"Three red Dragons, flying trough the sky, the children wave as they drift on by!" A group of children sang, holding hands tightly and running in a circle. The ocean water on the shore of Ember Island lapped at their feet playfully.

"One Dragon looks, and makes a frown, one big blast and the children fall down!" They chanted, letting go of each others hands and falling back. The landed in the soft white sand, giggling and looking up at the cloudless blue sky.

Those where the good days…

"I only had the Fire Nations best interest at heart! I did not mean to be disrespectful. I will not fight you."

"YOU WILL FIGHT!"

"Father, I am your humble son! I will not fight!"

"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher."

I gripped onto Iroh tightly, hiding my tear stained face in his war uniform. He shifted us so that we weren't able to see father and son, in the last moments of an unforgettable Agni Kai.

"Father! NOO!"

I sat up, startled. My sheets and clothes clung to my body, held there by cold sweat. I looked around the Fire Nation war ship, eyes lingering on the tapestry with our Nations symbol on it. Just a dream. No. Not a dream, a memory. One I'd like to forget. I threw the blanket off, slipping out of bed. I slipped on a robe and may my way to the deck. The ship swayed slightly beneath my feet is it rocked gently in the water. The moon was at it's full, illuminating the sea with it's soft white rays. I sighed and leaned against the railing, staring out at the vast nothingness. My dark brown hair swirled in the salty breeze, obscuring most of my peripheral vision, which explains why I didn't see Iroh a few feet away.

"Cannot sleep, Princess?" He asked. I jumped at his question.

"Iroh!" I gasped, clutching my chest over my heart.

"Kiminari. So, sleep won't come." He said, bowing and answering his own question. I chuckled.

"Not anymore. You?"

"I fancied some midnight tea. Would you care to join me?"

"As if there was anything else to do on this godforsaken ship." I mumbled, following him inside, into the galley.

"Don't let Zuko hear you say that." Iroh chuckled, lighting the fire with a flick of his finger.

"Phff, Zuko can kiss my-" I was cut off.

"Kiminari, I suggest you don't." The all to familiar voice said from behind me. I cringed, and turned around slowly to see the Prince of the North Fire Nation Kingdom, glaring and dangerous.

"So sorry your highness." I chuckled sarcastically. Zuko huffed, blowing fire out his nostrils. "Oh, wow. Haven't see you do that one a million times."

"Kiminari." Iroh warned. "Zuko, cannot sleep?"

"No." He mumbled, sitting down beside me.

"OH! The tea leaves! I'll be right back!" Iroh said, hurrying out of the galley. Zuko and I sat in a silence so thick you could burn it. Both of us starred straight forward.

"You had it again, didn't you?" I asked him. He stiffened.

"That's none of your business." He coughed.

"Considering the fact that I still have the nightmares about that day, I'm making it my business." I said, looking away from the fire and at to the boy beside me.

"Yeah. I had the dream again." He mumbled. I nodded, deciding not to press him for more. What I didn't expect though, was for him to go on. "I don't know why this is happening." He yelled silently, eyes still transfixed on the flame heating up the tea water. I had a feeling he was talking more to himself than to me.

"Ours is a world where people don't know what they want, and are wiling to go through hell to get it." I told him, petting his shoulder.

"My father wants the best for the Fire Nation!" He yelled, shaking my hand off. I sighed.

"Only you would be stupid enough to not understand what I'm saying." I grumbled. He obviously didn't understand that I was talking about his failing search for the Avatar.

"I am NOT stupid! You've spend too much time with Uncle, and now your talking in riddles!" Zuko said, glaring at me. Both of us stood, feet in fighting positions.

"Who else was I supposed to spend time with? You?!" I yelled back, jutting my index finger into his chest. "If I remember correctly, you've spent every waking moment obsessing over the Avatar, who's supposed to restore your honor, and from your father the respect you never even had!"

"He will respect me! The Avatar is the greatest threat to the Fire Nation, if I capture him, we'll be unstoppable!" He said, but his hands bawled into fists at his sides. "My father is only doing what's best." He added quietly.

"You give him too much credit, Zuko." I sighed. Iroh danced back into the galley, waving tea leaves over his head.

"Kiminari! I found your favo- oh." He stopped by the door. Zuko sat back down.

"I'm not thirsty anymore." I mumbled, sliding past Iroh and out of the room.

"Zuko, what did you do?" Iroh asked his nephew.

"I didn't do anything." He yelled.

It was probably around three a.m. when Zuko's door slammed shut. I sat up in bed. I should probably go apologize. Nah, it was his fault. He's been the one ignoring the feelings of the people around him and ordering them around like dogs, and I guess I just…snapped. Honestly, I can't take this much longer. But he was my "friend". You'd think being out at sea with him for two years would bring us closer, but instead it drove us apart. Iroh and I had been by his side since he was banished, and had witnessed his Agni Kai. I shuddered. I had seen death, lots of it, but the day Zuko got his scar was one of the worst things I had witnessed in my entire life. I shuffled out from under my sheets for the second time that night, creeping down the hall to the Prince's quarters. I opened his door a crack and peeked in. He was in his bed, but was he really sleeping? He was one to fake such things.

"Zuko?" I said, prodding him on the shoulder with my toe.

"Scar face! Oi!" His eyes snapped open.

"WHAT?" He demanded.

"Well, I DID come to apologize, but seeing as your not in the mood…" I trailed off, turning my back to him.

"And you say I'M annoying. Your absolutely no help at all! Maybe I would have found the Avatar if you weren't slowing us down! Why don't you just go back to the South Nation, and leave me alone?" He snapped. My eyes widened in shock. For as long as I can remember, we were always arguing, but he had never been so…angry, and never told me to go back home. So, caught by surprise, I reacted by instinct. Truth.

"You ungrateful little- I can't even think of a bad enough word!" I yelled, kicking him out of his futon. The tapestry behind me burst into flame. "All you are is a banished prince, with no honor, no clue were the stinkin' Avatar is, and as of now, no friends! I've spent the last two years helping you look for some old geezer so that your father would look you in the face again and this is how you thank me? I could be in the South Fire Nation right now, sitting back and enjoying being a princess, but I'm in the middle of an ocean somewhere because I was stupid enough to want what's best for my best fri- you!" I finished my rant, panting quietly. He stared up at me from the floor.

"What are you?" He sneered. "One of the three crown jewels of the South Nation? Daughter of the Fire King? Do I have to remind you that my father is more powerful than him?" I can't believe what I'm hearing.

"That doesn't matter, Zuko, you and I are the same rank." I hissed. He didn't have a reply to this. Zuko was so… infuriating. I'd put up with it for two years, but my patience was running out. I was surprised it lasted this long. "You have no idea how much you've changed." I muttered, backing away from him. "Not for the better, either. I'll be off your ship by the time you wake tomorrow."

The sun had started to rise as I finished pulling on my Fire Nation armor. I pulled my bangs back and clipped them out of my face. I shoved the last of my things in a bag and sling in over my shoulder, slamming the door open and marching out onto the deck.

"Your still here." I didn't even bother to look behind me.

"Go back to sleep then." I snapped, pulling myself onto the railing.

"What are you doing?" Zuko asked.

"Leaving."

"We're in the middle of the ocean! What do you mean 'leaving'? Swimming?"

"Don't be stupid Zuko." I sneered, throwing my bag down into the small boat Zuko couldn't see. A hand wrapped around my forearm, pulling me back onto the war ship.

"What can I do to make you stay?" He sighed.

"Jump over the edge and drown yourself." I snapped, pulling my arm free. He grabbed the other.

"Kiminari, I'm serious. Your dad would kill me if I made you get off here." Zuko said.

"So you only want me to stay so you won't get yelled at? Your so annoying! Always saving your own skin."

"That's no it. I'm sorry for being an idiot yesterday." He said, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

"Yeah, you were an idiot." I said thoughtfully, he just nodded so I continued. "And your head looks like an egg. And these uniforms make you look short. And you frown too much. And people blowing steam out their nostrils is really not attractive at all. And-"

"Let's not over do it, alright?" He hissed.

"Seize the moment." I chuckled.

"So your not leaving?" He asked.

"Of course I'm still leaving!" I snorted, puling my arm free again.

"Kimin-…." He trailed off, starring at something over my head in awe.

"What?" I snapped, turning around. My annoyed expression soon matched his of surprise. A bright light had just shot into the air.

"Uncle!" Zuko yelled to Iroh, who had just emerged from inside. "Is that…?"

"It can only be…" Iroh gasped.

"The Avatar." I whispered.

Please review! I want to see what people think about this before going on.