Why hello there!

Sorry this update took so long, college is being especially bothersome right now...gah I don't even want to think about it.

Note: Alright you guys, I made a pretty gusty decision in this chapter. I really thought about it, and after careful deliberation I decided that to me, what I did made sense. I'm hoping that I didn't completely butcher Zuko's characterization in this, and if I did PLEASE TELL ME.

So I'm asking you lovely readers...please review and tell me what you think of this chapter. I'd really appreciate the feedback/constructive criticism! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to let me know! I'd be happy to explain my reasoning to you!

Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Divergence

Dakota shifted her shoulders, tightening the straps of her pack so that it wouldn't slip. Once satisfied with the fit, she took it off and placed it gingerly on the ground beside her feet. Dakota looked out the window and focused on the large metal ship anchored on the docks; it was cold and beautiful in the morning light. Her mind was hard at work, trying to explore all the possible scenarios that could come to pass.

Iroh's words from the night before echoed in her mind, impossible to ignore.

"I do not believe that my younger brother is calling us back out of the goodness of his heart, Dakota. Azula is like him in many ways; both are masters of manipulation. Zuko does not wish to see the truth, he is too eager to return home. So we must be suspicious for him, it would seem."

"What can we do?" Dakota asked, her heart clenching at the memory of Zuko's elated expression, his burning desire to believe what his sister was saying. Dakota had witnessed many cruel things since arriving in the Avatar world, but this somehow was crueler than the rest. It seemed a lot more personal, more purposeful.

It baffled Dakota that such cruelty was coming from Zuko's own sister. Sure, siblings often fought and squabbled, but to be so casually manipulate…Dakota hadn't thought it possible. Her own family was, overall, loving and kind, with very rare bouts of irritation and anger. Henry was annoying at times, but he was still her little brother, the only brother she had. If it came down to it, Dakota would do anything to keep him safe.

Perhaps she was naïve to think that Zuko and Azula's relationship would be the same.

Iroh sighed. "All we can do is wait until the truth comes out."

"But if we're at sea, there will be no way to escape!"

"I know. That is why I am hoping Azula reveals her true intentions before that point."

"But what if she doesn't, Iroh? What if we all get shipped to the Fire Nation as prisoners? I mean, I'm sure that word of your helping the Avatar has gotten back to the Fire Lord. They'll lock you and Zuko up, and…what if they find out that I can Firebend? What will they do to me? I can't tell them where I'm from–"

Iroh strode over to Dakota and placed two steady hands on her shoulders, ceasing her scared rambling.

"No matter what happens, Dakota, know that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe," he soothed, squeezing gently. Dakota shook her head.

"But Zuko–"

"–will do the same. You seem to forget that he risked his life to save you at the North Pole. There are two kinds of men, Dakota. One is a man who expresses himself with words, and one is a man who expresses himself through action. Zuko is a man of action, and so it is through action that his true feelings present themselves."

Dakota heard Iroh packing behind her, his cheerful hum filling the air. She turned to glance at the older man, her hair falling over one shoulder. Dark brown eyes watched as the man placed the shells he had collected in his bag. The sight reminded Dakota of Azula, the red shell shattering so easily in her deceptively delicate hands.

Suddenly, the space of the hut seemed much too small. Dakota exhaled sharply, her hands tightening into fists. She hated how jumpy and timid she felt – it was as if she had just been pulled aboard Zuko's ship, clad in only a pair of shorts and a red tank top.

But that was five months ago.

"I'll meet you outside, okay?" Dakota declared, pausing at the door in order to look back at the older Firebender.

Iroh nodded, and Dakota slipped out the door and into the sunshine. It was tranquil, a soft breeze blowing and making the lush trees sway. Dakota sighed, unconsciously searching the lower levels of the spa for a familiar high ponytail.

Putting all of her effort into finding Zuko was preferable to considering all the things that could go wrong by willingly going along with Azula's plan.

Zuko was ready to go before the sun came up. Azula's ship was still anchored, but he knew that she wouldn't be ready to go until a few hours after dawn.

Iroh's doubting Azula's story still irked him, and anger made it possible to leave the hut without telling his uncle where he was going. Well, at least he thought it was anger. Anger was the only name he thought to give to the torn, unsettled feeling inside of his chest.

Zuko paused at the doorway, and for some inexplicable reason he peeked back.

Dakota was lying on her side, her pale hair strewn around her head and pillow. One of her hands was tucked under her chin – it lent her an innocent sort of air – but the other was outstretched. The palm faced upward, her fingers curved toward the ceiling. Zuko had opened the door slightly before hesitating to leave, so the pale pink light of the approaching dawn slithered across the floor. It illuminated her free hand, and for a split second Zuko imagined that the light was fire.

"Please forgive me, Father!"

"Stand up and fight, Zuko!"

"I can't, I can't!"

"Coward!"

Zuko's scar tingled, and the prince hurriedly stepped out of the hut, sucking in deep gulps of air and relishing the cool breeze on his face. It erased the phantom burning sensation, at least.

The sight of Azula's ship, which had filled him with elation just minutes ago, now weighed on his mind like a heavy stone. Hefting his pack over his shoulder, Zuko strode down toward the main spa building with one place in mind.

A few minutes later, the pond came into view, and a small smile appeared on his lips at the sight of the turtle-ducks playing quietly in the shallows. The creatures spotted him immediately, and swarmed over to him, quacking eagerly. It was as if they knew what he had hidden in his pocket.

"Alright, alright," Zuko grumbled, pulling out the hunk of bread he had grabbed before leaving the hut. The turtle-ducks swam around in delight, and Zuko sighed, slumping down into the grass. His fingers deftly tore small bits out of the loaf, and he paused for a moment before tossing them into the water.

Zuko could never resist the ducks' soft, dark eyes, and his inability to resist left him feeling oddly bitter.

The scowling teen stared out across the rippling surface of the pond, his brow slowly unfurrowing until his expression was smooth. The ducks squabbled good-naturedly amongst themselves; their patterned shells shiny with water as they dove down to capture the sodden crumbs. Soon, the bread was gone, but the turtle-ducks remained near him, their little heads turning to examine him more closely.

Zuko's scowl returned, and his hands tightened around the fabric of his pants. When he first saw the pond, all he could think about was his mother. How she smelled, the weight of her hands on his shoulders as she showed him how to feed the ducks.

But now, as he sat and stared at the creatures, all he could see was the image of Azula staring Dakota down. He gazed at the turtle-ducks, and all that came to mind was the brief instant in which Dakota's fear had shown on her face. It was when Azula shattered the red shell Iroh had been planning to put in his bag. At the sound, Dakota flinched, her dark eyes lowering for a split second, as if to avoid seeing what was in front of her. Dakota herself probably wasn't even aware of her reaction.

But Zuko had seen it, and he was willing to bet all the gold in the world that Azula had seen it as well.

Zuko let his head fall into his hands, because the sinking feeling in his chest was back. It tugged at his thoughts, pulling him down, down, down…

Azula said that Father wanted him home. She said that Father regretted his actions, that he was willing to forget the past and welcome Zuko with open arms. A part of Zuko yearned to throw caution to the wind, because this was his chance to go home! No more stiff cots, no more hard metal ships, no more hopeless searching!

Zuko's fingers gripped the sides of his face, heart sinking at the words that unconsciously came to his lips.

"Azula always lies," he whispered, and his voice broke on the last word.

The turtle-ducks were the only witnesses to this admission, but it didn't make the words any less true. Zuko looked up, his eyes searching the water for an alternative. The water offered no sage advice, and Zuko's shoulders slumped.

He didn't know what to do. He wanted to believe his younger sister, he wanted to board her ship and sail home without a second thought. But Dakota's face kept appearing his mind, her expression of unease, of fear.

Iroh always called her Turtle-duck, and up until this point Zuko had scoffed at the name – who wanted to be compared to a wimpy turtle-duck, anyway?

"Look, darling," Zuko's mother whispered, and a young Zuko lifted his head from his mother's shoulder, tears still fresh on his face. Azula had called him names again, and he tried to hide his anger, but of course Zuko's mother spotted it right away. She led him to the turtle-duck pond, and held him while he cried. Azula had been mean before, but this was the first time she had gotten other children to join in.

Zuko obediently turned his head, his vision still blurry from tears, and he frowned when he saw the turtle-ducks approaching him and his mother. Their little eyes gleamed in the sunlight, and their fluffy bodies moved through the water with effortless grace.

"What?" Zuko asked his mother, and frowned as one of the turtle-ducks waddled out of the pond and over to where Zuko was seated. It quacked at him, wiggling its tail in excitement. Zuko's mother laughed, and handed Zuko a piece of bread. Zuko very hesitantly held out the hunk of food, and the creature chattered happily before gobbling the entire thing.

Zuko laughed at the slick feeling of the duck's bill, and beamed up at his mother.

"Did you see that, Mom? He ate it right out of my hand!" he exclaimed, and his mother smiled.

"Zuko, I know that your sister said some hurtful things to you. You see, sometimes, when we get angry, we say things that we don't mean. We say things that aren't true because we want to push our anger onto others."

"But Mom, Azula wasn't even mad! She was laughing!"

Zuko's mother faltered, and Zuko was too young to see the sadness in her eyes.

"Your sister is very different from you, Zuko. She doesn't express her feelings as easily as you do. You may not have seen it, but that doesn't mean that she wasn't hurt or angry."

"I guess…" Zuko mumbled, and his mother smiled, leaning down to hug him.

"But I'll let you in on a little secret," the woman whispered, and Zuko's eyebrows rose. He hadn't ever been in on a secret before…but then again, when he thought of secrets he thought of girls whispering behind hands and giggling like maniacs.

"What?" Zuko asked warily, and his mother laughed at his expression.

"Oh, Zuko, don't look so scared!" she cried, and Zuko smiled sheepishly. His mother pulled him closer, and went on, "The secret is this: Words only have the power that you give them. Azula can call you all the mean names she can think of, but only you have the power to make them true. Are you a komodo-breath, Zuko?"

"…No," Zuko admitted, tearing at the grass beneath his hands.

"Then you're not! It's that simple!"

Zuko didn't respond, and his mother kissed his forehead.

"You know, my mother once told me that turtle-ducks are the best judges of character. And they've always loved you, even when you were small and tossed rocks into their pond!"

"But, but they're just turtle-ducks!"

"Yes, they are, but that's what makes them so special. Most people overlook them and underestimate their strength. Turtle-ducks are observant little creatures, they see straight to the heart of things."

"Really?"

"Really. And if they approach you, Zuko, that means that you are most certainly not a komodo-breath. No, you're simply Zuko, my brave, kind, clever son, and I will always love you…"

Zuko found that Dakota's nickname was more appropriate than he could ever have guessed. Dakota was the neutral party, the one person in the entire world who wasn't linked to anyone. She had no family here, no familial loyalty, no true knowledge of the Four Nations and their respective cultures.

She saw things for what they were, and nothing else.

"Azula always lies," Zuko repeated to himself, stronger this time, and his eyes looked up to stare at the sky. The weight lifted off of him, melting until nothing but conviction remained.

Azula was up to something. And, considering that it was Azula, it couldn't be something good. Zuko jumped to his feet, and began to pace, his shoulders tense and his arms stiff at his sides. He had to think, he had to think, he had to think!

Why would Azula go to such trouble to invite him back home? Why would Zuko's father waste valuable resources sending his progeny across the ocean? Azula was one of the most skilled Firebenders in the world – excepting Iroh and the Fire Lord himself – so why would he so casually send her?

Unless…word had gotten out about Iroh and Zuko's actions at the North Pole.

And like that, it clicked.

Azula was one of the most skilled Firebenders, but so was Iroh. Of course she would be needed to capture him – fighting fire with fire was the only option. And what better way to lure the both of them home than with false promises of restored honor! Azula assumed that Zuko would be blind with hope, that he would convince Iroh to come along without a fight.

Then they would be back in the Fire Nation…as prisoners.

But if that happened, what would become of Dakota?

There was no way that Zuko's father would just let her go, not after her traveling with them for so long. No, Dakota would be questioned, interrogated, and they would eventually catch on that Dakota wasn't from this world. And if they found out she could Firebend…oh Spirits what would his father do?

Zuko didn't notice the flames rising in his hands at first, but when he did he was quick to extinguish them. His breath was coming quickly, and he forced himself to calm down, running a hand over his forehead.

No, they couldn't go to the Fire Nation, not now.

"Would you go home, if you had the chance?" Dakota asked, her dark eyes watching him carefully.

At the time, the answer had been simple. Yes, of course he would go home, why would she even bother asking such a stupid question?

But that was before Azula came into the picture. That was before Zuko really sat down and considered what returning to the Fire Nation would mean for all of them.

Spirits, he wanted to go home.

But he also knew that he couldn't.

Not yet.

Dakota smiled when she spotted Zuko's familiar form weaving up the paths toward the hut, and raised her hand in a hesitant greeting. He didn't appear to see her, and so she decided to walk down and meet him.

"Hey, are you ready to–"

But before Dakota could finish her question, Zuko grabbed her arm and yanked her behind him, practically dragging her up the stairs. It was all she could do to keep her footing on the uneven steps.

"Zuko, what the…what's wrong!" Dakota stammered, and let out a heavy breath when Zuko pulled her into the hut. "A little warning would have been nice!" she muttered, fixing her shirt.

"Prince Zuko, are you ready to go? Azula will be leaving any minute now," Iroh said pleasantly, and Zuko violently shook his head.

"We're not going with Azula. We're getting out of here as soon as possible," Zuko hissed. Iroh and Dakota both glanced at each other at the same time, and both wore similar expressions of shock.

What on earth had happened in the span of one night that could have changed Zuko's mind? Not that Dakota minded the change; it was just shocking to hear those words come out of Zuko's mouth. What happened to his burning desire to return to the Fire Nation?

Zuko turned to his uncle. "Uncle, the only reason Azula would be here is to overpower you. Which means that Father's found out about what happened in the North Pole. We have to leave now!"

Dakota had never seen Iroh more surprised than he was in that second after Zuko stopped talking. His golden-amber eyes were wide, and his brows were so high up that they threatened to disappear into his topknot. Dakota found that her own surprise wasn't any less extreme, and stared dumbly at the scarred teenager.

It was so unlike Zuko that Dakota found it hard to look at him. What in the world had gotten into him?

"Give me two minutes, and I will be ready," Iroh declared after a moment or two longer, and Zuko scowled but nodded in confirmation. Dakota was already packed, and so she simply swung her pack over her shoulders. Zuko was antsy, his eyes flickering to the window every other second.

Finally, Iroh was ready, and Zuko led them down the path behind the hut, toward the forest. The mainland stretched out before them, and the trio paused at the bottom of the path, staring out into the immense forest. Dakota glanced back, knowing that in an hour or so, Azula would find the hut empty.

A part of her couldn't help but wonder…what if Azula wasn't setting a trap? What if Zuko really did have a chance to return home and reclaim his throne? Was there a chance that they were all being paranoid?

Was Zuko losing his only chance to go home?

"Zuko, are you sure you want to do this?" she asked, and looked over at him. His expression was hard and determined, and he didn't meet her eyes when he nodded. Iroh put a hand on Zuko's shoulder, his weathered face so familiar and kind.

"It will be a difficult road, Prince Zuko, but I do believe that it is the right one," he said, reaching out to place his other hand on Dakota's shoulder. Dakota felt a surge of happiness, and allowed the feeling to spread throughout her entire body. Never in her life had she felt more a part of something.

The three of them stood, silent for a few moments, gazing into the unknown in favor of looking back. The road ahead was dark, but the path behind them was somehow darker. Dakota took a deep breath, and Zuko seemed to return to his senses.

"Let's get moving."

And they did.