Yeah, yeah, we've heard it all before. Blah, blah, the Avatar, blah blah blah. Whatever. There's no such thing as the avatar. It's all a conspiracy. Why Admiral Zhao even goes out of his way to look for this person is beyond me. Still, if I want to keep my job and not get beaten into a bloody pulp, I guess I'll just tag along and follow blindly. It's not like I have anything better to do.

"Captain Sekai, are you ready to execute the plan?" that burly pig of an Admiral addresses me. I give him a blank stare before sleepily nodding my head. "Are you awake?" he asks threateningly, coming over to me. Too close for comfort. I try my best not to look so bored and nod curtly.

"Why yes, Admiral Zhao. Of course I'm awake!" I reply as smiley and brain dead as can be. He gives me a once over before turning his back and addressing the men. Impertinent bore.

."Dismissed!" he barks, glaring at me, "Sekai, you stay here."

Oh, joy.

He sits down in a wooden chair and it creaks under his weight. I can't tell if it's because of his muscle mass or just the weight of the armor. Maybe both. Picking up a small creamy-white bottle, he pours some kind of a drink into a small cup of the same color. I glance around to find another chair, but come up empty handed. That's just like him.

"I don't really like your attitude, soldier," I hear him say. The feeling's mutual, Admiral. I don't much like your face, either.

"Attitude, sir?" I question, playing dumb. Not exactly the best tactic, but a funny one to watch, nonetheless. "I'm not entirely certain of what you mean by that."

"I think you know exactly what I mean," he responds dangerously, placing the drink down on the low table beside him. I'm sure it took every once of will power in him not to slam it down. "Always nodding off during my briefings, blank stares, inattentiveness. Do you see something wrong with this picture?"

Yeah, you're a sick-o megalomaniac leading an army of thousands off to destroy countless peoples. Yes, I definitely see something wrong with this picture.

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily say inattentiveness, Admiral," I reply, shrugging a shoulder. His eye twitches and stands up, walking over to where I'm standing. He stops mere millimeters from me.

"Then what would you say, Captain?" he inquires, leaning in so far that I can feel his spittle cover my face. Disgusting.

"Uh…redundancy," I reply.

"Redund--what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Well, Zhao, don't you think that maybe your troupes tire of hearing you blathering on about this Avatar character all the time? I know I do," His eyes narrow to mere slits before he leans in close to my ear. I feel the heat of his rage radiate off of him like a battle ship roasting in the mid-afternoon sun.

"If your family wasn't so damn rich and aristocratic, you'd be a nice bloody smear on the wall by now,"

"I'm sorry you feel that way towards me. I wish there was something I could do to help," I reply. He remains completely still next to me, no doubt counting to ten a good hundred times. It seems like hours before he finally pulls back and stares down at me. I know he's about to say something nasty, but he fears that I'll write mommy and daddy and make him a homeless beggar on the streets, as I've threatened to do on many occasions. He smirks and runs a large hand across my face.

"You know, if you weren't so damned uppity, you'd make a good bed-warmer. You're pretty enough; you just have to keep that smart-ass trap of yours closed," he says, his hand traveling dangerously close to my bust. I've had enough of this. That brute should be put behind bars.

"I believe that you will be in the market for a nice shack to live in soon, Admiral Zhao, or rely on the kindness of strangers to house your repulsive self because my parents won't be too happy to learn that you have been touching me in such a manner. I'm a Sekai, for Agni's sake. Have some decency, you pig!" I screech, pushing against him and he takes a few stutter-steps backwards. I storm out of the tent and make my way to my own. Foot soldiers give me cautious looks and some shake their heads in my direction. I walk past them, glaring at the ones who dare to give me the same look.

"Arrogant douche!" I cry, bursting through the tent, the crimson flaps flying out. In a fit of angry excitement, I pace the tent, hand to temples. A glint of gold catches my eye and I turn to see my bag thrown carelessly to the side. In a blur of fast action, my entire tent is packed up and fit into the bag. I exit the tent, kicking the spokes that hold it up. It collapses in a pile of wood and blood red fabric. The pier where we are docked looms closer and I run as I've never run towards it. Hands, faster than lightning, untie the mini barge and it begins to slowly drift out to see. I leap onto the metallic thing and quickly get a fire going to make it go faster. There's no wind today. Damn. Hopefully, Zhao or another one of his flunkies won't catch my escape.

Escape!

What am I thinking! I can't become a deserter! Deserters get hung! What am I going to do if I get caught! The boat doesn't seem to be going any faster! Why won't it move!

"Commander Zhao! Commander Zhao! Sekai, she's trying to escape!" a foot soldier, Ohi, yells as he approaches the shore line. He sends out a streak of fire and I dodge, unable to defend myself against his attacks.

Of all times not to be a Firebender…..!

"Sekai! Sekai, you get back on the shore now!" that pig threatens, his loyal Firebenders backing him, with their skeleton masks. I desperately raise the sails and pray to those imaginary gods and goddesses alike that they'll bless me with just one gust of wind. No such luck. Maybe they only favor those who believe all the crap.

"That's it…Firebenders! Fire!" Zhao commands, dropping his arm as if he was starting a race.

Light. White hot light. A rush of heat. A rush of pain to the head. Murmurs of the yells from the shoreline. Things shift forms and colors. And finally, blackness.

I walk to the edge of barge, marveling at the parting ocean beneath me. It's been two weeks since my escape. I'm sure that there are wanted posters all over the Fire Nation with my face on them now. I don't care. I'm not going back.

How I managed not a burn to my face is beyond my comprehension, but I'm sure someone up there must like me. I'm not entirely sure of the details, but I supposed that after the Firebenders fired at me, I must have ducked and hit my head on the window sill of the barge and suffered a light concussion. The barge must have caught a gust of wind and with the added power of the fire, rushed into the ocean. That's what I assume anyway.

My supplies are starting to run out. I was lucky that this particular barge did have food on it. I'm not sure where I am, but I know I'm heading Northeast. Hopefully, if my memory serves me correctly, I'll run into the Earth nation territory of Ogata. There's a large port there where I can restock and get out. I'm hoping to head for the Northern most areas of the Fire Nation. With the Earth Nation right next to, it's a perfect place for those who don't support the war or who are deserters…like me.

A deserter. I'm not proud of it. Deserters are those who quit. Who don't have the backbone to carry on. It's shameful to be a deserter. I don't like to be reminded. But still, what was I to do? I hated that monster and he hated me. It was only a matter of time until he raped or murdered me.

What's that? A black figure on the horizon…

It's a Fire Navy ship! Now what! For sure they've seen me now. The barge is going too fast to turn around…

The ship--it's stopped! What should I do? Wait--there are Firebenders on the dock. What are they…? They're making some kind of a message…they want me to stop. Dammit, now what? If I stop, I'll probably get killed. If I don't stop, I'll probably get killed anyway.

I slow the ship down by cutting off the fire's oxygen and the ship slips through the ocean water silently. The Navy ship sends a ladder down and a Firebender climbs down. I lay a hand on the hilt of my sword and try to look nonchalant.

"Is there a problem, sir?" I ask, tipping my head to the right.

"The commander demands to know what you are doing following our ship. If you are a spy, abandon your mission or will have to answer to him personally." He says, his deep voice magnified by the hollowness of the skeleton helmet.

"I am no spy nor am I intentionally following your ship. I'm heading for the Earth Nation port of Ogata to restock my barge. Perhaps we are heading to the same place?" I question, thrumming my fingers along the hilt of the sword.

"Agni above, it's Tama Sekai!" an elderly voice cries out. I glance up to see the one and only General Iroh, Dragon of the West leaning over the ship's edge. I haven't seen him in ages!

"General!" I cry, waving to him from below. Before I even realize what I am doing, I'm climbing up the ladder and am on the ship. I give him a respectful bow before taking him in. He's gotten fat over the years, but still, the same kindly face and bright eyes.

"Retired now," he continued, chuckling to himself. He pats me on the shoulder and leads me over to the control room, where many of the soldiers and crewmembers are standing, taking me in.

"Nephew! Look who we have on our ship!" he says, giving me a hardy pat on the shoulder again.

Nephew? Wait-- isn't his nephew…?

"Prince Zuko!" I exclaim, taking a stutter step backwards. Never have I been so close to royalty, with the exception of Iroh. He eyes me with curiosity and a bit of annoyance.

"What were you doing following my ship!" he demands. He walks up to me so that there is only an arm's length between us. I can't help but stare at his scar. It's hideous. Absolutely the ugliest thing I've ever seen in my life. How anyone can bear to live with themselves like that is beyond me.

But he shares Iroh's eyes. The prince is tall for his age, too, or the age I assume him to be. I know that I was born two years before him or sometime like that. He must be about 16. He looks, to me anyway, to be about 5'8''. A good height for a monarch.

"I wasn't following your ship. I'm headed for the Earth Nation port of Ogata."

"Ah! What a coincidence! So are we! Would you care to join us?" Iroh exclaims, nodding his head excitedly. Zuko gives him a side long glance before returning his attention to me.

"Who are you anyway? Should I know you?" he asks, placing a hand on his hip, relaxing a bit.

"But of course, nephew! That is Tama Sekai, daughter of the Great General Na!" Iroh says.

"General Na?" Zuko asks, eyes widening. He looks at me a second time, taking me in before a look of disdain crosses his face. "I can see the resemblance now," he says, glaring at me. I blink and tighten my lip in return. I'm not entirely sure why he's looking at me like this, but I don't like it. My family is famous. Everyone respects and honors us. Why should this uppity Prince be any different?

"Is there a problem with my father, Prince Zuko?" I question, starting up my nervous habit of thrumming my fingers across the hilt of my sword. He eyes it before looking back up me.

"No, there's no problem," he says, turning his back to me and walking away. "You are to depart this ship immediately," he commands before closing the door to the main stairwell. I blink and march past the crewmembers to open the door. I just see him disappear through another door two stories down. But not before another one of his bratty glares in my direction. Damned presumptuous prince. It's no wonder he has that obscene scare across his face. It matches his insides perfectly.