Thank you My Silver Wound for reviewing! Ew, car wreck…hope it's all okay.

I still have writer's block with Oyu…sorry everyone reading it.

This chapter is slightly filler but there's also more about the past here. It's also less Zuko-centered. He was just not needed for a couple parts.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, no matter how many times I wish I did. I own my demons, my sorceress, and my ship. :p

Chapter 6 - Tsuikai

"You've got him working on the contract now?"

Hoshi just nodded. "He actually asked how to break one." The demon turned the wheel slightly as the needle pointed north. "It'll give him somethin' to do."

Ookami frowned and tapped his arm lightly. "Hoshi, we haven't even figured out what the hell those hints mean."

"I know," he said, smiling. "It'll help to have a new mind thinkin'."

The wolf demon's frown grew. "Hoshi, you did warn him, didn't you?"

"Yeah," the demon replied, still smiling. "I told him."

Grunting, Ookami watched the sea and sighed. "Maybe this is for the best."

Hoshi chuckled and gave his friend a pat on the shoulder. "Zuko's good at heart, even if he tries to not act like it."

"Hoshi, you do know what he's been doing for two years, don't you?" Ookami asked.

"Uh, no," he said, looking confused.

"He's been hunting the Avatar, you oaf," the wolf grumbled, glaring at the mast.

"Come now, Ookami," Hoshi said, the smile still evident. "You know the entire Fire Nation is trying to catch the Avatar. Besides, the kid doesn't have a home with the Fire Nation anymore. His uncle's probably the only family he has left."

"How do you know that?" the wolf demon questioned, staring at him.

"I've been on earth for forty years. You learn something or other in that time. Just think about. The Avatar's probably been back for what? Four or five months? He's been searching for a guy who hasn't been here for years." Hoshi's smile faded and he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "His own father doesn't want him anymore."

Ookami gave a strange sound and Hoshi gave the demon a reassuring smile. The two watched the sea until the wolf made his way to the hatch.

"You don't have to worry, Ookami," Hoshi called out. "I'm sure they don't blame you."

The wolf's eyes shone as he stepped down below the deck.

Sorano showed up at dinner, acting more like herself. She leapt through the door and landed right on top of Zuko's chair this time, grinning widely. "Good morning!" she called out.

"It's five in the afternoon," Ookami grumbled.

"It is?" she asked, blinking in surprise. "Oh well!" By that time, the sorceress had settled herself on the top of his chair and was wolfing down the plate. He was almost surprised she didn't try to eat the poor plate.

"How're you feeling, Sorano?" Hoshi asked, grinning as she nearly choked.

"Much better!" Grinning, she suddenly seemed to notice that Zuko was calmly eating under her. "Oh! I still have to fix your room. Sorry about that," Sorano apologized, giving him a sheepish smile.

"As long as you do not try to eat me again," Zuko muttered.

"I said I was sorry!" she protested but still smiled. "I wasn't completely myself. Damn demon," she mumbled, frowning.

"Don't get her on the demon. She'll rant for hours," Ookami said. "I particularly don't have the patience to deal with her rants today."

She grinned and the demons left, dumping their finished plates on the table. All three went about on their normal business while Zuko calmly stayed with the witch.

Sorano climbed down from his chair and settled in one across from him. The grin still played across her face. "Hoshi's told me you've taken on the contract."

He blinked and stared at her.

"I can talk like this about it. I just can't tell you anything about it specifically," she answered his silent question. "Good luck with it. Your own mission will help." Sorano softened and smiled, standing and crossing the small space between them. "Luckily he's not dead yet," she whispered. And with a grin, she vanished.

Zuko sat still for a few moments and took out the parchment tucked in his belt. He had found a pen earlier with a bottle of ink and pushed aside his plate. Picking the pen up, he dipped the tip in the ink and wrote on the list of hints 'avatar'. He then connected the four elements and the word 'deity.'

Now all that was left was 'star, doll, banish, blossom/cherry, love, and magic.'

Maybe he would need a bit of help with the rest.

"I still think the star has to do with the demon," Hoshi mumbled as he steered the ship. The two were on deck, deciphering the clues still. They hadn't gotten any closer but Hoshi was ecstatic to hear he had come across another clue.

"I don't think so," Zuko mumbled, rubbing his scalp. "Wait a moment," he said, turning towards the demon. "Are you a falling star?"

He grinned, and stared out to sea. "Yep. Sorano's mentor caught me when she was lil' and kept me for quite a while."

"How old are you?" the prince asked in shock. He had heard demons aged slowly but still!

"Let's see…I've been on earth for forty years and I've been a star for much longer than that…so maybe I'm about six or seven hundred." Hoshi grinned at the Firebender's shocked face. "What? I'm about a mid-aged demon. There's a whole lot more who've been alive since humans came about."

Zuko sat still and tried to piece together the demon. "Why were you banished?"

He sighed and leaned on the wheel. "Some people are prejudiced against any kind of demon, no matter what they act like. I got caught in a town like that and a priest banished me before I could say anythin'." His expression saddened and he sighed again. "Ever since then I would wish that people wouldn't judge someone just because of what they are. Sorano's good at seeing the real person inside. That might be why she saved you from drowning. She didn't care who you were, she cared about what was inside."

"I am not a saint," Zuko mumbled, turning away.

"No one is, Zuko," Hoshi agreed. "Everyone's got good and bad inside of them. It just depends on the person on which is stronger."

"Except Zhao."

The demon laughed, his body shaking with the force of it. "That might be true!" He took in a large breath and let it out. "Still, boy, you're one of a kind. Not many stand up for what's right in the Fire Nation."

Zuko wasn't surprised to hear the demon knew about his banishment. Almost everyone did. Besides, the sorceress had probably heard it from Zhao or some other Fire Nation. He stared out to sea and wondered what kind of magic was working itself on him. Never had his memories from the past come back to haunt him in such a light that he could remember every detail.

Maybe it wasn't magic. Perhaps he was seeing things from the demon's viewpoint.

Sorano's head poked out from the hatch. "Come on! We've got everything set up!"

He often wondered how these people calmed down after being at sea for so long and being at each other's throats. Now he knew.

Before he had known it, there was a mason jar in his hand filled to the brim with a strange amber liquid. Sitting back, he watched as the crew of four laughed and he joined them in an almost toast. Zuko took a cautious sip of the drink, finding it was not alcoholic but had a sweet taste to it. Probably some fruit drink.

Hoshi had downed his glass and refilled it from the pitcher in the middle. Ookami was rolling his eyes as Nezu laughed.

Sorano stood and the room fell quiet which surprised Zuko most of all. "We've had a rough couple of days, with Zhao and the demon and all. Tonight though we relax and hope to whatever gods there are that we get this prince back home so he can stop mooching off of us."

Zuko frowned and glared at her. She winked and gave him a grin while the demons chuckled.

"Tonight, though, is also a night of remembrance." Her grin faded. "Tonight we remember the troops of Squadron D-1 who were outnumbered when they fought bravely. Without their bravery, we would have never met our beloved Ookami," she said, giving the wolf demon a small smile. "May they be remembered in our minds as well as others."

A general consent went through the room as the demons bowed their heads. After a moment of silence, the crew said something Zuko couldn't understand. Sorano gave the wolf a one-armed hug, ruffling his hair as though to help cheer him up.

Ookami had been involved with the war. That would explain his skill with the knife but that could also be because of his cooking abilities. Zuko actually remembered the small effort the Fire Nation had made to recruit demons. It had been easy after the entire world thought that all the demons were sided with the Fire Nation. They really had no choice but to go against the world. He didn't remember much of what happened with the demons but he knew D-1 had been a complete disaster. Zuko was surprised that even one survived.

Hoshi had started what sounded like a bar song. He had heard many from his uncle's 'Music Night' and hoped that this one wouldn't go on about ladies and drunks.

It was, however, a tame one. Hoshi had a strange lilt to his voice as he sang about 'outsmarting the admiral.' Zuko found himself smiling slightly as the rest joined in, each singing a line. After a good twenty lines or so, the crew laughed and Sorano began a verse which was something about magic and demons.

He felt at peace here with the laughing crew as Sorano leapt in the air and added to her own verse with gestures. The demons clapped to a mute beat as she bowed and flopped back on her chair.

Ookami's performance had Zuko thrown off guard. He knew wolf demons were "famous" for their voices but he wouldn't expect the gruff Ookami to have much of one. Well, it was a lot better than listening to his uncle try to sing.

Zuko listened as the wolf, despite the emotions before, began singing about the life of being with an insane witch. He found himself chuckling as Sorano faked innocence and had a horrified expression as she listened.

The chaos died down as they calmed, sighing softly. Nezu turned in first, his small body moving in between the chairs. Hoshi dispersed next along with Sorano and finally Zuko set his jar down and left the wolf demon alone in the mess area.

A full moon hung mournfully in the sky.

He swore now that every time he tried to sleep peacefully, he ended up being woken up by something or another. Tonight, it was a mournful howling that shook his senses. Groaning, the prince got out of bed and opened his door, trying to find what was making the god awful noise.

"Go back to bed," Sorano mumbled as she moved past him.

"What?" he asked, watching as she paused.

"Ookami's just feeling lonely. It happens every time a full moon comes. I'll go get him," she whispered, waving him off.

Zuko frowned slightly and disappeared back into his room only to reappear moments later to follow the witch.

His head tilted back and he howled loudly, his voice carrying along the open sea. His head rested on a support rope and he growled slightly, howling again. He gripped the rope as he leaned over the sea, staring into the murky depths. If only he could just jump into it and die peacefully.

An arm wrapped around his shoulders and another across his chest. They pulled him back from the railing and held him protectively. "You thinking of suicide?"

Ookami leaned against her, his larger body almost dwarfing her. "No, no," he mumbled, his eyes glazed over slightly. "Just mourning," he whispered.

Sorano held him as he stared in a disoriented daze. The full moon was affecting him, making his emotions stronger and anything he thought of doing, he probably would do. Including suicide.

She led him to the stairs and made him sit down, gripping his shoulders to keep him still. The witch sighed as the wolf demon shook slightly. "Ookami? You okay?"

His whole body convulsed and she held him tighter, reminding him she was there. "I miss them."

"I know," she whispered. "We'll find them. I promised you, boy."

"I want to go home," he mumbled, his ears drooping. "I want to see them again." He leaned into her, feeling almost like a pup. Ookami whimpered, his ears pressed against his skull as he trembled.

"Calm down, Wolfie. I promised you, we'll find your mate and your pups. We'll find them," she whispered softly as he curled up into her.

The sorceress held him as he cried silently, shudders coursing through him. She calmed him with her magic, rocking slightly as his tears slowed.

"Better?" she asked as he whimpered. He nodded against her. Sorano pulled him to his feet, making him lean on her and took him down to his quarters. She laid him down on his pallet, whisking a blanket from nowhere and draping it over his form. Smiling gently, she ran a hand through his curtain of hair, soothing him into sleep.

He whined in his sleep and she picked up the small doll next to his bed and placed it in the crook of his arm. The wolf demon quieted and slept on.

Sorano closed the door and strode to Zuko's, knocking. Even though he showed up looking like he had just woken up, she knew better. "Don't say anything. He doesn't like it when people see him at his weakest."

Zuko nodded and opened his mouth but she answered his question before anything came out.

"He doesn't want to give up the last thing he has of his family. It'll be gone forever, whether they're still alive or not." She sighed and patted the ship. "You're on your own for breakfast tomorrow. He won't function right for several hours." Sorano headed for her bedroom, calling out, "Night."

He nodded and closed the door. Zuko sighed and stared out the window.

'What would it be like to not know if the only family you had left was still alive?'