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KelseyWhiteleaf

Finally on the smaller ship they sailed away. Pushed in a small corner she could barely sit down. She was being watched by at least 3 men to prevent that she would escape. Hmm….it seemed that Zuko didn't trust her anymore. See no reason why he shouldn't, besides that she was with his prey. Telling them to escape and also made that possible. She sat there for hours. Until they finally reached his ship again. Zuko "marched" to the little corner. He looked very mad at her. His scar full of wrinkles. He pulled her up again by her arm. "Thank you that is wasn't my right arm" Ymee thought. He brought her to a room. Uncle Iroh had joined them in the meantime. Zuko had sent his men away with the reason that he could handle this alone. In the room he said she had to sit on a chair. He bounded her to the chair by her wrists, her ankles and her waist. Uncle Iroh had already pointed his nephew at the fact that this was the second time that he brought her in injured. But he didn't seem to care very much. Uncle Iroh also sat on a chair. Zuko was just walking around in the room. It was quiet for quite a while. Until uncle Iroh asked his niece something.

I: "Have you ever heard of something called the Dragon Clan?"

Y: "No, never heard of it. What is it?"

Zuko made a swift turn and said: "Your home!" He looked very mad.

Y: "What are you talking about! The Fire Nation is my home…or at least it was. You know what I mean!"

Iroh started to explain the whole story about the Dragon Clan again. Ymee was listening with great fascination. But…why did Zuko said it was her home? They were family. She belonged in the Fire Nation!

I: "No-one besides the people in that nation are able to form dragons out elements. Well, of course you can create a dragon out of fire. But not with such control over it that makes it an attack. YOU can do this."

Y: "But you said that Fire masters/mistresses could do this."

Iroh looked at her. "I lied." He said. "I was most interested in what you had shown. After the first Dragon you conjured I wasn't suspicious or anything. But after the second I was. You control fire, but forming a Water Dragon in the middle of a storm….a normal firebender is not able to do this."

Y: "I didn't form anything out of water. I'm a Firebender, I cannot bend water. That was an existing Dragon!"

Iroh and Zuko looked at each other. An existing dragon! Iroh thought about something Ymee had told him. About her telling that she was on a mission and that she was attacked and that she then just formed a dragon out of fire. Was that true then?

I: "You told me about the first time that you made a fire dragon."

Y: "I lied. I have things I want to keep my own."

Z: "Tell me then….what did really happen?" Zuko said. He said is calmly so it was quite suspicious because everyone knew his temper was one of the worst, even famous. Ymee figured that it couldn't get much worse than where she was at the moment, so telling them could not be very bad.

Y: "That day I was attacked, yes. And that was the first day that I ever made that dragon. But because it was the first time I wasn't able to defeat all the persons who were threatening me. They were with too many. Then a man came out of the forest. He made dragons out of air and water. At the very same time. He defeated everyone. He walked towards me and said he had seen me make that dragon. He also said I had to learn 'it' myself. I had no idea what he meant with 'it', but after he had said that he made another Water Dragon. He said that this dragon would aid me when I or a friend of me was in danger. 'As long as you stay loyal and rightful, the aid of the dragon stands by your side. Remember that.' After saying this he left."

Iroh was picking his beard again and thinking. The spell made it all clear. That mysterious man revealed that Ymee was of the Dragon Clan. But wait…didn't she say that if a friend was in danger the dragon would come? She happened to be at the Agni Kai between Zuko and Zhao, what could mean that the dragon had brought her there, and she left when she was on the ship the first time. And according to his nephew, when they had found Ymee she was with the Avatar. So logically thinking it would mean that the Avatar and his friends, were friends with his niece!

I: "A friend you say. How did you get at the Agni Kai? And where did you go when that dragon of yours picked you up?"

Ymee started to get a very, very painful shoulder and also annoyed. Being shot at is one thing. But interrogated while tied up was another. And besides, that shoulder was burnt! Not even mentioning that it was bleeding!

Y: "I'm sorry uncle, but I'm not saying anything anymore. You are holding me captive, interrogating me while I'm tied up to this chair and while you shot me just this morning! There are things you can achieve this way with certain people. But I'm not one of them!"

Zuko yelled. He walked to the door, then suddenly turned and blew flames towards Ymee. Ymee turned her head away. The chair was blown away against the back wall and fell over. But because Ymee was bounded to that chair she couldn't get off the floor. Zuko shot another bully of flames. Again she turned her head so she did not had to see the flames that were coming towards her. But she wasn't hit. Iroh stood before her and deflected the attack by creating some sort of shield out of fire that also absorbed other flame attacks. Ymee opened her eyes and looked up. Her uncle had turned around now and looked at her. His eyes had something strange over them. They looked...almost...like...compassion? Zuko full of rage left the chamber. Uncle Iroh walked outside the room for a while, then he came back with a bowl of water and some cloth. He knelt right next to his niece and started to treat her wound. Because of the fact that when you bend fire an accident always can happen, he knew exactly how to treat a burn. Of course it wasn't only a burn, but that didn't matter so much. After treating her wounds and binding the cloth around her shoulder, he released her from her chains and helped her up.

"You're right." He said and he gave his niece a hug.

"Listen, all that I said was very true. And after you told me all this, I know that you ARE a member of that Dragon Clan. Do not ever tell anyone this. They would haunt you down or even worse things might happen. You also have to get those dragons under your control. You already know how to form a dragon out of fire. But there are others to control. Now tell me….do you have skills with lightningbending?" Iroh said again.

"Some. But not any strong ones."

"Enough to try and create a dragon out of it. Come, outside you may train. And besides, Zuko is there. He is very mad at you because he saw you with the Avatar and helped him escape."

"I had my reasons for that. He will soon enough know."

"Come, a heavy weight has been put on your shoulders. Like this you cannot handle it. But I will help make it lighter."

Ymee nodded.

Together they walked through the corridors and eventually came outside. There Zuko was aiming his rage towards a member of his crew. What he would call 'training', another person would call it expression of your feelings. And what an expression it was. The flames were flying everywhere! The problem was that as soon as he spotted Ymee and uncle Iroh he stopped and wanted to walk away to his chambers. But Ymee figured that out soon enough and stopped him. She asked for the men and her uncle to give them some privacy so she could talk to Zuko. Knowing Iroh he wouldn't let it with that. He went to the control room so he could supervise everything so that they wouldn't kill each other, figuratively speaking of course. But knowing Zuko his temper it might even become reality, if Ymee hadn't had her own ways of reflecting this. Zuko still wanted to walk away. He easily got passed her. But when you want to get past her, you also have to get past her firebending. Just before Zuko, Ymee shot a fireball that made a wall of fire. For some people meaning a challenge, and for other just a stupid gesture.

"I just want to talk to you. Don't walk away." Ymee said, still staying nice.

But it seemed 'talking' wasn't at its place. Zuko fired a volley of fireballs. Ymee knew to stop the attack. She fired back. But not strong attacks, for she only wanted to talk and not fight. Zuko also knew to stop the attack. Zuko started to attack again. But because he was very, very mad the attacks only became stronger. The battle went on for quite a while. Though Ymee had an injury the battle was still intense and she knew to stay strong. After quite a while Ymee noticed that Zuko was getting tired, but also with every volley more angry. But this had taken enough time. She thought that she might try to form a dragon out of lightning. Even if her skills with lightning weren't perfect nor were her skills to form the dragon out of fire. But it was always worth a shot. She tried to generate some lightning and then to form it. It worked a little bit. Bit by bit the dragon took shape. And that for the first time trying! She sent the dragon towards Zuko. The dragon first circled around him, surrounding him. Then when the dragon's head was in the air it suddenly came down, giving Zuko an electric charge and knocking him on the floor. Ymee ran towards Zuko and stood above him. She pointed her left fist at him.

"If you would only dare! Does it really look that I want to talk to you! Just shut up and leave!" Zuko yelled, still having the guts to yell at her while she stood above him ready to shoot if she would want.

"No Zuko! Now you shut up and listen for once! You know I have never chosen to be who I seem to be! I am who I am! And that I cannot choose! You have completely lost trust in me because you saw me with the Avatar, but what you don't know is the truth! I have a record on getting in trouble! And yes, once again I was in trouble again. Out of nowhere the Avatar came and saved my life! We became friends when we began to know each other! But because he saved my life I stayed in his debt! Now I saved his life and we are even again! You might be banished, but so am I! At least you have people around you who care about you! You know who you are! You have somewhere where you can sleep every night, a place to be! Just think how life would be if everything that you have left also was gone! If you only knew, then you would know how my life is! Just remember, I will not chose the Avatar's side! Nor will I chose your side! I chose the side of the righteous and the true! Wherever that may take me and whatever I have to do, to do that! If someone I care about is in danger I will help! If you were in danger I would do everything in my power to help you! But that also counts for other people! Remember that!"

Zuko looked at her. He was listening….Ymee sounded quite mad saying all this.

"Now are you going lay down there the rest of the day collecting dust….." Still pointing her left fist at him. "…..or will you get up?" Now turning her hand around and opening it. Ready to help Zuko up. Zuko accepted the help and Ymee helped him up. Iroh walked outside and walked towards Zuko, when he stood next to him he gave Ymee an approving nod. He had seen and heard everything. Zuko bowed and turned around to walk away. He might have lost, but he lost against his cousin. After everything she had told him he could understand why she was like that. He believed that she was one of the Dragon Clan. After all, the spell was about the rightful and the loyal. And he didn't know anyone who was more loyal and righteous than her. And her name said it all. Ymee, the name that came from the flower Ymari. 'The moon and the sun'. Fire for sun and water for moon, and as Dragon former to form dragons out of both. Just before he was inside he turned around for a second and said:

" I'm not the only one who has people who care about me."

Then he walked inside to his chambers again.

"I will never see the day that I have completely understood that mind of his" Iroh said with a sigh.

"It's complex" Ymee answered and started to laugh. "But aren't we all?"

"hehehe, yes." Now Iroh also started to laugh. "Though he was right, again."

"Hmm?" Ymee turned her head to her uncle.

"He was right. He is not the only one who has people who care about him…."

"I guess…"

"Ymee, listen to me…." Iroh started in a sweet voice "….Zuko and myself are your family. That all this happened does not mean that we don't care about you. Don't you remember when you were little? Zuko and yourself used to be best friends. He cared about you. And he still does. I suspect he cares more about you than he does for his own sister. And for me….well….after I lost Lu Ten and after the banishment I have seen Zuko as my own son. I love him as my own son. But I also love you as my own daughter."

Ymee dropped a tear of happiness. She wasn't alone after all. She gave her uncle a very big hug. Everything was ok now, trust had been rebuilt and love had been refurbished. Wounds would heal and scars forgotten. A part of the family had been brought together again. Was it luck or destiny? I would say destiny. Destined, to love each other. Wherever their destinies would bring them. In their hearts they were together……forever……

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