Later that night, after everyone had wound down from the excitement of Aang and Zuko learning the true source of firebending, Xiaodan laid on her sleeping roll and waited for the others to fall asleep. She listened intently until she heard everyone's breathing even out then she carefully slipped from her sleeping bag, picking up her staff as she she stood up. Reaching into her sash, she pulled out the slip of parchment she'd stashed there earlier and carefully slipped it into Aang's slightly opened hand. Hesitating a brief moment, she brushed a kiss across her brother's forehead then she stood and crept to the courtyard where Appa was sleeping.

Unbeknownst to her, Zuko, who had since been allowed to sleep in the same area as the group at Aang's insistence, had awoken as soon as he'd heard the soft rustle of her leaving her sleeping roll. Feigning sleep, he watched her through partially closed eyes as she hovered over Aang for a few moments then silently left the chamber. He counted to ten in his head then easily slid out of his own bedroll, grabbed his dao swords, and sneaked after her.

Zuko reached the courtyard just as she was tightening the reins on Appa's horns. Moving like a shadow, he walked closer and leaned against a nearby pillar, crossing his arms over his chest. He waited until she had finished tightening the sky bison's reins before making his presence known by scraping his foot across the ground.

At the soft scraping sound, Xiaodan whirled around in surprise, a guilty expression already on her face. The guilty expression instantly disappeared when she saw Zuko leaning against a nearby pillar with his arms crossed and a languid expression on his face. She scowled and turned her back to him, "Go away."

He ignored her and stepped forward, "Where are you going?"

"None of your business."

"I'll wake the others."

Xiaodan froze and turned slowly to glare at him, "You wouldn't."

He raised his brow and stared back challengingly, "Try me."

"I hate you, you know that?" She spat caustically, but he just continued to gaze at her unflinchingly, waiting for her to tell him what he wanted to know. Stomping her foot with a growl, Xiaodan finally snapped angrily, "Fine! I'm going to the Sun Warriors."

"Why?" Zuko asked in confusion, uncrossing his arms and letting them hang at his sides.

"That really isn't any of your business." Xiaodan replied sharply, her tone making it clear that he this was something he wouldn't be able to get out of her no matter what he did.

Zuko stared at her thoughtfully while she continued getting Appa ready for travel. She had just jumped onto his head and picked up the reins when he walked over and proceeded to climb up to the saddle. Xiaodan turned and gave him an unamused look.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going with you." He replied simply, leaning against the front of the saddle.

"Get out."

Zuko raised his brow at her and didn't move.

"Zuko," Xiaodan said through gritted teeth, the threads of what used to be her infinite patience thinning, "Get out of the saddle. Now."

"No."

"No?"

He nodded, smirking slightly as he repeated himself, "No. I'm going with you."

Taking a deep breath, Xiaodan closed her eyes and counted to ten in her head to keep from yelling at and physically removing his stubborn butt from the saddle. She wanted to slip away without waking the others and he knew it, so if she tried to force him to get out of the saddle, he'd make a lot of noise just to irritate her.

"I really, really hate you right now." She hissed at him angrily.

Zuko shrugged, "I can live with that if it means keeping you safe."

Scowling, Xiaodan swung her hand in his direction, knocking on his back with a blast of air. His muffled grunt caused her to smile in satisfaction. "Pfft," She scoffed under her breath as she heard him struggle to sit up, "Keep me safe, my butt." She flicked the sky bison's reins and whispered, "Yip-yip."

Appa grumbled lowly as he lumbered to his feet then he smacked his tail on the ground and leapt into the sky, flying towards the Sun Warrior ruins once again. Xiaodan tightened her hands on the reins, her expression determined even as nerves tied her stomach in knots.

She was finally going to get some answers.

Xiaodan had moved to the saddle by the time the sun had taken it's place high in the sky, although she was sitting at the very front, as far from Zuko as she could get without being on Appa's head. She could feel him staring at her as she sat across from him with her staff resting on her crossed legs. She refused to look at him though, continuing to methodically clean her staff with an old cloth she'd brought along even though she could practically feel the hole he was trying to bore into the top of her head.

He hadn't spoken since they'd left the temple and neither had Xiaodan. The silence had been tense and uncomfortable and Xiaodan hated it. And she knew that Zuko knew that. He thought he was being smart and subtle, using her dislike of uncomfortable silences to make her talk about why she had tried to sneak away from the group to go to the Sun Warriors' ruins. But Xiaodan could be as stubborn as an Earthbender when she wanted to be and right now she refused to let him get to her. She would not give him the satisfaction.

Leaning back rim of the saddle with his arms crossed over his chest, Zuko smirked slightly as Xiaodan rubbed the cloth over her glider with more force than was necessary. He shifted into a more comfortable position, stretching his legs out in front of him and slouching slightly. He caught her glance up at him so briefly he thought he'd imagined it if not for the scowl that had appeared on her face. He was irritating her and he knew it.

Zuko's smirk widened. He doubted it would be long before she snapped at him. And just as that thought passed, she threw down her cleaning cloth and lifted her head to glare at him.

"Would you stop that?" She spat.

"I'm not doing anything." Zuko replied, frowning in feigned confusion.

"Yes, you are!"

"I'm just sitting here quietly."

"You're staring at me! Stop it!"

Zuko raised his brow at her and tried to suppress a grin without much success, "I didn't know you were so shy."

Xiaodan felt her eyebrow twitch and she sucked in a deep breath, closing her eyes and mentally counting to ten. When she reopened her eyes, Zuko was still staring at her, a smug look on his face. Glowering back at him, Xiaodan was sorely tempted to blast him out of the saddle. She decided to inform of that.

"You wouldn't." He refuted confidently, his smug expression not changing, "You like me."

"The only reason I haven't done it, is because I don't want to have to explain to Aang why his firebending teacher is suddenly missing."

"Right." Zuko drawled skeptically, rolling his eyes at her to emphasis his disbelief at her statement.

Xiaodan narrowed her eyes at him, "You really want me to hurt you, don't you?"

"You know, there is one way to get me to stop." Zuko stated idly, ignoring her previous statement.

"Yeah?" The dualbender grunted as she returned to cleaning her glider after airbending the cloth back into her hands.

"Yeah, tell me why you want to go to the ruins."

Xiaodan tensed and she glared up at him through her messy bangs. She snapped, "No."

Zuko uncrossed his arms and pulled his knees up, resting his arms on them as he asked, "Why not?"

"Because it's not of you business!" Xiaodan fumed, tossing the cloth away again and slamming her glider down beside her in a fit of frustration, "Stop asking!"

"I'm going to find out eventually, so you might as well tell me now." He pointed out, leaning forward slightly and looking at her intently, "Why are you trying to hard to hide this from me?"

Xiaodan leaned forward as well and glared at him as she demanded sharply, "What did you do with Mai, Zuko?"

"What?" Zuko recoiled in surprise, staring at her in bewilderment. His bewilderment quickly turned to anger and he glared right back at her."Mai doesn't have anything to do with this, Xia. Leave it alone."

"Why are you trying to hard to hide that from me?" She demanded, using his own words against him.

"Because it's none of your business." He spat with scowl.

Xiaodan smirked at him in satisfaction and leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest. Realization dawned on Zuko a second later and he threw his hands in the air, leaning back against the saddle with a wordless growl of frustration.

"What happened between Mai and me doesn't matter now. It's in the past." Zuko explained with forced patience and he looked her in the eye intently, "I doubt you were alone these past few months."

Xiaodan jerked as if she'd been electrocuted and she stared at him in disbelief. Her expression twisted into one of indignant anger and she pointed an accusing finger at his face. "As a matter of fact, pretty much was. You know because I was traveling across the Fire Nation, helping my friends plan a monkey-featheringinvasion to stop your father from taking over the world!"

She snatched her staff up then jumped to her feet, turning her back on Zuko. Her next words were quiet, but the wind carried them to Zuko. "Besides, I at least understand loyalty."

"Xia, wait-" Zuko sat up quickly and reached out to her, but she'd already leapt out of Appa's saddle, snapping her glider open and rapidly disappearing from view. He groaned and pressed his fist against his forehead before leaning back against the saddle. He thumped his against the rim and addressed the open air. "Stupid."

Appa grumbled in what sounded like agreement and Zuko covered his face with hands, groaning again.

"I can't believe she just took off like that!" Katara ranted, furiously pacing back and forth in front of the broken fountain. She threw her hands in the air in frustration, "And she took Zuko with her! He's supposed to be training Aang how to firebend, not running around with her on some field trip!"

"Katara, this is something Xia really needed to do." Aang explained calmly, the note his sister left him still in his hand.

When he'd woken up and saw that his sister and Zuko had disappeared, worry had nearly suffocated him. But then he'd felt the paper in his hands and he knew that Xiaodan was safe, though he wasn't sure where Zuko was since her note didn't say anything about him going with her. Aang figured the older teen had woken up while she was sneaking away and had gone with her.

What Aang didn't understand, was why Katara seemed to have such an issue with Xiaodan going somewhere with Zuko. Toph and Sokka didn't seem to have any idea either, both watching the Waterbender with confused and curious expressions.

"Why are you so bent out of shape about this anyway?" Toph asked, apparently the only one of the three brave enough to ask. She casually began to pick her nose as she stated, "Xia probably just need to get away from your craziness for awhile. I know I do."

"My-Why-" Katara sputtered for a few seconds then growled and pointed a finger at Toph, "She just up and left! Snuck away like a criminal while we were all sleeping! And Zuko's with her! What if he decides to betray us or something?!"

"I bet betraying her is the last thing on his mind..." Sokka mumbled under his breath then grunted when Toph elbowed him in the stomach.

Katara had heard him though and she whirled to face him, her expression causing him to back up with his hands raised submissively. She stomped towards him and demanded, "What was that?"

"Heh, it's just, uh," Sokka stuttered nervously and cleared his throat, gesturing lamely with a hand, "You know, he's been trying really hard to get her to forgive him for the whole Ba Sing Se thing and um, yeah, helikesherandshelikeshimsoitwouldbereallystupid-Ow!"

Toph retracted her arm after punching the older boy, stopping him mid-ramble. She turned her head towards Katara and jerked her thumb at Sokka, who was rubbing his arm with a pout, "What that idiot is trying it say is, Xia's perfectly safe with Zuko."

"And how do you know that? It could all be an act!"

"It's not."

Katara, along with Sokka and Toph, turned to look at Aang, surprised at the confidence in his voice. He grinned at them and shrugged slightly, "I don't know Zuko really well, but while we were at the ruins, I could tell he really had changed." He paused for a moment then his grin widened, "And he really wants Xia's forgiveness. I don't think he'd do anything to possibly mess up his chance to get her back."

Katara's eyes widened and she spoke in a deathly quiet voice, "You guys already know? And what do you mean 'get her back'?"

It was late in the afternoon by the time Appa reached the island where the Sun Warriors still lived and Xiaodan took in the sprawling ruins with awe-filled eyes. She had returned to Appa after flying around for about an hour, taking her place on the sky bison's head without saying anything to Zuko. He had moved to the front of the saddle and apologized softly, but Xiaodan couldn't bring herself to say anything in reply even though she regretted her last words, so he'd quietly returned to the back of the saddle. The rest of the journey had continued in a silence tinged with anger, hurt, sadness, and regret with Xiaodan remaining on Appa's head and Zuko staying at the back of the saddle.

In the saddle, Zuko peered over the edge with narrowed eyes, searching for the spot where he and Aang had landed the other day. When he found it, he called out to Xiaodan and pointed towards it, "There, that's where we landed when we came here."

Gently tugging on the reins, Xiaodan directed Appa towards the space several yards in front of the ruins' entrance. The sky bison landed with a low, content grumble. Xiaodan rubbed his head affectionately, "Good boy."

She grabbed her glider then jumped to the ground, eyeing the entrance to the ruins with nervous excitement while Zuko dropped down from the saddle and landed just behind her. Suddenly, she had the inexplicable desire to get back on Appa and fly back to the temple where Aang was waiting for her. She didn't need to do this, she already had a family, one that loved her as much as she loved them. She didn't need to go snooping around for answers to a past she didn't even remember.

Xiaodan squashed those thoughts unmercifully. She couldn't think like that; couldn't think like that. She had to find answers and so that's what she was going to do. Zuko was standing beside her, warm and real, and she took comfort from that. She was pretty sure that if she'd come alone, she would have turned back without trying to find the answers. But she wasn't alone, because Zuko had blackmailed her into letting him go with her. Even though she was still furious at him, Xiaodan was also ridiculously grateful to him.

His hand suddenly closed around hers and Xiaodan exhaled a shuddery breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. She looked up at him and he stared back at her, his expression reassuring and confident.

"You can do this." Zuko said quietly, even though he wasn't sure what exactly she needed to do. He just knew that whatever it was it was important and it was terrifying her. He gave her hand a comforting squeeze, "I'm with you."

She could do this, Xiaodan realized with sudden clarity, because he was with her. Perhaps she'd been wrong about this being a journey she had to take by herself. Swallowing the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat, Xiaodan squeezed his hand back in gratitude then let it go. She took a deep cleansing breath, cleared her thoughts, then took that first step.

She exhaled and smile, the knots in her stomach loosening completely as confidence replaced nerves, and with her head held high in self-assurance, Xiaodan walked towards the entrance of the ruins. Zuko watched her go for a few moments, admiring her for overcoming some inner turmoil that had clearly unnerved her. Zuko was pulled from his musings when Xiaodan stopped and looked over her shoulder at him, her brow quirking upward as she called out drily.

"What are you doing just standing there like a moron? You forced me to bring you, so you might as well be useful and show me where we need to go."

Zuko rolled his eyes, his previous admiration of her strength being replaced by annoyance at her sarcasm. He almost liked it better when she wasn't talking to him. Almost.

"You know," Zuko began as he and Xiaodan wandered through the ruins, "The Fire Sages' temples are descended from these buildings."

"Really? I can't imagine how." Xiaodan deadpanned and she sent him a sardonic look as she gestured around them, "I mean, it's not like the Sun Warriors are considered the Fire Nation's ancestors or anything."

She snickered when Zuko flushed and scowled at her. Of course because he was so busy glaring at her, he wasn't paying attention to where he was walking, his foot got caught on the same trip wire that Aang had stumbled over the last time he was here. He shouted in surprise as the flat ground in front of him disappeared and was replaced with a bed of black spikes.

Zuko breathed heavily as his face stopped less than half a foot away from the spikes, before he was abruptly yanked backwards, landing in a heap on top of Xiaodan, who had lunged forward as soon as she realized what had happened and grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Get off of me." Xiaodan growled then shoved him off of her with a grunt of effort. She scowled over at him, "You're heavy and you're an idiot. I thought you and Aang said, you two had already tripped the booby trap."

Still a little shaken from his near miss Zuko grumbled, "We did. The Sun Warriors must have reset it."

Xiaodan scoffed and got to her feet, dusting of the seat of her pants, "So much for your theory that it had survived centuries." She picked her staff up from where she'd dropped it then took a few steps back, eyeing the distance critically.

As she was doing this, Zuko had regained his feet and was dusting his pants off. He glanced at her and frowned slightly, "What are you doing?"

Instead of replying, Xiaodan took a deep breath then she ran forward and slammed the end of her staff in the ground, pole vaulting over the bed of spikes.

Zuko shook his head and, smirking, used the same method to get around the spikes as he did before; running across the wall. He landed beside her and nonchalantly dusted his pants off again, smirking smugly.

"Show off." Xiaodan mumbled and rolled her eyes. Turning her head slightly so he didn't see the faint smile that wanted to spread across her face, she shoved his shoulder and continued on.

"Hey!" Zuko protested, swaying slightly to keep his balance and prevent himself from falling into the bed of spikes. Once he'd regained his balance, he huffed in irritation and raced after Xiaodan, who was laughing at him. Zuko grumbled under his breath about irritating Airbenders while Xiaodan continued to laugh at him before they fell into a surprisingly companionable silence as they continued through the ruins.

They reached the large mural depicting a man learning firebending from the dragons and stood silently in front of it for several moments before Xiaodan spoke, her voice soft.

"My mother was a Sun Warrior."

Zuko faltered and turned to look at her in surprise and disbelief, but she wasn't looking at him, her gaze focused on the mural. He decided to keep his mouth shut and wait, watching as she reached out and touched one of the carved dragons, her fingertips barely brushing against the stone before she laid her hand flat against it.

When she didn't say anything else for several moments, Zuko took a chance. "How do you know that?"

"A dragon told me."

"What?!" Zuko blurted out, unable to keep quiet that time. He gawked at her, his eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Xiaodan glanced over at him with a humorous expression before looking back at the mural.

"It was right after Ba Sing Se. We'd met up with Katara and Sokka's father, Hakoda and some of his warriors at Chameleon Bay, but the bay was quickly overrun by Fire Nation ships. We managed to capture one and used it as a disguise to get away. Aang was unconscious for weeks." She paused in her explanation to exhale a long slow breath, her eyes closing as she remembered. "I was so scared that I had lost him and then there was everything else that had happened, I rarely slept. The only time ever really did was when I was with Aang or I passed out. Even then it was fitful because of nightmares."

Zuko winced and looked down, feeling guilt well up inside him as he remembered the part he had played in hurting Aang. Xiaodan glanced at him from the corner of her eye and bit her lip then stared at her hand, which still pressed against the mural.

"I meditated instead. Or at least I tried to." She frowned as she remembered how difficult it had been for her to meditate during those weeks. "Sometimes it worked, but most of the time I couldn't. It always felt like I was being torn in two, like two halves of my soul were constantly at war with each other. It was painful."

Zuko understood that, probably better than anyone. He knew what it felt like when two parts of him were fighting for control and trying to find the balance between them was like trying to the find the eye of a storm. Tentatively, he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, silently telling her that he understood her pain.

At his touch, Xiaodan closed her eyes and took a shuddery breath that felt like it rattled her rib cage. She had to keep going. She didn't know why, but something inside her was pushing for her to tell Zuko about why she had wanted...no, why she had neededto come to the ruins. So that's what she did. She let her hand drop from the mural, stared blankly in front of her, and just talked.

"One day I decided to try to meditate again, even though it had become nearly impossible by that point. My mind was racing, my thoughts whirling around like a tornado, and then, slowly they stopped and my mind was clear for the first time in weeks. It was perfectly blank. And then...then it wasn't."

Xiaodan fell silent, her shoulders hunching slightly, almost protectively. Staring at her, Zuko wondered what Aang would do in this situation, how he would help Xiaodan. Pursing his lips slightly, he moved closer to her and moved his hand from her shoulder to her free hand, curling his fingers around hers. He didn't say anything and he didn't look at her, silently encouraging her to continue but not forcing her too.

Xiaodan didn't pull her hand away, letting him hold her hand and taking the comfort he freely offered, because she needed it. She was inexplicably tired all of a sudden, as if talking about those few weeks Aang had been unconscious on the commandeered ship, even a little bit, had drained her. But with a soft sigh, she continued, because he had to know. For some reason, she wanted him to know.

"It was like I wasn't even in my own head anymore, but at the same time I was. One minute, I'm meditating in one of the ship's cabins and the next I'm in a cave. It was strange because I knew I had been there before, some part of me remembered it. Remembered the different drawings of people and dragons coexisting together and a drawing that looked like this one." She reached out and touched the mural again, letting her fingers linger before letting her hand drop again. "I was seriously freaking out and then she was there."

She fell silent and, after a few minutes, Zuko asked quietly, "Who?"

"The dragon." Xiaodan whispered in reply, her tone almost reverent. "Her name is Sonal and she is beautiful with golden scales and eyes like embers." She swallowed thickly and took a moment to compose herself, Zuko waiting patiently. She continued, but haltingly. "She said she was my spirit guide. Explained what was wrong with me. I had created an imbalance inside myself, divided my spirit and they were at war with each other."

"'Fire and air warring for dominance instead of co-existing side-by-side.'" Xiaodan rasped the words Sonal had said to her so many months ago, a shiver unconsciously skittering down her spine. Zuko stepped closer to her and, impulsively moved to stand in front of her, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders in an embrace. Xiaodan sighed and rested her head against his chest, not even bothering to make an attempt at pushing him away. She still hadn't forgiven him, but just this once, she would pretend like Ba Sing Se didn't happen. She could go back to being mad at him later, after she finished telling him. "I was upset and snapped at her. She was being vague and I didn't understand how I could bend two elements and it made me edgy, irritable."

Zuko's lips quirked slightly in amusement and he commented sardonically, "Only you would give a dragon attitude."

Xiaodan scoffed and none too gently thumped her head against his chest, causing him to grunt, as she retorted. "I gave you attitude all the time back on your ship and you were worse than a dragon." She wiggled until he let her go then she poked him in the chest, "Now be quiet, I'm trying to tell you something serious. You're the one who wanted to know why I had to come here."

"Fine, fine." Zuko rolled his eyes and held his hands up in surrender, then he gestured for her to carry on.

Xiaodan eyed him narrowly for a second then continued, "She explained to me that I had been born into two highly spiritual peoples. My father was an Air Nomad, the enlightened nation, where all children born into the Air Nomads were Airbenders." Xiaodan brushed him aside to get closer to the mural and touched it, which was rapidly becoming a habit the more she talked, once more. "And then there was my mother's people, who are as ancient as firebending itself. I should have figured it out. Should have realized that was the only explanation."

Xiaodan scoffed at herself and shook her head, "I mean, c'mon, what other ancient civilization can firebend? But if it hadn't been for the dreams I've been having recently, I doubt I'd have ever figured it out. But I still have more questions, more things that need answers. Like what these mean." She gestured towards her face, more specifically the tattoos that adorned it, with her free hand.

Zuko gave her a confused look, his mind still spinning over everything she'd just told him, even though he realized that she hadn't told him everything. She suddenly turned towards him and stared intently, "That's why I wanted to come here. To find answers and I will get them, even if I have to ask the Masters themselves."

As he stared into her determined orange eyes, Zuko believed her.

They lingered in front of the mural for a little bit long, Zuko patiently waiting as Xiaodan inspected all of it. While he waited, he thought hard about what she had told him, trying to wrap his mind around it. It was difficult to believe that the spirit of a dragon had come to her, but not impossible. His uncle had claimed to have visited the Spirit World once before after all. Zuko smiled wryly to himself, he'd never really believed his uncle's claim, but now, as he was staring at Xiaodan's back, he found himself being a little more open minded.

He was pulled from his thoughts, by something poking him the side of his head. He swatted at Xiaodan's glider and turned his head to glare at her irritably. The dualbender just looked back at him guileless expression that he didn't believe for a second. Scowling at her, he crossed his arms and asked somewhat testily, "Are you done?"

"Yup." Xiaodan replied cheerfully, feeling very pleased that she had irritated him. It was probably stupid, but she wanted to make sure that he knew that just because she had told him something personal and then let him hug her he knew, he still wasn't forgiven. It had been a moment of weakness and she would have preferred Aang to be there instead...at least that's what she kept telling herself as they continued through the ruins.

A thought suddenly occurred to Xiaodan and she looked over at Zuko, "Hey, Zuko, are we going to that room with the booby trapped glowing egg? Because I'm not really interested in getting glued to the ceiling like you and Aang were."

Zuko rolled his eyes at her as he responded, "No."

"Oh." Xiaodan was quiet for several seconds then asked another question that had just occurred to her. "Then where are we going?"

"Would you just trust me? I know where we're going."

Xiaodan bit back the sharp reply that wanted to escape her and growled slightly, "Fine."

She crossed her arms and followed him sulkily through the ruins, passing two large, but deteriorating stone dragon statues perched at the base of a staircase. They ran up the steps and neither was out of breath by the time they reached the top.

Xiaodan frowned when she saw the pillar with the red stone at the top and she gave Zuko an accusing look. Then she noticed the gold doors she remembered Aang telling them about. She pointed at the doors and scowled at him, "Liar, you said we weren't going to the booby trapped room."

"We aren't." Zuko replied with forced patience, though his eyebrow twitched slightly in annoyance. He pointed to another set of stairs, that were almost invisible unless you knew where to look, to the left of the building they were standing in front of, "We have to go that way."

He began walking towards the stairs and, after mumbling something uncomplimentary, Xiaodan followed him. Zuko ignored her as he focused on remembered the way the Sun Warriors had gotten to the central building, where the eternal flame was. As they walked further up the stairs, Xiaodan looked around curiously, taking ruins sprawling surrounding them. She could only imagine how magnificent the city had looked before the Sun Warriors had supposedly died out.

The twin peaks of the nearby mountain caught her eye and Xiaodan stopped, staring intently at the mountain.

'"See that mountain?" A woman's voice whispered quietly, a tanned arm coming into view and pointing towards the twin peaks and the setting sun behind them. The woman continued, "That's where the Masters live with the other dragons. And when you're older, little Xiaodan, you'll help take care of them with the other Priests and Priestesses."'

"Xia?"

Xiaodan blinked rapidly, the image of the mountain peaks framed by the setting sun's rays disappearing. Zuko called her name again, his voice concerned, and she shook her head, eyed the mountain framed by the clear blue sky, then turned and jogged up the stairs where Zuko was waiting for her at the top.

"Are you okay?" He asked once she reached him.

"Fine." Xiaodan replied distractedly, waving away his concern and forcing the memory, because it could only be a memory, from her mind. She looked around and saw that they were in another courtyard above and behind the building with the Sun Stone. She noticed another, much larger staircase leading to a gold, burnished by time, structure at the top.

Xiaodan pointed up at the structure and looked at Zuko in disbelief, silently asking if they had to walk up there. He smirked and nodded, then turned to start up the stairs. Xiaodan stared at his back for a moment then groaned and trudged after him.

"I hate stairs..." She grumbled then scowled when Zuko, who had obviously heard her, snorted. "I don't like you either, jerk."

Zuko rolled his eyes and suppressed a grin, even though he was in front of her and the risk of her seeing it was practically nonexistent. He still didn't want to risk it.

By the time they reached the top of the structure, Xiaodan was breathing heavily. Zuko wasn't doing much better, but he hid it easier than she did.

"Please tell me there was a point to this." Xiaodan whined, bent over slightly with her hands braced against her knees as she caught her breath.

"It didn't seem like there were that many before." Zuko muttered, sounding a little winded himself.

"How 'bout I push you down them, then you can't them with your head." Xiaodan stated drily as she straightened. She frowned at herself then shook her head, "Okay, I've been spending too much time with Toph..."

Zuko snorted in agreement. He may not have been with the group for very long, but in the short time that he had spent with them, he'd learned that Toph was a little frightening. He'd also learned that it was dangerous to leave her and Xiaodan to their own devices. He walked around the shrine, frowning slightly. Zuko had hoped to meet at least one of the Sun Warriors up here.

"Seriously though," Xiaodan continued as she walked over to him, looking around herself with mild interest, "Why did we come up here instead of just going to the mountain?"

"I wanted to see if there were any Sun Warriors up here." Zuko explained with a shrug, "Aang and I didn't meet them on the best of terms and I didn't want to repeat that all over again."

Xiaodan nodded with a thoughtful expression, "That's actually pretty smart."

"Thanks." Zuko replied drily, remembering what Aang had said before about his intelligence.

"Welcome." Xiaodan quipped back with a smirk as she wandered away from him, heading towards the back of the shrine where the eternal flame was blazing brightly. Without thought, she reached out to the flames.

Zuko, who had turned around to stare at the mountain with a frown, turned around just as her hands touched the flames. His eyes widened and he lunged forward, "Xia, wait!"

The fire flared white and Zuko recoiled, bringing his arm up to shield his eyes against the brightness. He heard Xiaodan gasp and he quickly lowered his arm, staring in surprise. She was standing in front of the fire, a small white flame cupped in her palms.

She stared at the flame in her hands in amazement, a delighted smile on her face. She whispered reverently, "It feels alive."

"That's what fire is." Zuko said as he walked over to her, his voice just as quiet as hers was. He watched her shift the flame into one hand and stroke it with the other. "It's life, not just destruction."

"Yes." Xiaodan whispered in agreement, as Zuko put one hand on her shoulder and reached out with the other, stroking the flame just like she had. It grew and pulsed in her hand, turning orange for a second before returning to it's pale yellowish-white when he withdrew. Xiaodan's delighted smile grew and she giggled slightly, causing Zuko to smile softly down at her. Not that she saw, since her entire focus was on the ball of fire resting in her hand.

Neither of them heard the footsteps approaching from the stairs until a voice, rough with old age spoke up behind them.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?!"

Zuko whirled around, moving to stand protectively in front of Xiaodan as he unsheathed his dao blades. A old man, dressed in the Sun Warrior garb, stood at the top of the stairs, dark orange eyes staring at Zuko narrowly. In his hands was a gnarled staff that stood taller than his slightly hunched form, the dark wood nearly blending with his tan skin. What stood out though, was the markings on his wizened face. Unlike the Sun Warriors Zuko had seen before, the old man's markings were intricate; a circle with five wavy lines branching out from it like rays rested in the middle of his forehead, between his brows, while while claw-like markings rested on his cheek, one under each eye and two on either side of his jawline. More markings graced the man's bare arms, chest, and stomach.

The man narrowed his eyes at Zuko further, "You're that boy, the one that came with the Avatar. What are you doing back here?" The man tilted his head slightly, catching a brief glimpse of Xiaodan, who hadn't moved out from behind Zuko, "And who's that with you?"

Zuko shifted, further hiding Xiaodan from view as he spoke confidently, "I'm Zuko, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation."

"I know who you are." The old man snapped grumpily and he waved a gnarled hand impatiently, "I want to know who's the coward hiding behind you."

Zuko heard Xiaodan huff indignantly just before she stepped around him, her head held high and the fire still cupped in her hands.

"My name is Xiaodan, daughter of Kisa and Tengfei."

The old man's jaw dropped and he made a chocked sound before he hobbled over to Xiaodan with a surprising quickness for someone who looked so old. Zuko tensed when the old man did was reach out and touch Xiaodan's cheek, but when she didn't react, he forced himself to relax.

"By the Sun..." The old man whispered in awe, "It isyou."

Xiaodan looked around, feeling overwhelmed. After those last cryptic words, the old man, who had introduced himself as Keahi, had bustled both her and Zuko away from the shine and out of the ruins. He'd led them to the forest surrounding the base of the mountain, where the Sun Warriors had made their homes. Currently, she and Zuko were sitting around a large fire pit in the middle of the village, where Keahi had left them after giving hurried instructions to several confused and curious Sun Warriors to bring some food to her and Zuko.

"How did that guy know you?" Zuko asked under his breath, warily watching the men and women bustling around the village around them.

"How am I supposed to know?" Xiaodan hissed back at him, "I'm just as confused as you are here."

Zuko opened his mouth to retort, but closed it again a moment later when two women approached, carrying stone plates laden with food. He took the plate offered him and nodded in gratitude, "Thank you."

"Thank you." Xiaodan echoed as she took her own plate, hiding her grimace when she saw it was primarily meat. She tried to hand it back with an apologetic smile, "This is very kind of you, but I don't eat meat."

"Of course not." A creaky, yet decidedly feminine voice commented from behind Xiaodan and Zuko, startling them both into turning around. The old woman who stood beside Keahi looked absolutely ancient, her body stooped with age, making her appear shorter than she probably used to be. Fine, wispy snow white hair fell loose around her rounded shoulders, framing her heavily wrinkled and craggy face. Her eyes, dark orange, like Keahi's were soft and smiling. "You were raised as an Air Nomad, who believe that all life is sacred. You'll be brought some fruit."

"You look so much like your mother." The woman said quietly as she approached Xiaodan while the two women moved away to do as she had subtly instructed. She smiled, revealing several missing teeth, "Except for the hair. You get that from your father."

"You knew my mother and father?" Xiaodan asked, watching with hopeful eyes as Keahi helped the old woman to sit beside her.

"Mm-hmm." The old woman hummed in confirmation, sighing happily when she was fully seated. She looked over at Xiaodan with wise eyes, "I am Nilaruna, your mother's older sister."

Xiaodan gawked at her, disbelief written all over her face. Even Zuko, who had been watching quietly from beside Xiaodan, was stunned stupid. Xiaodan stuttered, "You're..."

"Old?" Nilaruna supplied then chuckled in amusement when Xiaodan flushed in embarrassment. She reached over and patted the young woman's knee with a gnarled and weather-beaten hand, "It is a little hard to believe, I know, but it is the truth. We were twins, Kisa and I, and very close." She smiled and touched Keahi, who had taken a seat beside her, on the shoulder, "Close enough in fact that my youngest son and her only daughter were born only a few months apart."

Even though she was sitting, Xiaodan still swayed and would have fallen over if Zuko hadn't held her steady with a hand on her shoulder. Her mind had gone completely blank, all thought leaving her as she tried to wrap her head around what was going on.

Reaching up, Xiaodan grasped Zuko's hand tightly with hers, using his touch to ground herself. She had thought she'd felt grateful for his presence on this little field trip earlier, but now she was doubly appreciative to him. She sincerely doubted she'd have been able to handle all this if she'd been by herself.

She took a deep breath, further grounding herself, then looked at Nilaruna and Keahi, who were regarding her patiently. "My mother?"

Nilaruna gave her a sad smile and she spoke gently, "I am sorry, child. She joined the Sun Spirit in the Other World when you were little more than a single summer."

"I see." Xiaodan swallowed thickly and rapidly blinked back the tears that had suddenly appeared. Zuko squeezed her hand comfortingly and Xiaodan cleared her throat, taking a moment to recompose herself. "Could-could you tell me about her?"

"Of course, dear." Nilaruna smiled then gestured towards the woman from before as she approached with another plate, this one laden with fruits and vegetables. "Eat and I'll tell you all that I remember."

Xiaodan thanked the woman distractedly, releasing Zuko's hand to take the plate. When Nilaruna gave her a stern look, she picked up a piece of fruit and popped into her mouth. Nilaruna smiled in satisfaction and shifted into a more comfortable position before she began speaking.

"Kisa was always the adventurous one, which is probably why she was the one marked by the Masters, just as you are. She was beautiful, driven, and a prodigy at firebending..."

Xiaodan and Zuko ate and listened to Nilaruna as she spoke about her twin sister with love, tenderness, and some sadness. She spoke of how Kisa had met Tengfei, a curious Air Nomad who had seen the ruins of the Sun Warriors once great city and decided to explore, only to get caught in one of the many traps. Kisa had been the one to find him and it, according to Nilaruna, had been love at first sight. His carefree and relaxed personality complimented and completed Kisa's more fiery and brazen one. Tengfei was allowed to remain with the Sun Warriors after asking permission to court Kisa from the hers and Nilaruna's father, the tribe's chief at the time. They had married after a year and several months later, they welcomed their daughter into the world.

Nilaruna smiled fondly, but sadly, "Tengfei was a good man and he loved Kisa fiercely, but he, like the wind, was fickle. Kisa couldn't bear to keep him trapped, like a bird in a cage, so when she saw his desire to roam, she let him go, knowing he would return to her and their daughter. And he did." Nilaruna sighed and looked at Xiaodan with soft expression on her wrinkled face, "But it was too late. A sickness had come to our tribe and took many of our members, Kisa among them. When she passed, I and my husband Sanlik, raised you alongside Keahi, who had also been marked as you were. You were only two summers old when it was discovered you could airbend."

She gave a creaky, raspy chuckle and she patted Keahi's knee, "Knocked my son here right over, though I believe you were trying to firebend. Even at that young age, you had shown a talent for firebending." Nilaruna sighed again, "We worked with you as best we could, but we did not know how to go about training a child who could firebend and airbend, so when your father came three years after your mother's passing, it was decided that you would go with him to his home in the Southern Air Temple. I had believed it to be best if you were raised by your father."

"I wasn't though." Xiaodan said quietly and she frowned down at the empty plate in her lap. "I was raised by a Gyatso, a monk in the Southern Air Temple. I didn't even know Tengfei was my father when I met him as a child."

"I see." Nilaruna commented in an unreadable tone. "I suppose I should not be surprised. Your father was heartbroken over your mother's death. He had felt guilty that he wasn't there for her and he blamed himself for her passing."

"So he couldn't bear to look at me then?" Xiaodan asked drily, trying to ignore the hurt that thought caused. She hadn't even known Tengfei, she shouldn't feel hurt about his disregard.

"You look so much like your mother." Nilaruna replied gently, "When I first saw you, I thought I was staring at her ghost. I don't pretend to know what your father was thinking when he left you to be raised by another, but I can imagine that it was guilt. It is possible he couldn't handle it."

Xiaodan made a noise of acknowledgement then took a deep breath and looked at the older woman, who was her aunt. She touched her face with one hand, "You said I was marked by the Masters, what does that mean?"

It was Keahi who answered, "When new babes are born in the tribe, they are taken to the Dragon Courtyard to be evaluated by the Old Ones. Those who are chosen are marked as future Priests or Priestesses by Ran and Shao."

"What does that mean?" Zuko asked, speaking up for the first time since Nilaruna had arrived. "Being chosen?"

"It means, that those of us who are marked," Keahi gestured towards Xiaodan's face then his own, "Were appointed as the Eternal Flame's caretakers. We also care for the Old Ones themselves and the dragons that used to live here with them before they disappeared."

Zuko looked down and away, feeling ashamed of his great-grandfather's transgressions against the dragons so many years ago. Xiaodan touched his knee and he jumped slightly in surprise, looking over at her questioningly. She gave him a small smile then turned back to Keahi and Nilaruna.

"So I'm a Priestess or I was supposed to be." Xiaodan reiterated, her brows furrowing in thought. She canted her head to the side and frowned, "Is that why I can bend two elements? Because I was marked?"

"That is something we are not certain of." Nilaruna replied, shrugging her slumped shoulders slightly. "When you first airbended, we believed you had been blessed by the Old Ones, so it is possible that is the reason. But if you want a true answer, you would have to ask the Old Ones themselves."

Xiaodan made a slight face, "I think I'll pass on that for now."

"Are you sure?" Nilaruna asked mildly, though her orange eyes were sly. "Perhaps it would be a good idea if you were to meet the Masters."

"That is an excellent idea, mother." Keahi stated, catching onto his mother's idea. He gestured for one of the Sun Warriors who were nearby. Ignoring Xiaodan's protests, he instructed the man, "Fetch my son for me, please, Katsu."

The man, Katsu, bowed and walked away from them. He looked back at Xiaodan, who was scowling at him and Nilaruna, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I didn't agree to this."

"No." Nilaruna agreed with a smile, "But you're going to do it anyway."

Zuko snickered then grunted when Xiaodan elbowed him in the stomach in retaliation.

Keahi's son, Taiyo, was the current chief of the tribe and after he'd been informed of everything then introduced to Xiaodan and reintroduced to Zuko, Nilaruna had ordered him to take them back to the Shrine of the Eternal Flame, which was were he, Xiaodan, Zuko, and several other tribe members were currently, the sun just beginning to make it's descent from late afternoon to evening.

Chief Taiyo smiled at the irritated look on Xiaodan's expression as he stood in front of her before the Eternal Flame. "Grandmother can be rather pushy. It is best to just go along with what she wishes."

"Sounds like someone I know." Zuko muttered under his breath, though not quietly enough because Xiaodan punched him in the shoulder. He grunted and scowled at her, rubbing the sore appendage.

Chief Taiyo raised his eyebrow and looked between the two teens for a moment before speaking. "As I am sure your friend here and the Avatar told you, if you are going to meet the Masters, you must bring them a piece of the Eternal Flame as tribute." He turned towards the blazing fire, reaching in and pulled some of the flames into his hand then he turned back to Xiaodan.

"The Eternal Flame was the very first one, giving to man by the dragons." Chief Taiyo placed the flames he held in Xiaodan's waiting palms, watching in mild surprise as it flared white. He repeated the words he told Aang and Zuko several days ago."You must maintain a constant heat. The flame will go out if you make it too small, but make it too big and you might loose control."

"Right." Xiaodan muttered, staring intently at the white, fist-sized flame dancing in her cupped hands. She looked up at the chief, who looked older than her but was in fact much younger, "Fire is life, not just destruction."

Chief Taiyo smiled at her and nodded then he gestured towards the twin mountain peaks framed by the setting sun, "We will meet you there."

Xiaodan nodded once then turned to head down the stairs of the shrine. Zuko made to follow her, but Chief Taiyo placed a large hand on his shoulder, stopping him. Zuko looked up at him with a frown.

"This is a journey she must make alone." The chief said sagely.

Zuko glanced in the direction Xiaodan had gone then sighed and nodded in agreement. Taiyo patted his shoulder in understanding, "It can be hard letting our loved ones do something alone."

Zuko twitched and looked at him in surprise, the chief giving him a knowing look in reply.

Xiaodan made the trek towards the mountain determinedly, weaving her way through the sparse forest then through the rocky hills at the very base of the mountain, the white flame flickering in her hands, but never going out.

The sun was just touching the horizon when she reached the courtyard between the two mountain peaks, sweaty and tired. Zuko, Nilaruna, Keahi, and Chief Taiyo were already waiting for her in the center of the courtyard, several Sun Warriors standing in two concentric circles on the outskirts.

Holding her head high, Xiaodan approached the Sun Warrior Chief, the flame flickering merrily in her hands. Zuko stood back as Nilaruna, Keahi, and Chief Taiyo met her halfway.

"Under normal circumstances, meeting with the Old Ones can be very dangerous." Keahi intoned, old voice deeping and carrying across the courtyard, "And it still might be if they judge you unworthy." He smiled slightly at her, "But I do not think you have to worry about that."

He drove his gnarled walking stick into the ground and stepped towards Xiaodan unaided, while a man and woman with dark marking on their faces, arms, chest, and stomach approached from either side; a tribe priest and priestess. Extending his hand, Keahi bended some of the fire in Xiaodan's hand into his own then twisted around and split it in half, handing the two flames to the priest and priestess on either side of him.

The man and woman moved to opposite ends of the circle of standing tribesmen then, simultaneously, they bended the flame in a circle before passing it to the next standing tribesman, who repeated the process until on the standing Sun Warriors held a circle of fire.

"Come child." Keahi instructed gently, removing his walking stick from the ground and leading Xiaodan towards the base of the giant stone staircase she recognized from her dream. He looked at the men and women sitting on the ground in a circle and called out, "Chanters!"

As the Sun Warriors began beating their drums and chanting, Xiaodan hesitated on the first step and looked at Zuko over her shoulder between Nilaruna and Chief Taiyo, Zuko gave her a very small smile and nodded his head encouragingly. Xiaodan took a deep, fortifying breath and smiled back then turned, starting up the stairs with renewed confidence.

Zuko watched her go, not letting the the nervousness he felt show on his face. He didn't think the Masters would judge her harshly, but a small part of him still worried.

"Don't worry." Nilaruna murmured to him, causing him to glance at her in surprise. "She will be fine."

When Xiaodan reached the top of the staircase and stood on the bridge, she heard Keahi call out in a voice loud enough to carry all the way up to where she was.

"Those who wishes to meet the Masters, Ran and Shao will now present their fire."

Xiaodan took a deep breath and prepared to do just then when a memory suddenly forced it's way to the forefront of her mind.

'A young woman with black hair and molten eyes stood in the middle of the stone bridge, her back to the setting sun with her cupped hands raised above her head, a small flame in her palms. She held the position for a heartbeat then began to move in a fluid dance, bending the fire she held with each stance...'

Xiaodan shuddered and opened her eyes, which she had subconsciously closed. Swallowing thickly, she turned slowly on her heel so her back was to the setting sun and raised her cupped hands above her head, assuming the stance the woman in her swamp vision had taken. Xiaodan held the position for several heartbeats then she began to move, mimicking the woman's fluid dance while letting instinct guide her movements with the fire in her hands.

"Sound the call!" Someone shouted from below, but lost in her dance, Xiaodan didn't know who.

The loud trumpeting of a horn filled the air, scattering a flock of nearby birds and still Xiaodan continued to steadily move across the platform in the middle of the bridge, the fire following her like an obedient puppy.

As the last echos of the horn faded, the ground beneath her feet began to rumble and shake and then a dragon erupted from the right cave. He roared thunderously as he flew around the bridge, the sound far louder than the horn had been. A moment later, there was an answering roar and a blue dragon burst from the left cave, joining her red counterpart in circling the bridge and the young woman dancing gracefully in the middle.

Down below in the courtyard, Zuko watched in awe as the dragons circled Xiaodan. He couldn't see her very well, but he had seen the intermitten bursts of white fire as she moved along the platform just before the dragons had appeared. He held his breath when she suddenly stopped right in the middle of the platform, her hands held out to either side of her.

Breathing heavily, Xiaodan came to a stop in the middle of the platform, her arms outstretched to either side of her body, palms out flat and facing upward. In the middle of each hand, a white flame flickered.

The dragons landed on either side of the bridge, anchoring themselves to the massive stone staircase. Simultaneously, their jaws parted and fire spilled forth, swirling up around her feet into a multi-colored vortex of flames.

The fire in her palms flared and Xiaodan brought her hands together, combining the two flames into one. Standing in the middle of the fiery spiral, she stared into the fire in her hands, watching as it went from white with a yellowish tint, to an array of every color imaginable like the fire surrounding her. The flames reflected her in ember colored eyes and warmth filled her chest, spreading outward until her whole body was filled with it.

Every muscle in Xiaodan's body relaxed and her mind calmed as peace filled her, the two parts of her spirit connecting at last. Her body sank to the ground and she cradled the fire close to her chest, smiling softly as she whispered almost soundlessly, "Thank you."

The fire swirling around her seemed to move closer, brushing harmlessly over her skin and Xiaodan could have sworn, for an instant, she heard two voices whisper 'Welcome home, child.'

The swirling flames dissipated slowly and the dragons stared at her for several seconds, their eyes gleaming in the fading sunlight just before they sprung away from the bridge. They circled each other and the bridge one final time then retreated back into their caves just as the sun disappeared over the horizon. Closing her eyes, Xiaodan shifted into a crouch then spun on the balls of her feet as she stood, flinging her arms out wide as she went. Her eyes opened and she laughed ecstactically as the white fire she had still been craddling formed a circle around her. Still laughing, she flung her arm and snuffed out the fire with a blast of air. She'd did it. She found her balance.

Zuko was waiting for her at the base of the stairs and when she reached the bottom, she launched herself at him with joyful laugh, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug. Zuko grunted in surprise and stumbled back, quickly wrapping his arms around her waist as he regained his balance.

"I did it! I did it!" She chanted giddily, not bothering to suppress the giggles that bubbled out of her mouth. She felt energized, as if she could run all way back to the Western Air Temple.

Over her head, Zuko gave Nilaruna, Keahi, and Chief Taiyo a confused look, but they seemed just as bemused as he was. He looked down at Xiaodan and asked a little warily, "Did what?"

She pulled away from him, her arms still around his neck, and grinned, "I found my balance!" She tilted her head back with another happy laugh then she twirled away from him and thrust her fist forward, sending a blast of white fire into the distance before she dropped into a crouch and swung her leg out, this time airbending a crest of wind after the fire.

Xiaodan bounced back up and threw her hands in the air with a whoop, dancing around happily while Zuko sighed and covered his face with his hand, shaking his head at her antics. Nilaruna, Keahi, and Chief Taiyo exchanged amused glances as the young woman continued firebending and airbending around the courtyard.

"Promise you'll return?" Nilaruna demanded as held Xiaodan by the shoulders, forcing the young woman to stoop slightly. It was the morning after Xiaodan had met the Masters and she and Zuko had stayed the night in the Sun Warriors village, but now it was time for them to return to the Air Temple. Nilaruna looked wistful for a moment as she continued. "There is so much you still need to know about your mother and your heritage."

Xiaodan smiled and kissed the old woman's cheek, "I promise, Nilaruna, that I'll return here once the Fire Lord has been taken care of."

"You better." Nilaruna said sternly and she patted Xiaodan's cheek affectionately then smiled slyly, "And make sure you bring that young man with you too. I would love to get to know him better, especially if he is going to be joining the family."

"What?!" Xiaodan squawked, her face flushing brightly in embarrassment. She glanced hurriedly over at Zuko, but he didn't seem to have heard, too busy talking to Chief Taiyo and Keahi beside Appa. Xiaodan looked back at Nilaruna with a scowl, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Zuko and I aren't together and we aren't ever going to be. I don't even like him!"

"Mm-hmm." Nilaruna hummed and smiled knowingly, patting her cheek again. "I'm sure."

"It's true!"

Nilaruna made another noncommittal noise as she released Xiaodan and shuffled over to the three men. Xiaodan scowled hard and stomped after her, ignoring the way her face burned when Zuko looked at her curiously. Stubbornly, she crossed her arms over her chest and huffed sulkily. She didn't like Zuko. Shedidn't. Though she did take pleasure in the way he blush when Nilaruna muttered something to him then kissed his cheek. She'd ask him what her aunt said to him later.

Climbing onto Appa's head, Xiaodan waved to Nilaruna, Keahi, and Chief Taiyo then flicked the reins once Zuko was in the saddle. "Yip-yip!"

Appa grumbled deep in his chest then smacked his tail on the ground and leapt into the air, banking to the left as he headed back towards the Western Air Temple. Trusting the sky bison to guide himself, Xiaodan climbed into the saddle and narrowed her eyes at Zuko, "So what did Nilaruna say to you?"

Zuko glanced at her then looked away quickly, his cheeks tinging pink as he replied with forced nonchalance, "Nothing important."

Xiaodan scrutinized him intently for several seconds then shrugged. She pulled out her cloth and grabbed her staff, muttering under her breath, "Whatever."

Zuko looked over at her for a moment then looked back at the clouds again, a small smile playing at his mouth.

'"I don't know what happened between you two, but I hope you fix it soon," Nilaruna stated quietly after pulling him down to her level, "Because my niece clearly loves you and you obviously love her." Zuko opened his mouth to reply, but she continued before he could get a word out, "Now be a good dear and take care of her. Oh and welcome to the family."

Zuko flushed brightly when she kissed his cheek and smiled slyly at him...'

"Why are you smiling like that?"

Zuko blinked the memory away and wiped the smile from his face before looking at Xiaodan blandly, "Like what?"

"Like an idiot." She replied flippantly without looking up from her glider.

"Don't call me that." Zuko growled in annoyance, his eyebrow twitching.

"Don't act like."

"I wasn't."

"You always do."

"I do not."

"Do to."

"Do not!"

"Do to!"

"Argh!" Zuko growled wordless and threw his hands in the air, turning away from her to scowl sulkily as she laughed at him. It was going to be a long trip back to the temple.

It was late afternoon by the time they returned to the Western Air Temple and it was a relief for both of them; both of Xiaodan and Zuko had taken great pleasure in annoying the other at different intervals. It had gotten so bad at one point, Xiaodan was pretty sure Appa had been ready to throw them both of his back.

"Oh thank you Spirits!" Xiaodan exclaimed as she leapt off Appa's head, whirling around a second later to point at Zuko as he climbed down from the saddle, "You are a horrible traveling partner."

"Me?!" Zuko snapped back as he landed heavily in front of her and he scowled, "If was your fault those migrating turkey-ducks attacked us!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

Xiaodan was about to retort with another 'was not' when someone jumped onto her back, causing her to yelp was she stumbled forward. "Ack!"

"You're back!" Aang shouted happily, clinging to her back like lemur. "Didja find out what you need to? Didja? Didja?"

Zuko, who had caught Xiaodan by the shoulders when she had almost fallen from the force of Aang's 'attack', rolled his eyes at the exuberant Airbender.

"Aang..." Xiaodan whined as she tried to straighten, "You are way to heavy for me to do this anymore. Get off!"

"Oh, right." Aang laughed nervously and let go of her, dropping back to the ground. He rubbed the back of his head and smiled at Xiaodan sheepishly when she turned around, "Sorry."

Xiaodan rolled her eyes then embraced him happily, "Don't worry about it, little brother. And yes, I did find what I needed to. I'll tell you all about it after later." She looked over at the others as they approached with a grin, "Hey guys."

"Glad you back, Featherweight." Toph quipped with a smirk and she crossed her arms over her chest, "It's been boring around here without you."

"I was only gone for like two days, Toph."

The blind Earthbender shrugged, "It was still the most boring two days ever."

"I'll take your word for it." Xiaodan chuckled and embraced the younger girl happily. Over Toph's shoulder, Xiaodan noticed Katara standing a little bit away from the group, her arms crossed and an irritated expression on her face. When Xiaodan caught the other girl's eye, Katara scowled and stuck her nose in the air, stalking away angrily. Pulling back slightly, she asked Toph under her breath, "Katara still mad at me?"

"Oh yeah." Toph replied drily as she stepped back enough to allow The Duke to hug Xiaodan, "Still don't know why though."

Xiaodan grimaced and didn't say anything until she'd set The Duke back on his feet, "Great..."

After eating some lunch, which Katara was suspiciously absent for, Xiaodan flew up to the top of the cliff with Aang, where they sat with their legs dangling over the edge.

"So you found some answers then?" Aang asked after they had sat silently for a several minutes.

"Yeah. I did." Xiaodan replied quietly with a small smile. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, "I actually met my mother's twin sister, my aunt."

"Really?" Aang squeaked in surprise, "She must be really..."

"Old?" Xiaodan finished for him with a grin. He nodded and she laughed, "She is, but she was able to tell me a lot about my mom. The chief you and Zuko met when you went to the ruins is actually grandson. I also got to meet my cousin."

"Okay, wait, wait." Aang cut in, waving his hands wildly in front of him. Xiaodan turned her head to look at him in amused curiosity. "I'm lost, start from the beginning."

Xiaodan smiled then began from the beginning, telling him everything that had happened from the time Zuko caught her trying to sneak away up to the time she and Zuko had left the ruins. Aang remained quiet the entire time, only speaking when he needed to ask a question.

When she finished, he looked at the sky thoughtfully, "Huh, so the Masters helped you find a balance between your two elements."

Even though it wasn't a question, Xiaodan still replied with an affirmative, "Yup."

"And your aunt, Nilaruna, thinks you and Zuko are together." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and smiled slyly. "Or that you two are going to get together."

Her facial expression must have been really amusing because as soon as he saw it, Aang started to laugh so hard he almost tumbled off the cliff edge. Yanking him back onto the cliff by the back of his samghati, Xiaodan scowled at him. "I should let you fall for being a jerk."

"Oh c'mon, Xia." Aang said in amusement as his laughing fit died down, "It's so obvious you two still like each other, even to me."

"You know what..." Xiaodan trailed off and Aang quirked a brow at her, a grin tugging at his lips. She huffed and crossed her arms, staring off to the side sulkily, "Oh shut up..."

Aang just laughed at her some more.