The next day, Leiko was practicing some moves with her rod in a hidden oasis. It was beautiful, with a waterfall and a small holding pool. She stayed placed on a rock in the middle of holding pool just in front of the waterfall. Zuko had walked with her there, telling her how proud he was of her and that he'd be back for her that evening. Leiko had packed some jerky for a snack and practiced vigorously. After working up a sweat she took a shower in the waterfall. Placing her clothes in a bush next to it, she dove in and sat atop a rock, letting her hair cover his chest and the water beat over her soothingly. It washed away the stickiness and she sighed in relief.

"If only Zuko wasn't such a stiff, huh Tila?" she talked to her bird and she bathed. "He'd be a perfect prince." Tila chirped, "No, the scar doesn't mean anything. He used to be so handsome, with a soft face. He almost never scowled. The care means nothing to me; he's still the same Zuko. Something about that scar…it's striking." And she blushed. "It must be the warrior side within me. I find strength attractive." Tila chirped again, "He called me Leiko Sikari. He says I'm a true warrior now. Maybe…just maybe I am." Tila replied, "You think so? Well, I know one thing, now that I'm a warrior; I'm not letting anything come between me and Zuko. I was taken away from him once before, and I won't be again. I don't know why, but I need him in my life. He understands me, and whenever I'm sad he's the one who makes everything better. Like there's some strong bond connecting us. I'd do anything for him…and he said he'd do anything for me." And she sighed and walked over to her clothes, "It reminds me if a time many years ago." And she thought back into her past. She walked over to her diary that was in her bag and opened it up.

Thirteen year old Leiko walked around outside the war chamber, waiting for the meeting to end so her father could take her home. She had just finished practicing with her trainer. She paced back and forth in the hallway, bored to death. "Leiko!" she heard someone call her name. She turned and saw Prince Zuko and General Iroh approaching. She smiled and waved. Zuko ran ahead of Iroh and up to her. They hugged each other and then held onto each other's hands. "I haven't seen you in almost a week."

"I know. I've been training. But my father let me have a break today due to the war meeting. What have you been up to without me?"

"I missed you." He said and they smiled.

"Well, well, well," Iroh said as he walked up to them, "If it isn't the two love birds." He laughed. The teenagers just looked up at Zuko's uncle.

"Love birds?" They asked.

"Yes. You two can't stand to be away from each other for more than a day. It's because you acre about each other so much."

"So?" Zuko commented.

"It's a sign of love. Love is a strong emotion and no matter what you cannot deny it. One day you will understand, Prince Zuko. You too Leiko." And then he walked up to them and pushed them closer together. "The two of you have something for each other, whether you want to admit it or not." And he laughed. "Anyway, come Prince Zuko, we have business to attend." And he walked off.

"See you later Leiko." Zuko said.

"Yeah, maybe we can have dinner at my place sometime." Leiko offered.

"Better my place." Zuko said. Leiko giggled.

"Of course."

"Tomorrow night?"

"Sounds good."

"Okay, see you then." And Zuko walked off with his uncle. Leiko just stood there and sighed. Lovebirds.

Leiko awoke from her flashback when she heard Prince Zuko yell from in the distance. It sounded like he was in trouble! "Zuko…" and she ran off after getting dressed, and Tila followed by her side. Leiko pushed through the brush until she ran up into a clearing and spotted someone fighting with Zuko! He was wearing a general's uniform, but it wasn't Zhao. She ran out and tripped the person with her shaft and took her place next to the prince. "Are you okay?" she asked Zuko.

"This nuisance attacked me!" he said and held his fist out in front of the masked face on the ground. "Who are you?" the prince demanded. Leiko glared down at the person who dared to hurt her friend.

"Leiko?" the voice said. Leiko went into shock and looked surprised. "Is that you?" the person tore the mask off of their face and revealed themselves. Leiko was taken aback when she saw who it was.

"Kilix?" and she took a few steps back.

"Leiko, it's really you." The boy stood up and took a step towards Leiko.

"You two know each other?" Prince Zuko asked.

"Uh…yeah." Leiko said with an uneasy smile. "He's just an old acquaintance." She lied.

"My cherished Leiko, I've missed you so much!" Kilix said.

"Cherished? Who is this guy?" Prince Zuko asked Leiko. Leiko shrugged.

"I'm her fiancée, Kilix, son of General Kisho."

"FIANCEE?" Zuko jumped back. "YOU'RE ENGAGED?" He turned to Leiko. Leiko blushed from embarrassment. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because…I…I don't know!" it was horrible for her. It seemed as if her dreams were coming to an end. She hadn't dreamed about being with Kilix once in her life…but Zuko…

"I've come to take you home, my beloved. Come back home with me, and we can finally be wed and live together for the rest of our lives." Kilix offered his hand out. But Zuko sent Kilix tumbling over with a large flame from his fist.

"Leiko isn't going anywhere!" he replied.

"She's going to come back to the fire nation with me. She's too good for a banished prince!"

"I'm not letting you take her away from me!" Zuko sent another flame, but Kilix dodged it.

"Zuko…" Leiko was surprised by his words.

"Nonsense, Leiko is my bride!" Kilix sent a flame at Zuko but he evaded it.

"I treasure Leiko far more than you ever could!" and they walked up to each other. Leiko put her hands over her mouth. Hearing Zuko talk about her like that tugged at her heart strings.

"I suppose it's clear that we both have feelings for her. Am I right Prince Zuko?" Kilix asked. Prince Zuko just growled. "Well, is it?" Zuko just sent more fire at him and Kilix canceled it with a flame of his own. "I'll take that as a yes." And they began to fight!

Prince Zuko threw shots at Kilix one after another, and Kilix just dodged them. Then Kilix did the same and Zuko fell over. Leiko watched in amazement as they began to fight on and on with each other. She couldn't believe all that Zuko had said to Kilix. She knew that Kilix loved her, but Zuko? After all these years of friendship, he had liked her as more than a friend? Zuko and Kilix began to use amazing strategies, but Kilix had been training for years, and he pinned Zuko within minutes! He held his fist over Zuko's face and ignited it. "Leiko is mine!"

"NO!" Leiko shouted and kicked Kilix off of Zuko. Kilix rolled on the ground and then looked back up at Leiko.

"But, precious, don't you want to get married?" he asked.

"No, and stop with the sweet talk!" she barked. "I have never wanted to marry you! Whether you beat Zuko or not won't change my mind either."

"You'd rather be with the banished prince?" and she went silent for a moment.

"I'd rather marry who my heart tells me to. And my heart is telling me it's not you." Prince Zuko stood up and looked at Kilix and then at Leiko. "My heart will say to me someday who I am meant to be with. But not now."

"How did you find us?" Prince Zuko demanded.

"I was on a search with Admiral Zhao." He said, "He will be arriving in a few days."

"WHAT?" Zuko and Leiko said at the same time. This was far from good.

"Let us go, we need to prepare." Leiko said, tugging Zuko's arm.

"For what?" Kilix asked.

"For battle." Leiko replied over her shoulder.

"You cannot fight your father's army!" Kilix said.

"Oh yes I can." And she walked off with Zuko.

She was about to talk to him about what he had said, but he was knocked over by another flame! Leiko looked up and saw Kilix in the air, with a rod ready to hit Zuko! She whipped out hers and spun around and blocked his blow with a loud crashing sound that echoed throughout the land! Leiko took her rod back and then swung it, hitting Kilix back onto the ground and away from Zuko. She had saved him, again. Leiko stuck her rod in front of Kilix, blocking him from getting up and glared at him. "Is this how you act in defeat?" he asked, "Then I don't want anything to do with you. You do not deserve me."

"But Leiko…" he tried.

"My name is Leiko Sikari."

"Leiko…" he stood up.

"Game over," and she pushed him back down on the ground, "You lose." And she turned and walked away with her rod. She walked over to Zuko and helped him up.

"If I can't have you, nobody can!" Kilix yelled out.

"Try me." Leiko replied and she walked away with Zuko.

On their way onto the ship, Leiko finally spoke up to Zuko.

"Zuko, everything you said back there...did you really mean it?" she asked. Zuko didn't reply nor look at her. He just boarded the ship silently. "Zuko? Is something wrong?" she grew worried. He wasn't speaking, yet she wanted nothing more than to hear him speak to her about everything he had said. "Zuko?"

"You never told me you were betrothed!" he barked.

"Zuko, I'm sorry, but…"

"But nothing Leiko! You should have told me! Now I'm not only charged with dishonor but with abduction of someone's mistress! I'll be banished for life no matter what I do!" and he threw his hands up in the air.

"I am NOT his mistress! I wanted nothing to do with him!" Leiko replied, now adding to the argument.

"But you did, you did have something to do with him!"

"I was forced into it!"

"I don't care!" and he turned his back to her. They were silent for a moment, and all Leiko wanted to do was reach out and touch his shoulder. "You just crushed everything I held dear about you Leiko. You lied to me."

"No I didn't!"

"In case you don't remember, other than Zhao, Kilix is my rival." That fact had slipped Leiko's mind. "You betray me Leiko Sikari."

"Zuko," and she touched her heart, "I would never betray you." Zuko just looked at her one last time before walking into the main part of the ship and slamming the door behind him. Leiko grew frustrated as tears gathered in her eyes. Everything had been going so well, but once again the people she hated, the marvels of the fire nation, had taken everything away from her. Kilix, Zhao and Ozai. She turned and sent flames off the side of the ship to get rid of her anger, but it didn't work and she found herself running into her room with tears in her eyes.

Later that night, Leiko sat on her bed with a knife in her hand. She turned her arm up and looked at her already scarred wrists. Did she really want to do it? She took a deep breath and placed the blade against her wrist. But as she was about to cut, Tila flew over and pecked at the weapon in her hand. "Don't try and stop me Tila, I'm going to do it." Leiko warned her pet. Tila chirped and fluttered in front of her and snatched the knife with her talons. She then flew over and dropped it on top of Leiko's diary. Leiko sighed and walked over, noticing that Tila was trying to tell her something. Leiko looked at Tila who twitter in her throat. "What?" she asked. And then she opened the diary and flipped through the pages. She stopped on what she called the most important page in her diary and read it. She gasped and forgot about the task she was about to do. "That's right…tomorrow is the day." She said to her pet and then looked down at the pages. "The Anniversary."