"Focus Zuko. Feel your chakras and feel the energy that you gain from them. Do it again," Iroh directed in a calm voice. "Breathe in and out; feel your inner fire."

Zuko breathed deeply and let it out before going through the steps again, trying to focus. The morning sun was just cresting the bow of the ship, and Zuko could feel the immense warmth that flooded his veins as a result of the sun. Morning was his favorite time of day because the sun would always wash away his fears, allowing him to have control over his own mind once again. With a final punch, Zuko pushed out a column of fire into the air above him, rewarded with a few claps from his uncle.

"Very good, you are getting better, my nephew." Iroh adjusted the position of Zuko's elbow and pushed at the underside of his chin. "You've got to lift your chin a little higher and keep that elbow steady though. Try again," he instructed. "It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop."

The moves this time were fluid and powerful. Zuko moved slowly, as per Uncle Iroh's direction, letting the fire run through his veins, warming him instead of burning his skin. The burst of fire Zuko created was the largest he had created yet, making him turn excitedly to his uncle with a grin on his face. "Did you see that!" Zuko yelled animatedly.

Iroh's eyes crinkled, nodding. "Very good." He beckoned to Zuko. "Come, come have some tea and the breakfast the cook has scrounged up for us today."

Zuko sat down in a sweaty mess and twisted his nose up at the sight of jerky. "We're going to need to restock the next time we come to a port, won't we." Zuko sighed. Uncle Iroh hummed non-committedly, focusing on his own breakfast.

The ship was just waking up. A few of the crew meandered onto the deck, while a few others practiced their bending like the young, exiled prince and his uncle had been doing a few minutes before. Zuko stretched and scratched the edge of his year-old scar. This morning it had decided to become incredibly itchy, much to Zuko's distaste.

"Sir, there is a letter for you," an officer announced, handing a scroll over to Uncle Iroh. Iroh murmured a thank you as he unfurled the scroll. Iroh's brows furrowed. Sighing, Uncle Iroh gazed into the horizon before stowing the scroll in his pocket.

"What is it, uncle?"

Iroh shook his head, hiding his worry behind a weak smile. He refilled his teacup and drank it in one, swift swallow. "It doesn't concern you, my boy. Please enjoy your breakfast. I'll be right back."

"Uncle?" Zuko called after him, very confused at his uncle's behavior. The ship rarely got letters from the mainland, and judging by the hawk, Zuko knew the letter had to be important.

Iroh paused and set a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "I promise everything is ok. Just a little trouble in Caldera, but nothing they can't handle…" Iroh left off and took a deep breath. "It seems that more troops are being sent out to join the war, and your sister is joining them this time." Iroh let out another sigh. "There were a few small rebellions that started up, but the firelord quelled them as he normally does…" Iroh's hand on Zuko's shoulder tightened, leading Zuko to meet his Uncle's gaze. "A home is where you are the safest, but it is also a place to keep you safe Zuko," he said seriously.

Zuko spluttered. "What? What's that got to do with anything?"

Iroh gave Zuko a sad smile before leaving his confused nephew alone.

Being allowed to travel across the ship was a blessing after the few days that Zuko had been confined to his room. Zuko could go anywhere from the kitchens to the training rooms, as long as a guard followed him. It angered him that he wasn't trusted, but to be honest Zuko was not sure he could trust himself. A few times Zuko was tempted to visit his uncle, but refrained from doing so. Zuko was confused with all of the thoughts and memories and was too scared to see his uncle. Why did his uncle side with the Avatar when they finally had their chance to return home? It didn't make any sense. Zuko ground his teeth, sighing deeply as he looked up at the darkening sky.

"Hello, Zuzu," came a snide voice. "Enjoying the night out?" Azula sneaked up behind Zuko and slung an arm around his shoulders. Zuko's muscles tightened at the movement, but he let his sister drape herself across him. "My my, what a time to be alive? Ba Sing Se is captured, The Avatar is dead, and you are returning to the fire nation after four years. My little brother, so grown up," Azula wheadled.

Zuko shrugged her arm off and huddled closer to himself. "I'm older than you, Azula," he protested. "What do you want?"

Azula sighed. "Fine, whatever you say, dear brother. It doesn't matter in the end." Azula looked unbothered out at the horizon, letting her brother stew in his silence.

"What are you getting out of this, Azula?" Zuko accused.

"I'm just teasing, Zuzu," Azula scoffed. "Zuzu, how could you think I want to benefit from this situation? It was your destiny to capture the Avatar, and now you have. My destiny has yet to be fulfilled, so I guess it's just something to add to my list of my accomplishments." She poked his stomach with the point of her elbow teasingly. "We make a great sibling duo. I think we will become something truly great together someday." Zuko didn't answer and merely nodded his head, only half listening to his sister. Azula shook her head. "You really need to pay attention more often brother. Your inattention will cause you great consequences in the future."

"What does it matter to you," Zuko snapped.

Azula shook her finger at him. "Ah ah ah, don't get grumpy with me Zuzu; I did you a great favor that day in Ba Sing Se. You should be grateful. You're my brother. Of course I am happy that you are finally coming home. There is nothing I can profit from keeping you away from home any longer. I even let you roam this ship. You are not a prisoner here, so stop acting like it." Azula clucked her tongue. She paused her speech and leaned away from the railing of the ship, stretching her arms above her head. "But I would be a little more careful with what you say. You don't want anyone thinking you're a traitor." She patted Zuko's shoulder. "I'm turning in for the night. Goodnight brother," she announced before walking away.

Zuko collapsed against the railing and let his head fall onto his arms for a few moments before trying to raise his mental shield again. He forgot how easily Azula got under his skin. He wasn't a fool to think that his sister did not still lie and did not still want something from him, but he wanted to try to relax just a little bit if only to experience the bliss of coming home at last.

They had only been at sea for two weeks, but it already felt like it had been months. The hours passed like days. Zuko was excited to get home, but it felt like he was a stowaway on board because everyone merely ignored his presence, save for the nightly visits he received from Mai. He still didn't know why no one else visited him; not that he didn't mind Mai's company, but she wasn't the best conversationalist. He was not used to carrying the conversation because of his many years spent with his uncle, so it felt foreign to him to have to come up with conversation starters as well as words to fill the silence that Mai's few words left. Tonight he had decided to explore the deck of the ship instead of being kept prisoner below sea level. Mai could find him if she wanted to.

Zuko turned away from the railing and crossed the large ship to reach the bow of the ship and sit down on a seat. The crew didn't bother him and just ignored him, which is the way Zuko liked it. The ship and crew were larger than the one he had gotten used to over the past four years, and Zuko kind of missed the family-like atmosphere. This ship was supposed to make him feel like a true prince. What was a prince even supposed to feel like anymore? If only he could ask his uncle.

"I thought I'd find you here." Mai came up behind Zuko, standing in his blind spot, forcing him to rotate his upper body to meet her eyes in the dimming light. Zuko felt the familiar, fluttery feeling of a second fire lighting deep within him as he caught her surprisingly tender gaze. Her face was impassive, as usual, but there was an element of gentleness to her eyes. "Are you cold?" Mai asked, pulling her own cloak closer to herself as she took a step beside him, effectively breaking the staring contest that Zuko had unintentionally started.

Zuko coughed to clear his throat and he shook his head. "Uh, not really. Being a firebender really gives you some benefits," Zuko joked lightly. From the corner of his vision he saw Mai suppress a shiver. "Oh, are you cold?"

Mai shrugged. "Not really," she said in a flat voice. Zuko nodded awkwardly, letting the conversation drop again.

Mai huffed. "Yes, I'm cold, stupid."

"Oh," Zuko exclaimed. He unclasped his outer coat and offered it to her. "Here, this might keep you a little warmer than your cloak." Mai raised an eyebrow up at him but let him drape his coat around her shoulders. Satisfied that Mai was no longer shivering, Zuko scooted back and allowed her some space on the small bench at the bow of the ship. In the few nights she had come to visit him, Mai did not like to be cornered, and he was not willing to test how sharp those knives that she kept hidden in her millions of pockets.

The two of them were quiet. Zuko didn't feel up to try and lead the conversation that night, too caught up in his own thoughts, so he let the silence draw out. Zuko took a deep breath in and let it out little by little, trying to focus on strengthening his inner fire, imagining the little flames that he knew were around his head sputtering out and leaving him and Mai in darkness.

"What do you miss most about home?" Mai asked unexpectedly.

Zuko cleared his throat and lifted his hand to rest on his chin to think. "Ummm I don't know…" Zuko paused. "Fire flakes?" Zuko said the first thing that came to mind, not really knowing what he missed most at the moment. Mai gave him an unimpressed look.

"That's it? That's why you were touring around the world for the Avatar for? Fire flakes?" Mai asked incredulously.

Zuko opened and closed his mouth unsure what to say first. "I went after the Avatar to restore my honor, of course I didn't just do that for fire flakes!" Zuko retorted, his voice carrying across the deck.

Mai put a light hand on the edge of his elbow for the briefest moments and huffed out a puff of breath. "Don't get so worked up, I just asked you a question." Zuko lowered his hackles, but that didn't stop him from looking suspiciously at Mai. She fiddled with the ends of her sleeves and cast her gaze out to the sea in front of them. "I just thought you would have a reason to want to come home." Mai pulled on the ends of her hair, pulling it out so that it lay on top of the cloak draped around her shoulders. "If it's just fire flakes and your honor, that's fine I guess...If that's home to you...cool?"

"I like more than that about the Fire Nation, you just put me on the spot." Zuko crossed his arms, drawing out his lower lip. "I just missed being allowed to be home."

Mai pulled out one of her blades and spun it between her long fingers. It seemed like more of a nervous habit rather than a tool used to intimidate. "I think the idea of a home can have multiple meanings," Mai pondered. "I think it can be a place where you feel safest, but it could also be a place where you simply are at your safest. I left a physical home that I grew up in because my father became governor of Omashu. I chose to then leave that home to follow Azula. In the physical sense, they were my home because it is where my parents could keep me safe, but it was not a place where I felt the safest."

"Where is home then?" Zuko asked quietly.

Mai chewed on her bottom lip in thought. "I would say my childhood home, but honestly I don't really know. Coming home to the Fire Nation does not feel like I'm coming 'home' really. There's not much there for me…" Mai paused. Zuko caught a small look of loneliness and fear cross her face, and he reached out on instinct and he grasped her hand in his. Mai jolted at the sudden contact, but didn't pull away from him. She looked at him from the corner of her eye and Zuko could feel the helplessness in her gaze. Zuko felt the feeling of understanding pass between them, like it did the first night on the ship. He licked his lips nervously. "I guess that's why I asked," Mai murmured. Mai moved her thumb slightly, causing it to rub against Zuko's knuckles. He shivered. Something crossed Mai's features and she furrowed her brows. Within a blink of an eye, Mai smoothed her features, hiding her emotions behind a mask. Zuko let go of her hand in shock and let her pull away from him.

"How do you do that?" Zuko said, exasperated.

Mai raised both eyebrows. "Do what, your highness?"
Zuko twisted his mouth in annoyance. "Keep such a tight lid on your emotions. One minute you say what you mean; the next you bottle yourself up like a bottle of fire whisky. I don't understand how or why you do that?" Zuko let his wonderment and the slightest bit of fear creep into his voice.

Mai rolled her eyes, mask still firmly on. "It takes practice, your highness."

"Could you teach me?" Zuko asked after a few beats.

Mai shrugged, her mask seeming to flicker as surprise filtered through. "Depends. Why?"

"You sound like Uncle," Zuko sighed, crossing his arms as he felt another chill run down his spine. "He always said I needed a reason to do something, or be at risk to following the man-made paths of a carefully curated garden." Zuko imitated his uncle's voice as he said this, puffing out his belly and pointing his index finger out at the horizon.

"Now you sound like him," Mai pointed out with a ghost of a smile gracing her face.

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, turning a little red. "Yeah, but I'm not sure that's such a good thing anymore." Zuko stared distractedly at the main hull of the ship, imagining his uncle in chains far beneath the surface of the ship. "I feel like I've betrayed him," Zuko whispered.

Mai stayed silent, but he could feel her looking at him. Zuko frowned. "Don't worry, I'm on the Fire Nation side now, you don't have to-" Zuko was cut off by Mai's hand sliding against his burned cheek, pushing his head so that she could look at him.

She met his eyes and looked at him carefully. Her hand slid away from the side of his face, but Zuko could still feel the tingles she left on his cheek. His gaze was soft, but Mai's was calculating. "I'll teach you." Mai took off Zuko's coat and handed it back to him. "Find me in the morning."

Mai was nowhere to be found the next morning, or at least not in the places Zuko was allowed to visit. Walking near the mesh hall again to only see a few guards hanging around made Zuko very tempted to bang his head against the wall in frustration. Why was she never where he needed her?

A bright voice beside him chirped up, making him jump in surprise. "You're aura looks so gray! Are you okay, Zuko?" Ty Lee jumped up beside Zuko, clasping her arms behind her back. She peered innocently up at the Prince, beaming from ear to ear.

Zuko grumbled. "Hi Ty Lee."

"Whatcha doing looking at the wall? I didn't think walls could be so interesting," she mused. "Well, maybe you need to go to the training room on the other side of the ship. There are plenty more interesting things there," Ty Lee offered. "I heard that it's a very good place to learn new techniques."

Zuko gave Ty Lee a suspicious look. She looked up at him, unguarded, with her head cocked to the side. Zuko had a feeling she was trying to tell him something, kind of how uncle would wheedle him into buying more tea or getting him to play Pai Sho with him. He knew that look very well. "There's a training ground for non-benders on this ship? I didn't know there was one."

Ty Le laughed. "Of course there's a room for non-benders. We have to practice our techniques too, you know. It's a little small, but it's better than not having one at all!" Ty Lee leaned into his personal space and said in a stage whisper: "You should be able to find it next to the second food pantry, and you might want to bring an extra change of clothes." She pointed to his decorated outfit that had been laid out for him that morning. "You might get a little sweaty. Well, I'll see you later!"

Zuko took a second watching Ty Lee leave, feeling a little winded from her whirlwind of a conversation. He had only talked to her a handful of times while on the ship, and most of them were just as fast paced. Zuko turned around to find his way back to his quarters to grab a simpler outfit before looking for the random room that Ty Lee had suggested. Zuko guessed that was where he would find Mai. Ty Lee didn't seem very devious, but then again Zuko hadn't talked to her in years, so who knew what she was like now. Zuko grabbed an extra dagger, he had been hiding under his bed, just in case.

When he pushed on the door to the non-bending training room, he found Mai standing in the middle of the room with several blades buried in the dummies that surrounded her. Mai had her back turned to him, so Zuko took a few seconds to observe her. The training room was barely decorated, compared to the training room for benders, and was significantly smaller. There were several dummies and several racks of old weapons shelved on the walls of the room. Mai stood at the center of it all completely at ease in a simplified robe with stilettos stacked in pockets by her side. Her hair was tied up completely in a topknot instead of her traditional ox horn hairstyle.

"Ty Lee found you then," Mai stated, not even turning around. Zuko closed the door behind him, and took a warry step towards her without stepping into the ring of dummies. "Think quick." Mai spun around, aiming a blade at the wood post right beside Zuko's head. Zuko just stood there very wide eyed with a betrayed look on his face. Mai cracked a smile. "Good instincts." Mai bent down and started collecting up her blades from the chests of the dummies.

Zuko rubbed his scalp. "I'm not sure that's such a good thing. Shouldn't I have moved?"

"Sometimes the best option is to do nothing." Mai added the blades to her pockets and strode over to Zuko grabbing his wrist lightly before dragging him into the small arena. "Come on, let's start." Mai's guard was completely down this morning and she willingly smiled and gave Zuko small touches to get him to sit on the ground in front of her. Zuko felt tingly all over and wasn't quite sure what to do with himself .

Mai, however, merely gave him an easy look, one he could easily decipher, as she turned her teacher mode on. "Alright now to get started, you need to practice your breathing. Breath in and out like you are meditating, but keep your eyes open."

Zuko followed obediently and focused on his chest rising and falling, feeling his inner self calm down. His eyes closed on habit, and Mai flicked his knee. "Ow, why did you do that for?" He jumped out of his position and glared at Mai ruefully while rubbing his knee.

"Don't close your eyes, dummy." Mai placed her hands on Zuko's knees, palms up. "Look at me and focus on your breathing. Pretend I am not here." Zuko went to close in his eyes again and she flicked him once more. "Eyes open."

Zuko huffed in exasperation, but he forced his eyes open, letting his eyes rest on the woman in front of him. Take a deep breath in. Zuko noticed the little whips of hair that had escaped from Mai's topknot that fell perfectly around her face. Breathe out. Mai's knees were lightly brushing his, and her hands were cold on top of his knees. Zuko tentatively rested the tips of his fingers on Mai's as he took another breath in.

"Now relax your face into a comfortable position," Mai explained in a low voice. "Your mask should be something that feels comfortable, kind of like a secret room that you can escape to."

Zuko schooled his features into a resting position, letting everything from his eyebrows to his lips relax. He continued breathing deeply and letting little puffs of air stir the space between the two of them.

"I think your scar looks cool," Mai stated. Zuko jumped, his eyes widening and a hand reached up to touch his scar.

"What? You think?"

Mai huffed. "Where is your mask, Prince Zuko. The purpose of these lessons is for you to not react to whatever I or anyone else says." Mai blinked lazily, looking perfectly at ease in this position. "I want you to try and answer the truth when you can, and a lie when you think you can hide your reaction. The goal is to remain as impassive as possible."

"Oh," Zuko said, a little dejected. He fought to relax his features again and focus on his breathing again. Mai let him sit in silence, not bothering to annoy him just yet. Zuko fought hard against a scowl and tried to focus on Mai's sharp eyes.

"Have you ever killed anyone?"

Zuko rolled his shoulders, uncomfortably.

"Keep your shoulders straight and answer the question," Mai rattled off.

Zuko cleared his throat and stilled his shoulders. "No...I haven't."

"Maimed anyone?"

"No, who do you take me for," Zuko retorted.

Mai flicked his knee, and Zuko scowled again before trying to get his face back in its mask. "I grew up with your sister, Zuko; it's a fair question."

Zuko scrunched up his nose. "I wouldn't purposely hurt people."

"Not even the Avatar?"

Zuko huffed in response.

"Do you miss your mom?"

Zuko dug his fingernails into his thighs. "No," he murmured, trying not to fidget at the blatant lie.

"Do you miss your dad? Did you miss your family when you were gone?"

Zuko fought a growl, but a little whisper of it crawled out of his throat, earning him a flick on the knee. "Don't you think you're being a little hard?"

"Your enemies are not going to care about being compassionate when trying to get under your skin, Prince Zuko," Mai explained in a calm voice.

Zuko ground his teeth together and shuffled on the ground to get into a different position before meeting Mai's eyes again. Mai's mask was down and she was giving him a worried look.

"I can stop if you want?" Mai held out the palms of her hands tentatively, and Zuko let his own hands rest in hers just as carefully.

"No," he shook his head. "I need to get this right. Ask me anything."

"What's your favorite type of tea," Mai asked, starting easy.

"I don't like tea," Zuko responded in a flat voice without inflection. Mai nodded, praising him in her movements.

"Do you think your firebending is better than your sisters?"

"She can bend lightning; no." Zuko bit his lip but he caught himself. He quickly rearranged his features. Mai let it slip by.

"Do you think your dad will believe you? Killing the Avatar?" Mai asked, her voice level. Zuko, however, could see a slight hesitation in her eyes as she asked the question.

Zuko let himself take a few steady breaths, careful not to let his emotions seep onto his face before replying. "I hope so."

Mai flicked his knee. "Try again."

Zuko's eyes darkened. "Sure."

Another flick on the knee. "Make me believe it."

"I don't know!" Zuko let out a pent up breath. His shoulders collapsed and he let his gaze shift to his lap. "Let's just go to the next question."

"What if your father doesn't let you go back?"

Zuko slammed his fist on his knee, displacing Mai's hands. "I don't know! I said ask another question!"

Mai stuck out her chin and used her hands to guide Zuko back into the starting position of his mask. "You can't let my questions get to you. I honestly don't want to know the answers, but they are things that Azula will ask, or someone like her. She is not going to be forgiving in her questions."

"Yeah, but she always lies," Zuko retorted.

"She may lie, but she knows what to say to get you to tell her the truth," Mai explained. "Part of keeping a mask up is not letting someone else's words impact your thinking, no matter if you think they are being truthful or not. They want information and your emotions, and that is the worst thing you can give them."

"Why are you helping me again?" Zuko asked, exasperated, letting himself rest for a second.

"Because you asked."

Zuko rubbed his temples. "Alright. Let's try again, but can we go a little slower?"

Mai nodded. "I'll ask the questions slower and give you a little time between questions to fix your mask. We can work up to the faster pace later." Mai watched as he crossed his legs again and matched her gaze. She lay out her hands once again, letting Zuko place his in hers. "Did you like traveling the world?" She leaned to her right a little before tilting to the left, watching as Zuko followed her with his eyes.

Zuko paused before answering, focusing mainly on keeping his mouth straight rather than tilting up or down. "Not really. I was more focused on finding the Avatar." Zuko was rewarded with a nod of a head.

"Were you really a tea server in Ba Sing Se?"

Zuko shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Yeah, but it wasn't that much fun." Another nod of the head.

Mai paused before asking her next question, and Zuko carefully braced his facial features. "Are you blind in your left eye?"

Zuko blinked. "I can see." Zuko pinched his lips together and sighed deeply.

"You sure?" Mai quirked her eyebrows and leaned to her right again. "Your left eye isn't following me."

Zuko frowned, and struggled with himself to not cross his arms. "I can see you, just not great. " Zuko covered his right eye, focusing on what his left eye could see. "You're a little blurry but that's it."

Mai hummed, then suddenly threw a dagger by the left side of his head, burying it deep in the wood pillar just behind Zuko. He flinched.

"Who know-"

"No one knows," Zuko cut her off. He looked at her nervously, his hands twitching. "Except you ...now," he confessed.

"Don't you think you should get that checked out?" Mai murmured, worry creeping into her features. She reached a hand out to Zuko's shoulder, careful to reach towards his right side. Zuko still flinched.

"Don't you think I've already tried. There's nothing I can do to get that part of my face back," Zuko bit out bitterly. "Not that people wanted to get that close to me anyway. I'm banished, remember?" Zuko gave Mai a sharp look out of the side of his right eye. "Nobody wants me….not even myself."

Mai didn't react initially upon his words. She sat there in front of him, silently observing him. Zuko couldn't tell if she had her mask up or down, and it frustrated him. Zuko moved his legs under him, and rose to his feet. "I'll leave you alone."

Mai got up quicker than Zuko and grabbed him gently by his fingers. "People want you, Zuko," she murmured, not looking up at him. "I want you here…" Mai whispered, sounding like she was surprised at herself for voicing her thoughts out loud. Her hand on his shoulder tightened, and Zuko found himself turning towards her. "I mean, I don't mind having you here."

Zuko swallowed. "You want me...here?" A few random flecks of light sparkled into existence, but Zuko ignored them.

Mai nodded, but turned her face so she didn't have to meet his eyes. "Yeah, I've got to make sure that you stay safe, you know? Can't have you going crazy." Mai let out an unnatural laugh, sounding incredibly flustered.

Zuko let out a small smile. One of his hands creeped up to his shoulder and he encased one of Mai's cold hands in his warm ones. "Yeah, we wouldn't want that," he said breathlessly.

Zuko looked down at Mai, swallowing. She looked up at him for a moment before staring resolutely at the wall behind his head. "Do you want to ask me more questions?"

Mai shook her head, and pointed to her blades. "How about we spar a little."

Zuko nodded, grabbing a pair of blades off of the wall. "Sounds good to me."