Commander Zhao stormed through the door to his house. He grumbled to himself and called his two tigers to him, Rono and Gunto. He kicked over a vase and sat down in a chair, still grumbling. The tigers sat next to him, one on each side, and he shouted into the air with immense frustration! "Leiko!" he roared.

In walked his daughter, Leiko. Leiko was a very pretty girl, with big curves and slender legs. She had very dark brown hair that was almost black and reached her lower back. She had the same complexion as her father, and the same amber colored eyes. She had appealing pink lips, but nothing good ever came from them. Like her father, she had a horrible attitude. She was disrespectful and very witty. There wasn't anybody who could put her down without being lashed to tears with her harsh words. Her outlook on life was raw and sorrowing. She hated just about everyone she came to meet, and she had the attitude to back herself up incase someone took extra offense. If you didn't like what she said, than keep it to yourself, and if you were bold enough to speak, she's slice you up, literally! She was trained in all forms of martial arts since she learned to walk, so she wasn't the kind of girl you could pick on. And with Zhao being her father, it was a rule if you wanted to live.

"What? I'm right here!" she barked back at him.

"Mind your tone!" he said to her as he pointed a finger at her.

"But you're the one yelling!" she replied. "Now what do you want?" she demanded.

"It's time to practice." She sighed.

"I just practiced this morning. You woke me up to fight Master Rei."

"Do it again!"

"But I already kicked his ass!" she retorted. She was also known for having a foul mouth.

"Watch your mouth! Now I say, do it again!" Zhao shouted.

"No! There's no need to! What's your problem anyway?" she asked with her arms crossed.

"The Avatar got away." He answered. Leiko's interest was fixed now. "Somebody in a blue mask helped him escape!"

"What did the person look like?" she asked which holding her chin in interest.

"I told you he was in a mask!"

"I mean other features, idiot!" she countered. Zhao glared at his uncouth flesh and blood. He would have struck her if he wasn't too exhausted to get up. "A bit taller than you, shorter than me, well built torso." He described.

"Well you can't win 'em all." She said. There was a moment of silence.

"Go in the dungeon." Zhao commanded.

"What!" Leiko was surprised, "Not again!"

"Go in the dungeon Leiko!" he stood up. Leiko walked over to him.

"I was just in there yesterday! What am I being sent in there for now?"

"Your mouth! You are out of order!"

"What kind of a father locks up his own daughter?"

"THE KIND I AM!" he hollered, making Leiko jump back. "YOU WILL LEARN RESPECT IF IT KILLS YOU!"

"Ugh! I fucking hate you!" she countered and he backhanded her! She looked back up at him with a scowl. "Bastard." She muttered under her breath and he flung her into the wall! She hit it, knocking over an assortment of weapons as she slid down onto the floor. Now her nose was bleeding and she was breathing hard.

"Cry!" Zhao yelled down at her. Leiko just glared up at him.

"No…" and he kicked her in the side! She fell over and clutched the spot of impact! She still didn't cry…she refused to cry. He picked her up and threw her onto a table! She went tumbling onto it and knocked over glasses and other things on it. She pushed herself up to look at him again.

"CRY!"

"NO!" and he threw flames at her, sending her off the table and skidding across the floor! She stood up and looked him in the eye, now also bleeding from her mouth. Her hair that was in a ponytail was messed up and wisps hung in front of her eyes. "You taught me to be a warrior." She spoke up. "Warriors don't cry." She reminded him.

"But I am your father!" he said as he approached her, pushing over another tall vase. "You will do as I say!" And he backhanded her again! He grabbed her neck and lifted her off the ground! She kicked and squirmed. "You are my daughter…and you will learn to show respect. I rule you!" he yelled. "Now, you will go in the dungeon until you learn respect for your father. Understand?" and she didn't answer. He shook her violently, making her gasp for air! "Understand!"

"Y-yes sir." She finally gave in. He dropped her, and fell to the floor as she grabbed her throat and coughed. He patted her head with a smile on his face.

"Good girl." He said and she got up and walked into the basement part of the big house. She closed the door behind her and sat in the corner of the cold room.

She looked around at the familiar room. It was dark and damp. Her body still ached from the hits she had taken. She picked up the torch on the ground and used her fire bending to light it. The flame grew on it, and illuminated half of the room. She set it up in a cradle on the wall and sat back down. To her left the shackles were hanging on the wall. The room brought back many horrible memories. Ever since she was four years old, things had been that way. Her father, Commander Zhao, now Admiral Zhao, was always harsh like that. How dare he call himself her father! What kind of father did that to his own daughter? She stuck her head out the small window that was covered with iron bars and whistled a high note into the wind. Within seconds, her bird Tila had come into sight. She flew in and perched on Leiko's shoulder.

Tila was a magnificent bird, smart, strong, fast and loyal. She was jet black with yellow eyes and shiny feathers. On her wings were red feathers, and on the underside were blue. Her tail was long and had three extended feathers that seemed to flutter like human hair in the wind when she flew. It was a fact that Tila was nothing short of a mystical creature. Leiko had owned Tila since she was ten years old, and held her close as her only friend. "Tila, fetch my diary." She told her bird. The bird chirped and flew out the window again and returned a minute later with Leiko's diary in her talons and the keys in her beak. Leiko took them and stroked her head to thank her. The bird stayed put on the window ledge as Leiko opened her diary. The keys were gold, like the lock of her diary, and shaped like a phoenix just like the fasten as well. Tile twittered from her spot and Leiko looked up. "You heard about The Avatar escaping too?" Leiko asked her pet. The bird piped again. "Yeah…but I know who it was." Leiko grinned. She opened the diary to one of the first pages and began to read it.

Dear Diary,

Today was a very special day. Today I met Prince Zuko. I was playing with some other girls in front of the bastion, we were playing tag, and while I was running, I bumped into someone else. We both fell and I looked up and saw this one boy who I had never seen before. He was dressed like every other boy, with a long tunic and some pants with his hair in a bun on the top of his head. I looked at him and smiled, but he just looked at me surprised. I think he was blushing! Tee hee! I stood up and dusted myself off, and then helped him up. I told him my name, and asked him what his was. He said he was Prince Zuko. He was very shy at first. We invited him to play tag with us, but he just walked away. Then he walked into the big statue and fell, and we all laughed at him. It was so funny! He blushed again and then ran off. I felt bad after though…I wish we could be friends.

Tila chirped again and landed on Leiko's shoulder. Leiko smiled to herself, remembering that day. She was so young, and it was when things just started to go down hill. Tila repeated herself. "Of course it was Prince Zuko!" Leiko told her pet, "He has to catch the Avatar to return home. I don't know why, but father doesn't want him back. Zuko wasn't always the way he is today." Tile cocked her head. "Here, I'll show you." And she turned to the next page.