Water Lily in a Sea of Fire

Chapter 24: Life with Team Avatar

"I already know Avatar Aang and big, beautiful Appa, but who's this little guy?" she asked, her eyes focused on the lemur crouched between the siblings.

"This is Momo," said Sokka.

Chiara stared at his round green eyes and large ears. "You look like the winged lemur we saw at the Southern Air Temple," she smiled.

Aang perked up. "You were at the Southern Air Temple?"

"Prince Zuko visited all the temples looking for you," she said. "At the Southern Temple we saw a winged lemur."

"Then that was Momo," said Aang. "He's the only one of his kind."

"I wish I had another apple for you, Momo," said Chiara. "You're so adorable."

Momo leaped over in front of her and she began scratching behind his ear with her wrists still bound. He rolled over on his back and she rubbed his belly making him chitter contentedly.

"May I have some water?" she asked them. Her mouth was dry and still burned from the fire whiskey.

"Here," said Katara handing her a water skin.

"Thank you." She took a long drink. "That fire whiskey's horrible. I don't know how anyone can drink it."

Sokka's eyes went wide. "They made you drink fire whiskey?"

"No. I used it to try and get away."

Now he looked puzzled. "How could drinking fire whiskey help you get away?"

"I spit fire at them."

"But couldn't you just do that without the whiskey?" he asked.

"I'm not a firebender," she smiled, but she wanted to laugh. "Though I was wishing I was one when I was sitting in their camp."

Sokka looked awed. She was a non-bender like him who cleverly imitated a firebending move. He was reminded of his plan in the Fire Temple to open the sanctuary door using fake firebending. "That was a great move!" he said excitedly. "You looked like a real firebender."

"I've been around them long enough to pick up a few tricks," she shrugged.

Aang was disappointed. "I guess that means you can't teach me firebending."

"I can give you some tips and teach you the motions, but that's about it. Have you already mastered water and earth?"

"I can do some waterbending, but I haven't learned how to earthbend," he admitted.

She realized her and Zuko's initial assessment of the Avatar's knowledge of the elements was correct. "Then you shouldn't even worry about learning fire yet."

"But I don't know where I'm going to find a teacher who's not with the Fire Lord."

"When it's time for you to learn, you'll find the right teacher," she said.

Aang smiled widely at her optimism.

"So let me guess," said Sokka. "You're Zuko's sister?"

"No."

"But he said you're royalty," said Katara.

"I guess you could say we're cousins. I grew up with the royal family in the Caldera."

"You...you're not like them," said Katara. "Why do you help us?"

"This war has devastated the Nations. We need the Avatar to bring balance."

"I wish others from the Fire Nation believed that," said Katara sadly.

"There are a few, but I wish it were more," said Chiara softly.