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"Let's go, Appa! Come on, boy." Aang is tugging on the bison's reins, but the beast is refusing to move. Appa lets out a loud grumble. It's in the middle of the night. Aang is trying to hurry, leave before the others wake and discover him trying to leave them behind. (He doesn't realize they're already watching him struggle with his pet.) He's been off ever since calming the spirit the same way Katara did for him -- by reassuring it the forest will grow back. The spirit releases Sokka and all the other people it's taken into the spirit world with it in its anger. Sokka seriously has to use the bathroom. 

Aang sighs, facing the bison with a drooping face. "Look, I'm sorry, but Katara, Miko, and Sokka aren't coming to the Fire Nation with us." Miko isn't sure what surprises her more: the fact that he includes her in his small list of friends or that he says he's going to the Fire Nation. What business could he have there? "If they got hurt, I'd never forgive myself." His tone shifts abruptly -- from soft hearted to stern. "So, get your big butt off the ground and let's go!" He gives one more, rather aggressive tug on the reins, which only results in him landing on his rump, dejected. 

This is where the others announce themselves. "I think his big butt is trying to tell you something," Sokka says. 

"Please don't go, Aang," Katara begs. "The world can't afford to lose you to the Fire Nation." She holds her hands close to her chest, her blue eyes twinkling in the moonlight. "Neither can I." 

Aang looks down for a moment before getting to his feet. He doesn't air bend the way he normally does, he lifts himself this time. His eyes are darker in this moment, not angry or mean just darker. Determined perhaps. Or desperate? Is there a difference between the two? "But I have to talk to Avatar Roku to find out what my vision means." Vision? Miko shouldn't be surprised that he hasn't told her about it before, she shouldn't be hurt. Why should he tell her such things? They aren't friends. They're not even on the same side. In all technicalities, she is just his friend's prisoner.

 "I need to get to the Fire Temple before the sun sets on the solstice. That's today!" He air bends himself up to Appa's head, grabbing hold of the reins, hoping that the bison will listen if he's in a riding position. But Appa still doesn't move. 

Katara and Sokka move in front of the bison just in case. "We're not letting you go into the Fire Nation, Aang," Katara says, hands firmly on her hips. 

"At least, not without your friends," Sokka adds, head tilted to the side, arms coming to a fold over his chest. He doesn't say anything about Miko, and she wonders if he even remembers she's there in this moment. "We got your back." 

Aang offers a small smile in return, slowly relenting. Momo lands on his shoulder, chitters as the Avatar pets him; meanwhile, Appa gives Sokka a lick with his massive tongue, getting him all slobbery. A villager approaches the Avatar with a bag full of necessities. "It's a long journey to the crescent island. You'll have to fly fast to have any chance of making it before sundown." Aang takes the bag.

Katara and Sokka climb aboard the bison, and the former turns, offering her hand to Miko to help her up. She frowns. "I'm coming too?"  

"Of course," Katara says. "Why wouldn't you be? It could be useful, having a Native from the Fire Nation with us." Miko doesn't tell her she has no idea how to navigate the crescent island. She's never been there. "Besides, I don't think Sokka is ready to part with his 'prisoner' yet." She flexes her fingers at the word prisoner, rolling her eyes. After a moment she leans forward, cupping one hand over the side of her mouth, her voice a whisper. "Between you and me, I think he secretly likes you." 

"I…" What does she say to a thing like that? The wind catches Katara's hair, swoops it to one side; the moonlight hits just right. She's glowing. Forget talking about boys, how is she supposed to breathe when she looks like that? 

Katara laughs. It's a sound that echos, reverberates in Miko's ears like an enchantment. "I'm just messing with you." She helps her onto the bison's back. Miko forces a laugh, but it's awkward now, sitting between the two Water Tribe siblings. 

"Good luck," the villager tells them. 

Aang nods. "Thank you for --" 

"Go!" 

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"Aang, we got trouble!"

"Yeah, and it's gaining fast!" The Water Tribe siblings are leaning over the edge of the saddle as Aang urges the bison to move over the water faster. 

Miko turns to see what they've spotted, and her heart stops. It's her cousin's ship. She can see people -- tiny specs from her vantage point, really -- standing on the deck. At least one of them must be Zuko. "What is he doing here? He can't cross into Fire Nation waters!" Miko frets. "He'll be arrested!" Her concern dissipates a second later. Something rises from the deck of the ship below, she can see it even several feet in the air -- it's the canon. Zuko sets it aflame. Then, he fires. 

"Fire ball!" Katara shouts. 

"I'm on it!" Aang calls back. He yanks the reins to the right. Miko's stomach leaps as Appa swerves. The fireball soars. Plummets into the sea below. Misses by a mile, but still leaves behind a nasty stench and a trail of smog. Miko's heart is racing. He shot at them. He must have known she's still with them, but he shot at them anyway. 

"We have to get out of Zuko's range before he shoots another hot sticker at us!" Katara says. She and her brother are covering their mouths; Aang is holding his breath. Miko doesn't think to do either, and so she gags. What does her cousin put in his projectiles? Why can't he use something more fragrant? 

"Can't you make Appa go any faster?" Sokka asks. 

"Yeah," Aang says, "but there's just one little problem." 

There's a blockade. It's clear as they move through the clouds. Dozens of ships spread out for miles, covering every possible route they can take. They're bigger ships, much, much larger than Zuko's. Every one of them has a canon, twice the size of Zuko's. Miko's disheartened when she recognizes these ships as well. "Commander Zhao."

"Oh great!" Sokka throws his hands in the air. "Now there's another psycho fire bender we have to worry about?" 

"Yes," Miko winces. "Sorry." She glances back at the ships. The wind's whistling in her ear, loud, obnoxious. It's hard to see with her hair in her face, but even so she can tell. There's no way through, not without getting hit by one of their canons. She reckons he's planned it that way. "How did he know we were coming?" No one answers. Perhaps because they don't hear her over the wind and the noise of the ships below. Or perhaps they just don't have an answer. 

"If we fly north, we can go around the Fire Nation ships and avoid the blockade," Aang reasons. He glances back at the others. "It's the only way."

"There's no time!" Katara argues. 

"This is exactly why I didn't want you to come!" Aang snaps. "It's too dangerous!" 

"And that's exactly why we're here," Katara says. 

"Let's run this blockade!" Sokka pumps his fist in the air.

"Appa, yip, yip!" At the Avatar's command, the bison flies faster. Zuko follows them. Zhao ignites his canons. Launches. Millions of fireballs arch upwards, come right at them. More than a few explode inches from the bison. 

Miko's stomach is yanked in several directions as Appa swereves. Aang dives, heaves the reins upwards. They're above the clouds in the blink of an eye. Poor Appa is on fire. Miko helps Momo and the Water Tribe siblings pat it out. Her hands are trembling. This is not how she expected this day to go at all. 

"Appa, are you okay?" Aang frets. Appa grunts his reply. They fly higher. Miko doesn't dare look down, but she can't help worrying about her cousin and father. Those projectiles will fall right into the water, flooding the deck -- that is if they don't hit the engine first. They'll be hurt if they aren't killed. Why couldn't he have just done the smart thing and turned back? He shouldn't even be in Fire Nation territory! 

 Aang flies them higher still, but the fire balls still reach them. They pop right through the clouds with an ear shattering hiss. Appa jerks left and right, taking Miko's insides with him. She doesn't even have time to scream the way the others are. Her knuckles are stiff, she's clutching the saddle so hard. Her jaw is tight, locked into place. Sokka flies backwards. Katara tries to catch him, but she's not fast enough. He's catapulted through the clouds, then he begins to fall. The screams echo in Miko's ears. 

"Sokka!!" Aang yelps. He flings the reins downward; Appa flips. The wind strikes Miko's face so hard she's sure it'll leave a mark. Her gut plummets into the sea. Appa loops around, passes a flailing Sokka, and comes to a firm pause underneath him. Katara grabs his hand this time. She holds him tight so he doesn't go soaring off again. 

Miko grits her teeth, squinting her eyes as the bison's feet drag through the water. A wave splashes her face, drenches her from head to toe. Sokka's slapped in the face with a fish, which Momo catches. They're on a collision course for Zhao's ships now. The canons are pounding into the water on all sides. Miko can't see a thing with all the waves being tossed up, all the smog. The oder is disastrous. She can't breathe. At one point she eats her hair. The Water Tribe siblings push her down, and it's all she can do not to throw up as she's jolted from left to right. For the next ten seconds all she sees are her own knees.

There's a canon heading directly at them. Aang jumps at it with a shout. Kicks into the air, a gust of wind breaking the rock into a million pieces. The fallout pushes him back, but Katara and Sokka catch him. And finally, they make it past the blockade. 

"We made it!" Aang cheers, pumping his fist in the air. 

"We got into the Fire Nation," Sokka says. He and his sister are stiff. "Great." Miko slumps over, trying to slow her breathing. 

It's a few hours later when they land. Sokka stands a few feet away, stretching; Katara and Aang are with Appa. It's quiet now, and Miko soaks it up, unsure when the next moment of peace will be. Perhaps, coming here wasn't such a grand idea after all. 

She eyes Sokka. It's a silly thing to wonder at such a pivotal moment, but she can't stop her mind from wandering back to Katara's words. 'He secretly likes you.' She's not sure how she feels about that. For one thing, they've only just met, and they've hardly spoken two words to each other, never mind having a meaningful conversation. He's reasonably attractive, she supposes, but she doesn't necessarily feel anything for him -- at least not in the manner she has on her mind presently. Perhaps, it's because he's her captor or that he reminds her of her cousin. But she doesn't feel anything for Aang either.

 The boy is just that to her -- a boy. He's rambunctious and playful and an all around joy, uplifting. But that's where the feelings end for Miko, she realizes, as she watches him stroke his bison. "You did it, buddy! Nice flying!" Appa groans and flops over on his side at the praise. 

Katara's different. Miko's eyes drift to the other girl as she scratches the bison's belly. "Aww you must be tired." Miko notices things about her, like the way the rising sun reflects off her hair, giving it a shiny effect, or the way the smallest of dimples form around her cheeks when she smiles. The gentle touch she uses to pet the creature in front of her, her eyes forming little hooked crinkles at the edges. It sets off little sparks somewhere inside Miko's heart, she can't explain it. But she doesn't dare say she likes Katara. Not like that. It's the same issue with her brother: they've only known each other a few days, tops. So, perhaps, it's not that she feels anything. It's just that the girl is very stunning. 

"No, I'm good!" Sokka says loudly, continuing his stretching. Miko jumps as she's pulled from her mind. "Refreshed and ready to fight some fire benders!" He jogs in place. 

Katara gives him a look. "I was talking to Appa." 

Sokka stops. "Well…" He gestures to the lemur hanging from a nearby tree. "I was talking to Momo." He fumbles over the words in a manner that makes Miko think he hadn't been talking to the flying monkey; the look Momo gives the boy only adds to the humor of the situation. She can't help laughing. 

They crouch below a small wall when they reach the top of the path. The temple's in front of them. It's a masterpiece, if Miko does say so herself: tall, marble pillars, golden structures, red and yellow tiles. There's a large painting of a gold and scarlet flame over the door. They're pressed for time, but Miko stops to admire it all the same, for what is the point of living if one couldn't stop to appreciate the little things? 

"I don't see any guards," Sokka points out. 

"The Fire Nation must've abandoned the temple when Avatar Roku died," Katara suggests. She looks to Miko for confirmation. 

The Fire Nation girl can only offer up a small shrug. "Your guess is as good as mine." 

"It's almost sundown," Aang says. "We'd better hurry." 

It doesn't take long for things to go wry once they're inside. The Fire Sages attack them, and Miko suddenly remembers they're the ones who gave Zuko the information he needed to hunt the Avatar in the first place. Aang holds them off while Miko and the Water Tribe siblings bolt. They aimlessly charge through the halls, feet clanking against the metal flooring; a few minutes later Aang pops out from another hall in front of them. "Follow me!" 

"Do you know where you're going?!" 

"Nope!" 

Aang turns the corner, only to turn tail and speed back the way he came a moment later, halting the others. "Wrong way!" They run as a lone Fire Sage approaches. 

"Come back!" the Sage calls. They do not, however, turn back. He chases them until there's nowhere else to run. They've reached a dead end. The Sage raises his hands as he steps closer; Aang jumps in front of the rest, hands outstretched, ready for some air bending if need be. "I don't want to fight you. I am a friend." 

"Fire benders aren't our friends," Sokka says with the stamp of his foot. Miko isn't sure why the comment leaves a sting on her heart. It isn't like she wants to befriend the person who kidnapped her. 

The Sage raises a brow at the Water Tribe boy, points at Miko. "What about her?" She's a little shocked he even recognizes her as one of his own, especially since she's still wearing the parka she borrowed from Katara. 

She shrugs. "Technically speaking I am their prisoner." 

The Sage hums in response. He moves forward, drops to his hands and knees in front of Aang; it throws him for a loop. The boy flinches away. "I know why you're here, Avatar." 

"You do?" 

"Yes," he stands. "You wish to speak to Avatar Roku. I can take you to him." 

"How?" 

The Sage shifts one of the lights hanging on the wall; he fire bends a flame into a small slot. The wall lights, and in seconds another doorway opens up to them, a long stairwell on the other side. They follow him, moving quickly, as they hear the other Sages approaching. 

"Avatar Roku used to call this temple his home," the Sage explains as he leads them through the passage. "He formed these secret passages out of magma." There's sharp, talon like rocks sticking out of both ends of the cave, red lava gurling  on either side of the path. Miko embraces the heat, a soft smile tugging at her lips, her features the slightest bit softer, but Sokka tugs at the neck of his shirt; Katara is panting. Like Miko in the South Pole, they're out of their element. 

"Did you know Avatar Roku?" Aang asks. The heat doesn't seem to bother him. Perhaps, he knows an air bending technique to help him adapt? 

"No, but my grandfather did. Many generations of Fire Sages guarded this temple long before me. We all have a strong spiritual connection to this place." They're traveling uphill now, much to the dismay of the Water Tribe siblings. 

"Is that how you knew I was coming?" Aang asks excitedly. 

"A few weeks ago an amazing thing occurred," the Sage explains. "The statue of Avatar Roku -- its eyes began to glow." 

"That's when we were at the air temple," Katara huffs out, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Avatar Roku's eyes were glowing there too." Miko frowns, eyeing Aang from behind. She doesn't miss the way his shoulders tense at the mention of the temple; and she recalls the chipper way he spoke of them when he had briefly been on Zuko's ship. She reckons he's seen the damage her people have done to his, and perhaps now he finally understands the gravity of the war. It tugs at her heart strings. She hopes he hadn't seen anything too graphic while he was there. 

"At that moment, we knew you had returned to the world." 

"If this is the Avatar's temple, why did the Sages attack me?" 

"Things have changed. In the past, the Sages were loyal only to the Avatar. When Roku died, the Sages eagerly awaited for the next Avatar to return, but he never came." 

Aang pauses. There's a sad gleam in his eyes. "They were waiting for me…" 

"Hey, don't feel bad," Sokka jokes. "You're only a hundred years late." Aang doesn't laugh; instead he scrunches up his nose at the other boy. 

"They lost hope that the Avatar would ever return," the Sage continues. "When Fire Lord Sozen began the war, my grandfather and the other Sages were forced to follow him." He shakes his head. "I never wanted to serve the Fire Lord. When I learned you were coming, I knew I would have to betray the other Sages."

"Thank you for helping me." Aang gives a small bow and a soft smile, which the Sage returns.  

They follow a flight of stairs to the sanctuary, spiraling, spiraling, spiraling up, and up, and up, until they finally slip through a hidden hatch. They're in a vast room, columns and columns of stone statues: dragons standing sentry of a ten foot, marble door with an intricate lock at its center. 

The Sage gasps. "No!" 

"Shyu, what's wrong?" Aang asks. Miko isn't sure how he knows his name, she doesn't recall the Sage sharing it. Perhaps, she's just missed it? 

"The sanctuary doors -- they're closed," Shyu says. 

"Can't you just open them with fire bending, like you opened that other door?" Katara asks, not seeing the issue. 

"No," Shyu says. "Only a fully realized Avatar is powerful enough to open this door alone. Otherwise, the Sages must open the doors together with five simultaneous fire blasts." 

Sokka gets an idea and sets to work immediately. "This is a little trick I picked up from my father," he explains, as he fills five bags, a lamp open next to him. "I seal the lamp oil inside an animal skin casing. Shyu, and Miko too maybe, light the oil-soaked twine, and -- ta da!" He holds up one of his bags. "Fake fire bending!" 

"You've out done yourself this time Sokka," Katara grins. 

"This might actually work," Shyu agrees. It does not work. They hide behind the pillars while the Sage sets the twine aflame (Miko tries to help, but she can't form a flame that's right for the job). The bags explode, but when the dust clears the door is still closed tight. Katara gets another idea, sends Momo in through the pipes. They hide; Shyu runs to get the other Sages. "Come quickly! The Avatar has entered the sanctuary!" 

"How did he get in?" 

"I don't know but look at those scorch marks! And down there!" He points to Momo's shadow, roaming back and forth at the door frame.

"He's inside! Open the doors immediately before he contacts Avatar Roku!"  They send five simultaneous blasts at the door; it twists, opens up to reveal the lemur playing in the soot from earlier. "We've been tricked!" Momo jumps at one of the Sages. Katara leaps out, tossing another's tunic over his head. Shyu and Sokka join the fight as well. "Now Aang!" He doesn't move. "Aang, now's your chance!" Miko turns to see where he's at, and she jumps at what she sees. Her cousin, somehow arriving unheard, has Aang, arms pinned behind his back. He steps out so the others can see him. "The Avatar's coming with me!" 

The distraction is enough for the Sages to get the upper hand; they pin Katara, Sokka, and Shyu, tying them to a pole with chains. Zuko starts for the stairs, orders them to close the doors. He doesn't acknowledge Miko. Does he even see her? No, he looks right at her. The fire in Miko's heart ignites once more, and this time she can't stomp it out, not right away. He expects her to follow, without even so much as seeing if she's alright after he shot at her? 

Aang air bends his way to freedom, charges at first for his friends but changes course at Katara's orders -- heads for the door. He dives in just in time, the doors slamming shut moments after he's already inside. Miko allows herself a smug little smile as the doorway is lit in bright blue hues. She can't help the satisfaction that washes over her when she catches sight of her cousin literally steaming because of it. Serves him right. 

The Sages and Zuko try opening the door again. It doesn't work. Roku doesn't want them in. "Why did you help the Avatar?" Zuko hisses at Shyu. 

"It was once the Sages' duty," Shyu answers simply. "It is still our duty." Miko takes pleasure in watching her cousin flare up. She's not usually so mean spirited, and in any other circumstance she may feel disconnected or indifferent about his situation, but once the fire had ignited she's lost all control, just as she feared she would. Her hands don't light on fire the way Zuko's do, though. She tries. She wants to see the look on his face when she does it, but she can't. Whatever little skill she has at bending is gone the second the fire inside ignites. Ironic, truly. 

Zhao announces his presence with heavy foot falls and a slow clap. "What a loving and heartfelt performance. I'm certain the Fire Lord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him." The fire inside her only grows higher at the sound of his voice. It's grating -- the undeserved arrogance, the condescending undertone. It doesn't help when his eyes pass right over her again. As if she isn't even there, as if she doesn't exist. He and her cousin have a little spat. They don't even say a word to her, and her blood is boiling, overheating from the flames of within. She wishes she can fire bend so she can hurl fireballs at the both of them, a startling thought, but she doesn't care in the moment. 

"I'm here too, in case anyone cares," Miko says when Zhao's men move to chain Zuko up right next to Shyu and the Avatar's friends. Curiously, the soldiers don't hear her, but she knows they aren't deaf. They move to the door as Zhao tells them to get ready for Aang's return. "No? One one? Nobody? Nobody's paying attention." She throws her hands up. The fire's burning through her heart at this point; it's pulsing, trying desperately to heal. But Miko doesn't care to stop the fire now. "I must be invisible!" She turns to Sokka and Katara, who both stare at her like she's nuts. Perhaps she is. Perhaps that's what the internal flame does, turns one crazy. 

"Can you guys see me?" She waves her hand in front of them. "You can see me." She turns to Zhao's back, points at the Water Tribe siblings. "They can see me!" 

"Would you cut that out!" Sokka hisses. 

Miko ignores him. It's only fair. Why should she pay attention to anyone else when they don't pay attention to her? "Really, I mean, come on! I'm just out in the open here! Not even tied up or anything. Just standing here. Free to roam wherever, I guess, because apparently I'm not important enough to apprehend like everyone else, it's not like I'm a retired general's daughter or anything!" She makes sure to illustrate her point by putting extra emphasis on the word 'general.' "You could at least gag me so I don't run my mouth. But no. You can't even be bothered to do that. Too busy chasing teenage boys. Pedophilia maniac." 

She's not sure if it's the internal fire or the fact that she's positive Zhao isn't hearing a thing she's saying that inspires the rant, but once she gets going it's hard to stop. And, she realizes, it's been building up for quite some time. Why it all slips out in that moment she doesn't know. Perhaps there's just no room left in her heart to shove it down again. Maybe she needs someone to hear her grievances. It only fans the flame when she doesn't get a reaction. Zhao, and Zuko too for that matter, is far too focused on that stupid door. So she stomps over to the other side of the pillar, yanks the key right out of the chain. 

Clank! 

Everyone turns. They stare at her. "Oh, now they see me," Miko growls under her breath. She puts on the stupidest smile she can muster and gives an ignorant little laugh. "Oh, gol-ly. Is that what that thing does? Silly, me. You'd think I'd know better." 

Zhao's men move towards her and the three now freed prisoners, but before anything can happen, the sanctuary doors explode and a blue light blinds everyone in the room. Zhao shouts for his men to fire; Katara yells for Aang. Only it's not Aang who exits the sanctuary. It's Roku. With little movement he sends a wave of heat flowing over the room, so hot it burns Zuko's chains off as well and knocks the fire benders on their backs. She doesn't get to see what happens next, because her cousin makes a break for it, dragging her behind him as he goes. 

The building shakes, and rattles, and rumbles on their way out, causing them to stumble into the wall. But somehow they manage to get out, and they make it to the edge of the temple. By then, the lava at the base of the surrounding volcano is rising, bubbling up. A gizor shoots into the air once. The building is collapsing inch by inch. Miko grits her teeth and yanks her arm free from her cousin's grip. "Don't touch me!" 

He spins around, glaring back at her. He doesn't see, but the fire's reached her eyes now. "Miko, we need to go, now!" She shoves him away when he tries grabbing her again.

"I'm not going anywhere with you! You shot at me!" Miko screams. 

He's speechless for several counts, eyes wide; he sees it now. The fire raging behind her eyes. He can't believe this is his cousin in front of him. Miko never raises her voice, ever. "I was shooting at the Avatar, not you!" 

"I was with him!" 

"We don't have time --" 

"Save it." She shoves past him. It hurts her shoulder since he's much larger than her in stature, but she does manage to move him with the assistance of the adrenaline coursing through her veins. 

"You're going to choose him over me?!" Zuko shouts after her. There's a fire ignited within him now too, but his is much harsher than hers. "Over your family?" 

Miko whirls around, a short laugh escaping her lips, but it lacks humor. Family. How generous they all are with that word when they want something in return. "You and I both no none of you have ever seen me as family, Zuko." She spots Appa in the distance and starts towards him. Mounts him. 

"Fine!" Zuko hisses. He doesn't even bother to deny it. His fists are blazing, smoke trailing from his nostrils, steam shooting from his ears. It only frustrates her more, the way he can so easily fire bend even when he's filled to the brim with rage. "But you're still a Fire Nation citizen! You're betraying your country!" 

"Then, so be it." 

She leaves him there, flames shooting from his clenched fists. Flicks the reins the way she watched Aang do before leaving the village, and she's surprised she remembers his command word in her state. "Yip, yip." Appa soars. Momo flies around the corner, chittering like mad. They follow him around the crumbling temple. (Appa does most of the work, Miko doesn't really know what she's doing with the reins.) On the other side of the temple there's a massive hole in the wall; Miko can see the other three stumbling their way through. There's nowhere for them to go as a pillar nearly crushes them. They can't turn back. So, they jump. Perhaps, it's a stroke of dumb luck Appa and Miko catch them, or perhaps the bision just knows what he's doing.

Miko gives the reins to Aang as they settle down; the air bender flies them away from the fallen temple, away from the fire nation. Sokka and Katara slump over in the saddle, but they jump up, eyes going wide, when Miko snatches Sokka's machete and unsheathes the weapon. For a moment, he's worried she's going to start swinging at them. She doesn't. Instead, she takes the machete in one hand, grabs a wad of her hair in the other, pulls it behind her. 

And she cuts it.

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This is actually not at all how I planned for this chapter to go. However, I think it works, and I'm pretty satisfied with it over all considering I wrote it at like 4 AM last night.

It's a bit of an abrupt change in Miko's stance on the Fire Nation, but she's coming to terms with stuff so I think it makes sense that she'd be a bit impulsive. And she's also, like, just realizing she's capable of being angry too and she doesn't really know how to deal with it because with the way other fire benders, Zuko included at this point, use it anger is not a good thing. At least not in her mind.

So it's kinda fun to explore that, and I really couldn't resist adding a parallel between Aang, Katara, and Sokka at the South Pole. (When Sokka banishes Aang, you know?)

So...yeah. This author's note is sort of pointless. I just wanted to talk to y'all, you know? How ya doin? Good I hope?

That's all for now, toodles!

~ Elsie