This is my first story XD lemme know what you think, any suggestions or ideas or anything you wanna see happen in this story, let me know! =D

CHAPTER ONE

-The Past-

I was eight when I was found. Minding my own business in the small Southern Water Tribe, they attacked. They were collecting waterbenders, of course they would take me, I always knew it, I was almost a master. It was rare to be so good at my age, but nevertheless I was.

When I first arrived at the Fire Nation Palace, I was terrified. The Fire Lord was deciding what to do with me: keep me imprisoned or kill me. Then the Fire Lady spoke up "Ozai, she's so young. Perhaps I could take her in? I'm sure she will do no harm, look at her-"

"No." Such a sharp voice he had, "she will turn against me."

"I could raise her as a Fire Nation girl; she could be an asset to us, being one of the only waterbenders left." Later I found she did not wish for me to become a warrior, but she wanted to keep me.

"Hmm..." Everyone fell silent as the Fire Lord thought about the idea, crazy as it was. "Perhaps a warrior for me someday... You may look after her, she will not become a princess, she will be yours to take care of."

"Thank you, Fire Lord Ozai." She bowed and went to turn to leave.

"Ursa wait-"

"Yes, Fire Lord?"

"She must be given a new name, one that fits in with the royal family. Katara is no name for a true fire nation solider. Give her a Fire Nation name, great for a warrior."

"It will be done, Fire lord Ozai" She bowed once more then took me away. I didn't know why she did this at first, but I later found out it was because she had just lost a child and needed someone to fill the hole. She changed my name to Zena. She thought my new name would fit well with her children's.

In the next few years, I was raised as a Fire Nation girl should be, I was taught like a princess, never to become one. Uncle Iroh taught me the form of bending. He had watched waterbenders before, in his days of war. Though he had no idea how to waterbend, he did help me a lot. When he was teaching Zuko firebending, I would come along and copy the movements. Though waterbending is graceful, I was taught by a firebender, making my waterbending harsh and sharp, rather than flowing and graceful. I became a dangerous and powerful waterbender. In time however, Fire Lord Ozai captured a Master Waterbender to teach me. Still having form as a firebender, but knowing how to waterbend properly improved my skill more than I had realized. I became a master. I knew how to kill, as Azula had been taught, and became a strong warrior as Zuko. I was very important, one of the only waterbenders left. I was always watched by guards, they followed me everywhere.

Princess Azula hated me, I learned to ignore her though, and she became softer, but she was still Azula nonetheless. Prince Zuko didn't show much of an interest at first, but he was definitely a million times better than Azula. Later, I did make friends. Not with Mai or Azula, but with Ty Lee and Zuko. Zuko was my favorite, though through most eyes he was at the bottom of the list. My mother and I were the only ones who thought the highest of Zuko. He was wonderful to us. I was forced to forget everything about my old life. It was unspeakable to even think of it. This was my new life. I started calling the Fire Lady my mother, for that's what she had become. My mother. It felt so nice having one. Eventually I thought of the Fire Lord as my father, I would never say it out loud though. Princess Azula and Prince Zuko were my siblings, and I was treated as such, although it would never be said out loud.

"Zena! Come on, Iroh wants to show us new moves!" Zuko called to me, we were training partners, we did this everyday and we still snuck up on each other with new moves.

"In a minute!" I was sitting by the pond in our mother's garden, making shapes in the water. I was sixteen now. Fire Lady Ursa had died long ago, tearing Zuko apart and leaving Azula stronger. I was a comfort to Zuko though; we had grown into best friends.

We went to the training arena and fought until we ached and then we collapsed lying on the ground, the sun heating our bodies.

"I'm glad my mother wanted you, Zena. I think I would've fallen apart without you." He lay on his side facing me, while I lay on my back.

"I'm glad too. Your mother was so loved and was so loving to everyone, it didn't matter to her that my eyes are blue and my skin is dark. I did love her Zuko, she was wonderful." I got up on my side to see his face.

"She was..." Something was bothering him, but I wasn't sure what it was. He was eighteen now, and recently engaged to Mai, maybe that was it. He didn't love her. She was terrible! So boring, how could anyone be with her?

Azula came in to get us for dinner. "Zee, Zuzu time for dinner kiddos." She said with a sick smile, and then she ran off with Ty Lee. Mai hadn't be around for a while, her mother had become sick, close to death apparently, there were even rumors that Zuko and Mai's engagement would be called off. I wondered if Zuko wanted that. I would ask him later.

We went to our rooms and got ready for dinner. I washed my face and braided my long dark brown hair into two braids and tied them off with red ribbons.

At dinner, Zuko and I were seated next to each other, with Ty Lee and Azula in front of us and the Fire Lord and some generals I didn't know the names of at the end. I could never remember the names, they weren't important enough to me I guess. Zuko messed with my food at dinner. Light it on fire, or boil my drink. I got him back by taking what was in his water glass and bending it to fall on his lap making it look like he wet himself. He muttered cuss words under his breath and then glared at me. I just laughed and then Ty Lee asked in her oblivious voice "What happened?" with a giggle. I still think sometimes that she might have a teeny crush on him. Life in the palace was good.

A week later, I went for a swim in our new pool. Fire Lord Ozai thought it might help with my bending, to be surrounded by water. Though it was used by more people than just me. Usually I was joined by Azula and her friends, Ty Lee and Mai, Zuko came sometimes. Today it was just me. But of course, Azula had to come bother me.

"How's it going, Zee?" She always had nicknames for everyone.

"Um, fine? What are you doing here?"

"Just checking in on you. How's the water?

"I don't need checking in on Azula," my tone was annoyed; I was having a bad day already, maybe it was new moon coming. I was weak and waiting for it. "and the water is fine, a little cold, but I don't mind."

"Well let me warm it up for you, huh?" She smiled an evil smile.

"No! You'll probably boil me or something, just go train or kill something, leave me be." Goodness, she was scary. But honestly, scary as she was, she didn't phase me as much anymore. Yeah I knew she could kill me with the snap of her fingers, but she wouldn't. I was too important to her father.

"Alright fine, have a good swim, sister." That last word hung. Why did she call me that? Fire Lady Ursa hadn't adopted me, just looked after me. It was cruel reminder I had no real family though.

The water was getting too cold. It was times like this I wish I was firebender. I imagined what it would be like, water and firebending at the same time...insane. Insanely cool.

I closed my eyes and started bending, loops in the water, shapes, and faces. I practiced my water whip. Then something strange happened, the water actually got hot. Maybe I was imagining it. I focused on the water, I willed it to become hot. It was! It burned my hands! I quickly healed myself though. I took my hands out of the water, and stared at them for a very long time. I managed a spark in my right hand and a water bubble in the other. Was I going crazy? Only the avatar was able to control more than one element, and there hadn't been one for a very long time.

Zuko then came in and I splashed my hands in the water, so that he couldn't see what I was doing.

"Azula said you'd be in here, but then again, you're always in here." He said with a warm smile, and I laughed at that. Lately Zuko had been very warm and nice to me. After his mother died, he was very aggressive, then some time after that, he was challenged to an Agni Kai by his own father for speaking out of turn. He refused to fight him and suffered a terrible burn on his face for refusing. I healed as much of it as I could, but there was still a horrible scar. He was so close to being banished, but I begged for Zuko, I told the Fire Lord I would be forever in his debt, I would fight for him in the army with my waterbending, though there had been no use for that yet; his army was strong enough.

"Have a seat!" I used my waterbending to make a chair for him on top of the pool. I thought it was pretty cool. He took his seat and I made myself one. "So, how are things in the life of Zuko? How's your love life?"

"Ehh, well I've still got you." That made my heart smile. "My engagement with Mai might be called off because of her mother, I understand that and I'm sure you do too," he gave me a meaningful look, I knew what he meant. "But I would be happy if it was, I don't want to marry Mai, she's too boring and serious. I do feel bad for her though." He hung his head a little.

"I know, poor Mai..." I wasn't really sure what else to say. "She would be a terrible wife for you though." I smiled a little, and there was a hint of teasing in my voice. He laughed and nodded.

"Well then, who do you think would be a good wife?"

"Someone who knows you, someone you're comfortable around. A friend, no a best friend."

"Hmm…well the only person I know like that is you. Should we get married?"

I laughed out loud, I mean really out loud. "I don't know Zuko…" I kept laughing, I wasn't sure why. My face got red. It's not that I hadn't thought about it before. When we were kids we'd play and get married, and I did have a crush on him a couple years back. But now, now it just wouldn't work. "So Zuko, I have a secret."

His head popped up, we liked sharing secrets.

I waited for a minute, making shapes in the water. "Oh! Did you wanna know?" He hated when I would do that, it was funny though.

"Well yeah!"

"Okay, but I can't tell you now. Tonight when we go to train, we'll tell the guards we're practising new moves and we're to train in private. Then I'll tell you, okay? It's a very big secret."

"Ahh I hate this. Just tell me now!"

"Mmm...Nope!" I popped up out of the water and headed to my room. Zuko was still in his water chair. "See you later Zuzu." I said in my best Azula voice. Then I dropped the water chair. Zuko came running after me dripping wet and fire in his hands. He tackled me and we went down. "I'm gonna kill you Zena!" he yelled. We were wrestling in the hallway until some guard got us off each other. It was so fun to tease Zuko. "Okay, now go get changed, then we'll go 'train'. Hurry up!" I called to him was I starting walking to my room.

"Ugh fine, but I got this wicked new move and you're so gonna get it Zena."

I went to my room, which was in a separate hall than where the royal family slept, mine was where important guests slept, like generals and members in the war. I tied my hair up then I pulled on my training clothes, red pants to the knee and a specially made training shirt meant to protect me from fire. I thought it was stupid that it showed my belly if it was to protect me from fire, but whatever I guess. I wondered about how I was going to tell Zuko. It would be easy, wouldn't it? Zuko & I have been best friends since I came here, I can tell him anything. When he was younger, he would come into my room at night to sleep next to me. He had terrible nightmares about his mother being taken from him. Sometimes he said it felt so real, like maybe it was memory. But then he concluded he was just hoping his mother was still alive somewhere and diminished the thought.

-Training-

The sun was slowly fading away, night was coming. I knew Zuko would be waiting for me at the training arena. I left my room and starting running down the hall and through the garden, but then I saw the Fire Lord crouched by some flowers in mother's garden. "Fire Lord Ozai?" I bowed.

"Oh, Zena, what are you doing out?" He quickly stood up, probably he didn't want to look weak smelling flowers. I noticed sadness in his eyes, something I've never seen before. It almost looked as if he had been crying. I almost wanted to bend to see if he had been, but that would be too far for me to go.

"I'm going to train with Zuko."

"I see. You both are becoming great benders. I wish to see you side by side fighting. You complement each other well with your skills." What was he saying? He's never told either of us something like this.

"Thank you, Fire Lord. My old teacher told me my moves are very aggressive, that of a firebender, the form will be good to have in war someday. Zuko has been teaching me attack moves and I have been helping him with his bending form."

"Very good. 'That of a firebender,' how good. You will be a great warrior."

"Thank you, Fire Lord Ozai." I wondered if I would be a firebender, I mean, I had a spark in my hand earlier that day. Why did that happen? How is it even possible? I bowed to him and went to leave.

"Zena," I have done many evils." I turned back around to face him. He looked as though he would collapse if someone even touched him slightly. "I miss my wife Zena, you remind me of her. I have done many a terrible thing. She was so beautiful, wasn't she?" I nodded. "I've hurt my son, that horrible scar reminds me."

I think my mouth must have been open or something because the next sentence he spoke was very firm.

"You must tell no one I told you these things. They are weak things for me to say."

"Of course, Fire Lord. I will tell not a soul."

"I sometimes view you as my daughter Zena. I know it hurt my wife when she lost our child, but it did have a great affect on me. I am glad she spoke up the day we got you."

"I am grateful she did, Fire Lord." I can't believe he is telling me this. Why? Why is he telling me this?

"Tell no one we spoke of this, Zena. There will be a great consequence if you do." The firm tone again.

"Upon my honor, you have my word," Honor is everything in the Fire Nation, it is your whole life. I bowed as I said his name, "Fire Lord Ozai." I tried to show him that in my eyes he was still a very powerful Fire Lord.

When I got to the training arena, Zuko looked a bit pissed off. "Where have you been?"

"I'm sorry, I got...distracted." I'm such a bad liar.

"Pff whatever." His face softened, "Training first, or the secret?" He said with a smile.

I debated in my head, "Secret first."

"Okay, what is it?" He sat down with legs crossed, and I copied him, sitting right in front of him, our knees almost touching.

"So... What would you do if I said I could firebend?"

"I would call you crazy." His face blank, he wasn't getting it.

"Hmm..." I wasn't sure how to tell him. Maybe I'll show him.

I held my hands up, in between us. In my left I held the water bubble, in the right I made another spark. I was so surprised I could do it again. Zuko's mouth hung open.

"What...what was that?"

"I'm not exactly sure. When I was swimming today it happened again. I started boiling the water, and then the spark happened in my hand."

"But, you're a waterbender. You're not supposed to be able to control more than one element, only the avatar can do that, and...You're not the avatar are you?"

"Zuko, do you realize how dumb you just sounded?" I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Well, I'm just a little surprised and not thinking clearly. I mean, you just summoned fire."

"I know...um, would you like, teach me to firebend?"

"Of course! But I don't understand how you can. This is unbelievable. We mustn't tell anyone."

"Absolutely not. That would be horrible."

"Well...let's get training then. I'll teach you the basics."