The following day, Aiori was strong enough to sit up in bed and talk, but her voice was still very raspy. She had the doctor who was still attending to her every whim to make sure she was recovering well. She told the doctor to bring Prince Zuko and General Iroh into her room and then leave the three of them alone. He did just that and left while taking the tray of medicine and tea out of her room. Zuko and Iroh took a seat next to the bed.

"General Iroh, will you be so kind to set another pillow for me?" she spoke up and General Iroh gently set her up and placed another pillow under her head and set her back down. He fluffed it for her and retook his seat. "Thank you. I want to be comfortable for this discussion. It turns out that I have not been completely honest with you since I was put on this boat." Zuko looked at his uncle who nodded. "General Iroh, I understand that you saw the emblem on my shoulder, and you're probably wondering what they are."

"No, actually, I already know. However Prince Zuko is unaware. Perhaps it would be best if you told him yourself."

"Very well than." Aiori said with a nod and sighed. "Zuko, I'm sure you remember that I am from Irashimu. Well, you may be unaware that everybody on that island is a warrior, and I mean everybody. Even the royal family." Zuko gave her a puzzled look. "I'll start with the great story of the past." And she took a deep breath, "A long time ago there was a man who escaped the fire nation. He hated the ways of the Fire Lord, and set sail on his own to find a better place. He found refuge in a water bending tribe. There, he met a water bender and they fell in love. Just a year later, that man and that woman had a child. It was unheard of…a water bender and a fire bender having children is forbidden not to mention fanatical. But they were convinced that their love would bloom and keep them save. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. The Fire Lord sent an army out to find him, and when they did, they executed him and the mother. But before they caught the mother, she wrapped up her baby in a cloth and left it on the doorsteps of the royal family's home. And then the royal family found this abandoned child and took her in. They raised her just as they would raise any other young royal, with bravery, honor and loyalty to the people. The royal family was happy to take in this new born, because they had not been able to conceive a child of their own. To make it official that she was now royalty, they had the family cress tattooed onto her shoulder, like the rest of them. It was a tradition that went back for centuries. Yet after the child grew they finally managed to have a child of their own. But the adopted girl was the oldest, which meant that she was destined to rule. It was the biggest secret of the royal family… that they had taken in a girl who was half a fire bender."

"The legend, tell us of the legend." Zuko asked her.

"In the history of all great battles, the princess of Irashimu has always managed to help the Avatar to restore peace. She is nowhere near as strong as the Avatar, but she obtains great powers, such as the ability to communicate with wolves, read signs of nature, and speak to the spirits, and they have always been born on nights for a full moon and night lights. It's a consent passed on from generation to generation by the great spirits, and it always is bestowed onto the eldest girl in the royal family. Thus the legend has thrived and continued like a never ending story."

"What exactly are you saying Aiori?" Prince Zuko asked. She bowed her head.

"The water bending mother in the story was my mother…and that baby was me." There was a moment of silence. "I am the princess of Irashimu. And even more shocking…that fire bender…was my father."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Iroh asked.

"I know that you've always seen me as a water bending commoner…but I'm much more. I'm not only a water bender; I am a fire bender…and the living legend. My purpose it to ease the tension between the nations and contact the spirit world; allowing the Avatar spirit to be reborn from one body to another. When the war is over and the body the Avatar is currently in lays down for final rest, I will as well. Like all the princesses before me."

"Why did you hide it from us?" Zuko asked her after he took it all in.

"Because, I wish I wasn't. Do you know what it's like to know the day you are going to die?"

"No, I don't. But all this time you hated fire benders, and yet you were one."

"Only half." Iroh pointed out.

"I know, and it was wrong of me. In my hatred for fire benders, I was hating a part of myself and disrespecting my father." She said as she turned her head away. "But then this journey changed me and my thoughts. I met Iroh, and he was kind and merciful towards me. It dawned on me that maybe I was wrong, on the other hand, you Prince Zuko, made me realize that fire benders are indeed ruthless. For the Fire Lord to banish his own son is almost cowardly. But you changed, and here you are in front of me after saving my life."

"I change because of you." Zuko said and Aiori smiled. "You changed me. You made me see the errors of my ways."

"I think Commander Zhao was the biggest influence." She said with a giggle. "What a jerk."

"Yeah, he is like that most of the time." Zuko told her. "But I still can't believe it. Of all people…you are the Princess of Irashimu. And that is why I am taking you back home."

"What…did you say?" she was astonished.

"Uncle, tell the navigator to change course back to Irashimu. We're taking Princess Aiori back where she belongs."

"Well, imagine this. A Prince from the Fire Nation, and a Princess from a Water Tribe on the same boat. This is most unlikely. I will do so." And with that he got up and left. Zuko turned back to Aiori and took her hand.

"I am sorry I took you away."

"Thank you." She said with tears in her eyes. Finally, she was going home! She leapt forward and hugged Zuko. He was surprised, but just hugged her back.