"I will remain behind with the Prince."

"Have you forgotten what I've said? All of the crew is to come with the Admiral."

Strands of the female's dark brown hair framed her face. She stood from the table, and the air around her suddenly became dense.

"Last time I checked, I have reign over my actions as a soldier."

Admiral Zhao narrowed his eyes.

"Miss, I-"

"Enough!"

Flames burst from the noble-woman's hands and scorched the rough dirt that rested on the tent floor. The men in the room shrunk away to avoid the woman's hard emerald gaze and blind fury.

"I will remain behind with the Prince. And that, I daresay, is a finite order, Admiral Zhao."

The admiral stuttered, and thought for a moment, before bowing his head to the lady. "Very well."

Iroh glanced hesitantly in her direction, but did not interfere. It was the lady's decision, and not theirs.

The ship was dead silent that night. Ported at the dock, the brunette stepped onto the deck, her boots clacked against the metal hull. From the corner of her eye, she spotted two figures at the front of the boat. Yuying stepped towards them, and caught Zuko's glance as soon as she was within earshot. The plump man speaking to him glanced over his shoulder at her with a downcast look. The expression on the prince's face was complex, anger and sadness and hope all at the same time.

With a rough scratchiness to his voice, the teen kept her gaze. "You stayed?"

The corners of her lips curved slightly upwards as she stopped next to the two men. Straightening her stance and bringing her palm upwards to her forehead in mock salute, she smiled sadly at him.

The prince examined her comical stance, his own scorn look slightly changing to an amused smirk. Uncle Iroh smiled at the girl and patted her on both arms with his gentle hands.

"Yuying, it brings me great joy that you choose to stand alongside of my nephew. He will need your patience."

The girl scoffed and chuckled. "Definitely. Especially since he lacks such."

The Fire Nation elder and the girl laughed wholeheartedly as Zuko scowled.

The laughing died down to silence again. The three remained in silence. Iroh glanced up at the two teens, and something glittered in his eyes.
"Uncle...I'll be fine."

The man shook his head and rubbed at his eye.

"Take care, Zuko. Have a safe trip."

Zuko nodded to him, and the older man turned towards Yuying.

"My dear, take care as well. Remain vigilant."

"Right." The brunette nodded definitely, and shared a brief hug with the man she had come to love as her own Uncle.

Uncle Iroh offered the two of them to take a walk with him. Zuko refused, as did Yuying (albeit more politely). The former war general left the ship, whistling a tune. If one thing was certain, it was that not much seemed to bother that man.

The brunette girl watched the man off with a small smile as she considered that thought, never feeling the glance on her. When she came to from her thoughts, she realized that she was alone on deck.

Without the rest of the soldiers on deck with her, she could really feel the size of the ship. Empty without the soldiers and friends she had come to call close to kin.
Yuying shook her head and retreated to the inside of the ship, rubbing her arms against the night chill. Walking down the halls, she noticed the light streaming through an open door down one hallway.

Now not that she was psychic or anything, but a certain fellow fire bender might make better company to her and her to him in this time of shock and helplessness.
When she peeked her head into the prince's quarter's, she could see him clearly laying down on his bed in a thoughtful stupor. She cleared her throat, earning a daze glance in her direction. He sat upright and stared at her. Until the boy raised his eyebrow as to question why she hadn't entered.

When she did enter, she paused at a five foot distance from the teen to judge the waters. When his gaze didn't shrink back or the distance didn't cause him to snap a sarcastic or furious comment, she sat beside the prince on the edge of his mattress.

"...why did you stay?" He asked flatly, staring down at the floor.

She blinked, then Yuying sat back to lean on her hands and ponder. Why had she decided to stay? Certainly not civil obligation.

The girl came up with her answer and leaned forward to match his pose. "I've stuck with you this long. Nothing Admiral Zhao offers me could ever fulfill my dreams of bringing that slime down." Her hand came up to grip his shoulder in a reassuring grasp. His amber eyes searched her face for any more information he could dig from her emotions, but he didn't find much else. He intently listened as she continued her thought.

"And...well..." Yuying scratched the back of her neck and looked away from him, feeling the blushing rising up her neck. "I swore all those years ago that I was always gonna be at your side...so..."

Zuko's eyebrows knitted together for a moment as he wracked his mind for that memory before a smile came over him. He glanced up at the ceiling and shook his head with a laugh. The prince was very aware of the weight now against his arm as the Lady noble rested against him. The blush too rose up his neck, but he tried his hardest to ignore it.

"Thanks, Yu. You're...a...real friend."

"...and don't you forget it, princey-pants." She grinned, squeezing his side. He jerked away from her squeeze and chuckled quietly. The two of them shared a smile, and something clicked between them. Their smiles dropped and yet they continued to exchange glances.

Zuko suddenly sighed, "Yuying...I-"

His words were cut short when the two of them heard a loud thump from above. Their faces tilted upwards, before they sprang into action. The prince led the way out of the room, positioned for fire bending. The lady's back was a few inches from the prince as she covered the area on his other side.

After a series of weird noises they moved quickly through the ship, ultimately both finding the navigation room. They shared confused but cautious glances and searched out the window for any intruders.

It was Zuko who saw the bird.

It was Zuko who shouted the word.

It was Zuko who leapt to the lady's side and held her against him as the ship imploded and engulfed them in flames. The lady screamed as the fire burnt her skin and left her scarred, and the two teens flew out of the window and onto the ignited deck.

Pirates.

The boy struggled long and hard through the pain to move, and after nudging and almost pleading for Yuying to regain consciousness, the girl came to. With Zuko's help, the injured girl latched onto the boy to steady his imbalance and to let her ease up on her injured leg.

The teens launched themselves overboard, into the darkness below the flaming ship.