Prince Zuko sat in his room aboard his ship meditating calmly. The flames of the candles in front of him danced in the dim light, giving off a pale orange glow. His body still shivered despite the stifling warmth in the room. The water he swam through a few hours before still stung his skin. He frowned as he thought of the Avatar again. If only his father respected him more, he wouldn't have to be out endlessly searching for the Avatar and failing each time pushing him farther into exile. But, Fire Lord Ozai was far too proud to accept his son back without the Avatar, and even if Zuko caught Aang, the Fire Lord might still reject him. He gritted his teeth in frustration as someone entered his room.

"Zuko! Glad to see you're well." Uncle Iroh was half expecting his nephew to be coughing and sneezing up a storm. "What a witty friend I have made! She even likes ginseng tea!" Uncle Iroh grinned to his nephew's back. He shrugged to someone standing meekly behind him, unable to get Zuko's attention. Iroh cleared his throat, "Zuko, you are being quite rude. Would you mind joining us on deck?" The word us made Zuko turned in question.

The girl from the Earthbender's village stood quietly behind his uncle. Her blonde hair was so strange, almost unreal to him. But the most haunting of all were her eyes. Though they were cast to the ground, he could see them at first reflect an exotic violet, and then shifted to blue when she looked up.

Uncle Iroh smiled a little and pushed her forward, "Zuko, this is Kaida." She shyly smiled a bit to him, looking as though she were a bit afraid of him. She had a calming look about her, like his uncle. Zuko merely stood up, still frowning. His uncle broke the silence, "That was brave what you did a little while ago. I'm proud of you Zuko." Those words almost stung to Zuko, they made him feel…weak, one of the reasons his father banished him for. "She has also told, and shown, me something you may find interesting." His uncle's smug look confused Zuko.

"What is it?" He snapped a little rudely, unintentionally.

"Would you mind showing him, Kaida?" His uncle smiled to the teen girl as she nodded, "Yes sir."

She closed her eyes in concentration and opened them as she lifted one of her hands. A small fireball erupted from her palm and burned in the air.

"She's a Firebender as you saw earlier," his uncle pointed out.

She put it out and turned to the glass of water Uncle Iroh was holding and moved her hands in a strange motion. The water from the cup danced up in a smooth motion, like her hands were making.

"She can also Waterbend, Zuko." His uncle grinned at his nephew's stunned expression. "And…"

She sliced the air with her hand sending a sharp breeze to blow against Zuko's aghast face.

"She's an Airbender, Zuko." His uncle was excited, it was in his voice.

"H-how? She's no Avatar!" Zuko was lost for words.

"No, I'm not," she added in, "I'm a Stormbender. The only element I cannot bend is earth, but I can fake it." She smiled, and somehow made his heart skip a beat.

"She has agreed to help you Zuko. You can end your exile." His uncle's voice was filled with excitement. "She will pose as the Avatar for your father."

Zuko almost lost his control over his feelings that his father built up over the years in the Fire Nation. He felt joy swell up, but tried to hide it from his face. "I-is that so?"

"I have also gotten word commander Zhou is on his way to, visit. We can introduce her to him when he arrives." His uncle stated to his nephew, who was having trouble controlling the glee on his face.

Kaida could only smile serenely, knowing some good would come out of this. After being rejected for her bending abilities or her hair and eyes, she saw nothing else left in her future. Besides, she had to repay him for rescuing her. She rubbed her wrist, which under her long sleeves had a bandage tightly wrapped around it. One of many she had received from that last battle. She was beginning to feel apprehensive about the choice she had made, but seeing the faces of two rejoicing firebenders, she couldn't take back her word. She would help.