Time: past, roughly seven years ago.

Iroh and Ryoku are seventeen.

Location: United Forces Naval Academy, Gym 7

The gym door swung shut with the creaking shudder of old metal, and Iroh was alone. His steps echoed hollowly as he walked through the now empty gym. He shook his head as he walked, not understanding how or why Ryoku was upset enough to run away, something he knew she hated. He was confused by the strange aloofness that she had adopted, and frustrated with the sudden turn of events.

He found Rio around the corner, slumped against the wall, her knees drawn tightly to her chest and her chin tucked between them. She looked smaller and younger than she had in long time. She didn't look up as Iroh stopped in front of here, his boots clacking forcefully on the tile floor.

"What's up with you, Rio?" he snapped, "One minute you're like my best friend and then suddenly you're avoiding me, and distracted, and… it's weird, okay? It's not like you!"

He was met with silence as, if anything, Rio curled herself tighter.

"I'm serious!" Iroh knelt and tried to find her face in the dim lighting of the dark hallway, "Ryoku Zaio, what's wrong? Last week this never would have happened. What aren't you telling me?"

He gave up and sighed gustily, raking a hand through his hair, "I can't change whatever it is that's making you mad until you tell me what it is!"

Iroh sat next to her and slung an arm over her shoulders, "Please?"

"I'm jealous." She muttered from within the shelter of her arms.

"What?"

"I said: 'I'm jealous'." She repeated more loudly.

"But… why?" Iroh sputtered, "Of Zulika? But that's totally…"

"Ridiculous?" Rio spat, suddenly heated. "Believe me, I know. What do think I've been trying to figure out for the last three days?"

"Then…"

"I didn't ask to get all jealous and weird, okay?" She continued, cutting him off as if suddenly freed from the silence she'd treated him to since he met Zulika. "I'm just going to ignore it until it goes away."

"Do you remember when Holberson lectured us all last year about battlefield perceptions? She said that sometimes the weakest part of a soldier is his mind. Well that's all this is, it's just me being weird, and if I concentrate on what I know is true it'll just disappear." She ended with a huff, but refused to look him in the eye. "So it's not your problem anyway."

Iroh nodded slowly, "Okay…"

Ryoku opened her mouth again, but she didn't say anything as the arm around her shoulders tightened slightly.

"I just want you to know you're still my best friend." He said softly, "nothing's going to change that, so you don't have to be jealous. Sound fair?"

After an incredibly long moment in which Iroh nearly died of hypertension, Rio uncurled herself and smiled decisively at him. "Okay."

The breath he'd been holding suddenly escaped and the young man deflated against the wall, "Good, we'll be like two peas in a pod again."

"Except we're not peas," Rio interjected, "You can be a pea if you want, but I'm not a pea."

"Fine, we don't have to be peas." Iroh could feel a smile tugging at his mouth. Even in the few days she'd been ignoring him, he had missed the "old" Ryoku, plant references and all.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a habit he had recently acquired. "I wish that you would stop separating our problems, Rio."

"What do you mean?" she asked, resting her chin on her arms.

"Whenever we fight or something goes wrong you always say something like 'It's not your problem' or 'I have to deal with it.' And I just wish you'd realize that you don't always have to fix things by yourself."

"But you shouldn't have to make up for a mistake that I made," she protested, "That's not fair."

"That's what friends are for, you tulip." Iroh retorted, "but I'll leave that fight for another day." He hugged her shoulders one last time and stood up, stretching tiredly.

"I should go to the infirmary, and check up on Zulika or something."

Ryoku got her feet as well, dusting off her pants. "I'll go too."

Iroh looked at her quizzically, "Are you sure?"

She shrugged, "Yeah, why not? I really do feel bad."

"Would that be a good idea…?"

She groaned, "This is why I didn't want to tell you! I'm not going to get all creepy and write on her bedroom wall in blood, or something stupid like that!"

Iroh held up his hands defensively, "Alright, alright! You can come, it's just," he punched her shoulder good naturedly, "You can be pretty scary when you want to be."

"News flash, genius," drawled Ryoku, "We're in the military; it's our job to be scary."

"Point taken." Iroh shoved his hands into his pockets, "So... where are you planning to go after we graduate?"

"We've talked about this. I don't really care where as long as I spend as little time as possible at home." She said it definitively, with a little bob of her head.

"You really need to start talking to your dad, Rio." Iroh said, already bracing for her withering look, "Once you ship out, you might never see him again."

"Yeah… but," she sighed quietly, "He doesn't care. Maybe I don't either."

They didn't speak again until they reached the infirmary where the matronly nurse shooed them off to their barracks. Finals were next week, after all. But after she had reached her room, Ryoku took down a dusty shoebox from the top of her dresser and gazed at the ivory hairpieces nestled inside. Then she dug into the bottom of the box and withdrew several pieces of ivory. Then she got to work.

How I abhor drama... This was horribly difficult for me to write- why must I torture my characters so? Anyway...

To Smg55- thanks for that kind review, it is actually Fortune Industries, I would try to use the excuse of being marginally dyslexic but really it was just my bad... but I fixed it. I'm honored that you're enjoying Iroh and Ryoku's story, even with the drama.

To the new followers/favorites (SmartOotori, hoove-print-on-your-heart, etc.) Welcome aboard! I am similarly honored to have you as readers. And hoove-print-on-your-heart, I idly checked your profile after the "new follower" message, and was pleasantly surprised- I did not expect such uplifting messages so early in the morning! Keep on supporting what you do, I whole heartedly agree.

Adieu!