A.N. Note: Below flashbacks appear in no set order/time frame. They're all over the place.

Azara moved to flop onto the ground next to Katara as Jeong Jeong louldy discussed Aang's meditation with the airbender.

"How was your training?" Katara asked as Azara sat up.

"Tiring," Azara replied as Jeong Jeong led Aang away and into the forest. "How's Aang been doing?"

"Jeong Jeong had him sit there all morning to feel the sun," Katara explained as Azara nodded. "I think he lost interest about five minutes in."

"Not surprising," Azara chuckled, pulling her knees to her chest. Jeong Jeong returned without Aang, calling for Azara to follow him. As they walked through the forest, Azara spotted a rocky outcrop in the distance, with Aang on top of it.

"Hey, Azara!" Aang called as they reached the top of the rock structure, Jeong Jeong snapping at him to focus on his breathing again. Turning to Azara, Jeong Jeong with his hands behind his back.

"I brought you up here to teach you lightning. I assume you did not fully complete that part of your training," Jeong Jeong stated, causing Azara to nod.

"I tried a few times, but I could never properly direct it," Azara explained, remembering Uncle attempting to teach her on Zuko's ship.

"Lightning is the purest form of firebending. To generate lightning, one must have inner peace. Turmoil blocks the flow of chi necessary to generate lightning," Jeong Jeong replied as Azara looked up. "Perhaps your change of allegiance has relieved some of your inner turmoil."

"I hope so," Azara sighed as she got into the lightning stance her uncle had showed her.

"Lightning requires the separation of the positive energy and the negative energy. Your body acts as the guide, the pathway, for these energies to recombine, making lightning. The lightning is in control, not you. Your job is to guide it, understood?" Jeong Jeong asked as Azara nodded.

Jeong Jeong assumed the same stance Azara had. Guiding his arms in a circular motion, Jeong Jeong concentrated as the energy crackled around him. Accumulating enough energy, Jeong Jeong connected his finger tips, before releasing the lightning into the air through his right hand.

"Wow! When do I get to do that?" Aang called out, causing Jeong Jeong to snap at him again.

"Now, you try," Jeong Jeong ordered, standing up and staring at Azara. Taking a deep breath, Azara moved her hands in the same motion Jeong Jeong did. She could start to hear the sound of energy crackling as she moved, before releasing a rather small amount of lightning.

"That . . . was pitiful," she sighed, standing up.

"Focus. You have to accept your past for what it is and recognize your current path. Let go of your conflict and breathe," Jeong Jeong instructed, walking around Azara as he spoke. "Concentrate."

Azara closed her eyes and resumed her stance, evening out her breathing. She moved her hands in the circular motion again. 

Azara gasped as she successfully created a fire blast, her golden eyes widening in joy. "Dad, did you see that? I firebended!" Azara shouted, looking up at her father, who placed a hand on her shoulder, a wide smile on his face. 

*|*|*|*|*

Azara sat quietly on her stool as the maids finished on her hair for the banquet. "You look so beautiful, Azara. My little dragon princess," Ursa complimented, placing a kiss on the side of her head as Azara giggled. 

*|*|*|*|*

Azula turned to Azara as they sat quietly in the courtyard. "No matter what happens, we're always going to have each other's backs, right?" 

"Always," Azara nodded, smiling as she turned to her twin, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

*|*|*|*|*

Zuko helped Azara stand up from the ground, her clothes dirty and lightly torn from her trip and fall onto the ground. As her bottom lip quivered, Azara felt Zuko's arms wrap around her. "Hey, don't cry. It's going to be okay. I'm right here." 

*|*|*|*|*

"Azara, I gave you one job!" Ozai hissed, grabbing her arm and shaking her as she cried out in fear and pain. 

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Azara screamed desperately, clawing at her arm to try and free it from her father's grasp. 

*|*|*|*|*

Azara ran through the halls, looking for any sign of her family. Spotting Zuko crying in a corner, Azara hurried over. "What's wrong, Zuko?"

"Mom's gone. She's just . . . gone," Zuko replied quietly as Azara's eyes widened in shock. Taking a step back, she shook her head. 

"She left us?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. 

*|*|*|*|*

Azara hurried to pack her bags when her bedroom door opened, revealing an angry looking Azula. "You're leaving," she stated simply, her glare focusing on Azara's trunk. 

"I can't stay here," Azara replied quickly, moving about the room frequently. 

"Well . . . so nice of you to say goodbye," Azula huffed, causing Azara to look over at her with sadness clear in her eyes. 

"Azula . . ." Azara trailed off, but Azula had already disappeared. 

*|*|*|*|*

Azara clenched her eyes shut as Zuko stormed away from her room before moving forwards to slam the door shut. Turning around and leaning on the door, Azara slid to the metal floor of her cabin and covered her mouth with her hand to quiet her sobs. She was left to wonder how everything had gone wrong so quickly. 

++++

As Aang moved to send Azara flying back as he had to the Fire Nation soldiers, Azara raised her hands in a surrender motion. "Woah, woah, let's just talk this out!" Azara pleaded, standing up from her stance to show she meant no harm. 

"Why should I trust you?" Aang demanded, glaring at her. 

++++

Azara quietly moved about their camp site, gathering her supplies for the next leg of their journey when she accidently bumped into Katara, who was holding her sleeping bag. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," Azara apologized instantly as Katara turned to glare at her. 

"Watch it next time, firebender," Katara scoffed, brushing past Azara roughly. 

++++

Azara glared at Sokka from across the fire. Katara and Aang glanced warily between the two of them. "You obviously have something to say, so say it!" Azara snapped, standing up with her fists clenched at her sides. 

Sokka merely glared back at her. "You're not worth my breath." 

"Say it!" Azara demanded, the flames rising with her anger. 

"You're just another firebending murderer and I don't know why Aang bothered inviting you along!" Sokka finally shouted at her, getting to his feet as well. 

++++

Azara and Aang sat side by side, meditating as the morning sun rose in the distance. The sound of Katara and Sokka at camp behind them didn't disturb them until Katara called out for them to help pack up. 

Aang and Azara cracked an eye at each other, a silent conversation going on between them. "Last one to camp has to give Appa a bath!" Aang shouted, jumping to his feet and sprinting back to camp. 

"Aang, that's cheating!" Azara laughed, getting to her feet and hurrying after him. 

++++

Katara and Azara approached a small fruit stand, the vender smirked at them. "How much for the mangos?" Azara asked, inspecting a few as Katara pulled out their coin purse. 

"Free for beautiful women such as yourself . . ." the vender winked as Azara and Katara both raised an eyebrow at him, unimpressed with the line. ". . . of course, in exchange for something to my benefit." 

"That would only be fair," Azara replied, sharing a look with Katara, who nodded back. Without a moment's hesitation, Azara lurched forwards, sweeping the venders legs out from under him. Katara used water from a nearby fountain to ice him to the ground. "I think that's a pretty fair bargain, don't you, Katara?" 

"Quite," Katara smirked as they grabbed a few mangos before walking off. Sokka and Aang walked around the corner, both looking bewildered at the man frozen to the ground. 

"Did something happen?" Sokka questioned as Azara and Katara approached. 

"Nothing we couldn't handle," Katara assured him as Azara hid a laugh with a cough. 

++++

As Azara helped set up camp, Sokka approached with the tent. "Would you mind setting up the tent?" Sokka asked as Azara glanced at the mess of sticks and tarp. 

"Uh, I don't . . . I have no idea where to begin," Azara replied, glancing down at the tent as she waited for Sokka to make some kind of smart ass comment about her privileged past. 

"You've never set up a tent before?" Sokka questioned as Azara shook her head. "Well, let me teach you then." Sokka gave Azara step by step instructions with the tent, letting her try on her own. 

"How's that?" Azara smiled nervously as she and Sokka stared at the misshapen tent, which proceeded to fall over with a gust of wind. "Maybe I should just stick with setting up the fire." 

"Hey, I didn't learn overnight. Maybe by the end of all of this, you'll be able to set up the tent," Sokka suggested as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Azara turned and smiled up at him, glad that they were on better terms. 

Sticking out her arm, Azara opened her eyes and watched as a large streak of lightning exited her fingertips.

Jeong Jeong nodded, a small smile on his face. "You let go."

"I did," Azara nodded, staring at her hands. "I let go." 

Jeong Jeong walked back to camp, leaving Aang and Azara to practice by themselves. As Azara released another stream of lightning, she heard Aang huff in annoyance.

"I can't take this anymore! When am I actually going to learn firebending?" Aang groaned, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"Aang, Jeong Jeong knows what he's doing," Azara assured him as the airbender stood up and started walking back towards camp. Azara called out to him, but he continued on his way back to camp. Sighing, Azara did some last form exercises before returning to camp as well. The sound of Katara screaming made her pick up her pace.

Crashing through the woods, Azara spotted Katara running off, clutching her hands as Sokka tackled Aang to the ground.

"She told you that you shouldn't mess around with this and look what you did! You burned my sister!" Sokka shouted as Azara ran over.

"What happened?" she asked, looking down the path Katara had run.

"Aang was messing around with firebending and he burned Katara," Sokka snapped as Aang looked guiltier by the minute.

"I'll go look for her," Azara sighed, running down the path and calling out for Katara. Spotting her by the river, Azara rushed over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Put them in the water, it will sooth the burns," Azara instructed as Katara nodded and slowly placed her hands into the water. She flinched at the initial sting but calmed as relief washed over her. Azara watched in amazement as Katara's hands started to glow. Kata pulled her hands out of the water, the glow fading to reveal Katara's healed hands.

"You have healing abilities," Jeong Jeong stated, coming to sit next to Katara as well. "The great benders of the Water Tribe sometimes have this ability. I always wished I were blessed like you—free from this burning curse."

"But you're a great firebender, both of you are. Why would you call it a curse?" Katara questioned, as she turned to Jeong Jeong.

"Water brings life and healing. But fire brings only death and destruction," Jeong Jeong sighed, as Azara examined her own hands. 

She had been taught from a young age that firebending was derived from power and strength. Her uncle had taught her that the current style of firebending was far from the original and Azara had learned to modify her firebending technique over time. 

However, she had to wonder. Her uncle had taught her firebending techniques derived from other bending styles, especially waterbending. He had always mentioned how waterbending and firebending, while opposite elements, had much in common. And if Katara could heal with her waterbending, Azara had to question if there was a similar technique for firebending.

"It forces those of us burdened with its care to walk a razor's edge between humanity and savagery. Eventually, we are torn apart," Jeong Jeong continued, sighing as he stared at the water. Suddenly, several fire blasts hit the water in front of us, causing the three of them to leap to their feet.

"Zhao," Azara growled out, readying her stance.

"Find your friends and flee, don't come back or you will all be destroyed!" Jeong Jeong shouted, before facing Zhao's boats alone. Azara grabbed onto Katara as she pulled them through the woods. Spotting Sokka packing up the supplies onto Appa, Azara and Katara rushed over.

"Katara, are you alright?" Sokka asked worriedly, turning around.

"I'm fine. We've got to get out of here! Where's Aang?" Katara inquired as Sokka pointed to Jeong Jeong's tent. Katara ran off to grab Aang as Azara helped Sokka pack up.

"So, what's going on? Why do we have to flee this time?" Sokka sighed, quickly passing up some supplies onto Appa's back.

"Zhao arrived on some river boats. Jeong Jeong was stalling while Katara and I got away. We have to leave before Zhao catches up," Azara explained, hopping up onto Appa and grabbing the reins. Katara ran back over but Aang was nowhere in sight. "Where's Aang?"

"He went to go help Jeong Jeong," she stated, running up onto Appa.

"Yip yip!" Azara shouted, flicking the reins. Flying over the clearing, Azara spotted Zhao destroying his own boats, Aang jumping between them. "You sneaky little airbender," Azara chuckled as she landed, Sokka calling out for Aang to hurry up. As soon as Aang was aboard, Appa took flight again, flying over Jeong Jeong's abandoned camp.

"Wait! Where's Jeong Jeong?" Aang asked, concerned.

"He disappeared. They all did," Sokka replied as Jeong Jeong's camp disappeared behind them, the smoke of Zhao's boats wafting into the air. 

"Aang, you're burned! Let me help you!" Katara exclaimed, pulling out her pouch of water. Azara chuckled at Aang and Sokka's amazement at Katara's healing abilities, Aang's burns disappearing.

"When did you learn that?" Sokka demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I guess I always knew," Katara shrugged as Aang moved to grab Appa's reins from Azara.

"You were right, Azara. I shouldn't have started firebending," Aang spoke quietly as Azara placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'll never firebend again."

"Aang, you made a mistake, but you shouldn't keep beating yourself up over it. You're the Avatar, you have to learn firebending at some point. And whenever that time is, I'll be here to teach you how to control it," Azara smiled reassuringly at Aang. 

"Can I ask you a question about firebending, Azara?" 

"Of course, Aang." 

"Have you ever burned someone you cared about?" Aang asked quietly as Azara contemplated her response. 

"No, thankfully. But . . . it's a big fear of mine," Azara replied, glancing back at Katara and Sokka, who were arguing about Katara's healing abilities. "Restraint, Aang, is the key. It's easy to be consumed by rage or power with firebending. Firebenders, therefore, have to be more careful than other benders. It comes with the gift," Azara stated, staring ahead as Appa flew higher into the clouds. 

A.N. As always, thank you to all readers/voters/commenters, I greatly appreciate the support and can't believe this story was ranked #1 in the "sokka" tag recently! There's only four episodes left of Book 1, but I elongated the North Pole episodes a bit so there's about 11/12 ish chapters left depending on editing but I'm trying to publish all of them before September and I have no time to update! So stay tuned!