I wrote this for no other reason then that I HATE Mai. she's such a bitch... Zuko deserves someone awesome. like this chick. Yoshiko. actually, it means child of greatness. pretty cool, huh?

here's her back story summed up in crappy manner in the form of a prologue. enjoy.


A little girl stood, very still, with her back against a weeping willow. Its long boughs dipped into a tranquil coy pound, which was encased in a circle of rectangular stones. Her deep red locks, nearly black, hung down her her back, ending in a V between her shoulder blades. The girl, who could be no more then 11, giggled uncontrollably into her hand. Her her red kimono was trimmed with gold, and the fine silk indicated that she came from a wealthy family. She stood, pressed to the tree, apparently waiting for something, or someone, as became aware, as a young boy, most likely around twelve, walked out from a row of high hedges.

"Yoshiko, I know you're here!" He said, his voice harsh, but with an undertone of softness.

grinning impishly, the girl, Yoshiko, as she was now identified, picked up a peach that had rolled from a nearby tree. Tossing it lightly from one hand to the other, she tossed it into the air, and in one swift movement pulled out a sword she had hidden in her kimono, slicing it in half, so that the pit was exposed, she hit it with the hilt of the sword, and in one more movement, sheathed it again. It hit him squarely on the back of his head, making him turn around with a scowl on his face.

Upon meeting her gaze, he eyed the sword she had in her hand.

"Your mother will get mad if he finds out you've been doing it again..." he warned her.

"She doesn't need to know, and my father will defend me, he always does." She said, rolling her eyes. She did not miss the faint glimmer of hurt cross his face, before he composed himself. She knew it wasn't fair of her to bring up the subject of fathers, when his home life was such a mess. Walking over to the older boy, she gave him a quick, one armed, hug, as she was still holding the sword.

"I'm sorry, that was mean of me. Will you for give me?" She pleaded, giving him a look that simply bled false innocence.

"Fine, but don't look at me like that... it's to creepy..."

"Hehehe... you really are weird, you know that Zuko, but I'm glad we're friends." She returned.


1 year later (directly after Zuko's banishment)

"Mother, what they're saying, it can't be true, can it?" She cried, disparately searching the eyes of the woman she had just run to. She stared up at the woman, clutching the sleave of her red kimono with both of her hands. Her eyes widened with anguish as she caught a glance at her mothers face, which she had kept carefully hidden to avoid meeting her daughters gaze. Tear tracks where visible on her face, and she brought one hand up the her mouth to cover it, while wrapping the other around her daughter's waist.

"Oh, Yoshiko, I'm so sorry..." she trailed off, not knowing what else to say, as she had ha nothing to do with it the apology was unnecessary.

"N-no... mommy, please, it c-can't be..."

"My darling, I'm so sorry, Zuko... he, he won't be able to play with you any more."

"I'm not a little kid!" The girl screamed, wrenching herself out of her mother's grasp, "I know what banishment means, I can't understand why! What was the Fire lord thinking, challenging his son, he's only 13... why? why him?" She said, before giving way to her tears, and, running out of the room, headed toward the garden, where she and the young prince had spent so many hours playing innocently, since they where babies.

The royal family rarely associated with any below their status, but, as her father was one of the greatest Samurai captains in the Fire Nation, it was highly acceptable. Highly acceptable, yes, but apparently they where not worthy of even saying goodbye to a lifelong friend.

No. Not quite worth it.


2 months later

Fire, so much fire, it sprung up from the ground and engulfed the walls. Yoshiko, dressed in a simple white kimono, ran desperately through what had once been her home. When she entered the hallway to her parents room, she saw them run quickly to meet her.

"What are they doing? Why are they burning our home?" She yelled before anything else.

Bowing her head, she mother brought her gaze to meet her daughters. "Because they don't think like we do. Because our way is different. Yoshiko, I know you are older now, but it's to complicated to explain now..."

"Does it have anything to do with why they took Zuko away?"

"Yes, in a sense, but we don't have time to talk about this. Now, listen closely, they'll find us soon:

When we tell you to, head out through the passageway, you know the one, in our dresser?"

"Yes..."

"Good, then you must go right to your aunts house. from there, she'll send you to a man named master Piandao. you met him when you where little, do you remember? Show him this, tell him your name. He'll take care of you." She said her voice cracking as she pressed something into her daughters hand. Her father, pulled something from his side and handed it to her, draping it over her shoulder. His sword. The burning house, he was giving it to her. Her, a family one. it had been in her family for generations, and she had never needed to be told how precious it was to him. But, here, in there burning house, he had entrusted his most prized possession to an 11 and a half year old girl, who only knew tricks. That was when it struck her that they wouldn't follow her. She would live the rest of her life without them. Her parents pulled her into a tight hug, tears in their eyes, before letting her go. Footsteps, quick and loud, resounded through the hallway, and long shadows approached the corner.

"Go, quickly, darling, remember, always remember, who you are..." she heard her mother say.

She ran into her parents room, but not before she heard the sickening sound of metal on flesh, a woman's scream, and the laughter of fire nation soldiers. Shoving her way through fine silks, she paused only to grab a random kimono, and hastily wipe away her tears. She emerged from the long underground passageway onto a quiet side stree. She looked down at her hand, visible by the light of the moon and stars, and stared at the object that had been forced into her palm. A single, ornate bead, on a fine chain of silver, in the shape of a lotus.


well, in case you didn't catch on there, her father was a member of the white lotus, and they where discovered and killed. Piandao was sokka's sword master thingy, so, as the daughter of a samurai (as you shall discover in later chapters) it is the perfect place to continue her training. duh.