugail said.

Laughter erupted from Izugail and Liyah while Nidoria let out chuckles and giggles.

"Their scars and firebending abilities are the same and their hairstyles are similar," Liyah said.

"Yes. I could totally see that," Izugail said.

After laughter, chuckles and giggles died down, Nidoria's eyebrow raised in confusion. A smile appeared on her face simultaneously. "Mind if I ask? Who's Zuko?" she asked.

"He's the guy with a scar on his face. The only hair you can see was a small bit of black hair and a high ponytail. He seems to be hunting the Avatar with his small crew. I saw him pass by once when I was travelling with my family to the forest where we camp out and I heard someone calling him 'Zuko.' For some reason, I could remember that memory," Izugail explained.

"I experienced a similar situation when I saw Zuko and the others passing by. I was on winter vacation with my family and we had to go to a place to spend our vacation, where there's not exactly snow and also not too cold. On the way, I saw Zuko and the others passing by. Before they disappeared, I heard an elderly man calling him 'Zuko.' He looked so determined to capture the Avatar," Liyah explained.

Upon hearing the words "hunting for the Avatar" and "capture the Avatar," a feeling of sadness washed over her veins. She and Kugo had heard many stories of the Avatar and how the Protectors keep the world in balance whenever the Avatar disappears or is still reincarnating. When the Avatar returns, the Protectors are allowed to help him whenever he needs it.

Kugo desired to become the Protector, so that he could protect the world, fight bad guys and help the Avatar whenever he needed it.

So when Nidoria heard this, she was saddened because she felt like Zuko might be a threat to the Protectors because they're associated with the Avatar, and Zuko wanted to capture the Avatar.

Nidoria's head lowered as she said in a sad tone, "Oh, I see. Thanks for the information."

"No problem," Izugail and Liyah said in unison as they and Nidoria let out laughter again.

With that, Izugail returned the sketchbook to Nidoria. Then, Nidoria walked back to her usual spot.

As night began to dawn, Nidoria and her friends bid their goodbyes to each other before walking to their homes.

———————————————————

The next day...

Nidoria continued her normal days. Every morning, she would go to school to learn normal lessons about the Earth Kingdom. During recess, she got bullied a number of times by a lot of students. The only people who stuck by her side were Izugail, Liyah and Khelsi.

There was one time when Nidoria took the first step inside the classroom for another one of the days in school. She could immediately feel intimidating chills in her body as she witnessed her classmates staring at her with anger and hatred.

Nothing occurred in Nidoria until she felt a hand on each of her shoulders. Nidoria jolted a bit as she turned to see Liyah with a reassuring smile. Beside her on the left was Khelsi and behind them was Izugail.

"Don't worry. Everything will be okay," Liyah said.

Khelsi nodded with a reassuring smile. "I agree. You have us on your side."

"And whenever one of them bullies you, I'll give them the 'taste of their own medicine,'" Izugail said with a smirk. As she said this, her right fist punched her left palm four times.

The four girls giggled at Izugail's statement.

"Thanks, girls. I appreciate it," Nidoria said with a smile.

"No problem," Izugail said.

The four girls giggled again as Liyah's hands slipped away from Nidoria and they went to their usual seats.

Because Nidoria was hated by students and teachers –– except her besties — she was forced to sit at the back of the class, with no one to sit beside her.

———————————————————

There was another time during lunch break when Nidoria sat, and ate lunch with Liyah, Izugail and Khelsi. The lunches they were eating were packed. They didn't get lunch from the canteen because the quality is lower than their parents' cooking. They chatted about random topics, mainly the story Nidoria was currently working on.

Suddenly, a bowl of porridge was dunked on Nidoria's head. Now, the bowl was worn like a hat. The porridge dripped down her hair, her outfit, the floor and even her space on the table.

In response, Nidoria gave off a neutral, blank expression as she stopped eating. She could hear male sarcastic voices behind her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, firebender."

"We didn't mean to do such an act."

Liyah kicked her chair backwards and pushed herself on her feet. Her hands laid on the table. "You did that on purpose," she said, glaring at the couple of teenage men behind Nidoria.

Izugail stood from her chair and glared at the teenage men. "Liyah has a point. You dunked the porridge on Nidoria's head on purpose, just so that you could humiliate her in front of everyone. I know you hate firebenders, but not all all of them are evil. Their actions that threaten the whole world are what makes us hate them, not the firebending itself. Nidoria is a firebender, but she does no action to threaten the world. So if anyone bullies her again, I have no choice but to call the principal. Are we clear on what we're saying?"

Nidoria could hear the men trembling in fear. Then, she could hear footsteps going further from her. Then, the sounds of footsteps fainted.

Khelsi turned to her, concerned. "Are you okay, Nidoria?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Nidoria replied in a blunt tone as she packed her lunch. After she packed her lunch, she stood from her chair and held the strap of her lunch bag. "In fact, I'm used to it. I'm gonna go clean myself up."

With that, Nidoria walked away from her besties. At that moment, Khelsi, Liyah and Izugail became concerned about her.

———————————————————

Later on, during sunset...

After school, Nidoria, Izugail, Khelsi and Liyah walked together to their homes. Their homes were a few blocks away from each other, which was why they agreed that they should walk together.

Nidoria's head lowered down and a frown appeared on her face. Liyah, Khelsi and Izugail kept looking at her in concern.

"Nidoria..." Khelsi muttered.

The moment of silence was interrupted when a big flame suddenly erupted nearby them.

Everyone in the group jolted in surprise. They turned to the source of the flames. When they did, Nidoria's eyes widened in extreme shock. She didn't see who caused the flames yet, but she knew one thing.

I thought my family and I were the only firebenders in the village, Nidoria thought.

Confused expressions appeared on Liyah's, Izugail's and Khelsi's faces. "What was that?" Liyah asked.

As soon as Liyah said this, Nidoria immediately ran after the source of the flames. This got her friends surprised. "Nidoria, wait!" Izugail said as she, Liyah and Khelsi ran after her.

A few seconds later, Nidoria, Liyah, Izugail and Khelsi came to a stop. Then, they peeked out from behind a house that's close to the source of the flames.

By the time she and the girls did, Nidoria witnessed a young man charging at what seemed to be a thug while sending out various fire blasts. Nidoria's eyes widened in realization and amazement. So that's the source of the flames. I can't believe I saw another firebender in my home!

The thug tried to deflect the blast with his earthbending, but he was sent backwards towards one of the house walls because the fire blasts were too powerful for him to overcome. Shock appeared on Nidoria's face. Some kind of thug is an earthbender, she thought, facing the knocked out thug. Then, she turned to the young man. And that guy can take him down with blasts of fire, which makes him a firebender like me. What's the young man's purpose of doing this? For some reason, something about his firebending abilities felt... interesting. I don't know why, but I think it's unexplainable.

Then, Nidoria could see a young boy tied in ropes on one of the corners of the small tower. She mentally put two-to-two together. After a few moments, realization hit her. Is he... trying to save him? She turned to the young man. And if he is...

As the young man walked towards the thug, Nidoria examined the young man's features.

The young man had light-skin with dark brown hair and a burned scar on his left face. He seemed to be wearing an outfit of brown and pine green shades. The young man was also holding two dual swords. One on each hand.

When Nidoria saw the scar on his face, an image ran through her head. As it did, she gasped in shock.

-----

"This one looks like Zuko," Izugail said as she laid her right index finger on the drawing of Roki.

"Wait, he does?" Liyah asked.

"Yes!" Izugail said.

Laughter erupted from Izugail and Liyah while Nidoria let out chuckles and giggles.

"Their scars and firebending abilities are the same and their hairstyles are similar," Liyah said.

"Yes. I could totally see that," Izugail said.

After laughter, chuckles and giggles died down, Nidoria's eyebrow raised in confusion. A smile appeared on her face simultaneously. "Mind if I ask? Who's Zuko?" she asked.

"He's the guy with a scar on his face. The only hair you can see was a small bit of black hair and a high ponytail. He seems to be hunting the Avatar with his small crew. I saw him pass by once when I was travelling with my family to the forest where we camp out and I heard someone calling him 'Zuko.' For some reason, I could remember that memory," Izugail explained.

"I experienced a similar situation when I saw Zuko and the others passing by. I was on winter vacation with my family and we had to go to a place to spend our vacation, where there's not exactly snow and also not too cold. On the way, I saw Zuko and the others passing by. Before they disappeared, I heard an elderly man calling him 'Zuko.' He looked so determined to capture the Avatar," Liyah explained.

Upon hearing the words "hunting for the Avatar" and "capture the Avatar," a feeling of sadness washed over her veins. She and Kugo had heard many stories of the Avatar and how the Protectors keep the world in balance whenever the Avatar disappears and is still reincarnating. When the Avatar returns, the Protectors are allowed to help him whenever he needs it.

Kugo desired to become the Protector, so that he could protect the world, fight the bad guys and help the Avatar whenever he needed it.

So when Nidoria heard this, she was saddened because she felt like Zuko might be a threat to the Protectors because they're associated with the Avatar, and Zuko wanted to capture the Avatar.

Nidoria's head lowered as she said in a sad tone, "Oh, I see. Thanks for the information."

"No problem," Izugail and Liyah said in unison as they and Nidoria let out laughter again.

With that, Izugail returned the sketchbook to Nidoria. Then, Nidoria walked back to her usual spot.

-----

Sparkles appeared in Nidoria's eyes. Could he be...?

When their friends noticed the scar on the young man's face, they gasped as well.

"Wait, isn't that...?" Liyah asked.

"Yeah, I think he is," Izugail said.

But... how? Nidoria thought. I thought he was hunting for the Avatar and he has a crew with him... but... there's no crew with him... and he's not hunting for the Avatar. He was fighting some kind of thug to save the boy. Could it be that... he's doing the right thing? Has he changed? Is he not a threat to the world like my family and I are?

"Who... who are you?" the thug asked as the young man stopped walking.

"My name is Zuko," the young man said. "Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai." He then, sheathed his dual swords. "Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne." As he said the last part, he turned towards the villagers that were watching him fight the thug.

Whispers were heard from the villagers, but Nidoria didn't hear them. She stood there in awe as her eyes continued to sparkle. She could still feel an impact that was left on her, but it became bigger once she realized Zuko's true motives and once she saw him introducing himself.

"Amazing," Nidoria whispered.

The moment of admiration was interrupted when she heard someone telling Zuko, "Liar! I heard of you! You're not a prince, you're an outcast!"

Hearing the word "outcast" shocked Nidoria. Pain and empathy grabbed her heart. At that moment, tears filled her eyes, but she managed to hold them in. What? Outcast?

"His own father burned and disowned him!" someone continued.

Pain and empathy tightened inside Nidoria's chest. More tears filled her eyes, but she struggled to hold them in. Soon, a few tears rolled down her cheeks. He's... just like me and my family. Us. Outcasts. People cast my family and I out in the village because we're firebenders. Why are they doing the same to him when they knew he did something right?

Nidoria witnessed Zuko grabbing something from the thug. Then, walked towards the boy, who had been united by whom Nidoria assumed was his mother.

As Zuko continued approaching the boy, the mother opened her arms protectively in front of her son. "Not a step closer," she said glaring at Zuko.

More tears streamed down Nidoria's cheeks. Why? Stop bullying him. Stop... hating him like this. He just... saved your son.

That's what Nidoria wanted to say, but she couldn't because of the phlegm that was growing in her throat while tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Concern appeared on Izugail's, Liyah's and Khelsi's faces.

"Nidoria..." Khelsi muttered.

Nidoria witnessed Zuko kneeling down in front of the boy's mother, with the boy peeking around her back. Zuko handed over something in his hand to the boy. Nidoria tried to observe an item that was in his hand, but she couldn't identify what it was.

"It's yours. You should have it," Zuko said to the boy.

"No! I hate you!" the boy said, rejecting his offer.

With that, the boy and his mother walked away as Zuko rose back on his feet.

Seeing this, Nidoria's emotions overtook her. Without giving herself a chance to think, she ran towards the boy and his mother.

Izugail opened her mouth to say a word to Nidoria while reaching out to her, but she couldn't. She ended up watching Nidoria running towards the scene.

Nidoria's body kept moving. Her mind told her to stop, but her gut and her body couldn't follow. No. Stop. Stop moving, legs, Nidoria thought.

As Nidoria got closer to the scene, questions ran through her head. Why? Why is my body moving?

"Wait!" Nidoria exclaimed.

This caught everyone's attention. Mainly the boy, his mother and Zuko. The boy, his mother and Zuko turned to see Nidoria, running towards the scene with a worried expression on her face. More specifically, she was running towards the boy and his mother.

Zuko was surprised. Then, confusion, curiosity, wonder and especially hope appeared in his eyes. Maybe Nidoria was the one who could give him a chance, and perhaps convince the villagers that he's trying to do good by saving the boy.

Once Nidoria halted, her body was facing the boy and his mother. This made the boy and his mother halted. They glared at her.

"What do you want?" the boy asked.

Nidoria slightly freaked out, but she knew she had to say something. And so, she set her nervousness aside and said, "Look, Zuko may be an outcast, but what he's doing is right! He saved your life and that's what a Protector does! To save people and stand up for what's right!"

Confusion appeared on everyone's faces. "There's no such thing as the Protector. It's not included in the chosen professions," one of the villagers said.

Realization came to Nidoria. Oh, right. I forgot no one knows Protectors exist, she thought.

With no other choice, Nidoria took a deep breath and exhaled. Then, she replied, "Yes. There is."

Nidoria turned to everyone, including Zuko, the boy and his mother. "A Protector is someone who saves the world in the Avatar's place whenever he disappears or is still reincarnating. Whenever the Avatar returns, Protectors are allowed to aid him whenever he needs it," she explained. "One example is 'The Phoenix.' She's a firebender, but she protects the world, saves people, fights villains and keeps the world in balance."

Nidoria turned to Zuko with a believing and faithful smile. "Zuko is like that, too." She could spot a surprised expression on Zuko's face. "He's a firebender, but he saved your life." She turned to the boy. "I believe he wants to make things right by saving you."

Zuko continued to be surprised. He had never heard of anyone calling him a Protector. Not even his sister Azula, nor his father Ozai. For some reason, some kind of feeling started growing in him. He wondered why, but all he could describe about it... was gentle and kind. Aside from that, he felt something strangely familiar about Nidoria's voice. He didn't know why, but he knew that now was not the time to think about it.

"How can you prove that he's trying to make things right?" one of the villagers asked Nidoria. "He's been hated by his own father!"

Nidoria seemed taken aback, but she refused to accept defeat. "I— But—"

Just then, a familiar scoff was heard. "Tch. You wanna defend Zuko just because you're both outcasts?"

Nidoria turned to see Harutski, who was leaning against one of the house walls. Her arms crossed. Her head was lowered, but Nidoria could spot an evil smirk that appeared on her face. "Well, fine by me." Harutski lifted her own head, so that her eyes can face Nidoria with a menacing stare. "They'll just hate you more, Dori."

Nidoria glared at Harutski while tears filled her eyes. Her body fully turned towards her as flames ignited in her hands, causing the villagers to gasp in fear. Just as she was about to take a step forward, a familiar male voice intervened. "It's alright."

Nidoria turned to see Zuko. A surprised expression appeared on her face as the flames in her hands died down.

"I was expecting this to happen," Zuko said sadly. Then, he walked away.

Nidoria was more saddened. It reminded her of the time she was dunked on the head with a bowl of porridge earlier during lunchtime. And when the bullies "apologized," she accepted saying that she was used to it. Aside from that, she felt like Zuko's voice was quite familiar, but she didn't know where that voice came from. Regardless, what Zuko just said brought her to sympathize with him.

"Zuko..." she whispered.

———————————————————

A bit later on...

Nidoria had followed Zuko somewhere in an area full of hybrid pig-creatures, an ostrich-horse, some small houses, a decent amount of hay scattered around and fences surrounding hybrid pig-creatures.

Looking at her surroundings, Nidoria assumed that this area was where Zuko would search for something that could help him move from one place to another. A few moments later, she saw him mounting an ostrich-horse.

A determined expression appeared on Nidoria's face. No. I can't let him leave just yet, she thought. With that, she ran towards Zuko.

Just as Zuko sat on his ostrich-horse, he heard Nidoria calling his name. "Zuko!"

Zuko turned to see Nidoria running to him. A surprised expression appeared on his face. Once Nidoria came to a stop, he spoke, "What are you doing here?"

A smile appeared on Nidoria's face. "Your firebending is amazing! The way you saved a young boy made me realize how you can change into a good person! As my friend, Izugail said, not all firebenders are villains. We're similar in a way, Zuko. We're both firebenders, but we pose no threat to the world."

Zuko's eyes widened in surprise. He wondered if that's what Nidoria actually thought since he was hunting for the Avatar back then. At that moment, guilt, fear and conflict started growing in him. He was conflicted because he felt like he was in the fork in the road. One road could lead him to do the right thing and follow his own destiny. Another road could lead him to chasing the Avatar and capturing him, so that he could regain honor from his father, Ozai. He was also guilty because he had been chasing the Avatar since last winter and now, Nidoria described him as someone who posed no threat to the world. He was afraid because he didn't want to face another rejection from Nidoria like the rest of the villagers.

Nidoria's big smile turned into a concerned and empathetic frown. "You're not the only one who's being cast out. My family and I are, too."

Zuko's surprised expression turned to empathy and concern. He connected the words Nidoria had said. After a few moments, he realized how similar he was to Nidoria, but they're not exactly the same. After his mother, Ursa's, banishment, he was treated negatively by his father and sister. He felt like an outcast in his family and the Plains Village. He didn't know Nidoria's reason for being an outcast, along with her family, but if she didn't want to say anything about it, he wouldn't pry.

"I don't know your reason for that, but my family and I are being outcasts because we're firebenders," Nidoria said. "And once we showed them our firebending, that's when the villagers cast us aside like itty bitty bugs."

Zuko became even more concerned. Hearing this made him want to comfort her... and maybe open up everything to her. Unfortunately, he couldn't find a way to comfort her and assure her that everything will be alright. With no option left, he continued listening.

Nidoria fidgeted her fingers as her head went down while her eyes were on Zuko. "And... on behalf of the boy you saved earlier..." She looked up at him and blushed slightly. "...thank you."

Zuko was surprised again. A heartwarming feeling occurred in his chest because he had hardly heard someone saying "thank you" to him before. After a few moments, he replied, "It was nothing."

Something came to Zuko's mind. He didn't know why, but he wanted to say something good to Nidoria. Unfortunately, the words he was about to say to her slipped his mind.

A few short moments later, Zuko said, "I have to go." He turned his ostrich-horse away from Nidoria. "Thanks for what you did back there."

Nidoria was overwhelmed with gratitude. "You're welcome," she said with a close-eyed smile.

The corner of Zuko's lips slightly curved to a smile as he let out a light chuckle.

Zuko's ostrich-horse took a few steps of departing from Nidoria. As it did, a reminder popped into her head. "Hey, Zuko. Can I ask you something?" she asked him.

Zuko stopped. He turned his ostrich-horse to Nidoria, so that he could easily turn to her. "Sure."

Zuko expected Nidoria to ask him personal questions like the boy did yesterday. Instead, he was met with a question that left him speechless.

"Is it possible for me to become a Protector for a different reason?" Nidoria asked.

Zuko blinked in surprise and confusion. What does she mean by... "different reason?" he thought.

"For me, helping the Avatar protect the world is a good thing, but that's not the main reason why I want to become the Protector," Nidoria continued. She smiled. "The way you saved a young boy and stood up for what's right... inspired me to become the Protector."

Zuko was shocked by her words. The same, gentle and kind feeling he had felt when Nidoria stood up for him occurred in him again. This time, the gentle and kind feeling he was feeling was slowly transforming to relief and comfort.

"I got tired of people treating me and my family like trash..." Nidoria continued. "...but seeing you in action makes me want to be the Protector, who saves people and stands up for what's right." Plea filled her eyes. "So please! Answer me this, Zuko!" Her right hand clenched the part of her shirt on her left chest. "Could I hope... to be someone like you?!" Nidoria asked.

Zuko was speechless. At that moment, the feeling he was feeling moments ago turned into an overwhelming gratitude. After a few moments, he dismounted his ostrich-horse and approached Nidoria.

Zuko pulled out an unidentified item and handed it to Nidoria. "Here. I want you to have this."

Nidoria gasped in surprise upon seeing this. This item looked like a closed fan. The colors were black, gold, brown and light brown.

"It's yours," Zuko said.

"Thanks," Nidoria said, retrieving the item with a smile. Once she retrieved it, her eyes explored the item's features. "What is this?"

"It's a pearl-handled dagger," Zuko said.

Nidoria turned to him in surprise. "A dagger?"

Zuko nodded. "Yes. My uncle gave it to me when I was little. And now..."

Nidoria unsheathed the dagger. She let out a gasp of astonishment when she saw an inscription, written in ancient Chinese writing. She let out a sound of awe before reading slowly with a whisper, "Never give up without a fight."

Then, for the first time in a while, Zuko's genuine smile appeared on his face. Watching someone else admiring his dagger warmed his heart. Dori, you may have struggles, but I believe you have the potential to become the Protector. You just have to keep fighting for what you want to become, he thought. I'll watch you grow, even though I'm far from you.

A few moments later, Nidoria sheathing the dagger snapped Zuko back to reality. He then, proceeded to continue his sentence. "...I'm giving it to you as a token... that will help you become the Protector."

Nidoria was overwhelmed with joy, heartfelt and gratitude. Her hands clasped her mouth with one of her hands still holding the dagger. Tears of joy filled her eyes, then they streamed down her cheeks.

"Dori, anyone can be a Protector. Even you," Zuko said with a genuine smile.

A blush increased on Nidoria's cheeks as she heard Zuko calling her the nickname Harutski had called her. Dori. When Harutski called Nidoria "Dori," it sounded cute at first, but when she started bullying her, hearing that nickname sounded menacing. However, when Zuko called her "Dori," it sent overwhelming joy and warmth in her veins.

Nidoria ignored the blush that's creeping up her cheeks as she was overwhelmed with joy and endless gratitude. She wiped the tears of joy with her shirt and placed her hands on the side. She smiled at Zuko warmly. "Thank you, Zuko."

Zuko smiled in return. "You're welcome."

Nidoria continued smiling at him.

Little did they know, Izugail, Liyah and Khelsi hid in the haystack nearby them. They watched the whole scene with fascination and excitement. Izugail leaned over to Liyah and Khelsi and whispered to them, "Those two are so cute together. I'm rooting for them."

Izugail, Khelsi and Liyah quietly giggled.

After the giggling died down, Liyah leaned over to Izugail and whispered to her back, "Yeah. They just need time to get to know each other and balance each other out."

Izugail and Liyah turned to Khelsi. "Khelsi, what do you think?" Izugail asked in a tone only Liyah and Khelsi could hear.

Khelsi gave Izugail and Liyah a nervous smile. "They're good."

"Okay," Izugail said in that same tone. Then, she continued jokingly. "Well, if ever they'd get married, they should name their child after me."

Liyah turned to Izugail. "Izugail, I think that's too far," she said in a tone only Izugail and Khelsi could hear.

"I know. I was only joking," Izugail whispered.

Then, Izugail, Liyah and Khelsi quietly giggled.

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Later on...

Nidoria watched as Zuko left the village on his ostrich-horse. Half of the villagers stood in a line on his left side while the other half stood in a line on his right side. Various weapons like a hoe, a pitchfork and a rock for throwing were seen in some of the villagers' hands. A flag of the Earth Kingdom was seen somewhere behind the left line. Eyes of anger and hatred were on Zuko, but he ignored them.

Nidoria watched in sadness and determination as she held the dagger close to her. I'll do my best to become the Protector... Zuko, she thought as she witnessed him disappearing in the sunset.

———————————————————

Later that night...
Backyard, Nidoria's house

Blasts of fire were seen in the backyard of Nidoria's house. Battle cries like "Hah!", "Hyah!" and "Hu!" were heard.

Kugo was seen training his firebending techniques with his parents. Punches, kicks and jumps were done in order to let out flames from his body. The flames were directed at the dummies his parents had prepared for him. His dad, Morizhito, had just got back from his work as the sauce stand owner and now, he gave himself time to watch his son train to become the Protector, along with his wife, Huaiying.

Morizhito had tan skin, black straight hair and dark brown eyes. He was wearing his green shirt with beige shorts and brown slippers.

Huaiying had fair skin with dark brown hair tied to a downward ponytail, and brown eyes. She was wearing her pale green dress with a brown belt and green flats.

As Kugo blasted fire at the dummies, Morizhito told him, "Kugo, be careful with your firebending! You might burn our house down!"

Kugo stopped firebending and turned to Morizhito with a confident smirk. He gave him a thumbs up. "Don't sweat it, dad! I won't burn down a place we call home!"

Just then, a knock on the door was heard. This caught everyone's attention.

"Come in!" Huaiying called out.

The door opened to reveal Nidoria with a determined smile. She closed the door behind her and ran towards Huaiying and Morizhito. Once she got to them, she asked them, "Mom, dad, can we go on a journey?"

"To where?" Morizhito asked.

"All of them," she said as her determined smile turned into a determined smirk.