Early one morning the ship was sailing by a sheet of ice with a group of arctic ducks, so Chiara ran to Zuko's room and knocked on his door. He had just finished breakfast when he answered it and saw her standing there with two bows in her hand.

"Go duck hunting with me."

He raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"Come on. They stopped the ship so we can get some fresh birds."

He followed her to the deck where he saw the ducks out on the ice.

"How are we supposed to..."

"Here are your arrows, Lady Chiara," said Tedo as he handed her arrows with thin rope attached to them.

"Thanks, Tedo," she said.

She handed one to Zuko, and they both loaded their bows and took aim.

"The first one who misses gets to pluck whatever we catch," she said.

He playfully scowled at her which made her giggle. They aimed again and let their arrows fly, and both nailed their targets sending several other birds flying off to a different part of the ice floe.

"Roast duck for dinner," said Iroh who had been watching from the upper deck.

"How many do you want, General?" asked Chiara as she looked up to him.

"Get a couple more," he said. "We can always store some on ice."

After catching two more ducks, Zuko looked at Chiara.

"Nobody missed, so...," he started.

"So we both get to pluck them."

He handed her the bow. "I have firebending practice." He smirked at her.

"I'll make sure to leave a feather in your dinner tonight."

He laughed as he walked away. Tedo and Shoza helped Chiara carry the birds to the galley where she helped Ozen pluck and gut them. They stored three and started roasting one for dinner.

Later that afternoon, Zuko was standing on the deck of the ship looking out at the horizon while Iroh and Chiara sat playing Pai Sho nearby. Suddenly, a bright light flashed straight up into the sky ahead of them.

"Finally," said Zuko as he saw it. He turned to Iroh. "Uncle, do you realize what this means?"

"We won't get to finish our game?"

"It means my search is about to come to an end."

Iroh sighed.

"That light came from an incredibly powerful source," said Zuko. "It has to be him."

"Ooh," said Iroh, "it's just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited for nothing. Please sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea."

"I don't need any calming tea!" yelled Zuko. "I need to capture the Avatar! Helmsman, head a course for the light."

Suddenly a wind blew across the deck, and Iroh and Chiara looked at each other.

Late that night, as Zuko stood on the upper deck looking out at the horizon, Iroh approached him.

"I'm going to bed now," said Iroh stretching. "Yep, a man needs his rest. Prince Zuko, you need some sleep. Even if you're right, and the Avatar is alive, you won't find him. Your father, your grandfather, and great-grandfather all tried and failed."

"Because their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture. Mine does. This coward's hundred years of hiding are over."

Iroh turned and left, and on his way to his cabin, he stopped to see Chiara.

"Zuko is still standing on the upper deck," he said to her. "I'm really worried about him."

"Maybe he did see something."

"Even if he did, the chances of him finding the Avatar after a hundred years...they're not good."

Iroh went to bed and Chiara decided to go check on Zuko. When she walked onto the bridge and saw him standing outside, she went to his room and grabbed his coat. She returned to the bridge and went out to the deck where she walked up to him and placed it over his shoulders. He looked and was surprised to see it was her.

"I know he's out there, Chiara," he said softly as he looked back towards the horizon.

"You're probably right," she said. "And if he is, he'll still be there in the morning. Why don't you get some sleep."

"I won't be able to sleep."

She tenderly caressed his back and then went inside. She went down to the galley and poured a cup of broth and returned to the upper deck. She held it out to him and he took it surprised that she had returned.

"Can I get you anything else? Tea?" she asked.

"No." He looked at her. "It's cold out here. You should go inside."

"The cold never bothered me much," she said.

She remained with him for a while, and together they looked out over the dark, glassy water as the ship moved forward making it appear as though the glowing icebergs were floating by them. After an hour had gone by, he began worrying about her; he reached over and tenderly ran his hand down her arm to her hand which felt cold to him. He took her hands in his and warmed them up.

"It's late, Chiara," he said. "Please go inside."

She nodded. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

She pulled her hands from his, and after picking up the cup, she went inside. He sometimes envied her and his uncle. For them, their time at sea had been like a vacation, despite Chiara's hard work on board the ship. But they did not have to worry about finding and capturing the Avatar, or honor, or banishment.


The next day, Iroh was instructing Zuko in firebending on deck. Chiara walked up with a tray of food and tea for Iroh, and she knelt by him and watched them.

"Again," Iroh ordered Zuko.

Zuko attacked Shoza and Jozan. Iroh sighed and stood up.

"No. Power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire." He shot a stream of fire. "Get it right this time."

"Enough. I've been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set. I'm more than ready."

"No. You are impatient. You have yet to master your basics. Drill it again."

Zuko got angry and kicked fire at Jozan knocking him over before turning back to Iroh. "The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last airbender. He must be over a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master the four elements. I'll need more than basic firebending to defeat him. You will teach me the advanced set!"

"A please would be nice," said Chiara.

Zuko glared at her.

Iroh looked at him. "Very well. But first I will eat some roast duck." He took the bowl from Chiara and began eating.

Zuko sighed and turned back to continue practicing the basics.

Later, Zuko was on deck when he saw a flare shoot up into the sky. Looking through the telescope, he saw someone jumping down off an old Fire Nation shipwreck.

"The last airbender. Quite agile for his old age. Wake my uncle," he ordered the men. "Tell him, I found the Avatar...as well as his hiding place."

They headed towards a Water Tribe village as Zuko prepared to confront the Avatar. When word got to Chiara, she went out on the deck and watched as they approached the village. Soon, Iroh was standing next to her.

"This is so different from the Northern Water Tribe," she said softly. "I didn't realize there would be so few villagers."

"The Southern Raiders," said Iroh sadly. "Years ago it was believed that there was one last waterbender in the Southern Tribe. They were sent to attack the villages."

Chiara was deeply saddened to learn of the attack.

As more villagers gathered outside as the ship neared them, Chiara noticed something.

"There are no men," she said. "Would the Southern Raiders have killed all their men?"

"Though it's possible," started Iroh as he thought of her own village, "it's unlikely. For years now there have been many attacks on Fire Nation ships from Water Tribesman between here and the Earth Kingdom, probably in retaliation."

Chiara felt glad that the tribe fought back, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

When they arrived at the village, Zuko and some of his soldiers disembarked. Sokka, a young teenage boy of the village wearing tribal warpaint, ran towards him ready to attack with his club. Chiara held her breath worried that Zuko might hurt him, but he merely kicked away his weapon and knocked the young warrior to the side into the snow, and he continued approaching the villagers who looked frightened.

He looked around at them. "Where are you hiding him?" he asked.

They remained silent. He reached out and grabbed an old woman. Chiara immediately turned to go down there, but Iroh grabbed her.

"You can't go down there," he said as he worried about what she might do.

"But he can't treat these people this way," she said sternly. "She's an old woman."

"He'd be about this age, master of all elements?" they heard Zuko saying.

Chiara turned and watched as Zuko shoved the woman back towards the others, and then he sent out an arc of fire towards the group. Hearing them scream, Chiara's grip on the side of the ship tightened. Iroh put his arm around her knowing she wanted to help them.

"I know you're hiding him!" said Zuko angrily.

Just then, Sokka charged him again, but Zuko ducked and then threw fire at him. Sokka then ran towards Zuko with a spear, and as Zuko broke it apart Chiara turned towards Iroh and leaned against him as she could not watch anymore.

"Please don't let him kill anyone," she said softly.

"What is that?" asked Iroh in a low voice.

Chiara looked up to see a young boy on a penguin skidding to a stop in the snow to the cheers of the young children. Zuko and his soldiers surrounded the boy who was armed only with a staff. Chiara held her breath as she wondered if they'd attack such a young boy. Suddenly, he waved his staff and snow went flying. Chiara was excited.

"He's an airbender," she whispered to Iroh. "Prince Zuko really did find the Avatar." She looked puzzled. "But how can he be so young?"

"Looking for me?" said the Avatar to Zuko.

"You're the airbender?" asked Zuko surprised. "You're the Avatar?" They began circling. "I've spent years preparing for this encounter: training, meditating. You're just a child."

The Avatar looked at him. "Well, you're just a teenager."

Zuko began attacking the Avatar with fire making Chiara move to go towards them, but Iroh held her back.

"You cannot get involved," he said softly.

As Zuko's attack threatened the villagers, the Avatar stopped and looked at him. "If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?"

Zuko nodded, and then they took the Avatar aboard the ship.

"Head a course to the Fire Nation," yelled Zuko. "I'm going home."

When they were all standing on the main deck, Iroh and Chiara approached them.

"This staff will make an excellent gift for my father," said Zuko as he held the Avatar's staff. "I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks." He looked at him. "Take the Avatar to the prison hold," he ordered his men.

Chiara made a move towards them, but Iroh held her back.

"And take this to my quarters," said Zuko holding the staff out to Iroh before turning to leave the deck.

Iroh took the staff and held it out to another soldier. "Hey, you mind taking this to his quarters for me?" He looked at Chiara. "I'm going to take a nap. You should get some rest too."

"This is wrong," she said softly as they walked. "He's the last of his kind, and he's the Avatar."

"Zuko is determined to do this. There's nothing we can do," he said.

Chiara started slowly walking towards her room, but she was feeling worried and anxious, and after thinking about it, she decided to visit the Avatar to keep him company and to make sure he would not be mistreated. As she went below deck, she heard a commotion, and then she saw the Avatar turn the corner ahead and run towards her with his hands tied behind his back.

"Avatar," she said softly holding her hands out towards him to slow him down. "I'm honored to meet you." She bowed to him Fire Nation style.

He was unsure whether or not to trust her, but he stopped.

"Please let me help you," she said. "Turn around."

He turned his back to her, and she cut the rope binding his hands.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked her.

"The war has been devastating to the Nations, and the world needs you."

"I don't know how I'm going to help."

"You're the Avatar. Only you can bring back the balance the world needs."

He was amazed by her faith in him.

"I need to find my staff," he said.

"I know where it is."

"Who are you?" he asked as he followed her.

"I'm Chiara."

"Hi, Chiara, I'm Aang."

They approached Zuko's quarters where he saw his staff inside.

"My staff."

He ran inside and then the door shut.

"It looks like I underestimated you," said Zuko.

Chiara opened the door and entered just as Zuko had attacked Aang with fire.

"Please don't hurt him," she begged.

"Stay out of this, Chiara," said Zuko.

He continued attacking the Avatar who jumped around evading him.

Chiara, not knowing how else to help Aang, knelt at Zuko's feet with her head bowed down. "I beg you, Prince Zuko, take me as prisoner instead."

He was stunned to see her kneeling at his feet with her face to the floor and he lost his concentration. "I-I don't want you as a prisoner."

"Then take my life if it will save his."

Aang was surprised to hear her offer her life for his own, and even Zuko was amazed to see her at his feet offering her life for the Avatar.

"Your life will not restore my honor," he said.

He moved to attack Aang again who dodged his fire, so Chiara jumped up and stood in front of Aang protectively as she faced Zuko who held back to keep from hurting her.

"Move, Chiara!" he demanded.

"You already have him as a prisoner," she said. "I won't let you hurt him too."

He drew up fire threatening to attack her, but he held back. "Move!"

She held her ground, so Zuko threw the fire blast at the wall next to them.

"Move!" he yelled.

She would not move, and Aang quickly left the room hoping Zuko would not hurt her.

"I won't forget this," Zuko said deeply to her before running past her.

He followed the Avatar up to the bridge where he saw him leaping from the upper deck, and he ran and jumped over the railing grabbing hold of Aang's foot, and he pulled him down. Chiara started running down to the main deck where they had just landed. Just as Zuko was about to attack Aang, they heard something in the sky, and looking up, they saw something large coming towards them.

"What is that?" asked Zuko.

"Appa!" said Aang excitedly.

Suddenly, Zuko attacked him with fire, but the Avatar spun his staff and floated into the air. When he landed again on the deck, Zuko continued attacking him. Chiara ran out on the main deck and as she ran towards them, one of Zuko's fire blasts knocked Aang off the ship. She ran to the edge of the ship where Aang fell, and when she saw him hit the water she pulled off her coat and started to climb the side in order to jump in, but Zuko grabbed her and pulled her back.

"What are you doing?"

"He'll drown," she said.

"And so will you."

"I can do it," she said as she tried to pull away from him.

"The water's too cold; you'll freeze." He would not let go of her.

"I have to get him," she said still struggling against Zuko.

"Chiara, you're not going in there," he said sternly as he pulled her away from the side.

"Prince Zuko, you can't let him drown..."

"I won't let you drown."

"But I can get him..."

As they were arguing, Katara was calling Aang's name. Suddenly, Aang came out of the water in a water funnel rising high above the ship. In the Avatar state, his eyes and his tattoos were glowing and he looked terrifying. Zuko moved Chiara behind him to protect her as the Avatar landed on the deck before them. Chiara was awed by Aang's waterbending and watched intently as he began swirling the water around him. Suddenly, he sent it out in all directions knocking down the soldiers and Chiara and sending Zuko over the edge of the ship.

"Prince Zuko!" cried Chiara who jumped up and ran to the edge.

Seeing him holding onto the anchor chain, she was relieved he had not fallen in the water. As he was climbing up the chain, the sky bison landed on the deck and Sokka and Katara were busy rescuing Aang. As Zuko climbed higher, Chiara reached down and grabbed his hand and was struggling to pull him up just as Iroh had come on deck. He was surprised to see the large sky bison on the ship, and he rubbed his eyes as he watched it take off into the air, but then he saw Chiara struggling to help Zuko, and he ran over to help. By the time Zuko was back on deck, Appa was flying away.

"Shoot them down!" ordered Zuko.

"You can't," said Chiara who was excited to see the beautiful animal they had learned about from their visits to the air temples.

Both Zuko and Iroh moved to attack Appa by sending fire charges towards him, but Aang deflected them hitting part of the ice wall next to them. An avalanche of ice began to fall towards them, so Chiara grabbed Zuko's and Iroh's arms and pulled them back as the ice came crashing to the deck over the front of the ship leaving it stuck.

"Good news for the Fire Lord," said Iroh. "The Fire Nation's greatest threat is just a little kid."

"That kid, Uncle, just did this," said Zuko. "I won't underestimate him again. Dig this ship out and follow them," he ordered his men. He saw that some of his men were frozen and were being thawed out by others. "As soon as you're done with that." He looked at Chiara. "And you should be sent to the prison hold in his place," he said angrily.

"I offered to do so earlier and you refused."

"Because I need the Avatar, and you helped him escape! You're confined to your quarters indefinitely!"

"The Avatar did nothing wrong," she argued. "He didn't deserve to be attacked."

"Go to your quarters before I have you taken to the brig!" he yelled.

All of the crewmembers who witnessed their argument were astonished to hear Zuko threaten Chiara as none of them had ever heard him do so during their time at sea. Besides Iroh, she was the only one who ever dared approach Zuko when he was angry, and it seemed to the crew that she was the only one who could soften his heart when it seemed hardest. Iroh, also astonished by their argument, wondered what happened while he was napping. Chiara picked up her coat.

"Too bad you don't have a waterbender to help with that frozen water," she snapped.

"GO!" yelled Zuko.

She left the deck as Iroh smiled and laughed at her words.

"What are you laughing at, Uncle?"

He looked at Zuko. "She's right. Too bad we don't have a waterbender."

Zuko did not get why it was so funny to his uncle, so he turned to go to his quarters, but one of his soldiers walked up to him.

"Sir, Chiara didn't help the Avatar escape. He sent a blast of air towards us..."

"She let him escape from my quarters," he said deeply.

Uzo did not argue with him, so Zuko went to his quarters to plan his next move. As he lay on his bed thinking about the events of the evening, he was full of mixed emotions. He was excited that after two years he had finally accomplished what his ancestors never could. And despite his anger at the lost opportunity, he was feeling hopeful that he would find the Avatar again. Through all his mixed feelings over his struggles and accomplishments, his mind kept going back to Chiara. He could not get rid of the image of her kneeling at his feet offering her life for the Avatar. He could not understand why she would give her own life for a stranger even ready to jump over the side of the ship to help him, and he felt a bit jealous over her protectiveness of the Avatar. But he also remembered that she did not hesitate to help him when he had fallen over the side. He felt betrayed by her actions, yet impressed by her concern, and he was not sure what to do with her.

Iroh went to Chiara's cabin where she was lying on the cot staring at the ceiling.

"I brought you some tea," he said.

She sat up and he sat on the cot and set the tray between them, and then he started pouring their tea.

"You helped the Avatar escape?" he asked.

"I...I didn't mean to. Prince Zuko was attacking him. He's just a child, and I didn't want him to hurt him."

"I see."

"The Fire Lord never expected him to find the Avatar," she said. "Do you really believe he'll take Prince Zuko back?"

"It doesn't matter what you or I believe. It only matters what Zuko believes."

"I love Prince Zuko," said Chiara softly to Iroh's surprise. "More than I want to and more than I can ever let him know." Tears flowed down her cheeks. Iroh always knew Chiara cared for Zuko, but he never realized how she truly felt about him. "I would give my life to protect him," she continued. "But I don't want him to become like the Fire Lord. If he takes Aang back to the Fire Nation, this war will never end. The world needs the Avatar."

"You've always been a wise child, Chiara."

"I can't believe he's so young," she said speaking of the Avatar. "He should be over a hundred years old."

"Yes, it certainly is a mystery."

They sipped their tea.

"You know," he started, "some of the crew spoke of a waterbender..."

She looked at him. "It wasn't me," she whispered. "I promise I didn't..."

"It's okay, Chiara," interrupted Iroh raising his hand. "I know it wasn't you. The young Water Tribe girl that helped the Avatar was a waterbender."

Chiara's eyes grew wide. "Really?"

He nodded.

"The Southern Raiders failed," she said.

Iroh smiled and nodded.

Later, as they were underway to the shipyard for repairs, Iroh and Zuko were standing on the upper deck.

"Are you really confining Chiara to her quarters indefinitely?" he asked Zuko.

"She threw away my chance to return home with the Avatar. She knows how long I've been searching for him and she helped him escape. She betrayed me."

"She's on your side more than you know, Prince Zuko."

"By helping him escape after years of searching for him? How is that being on my side?"

"According to her, she was merely trying to protect him from harm," said Iroh.

"Which allowed him to escape."

"Chiara has experienced the effects of the war. She lost her entire family. Even the death of Lu Ten affected her more deeply than I thought possible. She doesn't want to lose you too."

"But I won't be lost. My honor will be restored."

"To Chiara you never lost your honor," said Iroh.

"My honor comes from my father..."

"Your honor comes from you, from your choices, from your actions. Your father's intention is to continue the war to conquer the other Nations. The Avatar could bring an end to this war."

Zuko stood silent for a few seconds. "Then I choose my father." He walked off leaving Iroh alone.

That night was the first night Zuko ate dinner alone in his quarters since the beginning of their voyage.