1. Prologue

Prologue

"_We must do something! We can no longer stand idly by!"The young man paced back and forth with agitation spread across his face. The veins in his tan muscular arms pulsed out of his skin with every step he took only to resend back when the step was complete. His dark blue eyes pierced the young blonde woman sitting across from him as she addressed him._

_The young woman focused her light blue eyes on the pacing man before her. "We can't! It is not our place to interfere with the world's affairs. It is the Avatar's duty to bring justice and peace back to the world."Her blonde hair cascaded down her back as she got up. Her long off the shoulder dress grazed the floor as she approached the young man. A light blue sash was tied around her waist which accented her small figure. A half pendant necklace adorned her neck._

"_But the Avatar is a twelve-year-old boy who has been frozen for 83 years!" He relaxed when he felt her hand fall upon his right shoulder. "Our people are almost extinct! What are we suppose to do, wait for our people to face the same fate as the air nomads?"_

"_No we can't let are people die, but we must not interfere." Her voice echoed with the beauty and regality of her appearance._

"_If the Avatar does not awake by tomorrow I will do something!" he shrugged off her hand as his brown hair fell in front of his face. His hair stopped at the top of his shoulders. His outfit resembled a kimono-like tunic, with split sides for leg movement and fur-trimmed leggings underneath. He wore the other half of the pendant his counterpart adorned._

"_I'll make you a deal La, if the Avatar does not awaken in three months we will do something. I have a plan."_

_La turned to face his counterpart shocked by her submission to the subject. She was known throughout the spirit world as the most compassionate of the spirits but also for her stubbornness._

"_Tui, are you joking?" His eyes showed nothing but confusion and bewilderment as he stared at his beloved. He studied her to see if she was truly joking but saw no amusement or deception in her eyes, but instead he saw seriousness, concern, and deep thought._

"_Will speak of it when or if the time comes. Now let us go. Are time in the spirit world is almost up. We must return to our natural forms on Earth." Tui walked over to La and grabbed his hand as she led him to the gate where they would do their never-ending dance._

Three Months Later

"_Tui it has been three months, your time is up. The Avatar is still frozen and our people are still suffering. Are numbers are dwindling every day! Now tell me, what is this plan that you have withheld from me for these past three months?" La paced while his agitation grew by the second. His anger had grown ever since he witnessed the extinction of the air nomads and with the threat of extinction becoming a possibility he had become enraged and paranoid about everything._

_Tui turned to look at her partner with concern as she said "We shall have a child."_


	2. The Carrier

**Chapter 1: The Carrier**

Fire danced all around her. Her eyes showed nothing but terror as she watched her village being burned down to the solid ice floor. Screams were piercing through the cold arctic air as more and more fire nation soldiers captured the water benders.

"Kannya!" Kannya managed to escape her paralyzed state of fear to look to the brown-haired woman running towards her. "You must leave they will capture you and then who knows what they will do to you!"

"Kya, do not worry about me. Protect your unborn child." Kannya looked at her one month pregnant sister. She wore typical water tribe clothes and had light blue eyes. she was shorter than Kannya but still pretty with her shoulder length hair. Kannya discovered earlier that day that her sister was pregnant by sensing the extra water flow in her younger sister.

"I will but come with me. They won't know you are a water bender. I won't tell them and no one else in the tribe will either. Just please come with me!" begged Kya.

Just as Kannya was going to tell her no and to go hide a fire nation soldier came up behind Kya.

"Nice job Kannya for leading us here. Is she a water bender?"

"No Lee, she's just a normal water tribe peasant. You have captured all the water benders in this village. Let's pull out. You and your soldiers have done enough damage here."

Kya looked towards her older sister in horror as it dawned on her how the fire nation was able to find their quaint village. They had picked a remote area to settle down and hide from the fire nation. They took precautions to make sure they didn't have the smoke rising to high from the fires or anything else that might have given away their location.

Kannya stared at her sister with a blank expression as she turned to leave with Lee. Kya just stared at her with hatred; the hurt from the betrayal was written all over her face. As Kannya boarded the vessel she turned to look at her sister for the last time.

"You have served the fire nation well Kannya." Kannya turned to face Lee.

"Will you fulfill your promise and ensure that I am not entrapped in some dark prison cell?"

"As promised you will not. The Fire Lord has requested your presence as soon as we dock at the capital."

"And how long will it be until we reach the nation's capital?"

"If Agni smiles upon us with favor, I'd say five days, but if not then I'd estimate 7 to 10 days."

"Alright then, I shall retire for the evening to my chambers. If you need anything just come get me." Kannya retreated to her room. Once she entered her room, which was three floors below deck, she collapsed on her bed. It only took her a minute to fall asleep, but as she fell asleep the look of hurt on her sister's face was all she could see.

"_Kannya!"_

_A deep male voice awoke Kannya from her sleep. She looked around and realized she was in a swamp. There was no light that shined through the trees only a gloomy glow. _

"_Kannya!"_

_Kannya positioned herself in a fighting stance and tried to draw up water but she couldn't. She had to rely on her martial arts to protect her from this unknown man._

"_Kannya you have done wrong to your people."_

_Kannya whipped around only to see an older man around his mid sixties, stand angrily before her. He wore a dark red robe with gold embellishments. He was obviously from the fire nation._

"_My people were morons! They could have teamed up with the fire nation and not have to worry about being discovered everyday! But no, they decided to live in fear because of my sister's idiot husband told them that it would be wrong to become allies with the fire nation. I did what was right for me." Kannya shouted at the elderly man. She knew that she had seen him before but couldn't quite recall who he was._

"_Your people know what is right and what is wrong and they chose to do what is right. You on the other hand acted in selfishness with no concern for your people!"_

_It then clicked in Kannya's head: he was Avatar Roku._

"_Avatar Roku I apologize for my behavior and humbly ask for your mercy. Please I will do anything as long as you spare me." Kannya fell to her knees and bowed before the mighty avatar. She prayed that he would not strike her down in the eerie swamp._

"_Well you're in luck because Tui has chosen you to be the one to carry her child."_

_Kannya bolted up from her position as she stared at Roku with confusion and bewilderment. "Why does the moon spirit need me to carry her child let alone why she has a child?"_

"_You will find out in due time, but for now you will carry her daughter. When she is born you shall care for her as your own. You are not to tell anyone of the child's origins. If you do you will die from the inside out. Do you understand me?" Roku looked down at Kannya with anger and disgust._

"_But what am I to say when they ask who the father is?"_

"_Tell them it was a nameless fire soldier who died during the raid on the Southern Water Tribe." Roku then started to walk away._

"_Hey how am I suppose to get out of here?!" Kannya yelled at the elderly man, but he ignored her and kept on walking._

"_Hey I'm talking to y- AHHHHH!" Kannya felt the ground beneath her give out as she fell into a dark oblivion._

"AHHH!" Kannya shot up in bed covered in sweat. She then realized that she had just had some weird dream.

Kannya got up and rinsed off her face. She dried off her face and looked at herself in the mirror. she had long brown hair that went to her mid back. She typically wore her in a braid but now that she was heading to the Fire nation she wore it down with a slip knot on top. She changed into new fire nation clothes that had been placed in her room. It was a long red robe with a black sash. Underneath her robe she wore black pants and red shirt. She then proceeded to leave her room and headed up to the main deck to get some fresh air. As she reached the deck she could see the tall towers of the fire nation's capital. She turned to find Lee.

"Lee how did we manage to get here in a day?"

"Kannya what are you talking about? It's been six days since we left the South Pole. Don't tell me you have been unconscious for the past six days." Lee locked at her with confusion along with amazement that she had slept for that long.

"Six days," said Kannya in a small voice. She then looked up and said "I guess I must have been asleep."

As she turned to walk away from Lee she felt a kick in her stomach. She looked down and noticed her stomach had gotten bigger. It was then she realized that it was not dream she had but instead she had traveled into the spirit world, and now she was pregnant with the moon spirit's daughter.


	3. The Meeting

**Chapter 2: The Meeting**

Kannya tried to tell herself that she was just hallucinating and that her mind was playing a trick on her. She knew she couldn't have slept for six days. She knew that she wasn't pregnant. She knew the moon spirit did not have a child. She knew that no one could become 5 months pregnant in a matter of six days. Yet there she was standing on a fire nation ship six days after she went to bed and five months pregnant. Although she doubted it was the moon spirits daughter but rather from one of the flings she had months ago and that she had just failed to notice before.

"We'll be pulling into port in about five minutes and the Fire Lord has requested your presence immediately in the throne room. "

"Thank you Lee." Kannya refused to look at Lee for she feared that he would notice her endowment,

"There will be transportation for you at the dock. The Fire Lord doesn't want his most valuable asset to have to walk to his palace."

"Thank you Lee that will be all." Kannya just wanted Lee to leave. He had been known to be a major suck up and he would often try to lay with her. He was never successful at it.

As soon as the ship ported Kannya got off and was transported to the palace. The palace was the treasure of the Nation's capital. It loomed over the city with its beautiful white ivory walls, red and gold flags flapping in the wind, and giant windows showing only the partial beauty of what lay inside. Every time Kannya saw this place all she could was marvel at its beauty.

"The Fire Lord is in the throne mistress." A no name guard bowed and escorted Kannya to the throne room. Kannya thought this was pointless since she has been there many times before. The Fire Lord had often called her to meet in the throne room over the past year.

The halls were decorated with various ornate vases, fire nation flags, and marvel pillars. There would be an occasional cherry oak door or an arch way with angels carved into the marvel.

Finally Kannya and the guard reached the door that opened into the throne room. The door itself was made of cherry oak with dragons carved into it and painted gold. The throne room had large marvel pillars that looked as though it reached the sky with the nation's flag trailing all the way down until it was about four feet away from the gray marvel floors. The chair that the Fire Lord usually sat in was gone. All that was there was a stage lit up with fire that only revealed the shape of the Fire Lord.

"Fire Lord Azulon I have escorted Mistress Kannya to the throne room like you asked. Is there anything else I can do for you my liege?" The guard bowed so far to the ground Kannya wondered how he was able to speak without it sounding like a bunch of inaudible sounds.

"That will be all now return to your duties." Fire Lord Azulon's voice boomed with authority but without sounding harsh or overbearing. The guard quickly got up and escorted himself out of the throne room and shut the large doors.

"Kannya did everything go as planned at the southern water tribe?"

"Yes Fire Lord Azulon. Although I am afraid I cannot go back. One of your guards let it slip to my sister of my loyalty to you and this nation. Seeing as my sister is the wife of the chief you can see why I may not be welcomed back with open arms."

"That is alright I have other plans for you my song bird." The Fire Lord rose while at the same time parted the sea of fire around him and dismounted the stage. His face showed his true age with several wrinkles. His hair was snow-white and reached to his mid back. At the top of his head was a bun adorned with a fire emblem that signified that he was the Fire Lord. His dark red robe reached the ground with a gold slash around the waist signifying his royalty. Gold meant you were in the direct blood line of the royal family, black meant that you were of nobility, dark red meant you were a peasant, and bright red meant you were a slave.

"And what would that be my master?" Kannya's voice oozed with seduction as she approached Azulon.

"Well besides keeping me company my song bird," Azulon wrapped his arm around Kannya's waist and yanked her toward his body, "you will be my personal healer."

Kannya bawled apart of Azulon's robe in her hand and pulled his face down so that it was mere inches away from her face. Kannya whispers seductively, "Anything for you, master."

Azulon lays a forceful kiss on his song bird. After a few minutes of passionate kissing Azulon pulls away. "I think I might need to be healed in my bedroom."

"As you wish master." Kannya was breathless from the passionate kissing.

Azulon escorts Kannya to his chambers and tells the guards that Kannya will be doing a healing session on him and to not disturb him unless the palace was being burned to the ground.


	4. Revelations

**Chapter 4: Revelations**

It had been two years since the birth of Charmaine and Kannya had only seen her daughter three times. The first time was when she was born, the second time was on her first birthday, and third time was on her second birthday. It was evident to the nurses in the nursery that she had no interest whatsoever in her daughter.

Kannya had kept up her healing sessions with Azulon although the sessions they had during the first six weeks after Kannya gave birth were real healing sessions but afterwards it was on a rare occasion that they were actually healing. At the moment Kannya was leaving her healing session with Azulon when she was confronted by one of the nurses outside of the Fire Lord's chambers.

"Mistress Kannya I must say that I have no idea why you chose not to have an abortion when you became pregnant because you are an awful mother!" The nurse was a young twenty something year old with long brown hair. She wore a long white robe embroidered with red and gold details with a dark red sash. "You only come to see your daughter on her birthday and that's only because we brought her to you! And even then all you did was look at her and mumble a half-hearted 'Happy Birthday' and then told us to take her a way. So tell me why such a heartless bitch would have a child to begin with?!"

Kannya stared at the wet-nurse in shock. Her jaw could not even possibly drop to the floor any more. To make matters worse Fire Lord Azulon chose to walk out of his chambers to see what the commotion was all about. The Fire Lord was often upset if someone interrupted him during or after his healing sessions. He would often claim that it was reversing the healing that had been done.

"I am curious Kannya why you chose to give birth to Charmaine." Azulon stared at Kannya with a look of impatience. Kannya knew she could not lie to him. She did not quite know if she was in love with the Fire Lord or if it was her loyalty to him, but either way she knew she could not lie to him.

"I did not become pregnant through a man but rather the moon spirit picked me to carry her. I was warned by Avatar Roku that if I did not give birth to her that I would suffer the wrath of the spirits. All I know about the child is that she is unique in the aspect that she possesses the ability to bed all four elements. I don't know why me or why she was born. I promise." Within last two sentences Kannya had gotten down on her knees as if pleading for forgiveness for not telling him sooner.

"Kannya I am very disappointed in you. You should have told me the moment you found out! Why did you not tell me? Are you trying to form some master plan of betrayal on me?!" Azulon was turning red with rage. What if the child were to be raised to hate him or his family, then what? She could learn to master the elements and take down the hierarchy. No he would not let that happen.

"NO! The Avatar told me if I were to tell of her origins I would die from the inside out!" Just as Kannya finished her sentence did she realize what she had done. As fear turned to horror and then back to fear Kannya started to feel extreme stomach pains. She collapsed to the floor screaming as the pain intensified and spread through her body.

As the pain became worse Azulon called for the guards to get a doctor. Even though he was still extremely upset about the betrayal he still had feelings for Kannya. His wife's passing years ago had left him alone but unfazed. He had several affairs during his marriage but that was to be expected among the royal family. He never felt anything for his mistresses until he met Kannya three years ago. She was very unique and special, but he could never place what it was that kept him interested in her all along. He never had a mistress for more than six months.

"AWW!" Kannya was writhing in pain on the marvel floor as her hands began to become deformed and her skin started to melt off her. Her screams could be heard throughout the nation. The wet-nurse that had confronted her was now screaming and covering her eyes in horror. Azulon just backed away and stared at Kannya as she slowly stopped screaming and her body turned into ashes.

The doctors had arrived to see the last bit of life slip from Kannya's gaze as she turned to ashes. They had never seen anything like what had just happened. They tried to scope up her ashes so that they could be scattered, but when they tried to touch it they were severely burned. As they were contemplating to let her ashes sit outside the Fire Lord's chambers a mysterious wind burst through the halls and shattering the windows. The ashes were swept away into the wind. Once the last ash drifted out the window the wind immediately stopped leaving everyone stunned and horrified and the scene that had unfolded just moments before.

The Fire Lord was the first to recover and said, "Well don't just stand here! Clean up the windows and have them replaced by the end of the day. And you, nurse, fetch me the child immediately and bring her to throne room. Lee," he turned to address one of his most trusted guards, "go get my family and tell them to go to the throne room."

Everyone just stared at him. "Did I just not give you an order?!" everyone ran off in different directions like they were goose-chickens without their heads.

It took only five minutes for everyone but the nurse to arrive to the throne room. Prince Ozai was kneeling next to his eight month pregnant wife, Ursa, and his two-year old son who was sitting in his wife's lap. Ozai was very muscular but his robe hid it. He was in late thirties with dark brown hair. His hair was at the top of his mid back with a slip knot on top with his crown. He and his wife Ursa had very typical courtship: it was arranged. Although after three years into their marriage Ozai and Ursa fell in love and still are at this point. Ozai and his family were on the left side of the throne room.

On the right side of the throne room was Prince Iroh, his wife Ilais, and his twelve-year-old son Lu Ten. Prince Iroh was a short but strapping middle-aged man. He was six years older than his brother Ozai. There were some strands of gray in his hair but it was mainly dark brown and it stopped at his shoulders. His slip knot was very small but it held his crown securely. Ilais was named after the late Lady Ilah (Azulon's wife). She and Iroh were one of the few royalty couples to fall in love and marry on their own accord. She had short brown hair with the typical slip knot on top. Her eyes were not brown like everyone else's but a light hazel color. Lu Ten had hazel eyes like his mother and dark brown hair that was pulled up into a slip knot. He was tall for his age and already proving to be a future master in fire bending.

Fire Lord Azulon sat on his stage with a fire wall so high that it almost burnt the six-story ceiling. His two sons, Iroh and Ozai, knew that their father was not in a good mood. Secretly they were trying think of anything they or someone in their family had done to anger their father and how to turn it around on to someone else as to avoid his rath.

After another two minutes had passed a wet-nurse came bustling through the doors with a two-year old girl in a red dress with dark bluish gray eyes and blonde hair with blue tips at the ends.

"I'm sorry I am late Fire Lord Azulon. Please forgive me." The young woman had dropped to the floor and bowed as far she could while hanging onto the little girl.

"Bring forth the child." The fire Lord lowered his walls of fire while the nurse got up and handed him the child. "You are dismissed." The woman power walked as fast as she could to get out of the throne room.

Azulon looked at the child and she returned a smile that could melt any old man's heart. He smiled back and then looked up at his family with a solemn face.

"It seems the girl born to my healer was far more special than just her hair." The royal family looked up at him with puzzled looks. "Earlier today Kannya told me of the child's real origins just before she passed. It seems that this child is the daughter of Tui, the moon spirit." The women gasped while the men's eyes widened. Zuko was preoccupied with his mother sash while Lu ten couldn't quite connect what his grandfather was saying.

"Not only is she Tui's daughter but also that Tui blessed the child with a gift. That gift was the ability to bend all the elements."

Ozai busted out chuckling, "Father surely you do not believe the words of some low life healer?"

"How dare you question me! I would not tell you this if I was not sure!" Azulon's anger rose along with his fire wall. He was red in the face from the disrespect he received from his youngest son. Ozai had coiled back and hung his head in shame. He was silently praying to Agni that he would not be struck or severely punished by his father.

"Now she is too powerful for us not to keep her in the royal family so that she won't turn against us. At the Same time she has to stay in the immediate family so that she doesn't over throw us for her family to take the throne. Therefore she is going to marry Lu Ten since he will eventually be Fire Lord."

"Father, please reconsider. This child is so much younger than Lu Ten that by the age she'd be allowed to marry he'd be twenty-six, and with his plans to go into the military it would be unwise for him to wait so long to produce an heir." Iroh pleaded with his father. Although the military was a good excuse for him to get his son out of an arranged marriage Iroh really wanted his son to have what he and his wife had.

Ozai noticed his father about to tell him no and that the marriage was sealed so he took the opportunity to strike. "Father Iroh is right. Say Lu Ten were to die in battle before the age of twenty-six he would have no heir to take his place as the crowned prince. Now why can't we have the girl and Zuko marry? They are close in age, only a week apart. She would be in the immediate family then."

Ursa turned to glare at her husband. She wanted her son to pick his own wife not for him to be forced into marriage that he doesn't even want.

Iroh chimed in with "That is an excellent idea don't you think so father?"

Azulon looked down at his children and took in everything they had to say. Although it pained him to admit that they had brought up valid points that he couldn't dispute. He looked down at the child and an image flashed into his mind.

_There was a world wind of disaster around Azulon. He looked around to see what had caused this. There in a center of a circle was a young woman dressed in a dark red robe with a gold sash and she had long blonde hair with blue tips. She turned to look at him with her piercing blue eyes. Then a young man walked up behind her. He looked like a younger version of Ozai. Then the world spun and he was in the throne room. The girl and man were back. They were talking to some financial advisors._

"_Lord Zuko the economy is flourishing with your trade arrangements and the new techniques that Lady Charmaine has come up with is making our military one of the strongest in the world. Not even all the nations combined could stand a chance against our military now."_

Lord Azulon was then pulled out of his vision. He was baffled by this vision. Lu Ten was supposed to be the one in power not Zuko. Maybe this was sign from Agni that he should have Zuko and Charmaine marry instead of Lu ten.

"I have reached a decision. Zuko shall marry Charmaine when they reach the age of seventeen. This shall give Zuko enough time to rise up as a master fire bender and then enroll the military to bring honor to our family. Now leave. Tell the guards to send someone to take the child back to the nursery… On second thought Ilais take the child. You shall raise her until the age of ten and then the duty shall be passed onto Ursa."

Ilais took the child without complaint. She had always wanted a daughter but after Lu Ten was born Iroh saw no use for any more children. She looked down at the child and she knew that she was destined for greatness but she could not place why she had a feeling that it had something to do with the war. Royal women were not allowed to serve in the military because they are supposed to show compassion and understanding not violence and harshness.


	5. The Boy In The Iceberg

**Chapter 5: The Boy in the Iceberg**

It had been three years that Charmaine had been stuck on this cursed ship. Although she had gone to royal parties during the past three years the majority of her time had been spent on the ship. Her royal pain in the ass fiancé just wanted to train all the time and she was sick of it. She couldn't further her skills any more at this point. Having mastered fire bending at the age of ten had left her an extra six years of perfecting it to a tee.

She turned to look at her dual katanas. She had taken up the skill when she was twelve. It took her about a year to perfect the use of the swords. It took some major pleading with the Fire Lord to allow her to take lessons. It was frowned upon if you were a fire bender and you used weapons. The Fire Nation believed that if you used weapons and you were a fire bender than you were not competent in your bending abilities, therefore you were weak.

Although it was challenging to get Fire Lord Ozai to let her train with her katanas it was even more difficult to convince him to let her train with fans at eleven. She brought up the point that if she was in a crowded space she wouldn't be able to fire bend without hurting herself. He reluctantly allowed her to pursue the art of fans. She always kept her fans in a secret fold in her robe.

She turned to look in the mirror as she admired her dark red robe. She had a black sash wrapped around her waist signifying her nobility. She walked over to her vanity and started to brush her hair. Her dark bluish gray eyes followed her hand movement down her long blonde hair. She would always stop for a quick moment when her eyes landed on her blue tips before she would bring her brush back to the top. After a quick run through she thought about making a tiny slip knot on her head as it was accustomed among royalty and nobility. Charmaine decided to keep her down like usual. She couldn't stand the ridiculous knots on top of the royalty and nobility's heads. She thought they looked ridiculous and as if they failed at trying to do a pony tail and just left it there.

"AWWW! THIS IS SO STUPID UNCLE! I DEMAND YOU TEACH ME SOMETHING MORE DIFFICULT THEN THE BASIC OF BASICS OF FIRE BENDING!"

Charmaine rolled her eye at the outburst. Her fiancé had no patience and quite frankly was an awful fire bender. She knew the real reason why he wasn't a good fire bender but she knew he wouldn't accept it if she told him. No he would find out on his own.

She decided to put down her brush and walk up to the bridge to see what Zuko failed to do this time. Maybe if he took his time he wouldn't be so awful and have to repeat the same thing over and over again until he got right, Charmaine thought to herself. She finally made it up to the bridge and started at Zuko as he threw his royal temper tantrum.

As she continued to look at him she always stopped to look at his red flaming scar on his eye. She was always disgusted at how he came upon that scar. She knew he was tall for his age at the height of six feet. She was only 5 feet and eight inches tall. He was skinny too for his age but what he lacked in fat he made up for in muscle. He always wore his military uniform that made his shoulders look like pointy knives. His bald scalp had a pony tail with dark brown hair attached to it.

"Zuko, you must master your basics first because without them you will never succeed in battle." Iroh sat at a pai sho table while drinking some jasmine tea while he stared at his irritated nephew.

Iroh had aged to over the years and had cut his long hair. The once dark brown hair had turned to a silvery shoulder length hair cut. His belly also grew quite a bit. He too was dressed in a military uniform.

"I have mastered them now teach me something new." Zuko managed to calm down…just a bit.

"NO you have not."

"Zuko your uncle is right. Plus what harm is in making sure your basics are flawless? It will make you a stronger fire bender than those who chose to learn it enough to allow them to perform more difficult techniques. They may be able to perform them but I guarantee it is not flawless." Charmaine decided to chime in before it became an all out severe temper tantrum from his royal ass.

"You should listen to your future wife Zuko. Women always know best whether it is about raising kids or fire bending strategies." Iroh continued to sip his tea while he watched for his nephew's reaction.

"I am no…" Zuko turned to see a giant light blue beam reaching for the heavens. Amazement and shock flashed across his face finally followed by understanding. He whispered the words "Finally."

Zuko whipped around and turned to his uncle. "Uncle do you realize what this means?"

"I won't get to finish to finish my game?" Iroh looked up from his game with a twinge of sadness at thought of not being able to finish.

"It means my search is about to come to end."

Iroh sighed and returned his game.

"That light came from an incredibly powerful source. It has to be him!"

"Ooor it's just a celestial light." Uncle pointed up at the sky with his hand holding a tile. "We've been down this road before Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing." While Iroh said this he placed the tile in the right spot. "Please sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?"

Zuko spun around with a fury and yelled "I don't need a calming tea. I need to capture the Avatar."He then turned his attention to where the metal ships control center was and yelled, "Helmsmen, head a course for the light." Zuko turned and pointed to where the light had come from.

Iroh just looked at Zuko and was silently thinking to himself that his nephew's accusation was wrong. He then placed his last tile down and then a strong gust blew by. The gust almost swept away all the tiles.

"I think he's right Iroh. Something about this beam seems almost familiar as if I'm connected to it in some way." Charmaine whispered this to Iroh. She did not want to give Zuko any false hope.

-Q-

Zuko stood up at the end of the highest platform on the ship. He was barefoot and in a red robe that went down to his knees with a gold circular clasp at the front of his robe with a grey shirt that went as far as the robe.

"I'm going to bed now." Iroh then stretched his arms and yawned. "Yep, a man needs his rest. Prince Zuko you need some sleep. Even if you're right and the Avatar is alive you won't find him. Your father, grandfather and great-grandfather all tried and failed."

"Because their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture. Mine does. This coward's a hundred years in hiding is over."

"Well goodnight then Prince Zuko. Try to get some rest." Iroh exited the platform and retired to his bed chambers.

"You know Zuko," Zuko reeled around to see Charmaine sitting on the railing overlooking the ocean speaking to him, "you should listen to your Uncle. He's not as foolish as you seem to think." Charmaine turned to look at Zuko.

Zuko couldn't seem to catch his breath when she turned and looked at him. The sunset radiated her skin and turning her dark bluish gray eyes into a warm dark blue. After a few seconds he was able to compose himself and forced himself to look away.

"Uncle is getting old and starting to lose his connection to the world. He's set in the old times and this is the new. His silly little sayings don't apply anymore." Zuko turned to face Charmaine as she got off the railing and started towards him. It was then he noticed she was wearing her dark red robe open that revealed a soft red night gown that ended at her mid-thigh. He forced himself to tear his eyes and his thoughts away from her attire.

"You only see what you want to see. Your uncle's sayings require you to look beyond your line of sight and to see the bigger picture." Charmaine had fully approached him and was only a mere few inches from him. "When you finally open your mind beyond your range then come tell me that Iroh's sayings are silly and don't apply." She placed her hand on his shoulder and leaned in and gave him a kiss a cheek. She then looked up at him and whispered, "Goodnight Prince Zuko." She then left him on top of the platform all by himself.

Zuko knew that she was serious about this; she never called him by his titled unless she was serious. He sighed and waited for her to walk out onto the deck when it was midnight. She would always go and swim at night no matter how freezing the water was. Zuko then started to chuckle when he thought of the first time he found out about her night swims.

_Zuko was 15 years old and had trouble sleeping so he thought walking around the deck might bring some ease to his mind. He sat up from his bed and grabbed his robe. He proceeded up to the deck. Not more than a minute into his walk he came upon Charmaine's robe lying on the floor along with a short dark red night gown at the edge of the boat next to the railings. _

_Zuko started to panic thinking something had happened to her. Scenarios were racing through his mind such as the guards ambushing her and raping her. He wheeled around and started to look for her. He looked over the railing and saw her swimming in the tropical water._

"_WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Zuko hollered at her with anger for making him worry._

_Charmaine turned and looked up at him a smiled. "Swimming, care to join me?!" _

"_You're crazy! Someone could see you or you could get left behind! Get out of the water! I'm ordering you!"_

_Charmaine's smile disappeared and was replaced with a scowl. She climbed the ladder on the side of the ship and walked straight over to Zuko in her soaked undergarments. She put her face mere centimeters away and spoke in a deadly whisper. "You may be a prince but order me around and I'll put you in your rightful place." She then reached out and grabbed his robe. She flashed him a quick smirk and threw him over the railing._

_Zuko hit the water with a yell. When he surfaced he was prepared to yell at her until he saw her jump over the rail and do flip landing in the water flawlessly. Although he wanted to yell he couldn't after she surfaced laughing._

"_You see, it wasn't that bad." Charmaine continued to laugh until she got a mouth full of water from Zuko splashing her. They then laughed and started a splashing fight._

Nightfall brought Zuko out of the wonderful memory. He didn't have many good memories and the few he had either were with his mom or Charmaine.

Zuko looked down onto the deck and saw Charmaine walk out over to the railing and strip down to her undergarments. She then hopped over the railing and plunged into the ice's cold hands that always tried to hold its victims until death itself steals them away.


End file.
