𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 ⚠ slow updates ⚠ *editing*

The Scorch Marks of Fire

*Edited 7/31/22*

It had been about a year and a half since Lady Ursa's disappearance, Fire Lord Azulon's sudden death, and Iroh's arrival. The woman who saved her from a cruel life on the streets was gone. But it felt like her presence was never truly gone. Though she's heard the staff mention the Fire Lady several time, they were silenced by the harsh glare of the guards.

As of now, Hestia wandered the halls aimlessly, in her weak attempt to find her hiding friend. It wasn't fair. Prince Zuko knew these halls like the back of his hand; she was still too new to the giant walls and long corridors. She could walk two feet and be lost.

She heard faint laughter and giggling of other children. Following the sounds, she was led into a small courtyard with a fountain. There were servants and guards making their rounds. She spotted Zuko immediately, her spirit rose along with a smile. She hadn't seen him all morning!

"Well, if it isn't the peasant girl!" Azula's voice sneered out with acidic venom.

The laughter silenced, "Azula, Tia isn't a peasant! So, stop being mean to her!" Zuko defended her.

"No, Zuko, it's okay. I am, after all, not of royal blood. I'm nothing but a lowly commoner." Hestia made her way toward the group of four, and she now noticed two other girls.

One with brown hair, and was dressed in pinks and reds, and the other one had black hair. She was void of any emotions and dressed in darker National colors. They seemed like polar opposites of each other. One bubbly and excited, the other dull and bored. 

"So glad to see you've learned your place," Azula grinned evilly and folded her arms over her chest. "I should begin training you to be a pet."

"And of course, you would call a human being a pet," Hestia glared at the princess before look onwards to the two girls. "I'm Hestia. I am a, well, a guest as Zuko calls it, here." She bowed.

"Call me Ty Lee! Wow! You're really pretty! Want to be friends?" The girl in pink energetically spoke. "This is Mai. Don't mind her if she glares at you, she's always glaring at people."

"Say, Hestia," Azula coughed in her fist and gained the attention of the group. "We were just about to play "hit the target". Are you interested in playing with us?"

Hestia didn't particularly like the smirk that grew on Azula's face. "I'm not skilled in weaponry, and I'm not a firebender. I don't know how that'll work out."

"No worries! You don't have to do anything but stand by the fountain over there!" The princess pointed to the flowing landscape.

Hestia perked up an eyebrow but did it anyways. She felt a bit skeptical about it, but perhaps she could gain Azula's trust and just maybe she wouldn't target her anymore.

"Tia!" Hestia couldn't react quickly enough as vibrant blue flames lashed out at her. Her eyes widened in fear as she screamed, instinctively trying to hurry backwards in order to escape the burning flame. Her legs hooked onto the sides of fountain.

Splash!

Cruel laughter burst from the Fire Nation princess as Hestia surfaced with quickened gasps for air.

"Tia!" Zuko rushed toward her, concern painted his features.

Something burned within Hestia's chest. Her anger boiled over, like water in pot over a fire. Her hands curled, clutched her soaked dress. Heat surrounded her entire being. She could hear water bubbling and boiling, even hissing dry. Her brown locks curled due to the intensity of the heat. The girl let out a furious cry, unknowingly conjuring brilliant white fire around her body and it expanded around the fountain.

"Guards!" Azula panicked loudly. Ty Lee and Mai quickly sprinted away from the exceeding heat.

"Tia! Calm down!" Somehow, Zuko's voice reached Hestia.

The brilliant, white hot (literally) fire decreased in size and temperature. The flames died down and Hestia slumped against the side of the bone-dry fountain.

"Princess Azula, Lady Ty Lee and Mai, Prince Zuko, are all unharmed?" A group of guards rushed onto the scene.

"She tried to kill us with her bending!" Azula yelled out, thrusting her finger at Hestia accusingly, who was being pulled out of the dried fountain by Zuko.

"Shut up! You don't know when to stop! Come on Hestia, let's get you out of here."

Needless to say, Iroh almost didn't believe his ears. White flames? Coming from his nephew, it sounded absurd. Being a firebender himself, he never thought in his entire life that there would be a chance of a firebender who could bend such searing fire. Aside from his niece, who possessed powerful blue fire, white fire was said to be the hottest fire. Hestia was a rare gem, he thought, or at least her firebending. Iroh assumed she never knew of her talents.

Ursa said this was a possibility in her letters. The girl hadn't showed any bending before, which is why the woman concluded, and assumed, she was a nonbender.

Iroh recalled his letters with Ursa, she had asked him if Hestia had shown signs of firebending, she wanted him to teach her to control the fire. The woman had been confused. Hestia's father was a waterbender, her mother a firebender. There was no telling which element she'd be able to bend.

He watched his nephew try to tend to Hestia, and he knew she would be someone precious to Zuko.