A/N: Here is Chapter Two :) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Nikelodeon or A:TLA. Just Alea :)

I rose the next morning before the sun had begun to rise. There were still stars in the sky as I climbed onto the deck. It was slightly breezy on my skin as I was only wearing a sports bra, a pair of crop yoga pants and my hair had been braided. I always loved going for runs in the morning before anyone was up. But since I couldn't just run off, I settled for yoga. Stretching and touching my toes, I began with simple moves to limber up my muscles. Then moving into some more intermediate poses I was aware of a presence behind me but ignored it.

It wasn't until I began my transition into my jujitsu moves that I was able to see who it was.

"Can I help you?" I asked Prince Zuko, who was busy staring at my mid drift.

"Why are you up so early?" He asked.

"Why are you up so early?" I countered, even though I knew the answer.

"I asked you first." He said narrowing his eye slightly.

"Okay, I'm not going to explain everything I'm doing, but first I do yoga to stretch my muscles and then I practice my martial arts. It works out frustrations and I don't need to beat anyone up later." I said, turning to face him.

"Need a sparing partner?" He asked slyly.

"Only one rule: No fire bending. For us non-benders it's kind of unfair." I said before back flipping away from him.

"Fine." He said taking off his shirt. Okay, now I was distracted by his abs.

"Bring it on hothead." I said teasing him. He snarled and moved to attack me, but I danced away.

"You're good." I said, kicking his legs out from under him. He landed with a grunt as I waited for him to get up.

"How long have you been training? I can hardly keep up with your movements." He snarled again.

"Since I was 10." I said, remembering my wise teacher.

"Huh," he said kicking my side. I breathed through the pain and focused on his movements. They were becoming predictable, and I was finding flaws in his technique.

"Okay, you are way too wound up." I said, stopping to take a breather.

"What? No, I'm not." He said, tensing. I saw him wince and grab at his neck.

"I'm guessing you aren't a regular stretcher." I said coming up behind him and reaching to massage his neck.

"What are you doing?" He yelled backing away while wincing.

"I was going to relieve that knot in your neck. Unless you would rather be in pain for another week while it relaxes itself." I said crossing my arms over my chest.

"I still don't trust you." He said, raising one side of his upper lip.

"I promise, you are important for the outcome of this war. I wouldn't snap your neck, even though its very tempting with the attitude you possess." I said turning to walk back to my room.

"Fine." He said quietly. I sighed and walked back to him, motioning for him to lie down.

"What is this?" He asked as I kneeled behind his head and began to knead alone the top of his spine and at the base of his head.

"You have a lot of tension in your neck and it won't go away with a simple massage." I said before saying, "When I say to, take a deep breath and don't tense up."

He did as told and as he exhaled I carefully twisted his head to the left. Quickly rubbing it down to push any built up toxins, and then repositioned my hands and asked him to repeat his breath. Another carefully twist to the right, and I asked his to sit up carefully.

"Wow," he whispered under his breath. I smiled to myself as I began to rub out the knot, pushing the muscle out to coax it to relax. He groaned lightly as the muscle began to relax, and let out a large breathe when it finally gave in.

I sat up and said, "I would take a hot bath and drink plenty of water. The toxins that built up in the muscle from being twisted have been released into your body. You need to flush them out."

And with that I left him to his morning.

Zuko's POV

When Uncle brought the girl to the ship a few weeks ago, I thought for sure she was just a freeloader. But when I saw her blue-green eyes, it was like the rage inside of me disappeared. I thought I was going soft. Mai had never made me feel this way, and I just met this girl. Her eyes shone with mischief but seemed to hold lifelessness. She seemed so carefree, but I knew she saw horrors, just by the way she held herself.

Alea-Hope.

She was more tenacious than my sister, just from studying her a moment. Sharp wit, impressive knowledge of fighting, and her fingers were like magic. She said something about my importance in the outcome of this war. I hope that means I capture the Avatar, but I was confused as to how she would know that. Being around her, I felt confused and wondered how I could let my guard down so easy.

"Uncle," I called as I headed to the helm.

"Yes, Prince Zuko. I trust your morning exercise was relaxing." Uncle said with a wink.

"What? Never mind. What do you know about our guest?" I asked sitting down next to him.

"She is not from our world. She has seen our journey to capture the Avatar, and how the war will end. She has not revealed how she knows, but I trust her." Uncle said, and then took a sip of his tea.

"I have yet to hear anything of importance, so I don't believe that for a moment." I said, trying very hard to not let my confliction show.

"I believe I can point you in the direction of the Avatar." I heard from the door. I turned to see her in a blue pair of pants that looked painted on, and a white undershirt.

"And where would he be? He hasn't been seen in a hundred years." I said, a bitter tone to my voice. I hated that I was given the impossible mission, but I knew that I needed to do this, to restore my honor.

"First off, your dad is a dick. No offence, but he is the worst father in the history of father's. Secondly, you'll find him in the South Pole. And when you see it for yourself, maybe then I will tell you what happened to your mother." She said, turning to leave. My heart ached when I thought about my mother and barked an order to the captain to make for the South Pole.

I was astonished when I saw the light, but I chose not to get my hopes up quite yet.

"Set a course for the light." I said, as Alea came to stand beside me.

"I've given it a lot of thought, and I'll give you hints." She said, staring at the light with something akin to hope in her eyes.

"Hints about what?" I said, slightly annoyed. I wasn't focused around her, and I needed to be, so I could capture the Avatar.

"About your destiny." She said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Well, lets hear the first hint then." I said, my impatience getting the better of me.

"After the war is over, you will search for your mother." She said, "And I will point you in the right direction."

"So, she is alive?" I asked, trying to hold back my surprise.

"Yes," she said smiling at me.

Alea's POV:

With finding and losing the Avatar, Zuko believed most of what I told him. He was still in the dark about the way the war would end, but I did that so it wouldn't change anything. We had been chasing Aang for over a month. Or at least that's what it felt like. The show gave me a very skewed view on travel time in this world.

"Where is he headed next?" Zuko asked me, as he tried to figure out where to go next.

"He is still headed to find a Waterbending master, but you must follow him along the way. He is still a child and plans to do all sorts of crazy things before heading to the North Pole." I said, as I punched the bag of sand. I made a make shift punching bag for myself and it worked like a charm.

"This is ridiciulous." He growled and left the training room.

"Well, it's not as ridiculous as that pony tail!" I yelled back.

"My dear, it is best you do not anger him. He has still not made up his mind about you. I have been meaning to ask you, where did you learn to fight so well?" Iroh asked.

"When I was 9… One of the men who worked at the orphanage… he raped me." I said, punching the bag harder than before. I saw the look of rage Iroh had, out of the corner of my eye, but kept punching.

"I was temporarily adopted by a nice man, shortly afterwards. He saw how fearful I was of him, and ensured me that he would teach me how to defend myself. He taught me bow hunting, broadswords, different forms of fighting, and how to shoot a gun to ensure maximum damage to my opponent." I said, stopping to look at Iroh.

"I later was sent back when he died, and the man attempted to rape me again. But I killed him." I said, unwrapping the fabrics from my hands that protected them.

"I was never convicted of the crime, as it was self defense. And since then, the kids I grew up with feared me. So, the day you found me, I was running away. I wanted a fresh start, I wanted a family that loved me, and friends that didn't see me as a monster." I said, sinking down to the Lotus position on the floor.

"And now here we are." I said looking up at him, knowing he would not want me on the boat anymore. Instead of telling me to leave, he sank down to his knees and wrapped his arms around me. I could tell he was trying to comfort me, so I didn't fight his embrace, but returned it.

"I wish I would have been the one to slay that monster that dared to touch you. You are too beautiful and full of life, to have such a thing done to you." He said holding me tightly.

"You my dear are no monster. You are a survivor, who defeated her demon. You are the strongest young woman I know." He said, pulling back to wipe the tears from my face.

"I don't feel strong." I said, closing my eyes.

"You are. I see it everyday, because you stand up for yourself and don't let my nephew bully you. You haven't lost your spirit, and I hope you never do." He said, helping me to my feet.

"Thank you Uncle." I said, bowing to him.

"No my dear, it is I who should thank you. You have brought life to this ship, and my nephew is better for it. I see the difference you have made in the lives of the crew and in my own. You bring up their spirits with your singing and dancing around the ship and I've even seen Zuko smile for the first time in over two years. I would like to think he is fond of you, even though he has an odd way of showing it." He said, smiling cheekily.

"I don't think he is." I said sounding oddly disappointed. I knew he and Mai would end up together, but I couldn't help the growing attraction I had towards him. I knew I would have to leave him when he would help Azula in Ba Sing Se. I couldn't be with him when he figured out what he wanted to do.

"Uncle!" I heard Zuko say from the doorway. I turned so neither of them saw my flaming cheeks. I had a feeling he was listening to my whole story.

"I'll leave you to your day my dear. I am always here if you need someone to talk to." Iroh said putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you Uncle." I said, smiling at him.

As they footsteps faded, I let out the breath I was holding. Finally alone again, I walked to my room and changed, knowing we were on our way to wherever Aang and the gang were.

It was going to be an interesting day.

A/N: Review for little ole me?