Anya sat tired and alone as Aang's image vanished. The relief of seeing him safe had worn off as she knew he was going to encounter trouble and she can't help being in a Fire Nation ship. Her door opened as she put her head in her hands her feet placed on the floor.

"Are you alright?" Iroh asked carrying a teapot and two cups. She looked up and smiled sadly.

"I guess." She sighed and accepted the tea taking a small sip. "You make very good tea sir."

"Please call me Iroh." He smiled and she felt guilt pierce her heart. "Now tell me about your situation."

"My family was killed in the war," She started, "Then My master found me and took me in saying he would try and find me a teacher if I worked for him. He was abusive and I realized he probably wouldn't find me a teacher until he left a few weeks ago."

"That's it?" He asked raising an eyebrow. Anya nodded. "Well I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." She smiled and took another sip of tea. Iroh put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly before leaving. Another zap passed from him and she flinched as it hit her burn on her leg. Before she left the Air Temple a Fire Nation soldier managed to lock her in a burning room she burned her entire right leg. It still hurt at times but it was bearable. Anya flipped up the edge of her dress looking at the marbled flesh and the strange smoothness.

"You might have him fooled." She heard an angry hiss at the doorway and quickly flipped down the hem again. She looked up to See Zuko leaning on the doorframe, "But I know something is up and when you slip, I'll be there."

"Trust is an important thing your highness." She muttered almost to herself standing and folding her hands behind her. "Perhaps you should learn it."

He was in her face in an instant and she shied away on instinct. Last time she was this close to a Firebender he locked her in a burning room. His eyes flashed and she felt her eyes drawn to his scar.

"You're afraid." He whispered his amber eyes looking between her grey ones.

"W-Well," She tried to speak but her mouth wasn't working right. "When a powerful Firebender comes this close to you, fear is a reasonable response sir."

He blinked at her answer and then caught her looking at his scar he glared before going to leave.

"Are you ashamed of your scar sir?" she blurted out and he looked back at her briefly. "Because if you are then I should be sorely ashamed of mine."

When he didn't interrupt or leave Anya barreled on.

"Because yours came from an act of love." She stated her voice quieting, "Mine was an act of being a coward."

"What happened?" He said it so quietly she thought she imagined it.

"My Master came home in a drunken rage," she spun a story quickly, "He told me to stand tall and fight. I ran. He locked me in my room after he had set it on fire. I jumped out the window but not before it burned my leg."

"Then it wasn't you being a coward," he stated his back still to her, "You were trying to save yourself."

"But I ran away." She felt a tear prick her eye when she thought of all the times she had run away instead of stayed and helped. Anya lowered her head and sat back down heavily cradling her head in her hands.

He was silent but he turned around his Amber eyes falling on Anya as she wiped her face as a tear fell down her cheek. He watched as she took a breath and the flame in front of her died almost to the point of it going out.

"I couldn't defend myself at all." She whispered as Zuko listened, "Not against his knives nor his words nor his Fire. Nothing."

Anya wasn't sure if she was lying anymore. She never used her weapons unless it's for demonstrations and her bending couldn't be used at all. Zuko eyed her for a minute before leaving her to cry alone.


Any woke up a few hours later to pitch black. The moon was now at its height telling her it was extremely earlier in the morning. A small scroll had been slipped under her door. She watched with furrowed eyebrows as the figure left and she stood and walked to pick it up. Unrolling it slowly she read the scratchy hand writing.

The Deck, Five Minutes. Bring the Whip you had earlier.

Anya picked up her whip tying it around her waist grateful she put on the pair of pants and the tunic that they let her keep. She ran through the halls coming up into the crisp night air. Stepping fully into the metal floor with the stars above and around she looked up spinning to walk backward. The sound of a crackling fire brought her whipping around as someone lit the torches that lined the sides. The Shadowed figure was silent as they, most likely he, lit the six torches with small flames not to wake up everyone. The Guards weren't patrolling the side and Anya looked around now alert.

"This Way." A voice called and she looked at the figure held their hands out. She eyed them and fire leapt from their hands. She staggered back running into the hull's side that hit her mid back. She hissed under her breath as pain shot through her. "Fire is not to be feared but respected."

At the end of his statement he made a whip out of fire and cracked it in front of her causing her to flinch and almost fall backward.

"It is a vital tool." The Shadow said and Anya stepped forward a bit letting herself listen closely. She saw the man under the hood smile and crack the whip again. It came soaring through the air. She raised her hands on instinct and the whip stopped before recoiling into the man's hand. "And Our greatest weapon. Are you ready?"

"For what?" she asked confused and a little scared.

"No need to fear." The man's face fell and he turned taking off his cloak. She saw the thin black hair of someone who had recently started to grow his hair. With a furrowed brow she stepped forward. He dropped the limp cloth before turning back around his Amber eyes glinting.

"Zuko?" She whispered forgetting the honorific. He bowed and she bowed back on instinct.

"I am going to teach you how to defend yourself." He stated and she found herself fighting not to smile. "So that you shall never have to face a Master like yours again."

She bowed her head her eyes flashing with guilt.

"Let's see what you can do." He stated stepping to the side and she took a breath stepping into the middle of the deck.

Gulping Anya took out her whip and held it in one hand while the other pointed to the torch. A small bit of fire came off and wrapped itself around her whip until it was covered in fire. Then she concentrated and brought all the fire off into a ball of fire in her hands and throwing it in the air making it explode into several smaller balls. She looked around at the six balls before forcing them back into the torches.

"Is that it?" he asked in slight distain. She whipped around and glared at him.

"I'm better with my whip your highness." She snarled and he raised an eyebrow.

"How so?" He asked almost mockingly.

"Okay," she took a breath shaking her head with an angry smile on her face, "If you don't want to teach me fine. If the only reason you're doing this is pity then I'll teach myself. Now your highness, I have it in me to do this but if you try and tell me that I can't or I'm doing too little then that little speck of hope that has somehow kept itself inside me with get blown out and I might as well jump overboard right now. So If you're not going to help tell me where the rail splits."

He was silent under her glare. Zuko watched the angry young girl with slight interest. She had a fight in her that was for sure. She had the Firebending ability.

"Stand in the center." He instructed and she huffed pulling back her hair and standing in the middle her whip still extended behind her. Catching her off guard he shot a ball of fire at her. she snapped her whip and cracked the ball in half. Anya glared at him in disbelief. He sent another one that turned and came at her other side. She spun and broke that one too.

"Are you out of your mind!" she shouted. He shot another one and this time she couldn't bring in her whip so she sent out a leg and kicked it back at him. he caught it in one hand tossing it back with the other. She reached out a hand and caught the ball holding it for a moment looking at him in awe. He smirked and she threw it back hard he dodged sending it back once he got it under control.

She watched it come but something was different the speed was off and it was moving back and forth. Zuko stood watching and knew something was wrong. He started to run at her. She tried to dodge but the ball came at her as she changed direction and hit her right leg where her scar was flipping her over and then sending her hard into the metal floor. Zuko sent the ball into the water. She was still and he knelt by her side quickly.

"Anya," he whispered his eyes wide. He turned her to her back and saw the burn mark a circle on her leg that was already scared like his face. She didn't stir. "Anya wake up."

She was still and he called for a guard to get a stretcher.

"Anya," He was looking over the girl for anything that might help. He took her head with a sad sigh and lifted it to the air setting it gently on his lap, "Anya I'm sorry please wake up."

At that her eyelids fluttered and she coughed.

"That is the last time," she muttered and he smiled shaking his head, "I play catch with a ball of fire."

"It's probably for the best." He pulled her upright and she swayed into his shoulder. Holding her upright he helped her limp forward and down a set of stairs into the infirmary. "You'll be fine."

All she did was nod her eyes distant and not looking at him. She flinched and hissed as she sat down and he went to leave. He looked back at her in concern but she didn't meet his eyes as he walked out and straight into his uncle.

"I need you to find who was looking out over the deck. All the guards who were watching or anyone." He stated absentmindedly

"What happened?" He asked concerned, "are you alright?"

"I was teaching Anya how to Firebend." He said quietly. "We were throwing a ball back and forth and someone else got control of it sending it into her leg."

"Is she alright?" Iroh asked eyes wide. Zuko nodded absently.

"I believe so." He kept looking at the door. Zuko felt as if he needed to go in there and help see if she was alright. "I think this is my fault Uncle."

"What would give you that impression?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know but I feel guilty," He sighed angry with himself. "I'm going to bed."

"Of course Zuko." He kissed his head as the young man went to bed. Zuko settled down and closed his eyes. He fell asleep quickly and a dream popped up.

Zuko was standing on deck with Anya throwing the ball back and forth she was laughing and smiling. He felt himself start to smile until the ball hit her sending her into the smokestack. She fell to the ground and he ran to her to find her dead her eye burned like his.

"Anya!" He shouted. "This is my fault."

"That's right." Her voice said angrily in his ear and he whipped around to her spirit glaring at him her eyes red. "I won't forgive you Zuko. You burned me and now my enemy you shall be."