It Toshiro "really" a girl? Well I'm not going to tell you!

This is a short chapter too.

Disclaimer: I do not own avatar the last air bender, nor it's characters

Chapter 4: Sweet and Innocent-ish

"I said I was sorry," The girl repeated to Zuko as she followed him below deck. She had explained to Zuko that she was Captain Toshiro, and still intended to return him to his uncle, but he still didn't believe it. He lay down in the same hammock he was in before the storm. The girl looked a bit ashamed at the floor for a second before she sat down in the hammock across from him and looked back up at him with a smile on her face. "You can't stay mad at me for long. The crew says that no one can be mad at me for a long time."

Zuko turned over in the hammock so he was facing away from the upset girl. She didn't know why, but she didn't want Zuko to stay mad at her. She guessed that it was just her nature. If she didn't intend to make someone angry or get even, she was actually sympathetic. She twiddled her thumbs, trying to think of something to say.

"Why?" Zuko finally said.

The girl's head perked up at the question. "Because I am honest, as much as you my think I'm not. I do…"

"No," Zuko cut her off, "Why do you insist on trying to convince me that you are Captain Toshiro?"

She looked angrily at him, "Because I am!"

Zuko turned to her and yelled, "You expect me to believe that you, a teenage girl no older than me, are the feared Captain Toshiro. The most deadly and wanted pirate of all four nations?"

She looked down at the floor again and said, "To put it simply, yes, yes I do."

Zuko turned away again. The girl scratched her head and said, "Kimi."

He looked back at her, confused, "What?"

"That's my given name, Kimi," she explained, "I am Captain Toshiro, but I wasn't always. I'm 16. When I was five, my mother passed away. I spent my life living on the streets. I stole, lied, gambled, and cheated. Not the best way to spend a childhood, right?"

Zuko, now interested in the story, agreed with her, and she continued, "When I was little, my mother was all I had. As far as I know, I have no father. When I was about seven, I stole from a pirate. He chased after me, but when he finally caught me, he was afraid," She pointed to her left eye, "I was scared, because my eyes were wide open. At the sight of my eye, he began to stutter something about a pirate that had the same eyes. He said that no one knew who he was, but whoever saw that eye, they were never the same. I was intrigued at the idea that there was someone with the same eyes as me. I thought maybe, just maybe, he was my father, or uncle, or relative in some way. I decided to board a pirate ship, hoping to meet him. I knew that girls weren't allowed on ships, it was considered bad luck."

"So you disguised yourself," Zuko interrupted.

She nodded, "I became the cabin boy of the pirate ship, 'The Black Swan,' known as 'Toshiro.' I spent five years on this ship, gaining trust of the crew and the captain. When I was twelve, the captain said that he was going to retire. The day he announced it, he called me into his quarters. He told me that he wanted me to take over the ship. Now as you can imagine, I was shocked and curious of why he chose me instead of his first mate. He explained that once when I was injured, and unconscious, he had the doctor on board look over my wounds, and they found out that I was a girl. He told that I had a lot of courage to board a ship of bloody pirates the way I did. He told the crew, when he announced that I was the new captain, that when they had as much guts and courage as me, they could be captain. Some of the crew, such as the first mate, thought it was for the good, as for the others, I would have to prove that I was a good Captain. That's why I built up the title I did, to show the crew that it didn't matter, girl, age, whatever, I was a good captain."

"So, you really are, 'Captain Toshiro?'"

"Yes, for the one millionth time, I am."

It was hard to grasp, but in the end, Zuko believed her story. Zuko stood up, and helped up Toshiro. They walked back on deck, and Toshiro ordered the crew to clean up the ship, and to get them ready to head North. It seemed that the storm moved the ship off course. Toshiro explained to Zuko that they wanted to head towards Monarch, a town about 100 miles west of the town where they had met. With the storm, calculating in the distance away from that point and the days to arrive, they estimated that when they arrived, his uncle would either be there, or nearby.

Toshiro, now wearing her hat, was at the helm again, holding a compass in one hand, and the helm in the other. She looked back and forth from the sea and the compass. Zuko watched her for a bit, then went down to the galley, to find Akira. Just as he suspected, Akira was in the kitchen, cleaning the counters and dishes. Zuko and Akira talked about things on the ship, and the lifestyles. Akira knew a lot, he confessed that he, too, knew of Toshiro's secret.

"Sorry I didn't tell you, Mr. Zuko. Ya see, the captain only tells crewmembers that. I'm guessing that if you hadn't found out the way you did, she never would've told you."

It made sense. Toshiro was the name of a deadly pirate. Just the thought of interacting with Toshiro could send shivers down even the bravest man's spine. If people knew that he was a girl, no one would fear her. They would find her as nothing but a pest. "She's pretty brave, ya know," Akira said, "I know I never would have done what she did."

"Yeah," Zuko said under his breath. Zuko always tried to be the stronger man, to never be afraid. But just as Akira and the previous captain had said, it took a lot of courage to do what Toshiro did, courage that Zuko didn't seem to have. As much as he didn't want to admit it, it was true; he never would have dressed as a boy to stowaway on a ship, like Toshiro did.

The boys talked about the captain for a few more minutes, and then they Akira had to help the cook make dinner for the crew. Zuko took this as a reason to leave and he went on deck.

Toshiro was still at the helm, doing the same as she was when he went to see Akira. He looked out to the sea. He couldn't help but think of how much he wanted to get back with his uncle. He wanted to apologize for what he did as soon as he could. "Zuko," he heard a voice call. He looked behind him to see the ship's first mate, Ling. "Great view, isn't it," he said as he joined Zuko. Zuko remembered Ling from dinner the night before. He was a quiet man, no older than thirty, with long brown hair that was in the same style as Akira's was.

Zuko agreed, the view was magnificent. As far as the eye could see was crystal blue water, and at the calm horizon, the water met a light blue, cloudless sky. The bright sun shined off the water making it sparkle. "You're not mad at her now, are you?" Ling asked him. Zuko looked surpisingly at the question, then after a moment of silence, he said, "No, I'm not mad. I never was, I just didn't believe her, but…" He trailed off.

"She does that," Ling told him, "She always has something up her sleeves. I still think she may have a few secrets she still won't tell us. But they'll come out in time, and I know, that whatever they are, she'll have her reasons for keeping them to herself."

Zuko looked up to the first mate, then back out to the gorgeous view. "Yeah," he said, "maybe."

"You miss your uncle? His name's Iroh, right?"

Zuko nodded, "I went against him before I left, I want to say I'm sorry. He's the only person who actually cares about me."

"That's not a new story," Ling said with a smile, "How do you think we feel?"

Zuko looked back at him.

"We pirates know that feeling, when only one person cares about you. Heh, nothing new."

"What about the other pirates?"

"Heh heh," Ling laughed, "You would think, but as much as some people may believe, there aren't many heroes among thieves. Most of us think that it's every man for themselves. They'll kill one of their own faster than any whale shark or serpent. You'd be amazed when true colors show. Toshiro probably strikes you as someone that would leave you, but she stands up for everyone on her crew that respects her. The slim amount that don't she'll kill 'em herself if she gets mad enough."

Zuko thought it over, and from Ling's point of view. He knew none of these pirates could compare themselves to him, but he couldn't help but wonder how tough their lives were.

"Toshiro is looking for the pirate with the red eye, it's secret from most crew members, but myself and a few others know. It's her goal to meet him, and as her first mate I respect that, but as a person, I find it inspiring. She has no one except for a few crewmembers that really care for her. She fights us off, she doesn't want people to treat her different, but she's strong, and most of us still look at her like the brave little girl that stowed away on board, instead of the captain she is."

Ling left Zuko looking out to the horizon. The view was just as alluring as before, but now, there was another view he found just as alluring, the brave Captain Toshiro at the helm.

What's this then? Could Zuko be starting to admire Toshiro? Well that won't last long, that's for sure... Or could it?

R&R you guys!