EMBERS.
v. MOMENTS OF REVELATION
❝I'M NOT GOING TO HURT YOU. . .❞

GIGGLES ESCAPED THE LIPS OF 6-YEAR-OLD PRINCESS JASMINE as she chased her older half-brother, Prince Lu Ten, through the gardens of the Royal Fire Nation palace. Jasmine created a tiny fireball and threw it at him, but Lu Ten was expecting it. He quickly turned around and dissipated the flame - an easy task for a firebending master such as him. Jasmine stopped in her tracks, grinning up at her brother. "I almost got you, Lu Ten!"

"Almost, but not quite, little dragon," Lu Ten teased as he ruffled the young girl's hair, leading her towards the small pond that was located in the middle of their gardens. He took a seat on the lush green ground and Jasmine took a seat next to him. Lu Ten seemed deep in thought as he watched the tiny turtle ducklings swim around the pond, but Jasmine happily reached into her pockets and threw in some food for the animals. "Do you always carry around food in your pockets?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Jasmine exclaimed, giving her brother a playful shove. Granted, he didn't move a single inch due to being much bigger and stronger than the young girl. Jasmine dug into her pocket and pulled out a biscuit and tucked it into Lu Ten's pocket. "There, now you'll never go hungry."

Lu Ten shook his head, but couldn't help the smile that reached his lips. He expected nothing less from his little sister. He could only imagine what the handmaidens went through when they cleaned the crumbs and food stains from Jasmine's clothing. "Well, you never need to worry about running out of food, Jasmine. You're the Princess of the Fire Nation! There will always be an abundance of food and tea in the palace."

"I guess so, but we always run out of egg custard tarts!" Jasmine complained as she tossed the remaining piece of bread into the pond - the turtle ducks immediately devouring the bread.

Lu Ten chuckled. "Yes, we always run out because you eat them all, Jasmine."

"Prince Lu Ten!" the frantic voice of a palace guard sounded as he ran towards them, immediately causing Lu Ten to grow tense as he stood. Jasmine slowly stood as she stared up at the two men, noticing the pale expression of the guard.

"What is it? Are we under attack?" was the first thing that Lu Ten asked as his hands drifted down to the sword that he wore by his side. Under Attack? Jasmine frowned, wondering who would want to attack their perfect family. Sure, Grandfather Azulon and Uncle Ozai were a little scary, but they were still good people. Jasmine hid behind Lu Ten's legs, staring up at the guard.

"We do not know yet," the guard replied, speaking in a hushed voice as he looked down at the younger girl - almost as if he didn't want her knowing. His skin was pale and covered in a thin layer of sweat, almost as if he had seen a ghost. Jasmine wondered what had happened to make the guard terrified. "Prince Lu Ten, Lady Zia has been poisoned."

Something was wrong with her mother, Jasmine could tell that much. She tugged on the hem of Lu Ten's tunic, trying to get her brother's attention. "Lu Ten, what's wrong with Mama?"

"Lady Zia is unresponsive for now, but we have some of the best healers tending to her," the guard informed Lu Ten, completely ignoring Jasmine's pleading. Lu Ten seemed deep in thought, an expression of anguish and anger flashed across his face. "General Iroh is with her. I was told to come here and make sure that you two are protected from any potential intruder."

Jasmine continued to tug on Lu Ten's tunic, hoping that he would finally tell her what was going on. "Lu Ten, please. What happened?"

Lu Ten's eyes snapped down to his little sister, watching as her big brown eyes filled to the brim with tears. He crouched down to meet Jasmine's eye level before he pulled her into a tight hug, lightly rubbing her back. After a few moments, he pulled away and gently wiped the tears that streamed down Jasmine's face. Lu Ten was uncertain of the future, but he prayed to the spirits that his stepmother would overcome the poison that ran rampant throughout her body. "Jasmine, promise me that you'll be brave. No matter what happens, Jasmine, I need you to be brave."

"Why, Lu Ten? What's happening? Jasmine sobbed. "What's wrong with Mama?"

Lu Ten hushed her, rubbing her back. "Be brave, little dragon."

- - -

"JASMINE, WAKE UP!" an angry shout caused Jasmine to scream as she was ripped from her dreams. Her hands quickly grabbed the dagger underneath her pillow and pointed it toward the intruder, but she calmed down when she realized that it was only Zuko. He remained still - almost like a statue - despite the dagger that was just inches away from his throat.

Jasmine groaned, letting the dagger fall to the ground with a harsh clang. She lay back down on the bed, turning away from Zuko's brooding expression. "Go away, Zuko," Jasmine muttered as she pulled the silk sheets over her head, blocking out the light that came from his flame. "Whatever it is, it can wait a couple more hours."

"I found the Avatar," Zuko informed, ignoring Jasmine's struggle to fall back asleep. Jasmine huffed, squeezing her eyes shut. She hoped that he would go away and bother her in the morning, but Zuko was always persistent. "He's on Kyoshi Island."

"So?" was the first thing that left Jasmine's mouth as she snuggled into her bed, soaking in the warmth. She didn't know why Zuko couldn't go bother her father instead, but her father did have a tendency to sleep through anything. "I'm sure the Avatar will still be on Kyoshi Island in the morning, Zuzu."

"Don't call me that," Zuko snapped, the flame in his hand grew big for a few moments before he calmed down again. He ripped the blanket off her which caused Jasmine to protest as she tried to snatch it back, but Zuko had already thrown it across the room. "I want you to go to Kyoshi Island. There, you'll figure out where the Avatar is and you will alert us the second you find him."

"And then what?" Jasmine gritted out, sitting up in her bed as she stared at Zuko. She reached for the candle that sat on top of her bedside table and lit it before setting it back down. It brightened up the room and Jasmine noticed that Zuko was still dressed in his night robe as well. He must have just gotten the news. Jasmine wanted to know who thought it would be a good idea to wake Zuko in the middle of the night instead of waiting till morning. Now, Jasmine's sleep was interrupted.

"We'll invade the island and capture the Avatar, of course," Zuko finished, confidence dripped from every word.

Jasmine scoffed, getting out of bed before she walked toward her vanity table. She grabbed the comb and began to brush the tangles out of her long hair. Zuko stood close by, glancing around her room. He reached for a doll that was sitting on one of the tables and looked it over. "Stop touching my things," Jasmine snapped, staring at Zuko through the mirror. It was a very old doll. It had originally belonged to her mother and Jasmine had worked hard over the years to keep it in good condition. Zuko tossed it back onto the table, making Jasmine flinch. But, she breathed out a sigh of relief when she realized that the doll hadn't been damaged. "Look, Zuko, what makes you think that my dad will even allow me to go to Kyoshi Island by myself?"

"-which is exactly why we won't tell him."

Jasmine scoffed, rolling her eyes. Iroh was someone who knew everything - nothing stayed hidden around him. Plus, the crew respected Iroh too much to keep secrets from him. "I think he'll notice that I'm not on the ship."

"I doubt he will," Zuko stated as he stood next to Jasmine, towering over her. "He's either sleeping all day or too busy making tea to keep track of you. Trust me, he won't notice."

"Well, if he doesn't notice," her eyes flickered downward as she crossed her arms over her chest, trying her best to ignore the physical pain manifesting in her heart. "Then, Zari surely will."

"I'll have one of the guards distract her," Zuko said dismissively. "Or, I'll order her to clean the entire deck. It'll keep her busy for a couple of hours."

"Fine," Jasmine breathed out, shaking her head. Her bed called out to her, begging her to come back to sleep, but she had to go. She looked up at Zuko's stern expression. "When should I head out?"

- - -

KYOSHI ISLAND WAS BEAUTIFUL and Jasmine was grateful to have a change of scenery from the dark and dull ship that they had made their home. Jasmine rowed the metal canoe towards the island and shivered slightly when the mist of the water hit her. Her eyes focused on the water around her and hoped that she wouldn't be attacked by anything in the water. She and Zuko had seen something lurking in the waters below when they were on the main ship, but the water seemed calm now. Kyoshi Island was an archipelago separated from the larger main continent of the Earth Kingdom and it hadn't been far from their previous location, so the journey had only taken a couple of hours by their ship. The sun barely peeked out from the horizon, but it was enough to have Jasmine feel its effect. She could feel fire flooding through her veins as the sun's light hit her. After a few more minutes of rowing, Jasmine reached the coast. She climbed out of the canoe before pulling it out of the water and hiding it in a couple of bushes. She made sure that she had her bag with her that was filled with food and anything else that she could possibly need on the island.

It was chilly on the island and Jasmine wished for her warmer clothing, but she couldn't wear any of her Fire Nation clothing. It would give her away too quickly and her goal was to blend in and survey the area and figure out whether the Avatar was on the island or not. Instead, she wore casual clothing, a tight long-sleeved top - that Jasmine was used to wearing underneath her armor - with loose pants that were tucked into her boots. She had her daggers with her, tucked into her boots as well. It was the only thing from the Fire Nation that she brought with her. However, it was hidden away and Jasmine had no intentions of pulling them out unless she had to.

In the distance, Jasmine could see a statue of Avatar Kyoshi - the Avatar before Roku. She wondered what life was like during her time, but she assumed that it was more or less the same. A different Avatar, a different war, but the story would be the exact same. In most stories, the Avatar won. Now, that the Avatar was back, it was a possibility that the Fire Nation could be brought down to its knees. Jasmine pushed the thoughts out of her mind, reminding herself that the Fire Nation could easily defeat a group of children. They had nothing to fear. Jasmine took in a deep breath and began to make her way into town.

Almost immediately, she realized that she looked out of place with her black clothing in a sea of people that wore blue. However, she could see some of the sailors near the port wearing darker clothing like herself. It was obvious that she wasn't from Kyoshi Island, but that worked to her advantage since she could easily say that she was the daughter of a visitor. After all, Kyoshi Island didn't have a huge population and everyone seemed to know each other.

People clamored all around her, dozens of different conversations filled Jasmine's ears, but none captured her attention. Instead, she turned her attention to the vendors that lined the streets, shouting at the villagers to buy their items. Yet, the one vendor that caught Jasmine's eye was an elderly woman that sat quietly at her stall as she worked on a wooden sculpture. She wondered if the woman could possibly have any information about the Avatar. Jasmine walked toward her stall, taking in all the wooden sculptures that were on sale. "Hello," Jasmine greeted, giving the older woman a smile. "You have a lovely shop... these sculptures are very beautiful."

The old woman looked up from the sculpture, staring intensely at Jasmine for a few moments. It caused Jasmine's breath to hitch in her throat as she waited for the woman to scream Fire Nation but she never did. Instead, she offered Jasmine a warm smile. "Thank you, my dear. Sculpting has been in my family for many many years. My great great grandmother was the one who crafted that statue for Avatar Kyoshi," the woman replied as she gestured to the large statue in the town square. Jasmine had seen it on her way into town. It was a beautiful statue, extremely lifelike. "Say, I don't think I've ever seen you around these islands. What's your name?"

Jasmine froze for a split second, thinking of any name possible that wouldn't link her back to herself or Zuko. It seemed that the woman was noticing her hesitation, so Jasmine said the first name that came to mind. "Zia."

"Zia?" the woman tested the name on her tongue but didn't say anything further about it — much to Jasmine's relief. "Well, my name's Aika. I used to have a friend named Zia when I was younger, but it's been a long time since I've seen her."

"I hope you can see your friend again," Jasmine kindly replied, not knowing what else to say. She was used to giving snarky replies, but she couldn't find the heart to be rude towards the woman. Aika reminded Jasmine of her father — old, wise, and always hiding the truth.

Aika hummed in response, smiling at Jasmine. She definitely knew more than she was letting on, but Jasmine decided it would be in her best interests to let it go. "Can I interest you in one of my sculptures? I'm sure there's something in here that you'll like."

Jasmine returned the smile, looking at the shelves that displayed Aika's sculptures. She figured that her father would definitely like one and perhaps buying one for him will lessen her punishment for sneaking off the ship. Finally, she spotted the perfect one. It was a miniature dragon painted a deep red coiled upon what looked like a greyish rock, breathing orange fire upward. "I'd like the dragon, please."

"Wonderful choice," Aika stated, almost as if she had been expecting Jasmine to choose that one. Yet, Jasmine didn't notice. Aika plucked the dragon off the shelf and wrapped it up in a thick cloth before handing it to Jasmine. "Twenty copper pieces, please."

Jasmine dug into her bag, pulling out a small pouch of money, but immediately frowned when she noticed that she only had Fire Nation money on her. She glanced up at the woman, giving her a forced smile. "Will twenty gold pieces do instead?" Jasmine asked, placing them on the counter. Aika's eyes widened as she eyed the gold pieces, looking them over. It was obvious that her coins were Fire Nation money since the nation's emblem was on one side of it, but Aika didn't seem to mind. Jasmine tilted her head slightly, trying to get a peek at Aika's expression. "Is it okay?"

"Of course, dear! Though, I do hope you know that you paid triple of what that silly old sculpture is worth," Aika mentioned, but Jasmine shrugged. Money was something that she had an abundance of and she didn't mind overpaying if it meant that it would help someone.

Jasmine took the wrapped sculpture and placed it into her bag, giving Aika one last smile before she began to walk away. However, she didn't make it far when a white lotus flower was shoved in her face, causing her to grab the person's wrist and twist them around before she pinned them to the floor.

"Ouch, ouch!" the boy exclaimed and Jasmine immediately got off him, throwing curses in the air as she did. People on the street gave them stares, but quickly deemed that the situation was of no importance. The boy sighed as he picked up the lotus flower that had, fortunately, survived the fall. He turned around and Jasmine's eyes widened at the familiar face - Sokka. He smiled. "I probably deserved that for sneaking up on you, sorry."

He wasn't... running. Or, trying to attack her. Jasmine felt uncomfortable as she stared at the grinning boy as extended his arm to give her the flower again. A smile found its way to her lips as she took the flower from him, lifting it up to her nose to take in its pleasant scent. Her brown eyes flickered back to the boy's hopeful expression. Jasmine may have recognized Sokka, but he didn't recognize her - which worked out perfectly in her favor. Though, she wondered why he didn't recognize her. But, Jasmine had to remind herself that she was dressed as a commoner, not a trace of makeup adorned her features and her hair had been let loose. When Sokka had seen her last, she had been dressed in the finest Fire Nation armor and had been dolled up. This time, Zari hadn't been around to dress her. Yet, it seemed to have worked out in her favor since it deemed her unrecognizable in Sokka's eyes. Despite Jasmine's internal struggle, Sokka continued to stare at her dreamingly and Jasmine felt her cheeks burn up, praying that it was because of the cold and not the boy in front of her.

Jasmine cleared her throat, causing Sokka to break from his trance. She feigned an innocent expression as she smiled at Sokka, looking almost straight at him - since he was only taller by an inch or two. "So, what's your name?" Jasmine asked, making her voice sound much higher than it actually was, as she twirled the flower in her hands. She kept one of her childhood friends, Ty Lee, in mind, taking her mannerism into consideration, since Ty Lee always had the easiest experience when speaking to boys.

"My name's, uh... it's Sokka," the boy answered, clearly nervous. Jasmine's assumptions were correct and it was the Southern Water Tribe boy in front of her. If he was here, then so was the Avatar. She needed to alert Zuko, but a part of her wanted to be positive that the boy they were hunting was on the island. After all, Jasmine still hadn't seen the Avatar or the Water Tribe girl Katara yet. "What's your name? Wait, don't answer that. I already know-"

Jasmine went rigid, waiting for the teenager to expose her to the townspeople. Her fingertips itched for the daggers safely tucked in her boots, begging to be used.

"-Zia, right?"

Jasmine sighed a breath of relief as she took a step away from Sokka, running a hand through her black hair as she did. She smiled, returning to her act. "And, how do you know that, Sokka?"

"I overheard you talking to the vendor..." Sokka confessed. It was a little creepy to Jasmine, but she was mostly disappointed in herself that she wasn't able to sense someone watching her. "I know what you must be thinking... but, I saw you walk into town from the ports and well, you were really pretty and I was just mustering up the courage to speak to you."

Jasmine smiled at Sokka's confession, finding it somewhat cute. She was used to people confessing their love or attraction to her - she was the Fire Nation princess, after all - but Sokka had done the same without knowing all the benefits of her royal life and he had seen her without all the glamor. She giggled slightly, shaking her head. "How about we start over?"

"I'd like that very much," Sokka grinned, snatching the lotus flower out of Jasmine's hands before presenting it to her again. "Hello, my name is Sokka. What's yours?"

"Jas-" she managed to stop herself before she could finish her name, going into a fake coughing fit instead. She awkwardly chuckled as she accepted the flower from Sokka, looking upon its beauty once more. "Sorry, spending a month at sea can cause anyone to grow ill. But, I am Zia."

"A month?" Sokka asked, his head tilting ever so slightly. Jasmine wondered if he did that often when he was curious or confused. "Why were you out at sea for so long?"

"It's for my father's business," Jasmine effortlessly lied, giving Sokka a kind smile. "He sells weapons to help defend the remaining two nations against the Fire Nation."

"Weapons?" Sokka's eyes lit up, much brighter than they were before. He seemed almost too excited to learn that her persona's father sold weapons. Jasmine wondered if she should have said something else, but decided to stick to her story. "I'd like to meet your father, Zia! You know, I've been thinking about buying a new weapon lately! Not sure what it'll be yet though! I guess I'll figure it out when we see your father has."

"Maybe later?" Jasmine suggested, glancing towards the docks for someone that vaguely looked like her. "My father and I, well... We got into a fight earlier and I'll rather not face him yet."

Sokka let out an oof, immediately understanding her struggle. "Definitely later, then!"

"Say, why do you want to buy another weapon?" Jasmine asked, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly. She could see the boomerang that hung by Sokka's waist and the machete that was strapped to his back.

"I just want to be able to protect myself and my friends, you know?" Sokka confessed, shrugging slightly. It was noble of Sokka to have a desire to protect his loved ones. Jasmine felt the same way towards her father and cousin, but she also felt the same desire for her nation. It was why she was willing to fool Sokka and betray him so that she would be able to capture the Avatar. Zuko would earn his honor back and be welcomed home with open arms, and she would be deemed a war hero.

"Your friends?" Jasmine asked, hoping that Sokka would reveal the location of the Avatar. It seemed that this mission was much much easier than expected.

"Oh, right, I guess you wouldn't know since you're not from around here, but I'm best friends with the Avatar!" Sokka admitted, grinning proudly as he crossed his arms over his puffed out chest. "No biggie, you know? Just kicking some Fire Nation butt here and there, saving the world, defeating the Fire Lord and his messed up family - all that fun stuff."

Jasmine's grip on the flower tightened, crushing the stem in the process. The temptation to reveal her identity overfilled her, but she calmed down, forcing herself to smile. "What? I thought the Avatar had died a hundred years ago!" Jasmine exclaimed, faking the excitement in her tone. She wondered if she should tell Zuko at all. If she alerted him, it would force him to raid the island and disrupt the peace in search of him. But, if she did it on her own, she could take out the teenagers quietly and capture the Avatar without ever alerting the townspeople. "Can I meet him? Please, Sokka, please!"

"Okay, okay!" Sokka chimed, clearly excited about the fact that Zia was going to spend some time with him. "But, we do have a couple of hours to kill. He stormed off earlier after he got in an argument with Katara - something about jealousy and carrying baskets, I don't know."

"I don't mind waiting," Jasmine said, taking Sokka's hand. It wouldn't be long until the Avatar was in her grasp and she, along with Zuko and her father, would be granted with the title of war heroes. She grinned, looking up at the Water Tribe boy. "Where to, Sokka?"

- - -

IF THERE WAS ONE THING THAT JASMINE LEARNED, it was that Sokka had a talent for making perfect plans under a time constraint. In a few short minutes, Sokka had been able to compile a detailed list of everything that he wanted to do together. Of course, he was adamant on keeping it a secret from her since he wanted it to be a surprise. Though, Jasmine didn't mind. She had to admit that she had enjoyed running around the island with Sokka. He had her best interests at heart and it was much more than she could say about her own father and crew - who probably hadn't noticed that she was gone yet. For a second, her thoughts wandered to Zuko, wondering what he was doing. Though, she figured that was pacing the deck of the ship, waiting for her signal.

It had been a few hours since Jasmine arrived on Kyoshi Island. She had spent a majority of her time in Sokka's company as they had taken a tour of the island, met the Kyoshi Warriors, went shopping where Sokka had insisted that he buy her a necklace, and the two had seen a puppet show together. It showed the love story of Avatar Kyoshi and her best friend, Anya. It was a sweet and romantic play that Jasmine had surprisingly enjoyed. She hadn't seen a puppet show since she was much younger, so it was... nice to see one with Sokka. It had been the most fun that she'd had in a very long time. Though, the day was far from over. Now, Sokka had taken the two to the coast and had set up a picnic along the sandy beach.

"So, uh, I had the inn owner, Sachi, pack a lot of meat for our picnic, but I wasn't sure if you were okay with meat, so I had her pack some fruits and tarts as well," Sokka explained as he pulled out a few porcelain plates for the two of them. They had popular designs from the Earth Kingdom engraved into them and Jasmine found herself examining the designs. "So, what will it be? Meat - my personal favorite - or some tarts?"

Jasmine's eyes lit up at the mere mention of tarts as she peeked into the woven basket, seeing a plethora of food. She smiled, looking up at Sokka's crystal blue eyes. "By any chance, do you have any egg custard tarts?"

Immediately, a grin erupted on Sokka's face before he reached into the basket and pulled out the one thing that Jasmine loved most in the world - egg custard tarts. She gasped happily, taking it from his hands as she looked down at the delicious dessert. Her mother used to make the best tarts in the world and Jasmine used to eat every single one of them, but after she died, Jasmine hadn't touched them for a very long time. Sokka watched Jasmine's facial expression and couldn't help the soft smile that spread across his lips. "Turns out, Sachi makes the best tarts on the island. I'll have her pack some for you and your father when you have to leave the island."

"Oh, Sokka, you're the best!" Jasmine exclaimed, reaching over to give the Water Tribe boy a tight hug. He immediately hugged back and for a moment, Jasmine felt her heart skip a few beats. But, finally, the reality of the situation set in which caused Jasmine to pull away from him. She settled down on her side of the blanket before she grabbed a spoon and began to eat the tart. In the meantime, Sokka grabbed a piece of seal jerky and began to chew on that.

Jasmine had to admit that the tart was delicious, but it caused her to miss her mother's cooking. Despite her mother, Zia, being Iroh's wife and the princess of the Fire Nation, she loved to cook. If she went missing, the first place to check was the kitchen since she was always there with the staff. Her mother remained humble and never let go of her principals when she married into royalty. It was one of the many things that Jasmine admired about her mother.

While Jasmine was deep in thought, Sokka continued to stare dreamingly at her. He felt a sense of familiarity with the young girl, but couldn't place his finger on it. Though, he chose to ignore it. He couldn't explain it, but he felt a connection with her. Sokka wasn't the kind of man to focus on fun since they were in the middle of a war, but he found himself letting loose and having actual fun with the girl next to him. It almost felt too good to be true. Sokka frowned when he noticed the saddened expression that graced her face. He rested a gentle hand on her shoulder, catching her attention. "Is everything okay, Zia?"

"Yes, of course. Everything is... perfect," Jasmine whispered softly, trying to smile at the boy. It had been a perfect evening with the boy and Jasmine enjoyed every part of it, but she couldn't shake the guilt that overcame her. Her actions were dishonorable, but they will help her nation win the war. They needed the Avatar and Jasmine needed to focus on her mission - not the feelings of some teenage boy. With a deep breath, Jasmine pushed down her feelings and reminded herself that Sokka was the enemy. She had to focus on finding the Avatar since she had already wasted too much time with Sokka. She needed to think of a plan. Her best option was to take Sokka hostage and use him to lure-

"I know what you're thinking..."

Jasmine's plotting stopped at the sound of Sokka's voice. Her attention turned away from the ground to Sokka's solemn expression - a vast difference from the goofy smile that she had seen all day. "What?"

"I just... feel the same way, you know?" Sokka confessed, dropping the piece of jerk onto the plate. He brought his knees to his chest before he wrapped his arms around his legs. Sokka stared out at the calm, unmoving sea. "-this war has plagued my mind from the second I was old enough to understand it, but for the past couple of hours, I had almost forgotten about it. For my whole life, I had forgotten what it meant to be a kid, you know? I was always focused on training and protecting my tribe, but I truly felt like a kid again today. But, then the war comes back to haunt us at the end of the day."

"When I was younger, I didn't know much about the war," Jasmine began, deciding that it would be best to reveal her experience with the war as well. "But, my family played a big role in it. I used to be carefree and did whatever I pleased, but things changed when my mother died. They say that it was an illness, but some theorized that she was poisoned. After her death, my father and brother went off to war to fight in the siege of Ba Sing Se." Jasmine found herself staring at the charm bracelet that Lu Ten had gifted her before he went off to war. It was something that Jasmine never took off and cherished it more than anything else. "It's just that they were gone for a very long time and in the meantime, my uncle decided it would be best to have me trained to fight in the war as well. It went on for almost two years and I waited for the safe return of my family, but only my father returned. My brother had been killed."

"Do you know what happened?" Sokka asked softly, moving closer to Jasmine before he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Jasmine nodded, wiping the tears that had escaped her eyes. She hated that she was crying in front of Sokka, but he didn't seem to mind. Though, he looked concerned as he continued to rub her back. "He had been captured and... tortured for information on my father," Jasmine's voice cracked as she vividly recalled the letter that had been written to inform them about the death. When her father had come back, he hadn't said a word about Lu Ten's death, but everyone knew what had happened. "It's been years, but I still miss him every single day. He was my best friend and the one person that I looked up to, but then he was taken from us."

"He didn't die in vain, Zia," Sokka reassured, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze before he gently pulled her closer. Jasmine didn't fight him as she rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes as memories of Lu Ten filled her mind. "I'm sure all he thought about was protecting his nation, his people, and well, you. Plus, Ba Sing Se was victorious that day when the Fire Nation retreated, remember? It was a victory for all of us. We won that battle and I'm sure we'll win the war. I swear, the Fire Nation will finally get what they deserve."

Sokka was wrong. It hadn't been a victory for her that day. It was the day that she had truly lost her family. Lu Ten had died for nothing. Ba Sing Se was still out of their control and her father had been deemed a failure in the eyes of their family. Yet, Jasmine nodded, continuing to play the role of an Earth Kingdom girl who had lost everything to war. Her breath hitched in her throat when Sokka's fingertips lightly brushed against her cheeks, wiping away her tears. She gave him a warm smile. Sokka, however, didn't return her smile. Jasmine frowned, pulling away from him as she continued to stare at his saddened expression. "What's wrong?"

"I've lost a lot in this war too," Sokka revealed as he took in a deep breath. "My mom was killed during a Fire Nation raid when I was little... It's been such a long time, but I still miss her so much. Our village was in bad shape after the raid - most of our resources had been destroyed and our spirits had been crushed. Yet, we tried to repair."

"Then?"

"Then, my father, the Chief of the Tribe, decided that he and the rest of the men needed to go fight in the war. It was about two years ago and we haven't heard from him since."  Sokka continued. "I wanted to go along so badly, but my father gave me another task."

"Protecting the Tribe?" Jasmine assumed.

"Yeah, and protecting my sister, Katara," Sokka told her, shaking his head slightly. "He feared that one day the Fire Nation will come back to our lands and discover my sister. I needed to be there to protect her."

His words resonated with Jasmine. It was how she felt towards Zuko. She had already lost Lu Ten, but she would be damned if she lost Zuko.

"But, uh, it's just been so long since we've heard from our dad and I'm just really really scared that something bad happened to him and the other warriors," Sokka confessed.

Jasmine hummed slightly, listening to every word that escaped Sokka's lips. His story explained why she had seen no other warriors than Sokka when Zuko and she had invaded their little tribe in search for the Avatar. She felt slightly guilty for her actions at the South Pole as she stared at Sokka's dejected expression. She sighed softly, deciding to comfort him to the best of her ability. "He's still out there, Sokka," Jasmine reassured. "I may not know your father, but I'm sure that he thinks about reuniting with you and your sister every single day. I'm sure your paths will cross soon. After all, you've been traveling all over the world with the Avatar."

Sokka smiled, giving Jasmine another tight hug - one that she returned. "Thank you, Zia."

It was quiet between the two as they pulled away from each other, staring deep into each other's eyes as they did. Jasmine noticed how the sunlight reflected in Sokka's blue eyes, shining brighter than any flame that she had ever seen before. His hair had become slightly aloof after their long day together, but it did well to compliment his goofy personality. She could feel his warmth as he sat frozen just a few inches away from her, breathing deeply as he stared down at her. His mind seemed to be running with a million thoughts as he debated on what to do next. Before Jasmine could realize what was happening, Sokka's soft lips were upon her. Her eyes widened for a split second before she relaxed completely, shutting her eyes as her hand flew to Sokka's cheek. She could feel his hands on her lower back as he pulled her close, flush against his warm chest. Jasmine felt her heart skip multiple beats as the world around them melted away. She felt at bliss as she kissed Sokka—forgetting about her mission and the real reason that she was on Kyoshi Island. However, before it could go any further, Jasmine heard screaming in the background. Her eyes snapped open as she came to her senses and she quickly ripped herself away from Sokka, ignoring the hurt expression that flashed across his face.

Her eyes darted to the water and found the source of the scream. It was the Avatar trying to ride the large and dangerous Unagi. Jasmine grinned, "it's the Avatar!"

Sokka groaned, watching as the girl ran off in the direction of his friend. He stood up from the ground and dusted the sand off him. "Thanks a lot, Aang."

Further down the beach, Jasmine had a clear view of the Avatar as he clung onto the Unagi's fins. She recalled what Suki, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, had told her and Sokka—the Unagi was dangerous and wasn't above eating humans for food. Yet, here was the Avatar, riding the Unagi as if it was nothing more than a pet. She wrinkled her nose in slight disgust and annoyance when she noticed that he was dressed in nothing but his undergarments which caused his tattoos to be on full display. It was a stupid idea since he was currently the most hunted person on the planet. Jasmine could hear footsteps behind her and she looked back to see Sokka and Katara join her. Sokka wore an annoyed expression, but fear was written all over Katara's face.

"Aang, stop!" Katara shouted, glaring at the young boy who was being dragged by the Unagi. His screams echoed in the air and Jasmine winced as he was tossed in the air before being slammed into the water again. "Aang, please! You're going to get hurt!"

Jasmine watched the scene unfold carefully, wondering what she should do. She could easily take down both Katara and Sokka with a few fire blasts, but the Avatar would require a bit more effort and time. It would attract the attention of the town and the Kyoshi Warriors - which would cause her to be outnumbered. Summoning Zuko to the island would be her best bet, so that was exactly what she would do. She could see the faint outline of the war ship beyond the fog, but she needed to do something that they would see. Finally, her eyes rested on the statue of Avatar Kyoshi and Jasmine grinned.

She rushed off, unaware that Sokka had been following her close behind. Once she made it to town, she looked up at the statue of Kyoshi and deemed it the perfect height for a signal. Jasmine got into position and was about to send a blast towards the statue, but Sokka's voice stopped her.

"Zia?" He asked softly, staring at her in confusion. "What are you doing?"

Jasmine froze in her tracks, feeling like a cornered animal as she stared at Sokka's confused expression. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears as she mulled over her choices - it should be obvious, but Jasmine struggled to decide her next move. She glanced down at the charm bracelet around her wrist and the Fire Nation emblem that glared back at her - the choice was obvious. She closed her eyes for a few moments as she took in a deep breath, closing her heart to the pain that she was causing the boy in front of her. After all, Jasmine would always be loyal to her nation. Her eyes snapped open and she stared coldly at Sokka as she reached up and ripped the silver-chained necklace that he had gifted her a few hours ago. She tossed it towards him, giving him a small smirk. "I hope you can get your money back, Sokka," Jasmine taunted. While Sokka tried to process what was happening, Jasmine turned around and sent a powerful fire blast towards the statue of Avatar Kyoshi, watching as the wooden sculpture caught on fire. It burned bright, catching the attention of everyone in the village as they began to panic and run to safety.

Sokka gasped, backing away from Jasmine in fear. His eyes were wide as the light from the fire reflected in them, causing Jasmine to take in a deep breath—the act was up. "You're a... fire bender!" Sokka shouted, pulling out his machete that had been strapped to his back. He pointed it towards her, narrowing his eyes as he did. "Who are you?"

"Do you not recognize me, Sokka?" Jasmine asked, giving Sokka a smirk. She created a ball of fire in her hands and blasted it in Sokka's direction. But, he rolled out of the way—barely avoiding the flames. In the distance, she could hear the familiar roar of the komodo rhinos. She stared in the direction of the beach, knowing that Zuko would join her any second. "Perhaps, you'll recognize me when I'm joined by my cousin, Prince Zuko."

"I... know who you are," Sokka whispered, immediately catching Jasmine's attention. He took a small step backward, almost losing his balance as he stared at the Firebender. "You're the Fire Nation girl that invaded my village!"

"Took you long enough," Jasmine taunted again, grinning at Sokka. His expression twisted into one of pain as he gulped, taking a step back from the girl. It caused Jasmine to feel a slight pang in her heart, but she ignored her feelings as she blasted fire towards the boy. She narrowed her eyes when she noticed that Sokka wasn't attacking. Instead, he focused on avoiding her blasts. She huffed, twirling a flame in her hands. "Come on, Sokka! No boomerang this time? What about your spears? Why aren't you fighting back?"

Jasmine felt anger surge through her as she sent another blast towards Sokka, trying her best to knock him down. She turned a blind eye to his pain, reminding herself that he was the enemy and not her friend. Finally, she sent a harsh enough blast to knock him into a nearby house. A gasp escaped Jasmine's lips when the ground below her began to shake. At first, she thought the villagers had some earthbenders among them, but then the familiar komodo rhinos appeared into town. On top, Zuko sat with several other soldiers among their crew. Zuko rode next to her, glancing toward the unconscious form of the Water Tribe boy. "Come out, Avatar! You can't hide from me forever!" Zuko shouted as his eyes scanned the nearly deserted town. He turned to the other soldiers who awaited his command. "Find him. I want the Avatar alive."

Finally, Zuko's attention fell on Jasmine's somber expression. He offered his hand, silently asking Jasmine to climb onto the komodo rhino with him. Jasmine scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "What?" Jasmine snapped. "I don't get a rhino of my own?"

"There weren't enough," Zuko replied, rolling his eyes. He kept his hand extending and Jasmine finally took it. Once she was properly situated, Zuko stole a glance back at her. "So, what took you so long to signal us?"

"Oh, you know, sightseeing," Jasmine retorted, looking back as she hoped to catch a glimpse of Sokka, but he was no longer there. She frowned, looking back at Zuko. "Last I checked, the Avatar was on the beach with the Water Tribe girl."

Yet, before Zuko and the other firebenders could head in the direction of the beach. They were quickly surrounded by the Kyoshi Warriors and Sokka—who was dressed in the same attire as the warriors. Though, it was easy for Jasmine to pick him out of a crowd. After all, she had spent the whole day staring into his eyes. "Looks like the Avatar will have to wait," Jasmine huffed as she jumped off the komodo rhino. She quickly sent a few fire blasts toward the warriors. They easily dodged the attacks, but the buildings behind them weren't so lucky.

The Kyoshi Warriors split up—a majority of them dealt with the Fire Nation soldiers, but a few warriors and Sokka went after Zuko. However, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki, had decided to take the Princess by herself. While Jasmine was distracted, Suki was able to get close enough to give Jasmine a harsh kick. Jasmine groaned as she collided with the ground, feeling the air rush out of her lungs. Suki pulled out her sword, pointing it towards Jasmine. "Give up!"

But, Jasmine refused to give up so easily. She ripped out the daggers from her boots and quickly stood to her feet, barely dodging Suki's swing of the blade. Suki swung again, but Jasmine parried it. Their blades collided, causing sparks to fly as the edges scraped against each other. Jasmine lifted her daggers up, pushing Suki back. Suki huffed, swinging her blade for the third time, but this time, Jasmine blasted fire at the young girl. It was a strong enough blast to send her flying through the walls of a nearby house.

Once Jasmine was sure that the warrior was down, she looked back to see how her fellow soldiers were doing. Her eyes widened when she noticed one of their Imperial Firebenders on the ground as he writhed in pain. She rushed toward him, crouching down to his level as she scanned his body for injuries. "What's wrong?"

"I think one of the warriors broke my arm," the soldier groaned, trying to lift his arm. Jasmine winced as she examined it, noticing how the arm was bent in an awkward position. Her eyes scanned the area around them and it seemed that the Kyoshi Warriors were more focused on taking Zuko out. The soldier's gaze followed Jasmine as he tried to sit up. "Princess, get behind me. I'll protect you."

"Stop, you're injured. Firebending is almost impossible with a broken arm," Jasmine said and the soldier immediately froze in his tracks, not wanting to disobey his princess. She helped the soldier to his feet and moved him toward the komodo rhino. Jasmine took the reins and held the rhino still while the soldier climbed on top. Once he was secure, Jasmine handed him the reins. "Get back to the ship. Have Inzi take a look at your broken arm. He'll know what to do."

"Thank you, my Princess," the guard stated as he gave her a bow before he climbed onto the komodo rhino with Jasmine's help. She watched his ride away and finally, turned her attention to the rest of the fight. It seemed that the rest of the warriors were holding their own against the warriors since most of them had either retreated or were unconscious.

Jasmine was about to jump back into the fight, but caught a glimpse of Aika's sculpture shop. She gasped when she noticed the burning wooden sculptures inside, but the vendor was nowhere to be seen. As Jasmine looked around, she noticed the burning buildings and prayed that no one was inside them. She didn't want innocent people to be killed in their search for the Avatar. Finally, her eyes landed on Zuko as he fought off the Avatar.

Though, it was quickly over for Zuko when the Avatar got a hold of the fans that belonged to the Kyoshi Warriors. He sent a powerful air blast toward Zuko which sent him flying through the flimsy wooden panels of the house behind them. Jasmine gasped, paying no attention to the Avatar as she ran towards Zuko. She jumped through the large hole in the wall and crouched down to Zuko's level. He groaned, clutching his bloodied head that had been caused by the wooden panels. "Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" Zuko snapped, slapping Jasmine's hand away before she could touch his wound. He glared at her, giving her a slight shove. "You should have gone after the Avatar! He can be long gone by now!"

"I'm trying to help you, Zuko!" Jasmine shouted. She was tired of Zuko's nasty attitude that never seemed to improve. In fact, it seemed to be getting worse as each day carried on. Jasmine wanted to give Zuko a piece of her mind and curse him out, but their argument was cut short when they noticed the approaching figures of Suki and Sokka.

Jasmine sighed, standing to her feet. The two Firebenders readied themselves for battle as they pulled out their weapons while Suki and Sokka did the same. Jasmine went straight for Sokka while Zuko battled Suki. Her dagger collided with Sokka's machete, but her strength faltered when she met his glare. Sokka pushed hard, towering over Jasmine. "I trusted you."

"That was your mistake," Jasmine gritted out as she swept her leg underneath Sokka's, causing him to crash into the ground. She held her blade tight, watching as it caught on fire.

His eyes widened as he looked up at Jasmine, staring at her with terror shining in his eyes. Sokka held his hands up in surrender, shaking ever so slightly. "Please, don't kill me. Please."

Jasmine froze. She hadn't expected those words to come out of Sokka's lips, but she had expected a taunt or a counterattack from him. But, no... Sokka begged for his life instead. People tended to be afraid of Jasmine. She held enough power physically and politically to potentially end someone's life. But, she was all talk. She had no desire to ever take a living person's life. Jasmine stared down at Sokka, watching the tears well in his eyes. He truly believed that she was going to kill him.

"Please..."

"I'm not going to hurt you," Jasmine whispered, lowering her blades as she backed away from the boy. Jasmine turned her back to Sokka as she took in a few deep breaths to steady herself. Jasmine wasn't a murderer. If she was being honest, she had never hurt anyone outside of her training lessons. Even then, Jasmine was careful to keep her bending in check. As chaos ran rampant around her, Jasmine kept her eyes focused on the burning sculpture shop - almost completely turned into ash now.

"Jasmine!" Zuko shouted, trying to get his cousin's attention. But, she was lost in a world of her own. He huffed, giving Suki a kick before blasting fire at her. He ran towards Jasmine, grabbing her arm. He shook her roughly, pulling her out of her trance. "What is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry," Jasmine whispered, pulling away from Zuko. She needed to ignore the overwhelming thoughts and focus on one thing—the Avatar. "We need to find the—"

Her words were cut short by the familiar roar of the Avatar's bison. She looked to the skies and noticed the bison rushing toward them. The beast landed a few feet away from them and used its tail to send the two Firebenders flying back. Zuko growled, jumping to his feet as he rushed after them, but they were already in the air.

"Back to the ship!" Zuko barked at the remaining soldiers as he rushed to his own komodo rhino. Jasmine used her firebending to help her stand up before she rushed after Zuko as well. He reached down and helped her on the rhino before they rushed toward the beach. "We can't lose sight of them!"

As the firebenders made it to the coast, they arrived in time to see the Avatar jump from the flying bison and into the cold waters below. Jasmine frowned, waiting for the Avatar to reappear. It gave her flashbacks to the South Pole when the Avatar had erupted out of the water with glowing eyes and tattoos. "What do you think he's doing?"

Suddenly, the Unagi burst out of the water causing some of the komodo rhinos to panic. Zuko tightened his grip on the reins as he tried to control the rhino, but it threw him and Jasmine off. It seemed that all Jasmine was doing that day was falling into the ground and getting sand stuck in the most undesirable places. She sat up and watched as the Avatar used the Unagi's whiskers as reins and forced the fish to face the burning town before spewing it with a plethora of water. Jasmine gasped as the cold water rained down on them, soaking their clothing. She shivered, trying to warm herself up. Now, she was bruised, sandy, wet, and cold. Once the fires were out, the Avatar let go of the Unagi and jumped onto his bison.

Jasmine watched quietly. She had no energy to chase after them and all she desired was a long hot bath, a cup of tea, and some well deserved sleep. Though, she could feel the guilt eating away at her core as she looked at the village. Most of the villagers had come out of their hiding spots and had begun to inspect the damage done to their homes. "Zuko, let's go."

He screamed in anger, lifting his fist to send a blazing streak in the direction of the flying bison. But, it never reached them. They had escaped, once again. The Fire Nation defeated, once again. It angered Jasmine as well that their plans had been foiled, but she chose to let it go. It would be better to direct their energy into tracking them down. A soft sigh escaped Jasmine's lips as she watched their war ship come into view. From the deck, her father's disappointed expression stared back at them. Though, it was clear that his disappointment was in their actions against the town. Jasmine had to admit that she was disappointed in her actions as well, but it was the price to pay to win the war. Yet, one thing continued to haunt the Fire Nation Princess—the fear that she had seen in Sokka's eyes.

♡

So... this was a really long chapter, huh? It took me a whole month to write it, but I hope you guys enjoyed it! I have to admit, it is kind of all over the place, but I tried to lay it out in a format that makes it seem like you're watching an actual episode of Avatar! I have included a lot of secrets in this chapter that are scattered throughout - some are obvious while others are hidden! I am so excited for everything to come together!

Lu Ten has quickly become one of my favorite characters to write about! He has this mystery around him and I am trying my best to piece together him as a person. I see him having a lot of influences from his father, Iroh, and his step-mother, Zia (fun fact: Jasmine's name was originally Zia, but after some thought, I changed it to her mother's name instead!). I see him being noble and brave, willing to lay down his life for the people he loves and his country. Despite this 12 year age difference, Jasmine and Lu Ten were very close. I honestly can't wait to explore more of his character, ah! Also, I see Zuko and Jasmine's relationship having parallels with Jasmine and Lu Ten's. Jasmine is very afraid of losing Zuko like his lost Lu Ten. She may not always show it, but she is fiercely protective of Zuko.

I also added in a little hint with Aika! She played an important role in this chapter, but it may not have been obvious. Though, this is not the last time we'll see Aika!

Lastly, I want to talk about Jasmine and Sokka. I adore these two and I knew that I wanted them to have a connection in this chapter. Near the end when Jasmine was fighting Sokka, she noticed the fear in his eyes. It was the first time that she saw that kind of emotion caused directly because of her. As Zhao said in the chapter before, Jasmine has been very very sheltered from the war. She may believe she understands it, but she truly doesn't know anything. In that moment with Sokka, she felt something awaken deep within her. It's why she froze and panicked since she had never experienced something that intense before.

I do know that Jasmine's shift in personality is very sudden, but she is a scholar. She has read countless books on other nations, but still failed to see the true destruction of the Fire Nation until that day. But, Jasmine will still continue struggle with her loyalty to her country and doing what's right. She is very confused. But, the answer will be made clear to her by the end of Act I.

ALSO, LIKE, ON A SOMEWHAT BRIGHTER NOTE, JASMINE AND SOKKA SHARED A KISS?? Is it too soon? Yes, but it works. I wanted something to happen between them because they won't get any other OTP worthy moments until act two rolls around which will be season two of the show! I really love Sokka and Jasmine together becomes they truly do complete each other but their little date ended in disaster.

— AMARA
[ CHAPTER POSTED — 08.04.2019 ]