The group gathered around the campfire in a circle. Iroh was to the left of Zuko while I was at his right and Toph was next to me with her pupil to her right, while Katara and Sokka finished out the circle.

I heard Iroh begin talking to Zuko as I took a drink of my water.

"How did it go Prince Zuko?" he asked his nephew. That old man showed more respect to his nephew than his nephew did to him, which I felt to be entirely backwards.

"The martial arts are rather interesting," Zuko said to his Uncle, while I listened and the other four talked amongst themselves. "There's so much detail involved in every aspect of them."

Interjecting I looked up from my cup and said, "Took me my life to master them. You only have until the end of summer."

Prince Zuko looked down at my sitting form and asked, "Well can't you teach me after then?"

Swishing the liquid in my cup around, I stared at it intently.

"Depends on what becomes of me," I said, thinking of my destiny. "I may not be alive to teach you."

Zuko was surprised by my sudden somber nature. Looking at me covered in black, he normally saw a fierce, but beautiful fighter. Now I had fear painted across my pale features with the Prince looking at me with a worried expression.

"Why wouldn't you live?" Zuko asked, looking down at me.

"In facing Fire Lord Ozai, Aang may be facing the entire Fire Nation," I said still staring in my cup as though I would somehow see my destiny revealed in the liquid. "I swore to protect the Avatar…with my life. If it comes down to it, I will sacrifice myself for his safety. But I hope to be by his side facing Ozai."

"Why would you sacrifice yourself for him?" Zuko asked.

Iroh looked at me with some interest as well as I said, "What is one useless life compared to that of the Avatar's?"

The old man interjected and said, "Your life isn't useless, Mikomi."

"It's not?" I asked sarcastically as turned my ice blue eyes to look into his.

"No life is," Iroh said after he took a sip of his tea. "To someone else, you could mean the world."

"Like who?" I asked even more sarcastically. I knew I meant the world to no one, maybe I was a friend but I wasn't all that important.

The General frowned and looked into his tea and said, "You have friends, who care for you, don't you?"

I looked at the rest of the group as they all talked together, laughing and smiling.

"Yeah, but it's not like their lives would end if I was gone," I said.

Iroh laughed and said, "You never know, Mikomi. There may be someone in this world that would be heartbroken," he turned to his nephew smiling, "if you were gone."

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Well as of now, Zuko only has until the end of the summer. I might teach him if Ozai is defeated, but I might flee back to the Earth Kingdom. I don't know."

"Why would you come back here?" Zuko asked with disgust in his voice.

Glaring at him, I said, "Well, there's the fact that no matter what happens to Ozai, I'm still wanted in the Fire Nation. Believe it or not I like this place a lot. Besides I need someway to survive. I was a bounty hunter before I joined Aang."

Iroh nodded his understanding, while Zuko said, "What if I become Fire Lord and pardon you, what would you do then?"

Staring at Zuko, I wondered what he was playing at, asking a question like that. He obviously saw that I was puzzled so, he said, "Well for teaching me, maybe I'd pardon your crimes against the Fire Nation, but I'd probably force you to remain with me to teach me more."

I gave him an expression that clearly showed my distaste for that idea.

"Who says I would want to be a teacher for the rest of my life?" I said, with an icy voice.

"Who says you'd have a choice?" Zuko hissed, looking down at me.

Looking at him with a bored expression, I said, "Here's another lesson for you." I tossed a leaf into the fire and watched it burn. The leaf crumpled and lost its beauty under the harsh rule of the fire. It curled up and disintegrated into little pieces. "A great ninja can escape from anything without anyone noticing, which is my speciallty…escaping."

Zuko just glared at me after this as he ate his food that Katara had prepared. I saw his distaste for the food, but after traveling for days with us, it'd start tasting like gourmet cooking.

I finished my food and put away the bowls we had bought recently, while I grabbed my spear and my bag. Walking to Zuko's sitting form, I said, "Let's go."

"What? I trained all day!" he exclaimed smoke issuing from his nostrils. The others all looked at us interested in what I would say.

"Yeah, you trained physically, but as a ninja, one must be mentally disciplined as well," I said, with a bored tone. "Get up and follow me."

After grumbling, Zuko stood up and glared down at me. I turned and we walked away together. My destination was the woods close by here. After walking for sometime, I found a small clearing where the moon shone down and the stars hovered over. I walked into it and sat by bag and spear down on the ground beside me while I sat Indian style and Zuko did the same.

"Alright, the reason we're out here so far," I said. "As a teacher, I like to know as much as possible about my students."

Zuko looked down at my eyes at this statement as I continued.

"So, we are going to share our pasts completely and entirely to each other," I said indifferently.

I saw Zuko's fists light up in the dark as he said, "What if I don't feel like sharing?"

Standing up as I grabbed my belongings and used my spear as a walking stick, I said, "I guess you don't feel like becoming truly skilled in the martial arts either." I walked back toward the campsite until I felt Zuko grab my arm firmly before the edge of the clearing.

Turning around, I saw him looking down on me with an angry glare. His hand wrapped entirely around my bicep easily. It was warm because he had become angered.

"Fine," he said, still holding on to my bicep. "I'll tell you."

Without moving a step, I looked at his hand and then looked back up to his eyes and said, "I don't know. You don't really seem to respect me at all. Maybe it's because I haven't revealed my true power yet. Nevertheless, you should respect someone who is trying to do you a kindness that you don't seem to deserve." I turned and tried to pull away, but Zuko just pulled me back with my feet still on the ground, leaving dirt revealed through the emerald green grass.

"Show me your true power," I heard him say behind me, as I looked into the forest.

"No," I said. His grip was still firmly around my bicep. "My true power is murderous and destructive."

Zuko was silent as I tried to walk away again but I felt him pull me back once more.

"I do respect you," he said firmly. "You are the most intelligent person and the greatest fighter I've ever met."

I rolled my eyes and said, "Flattery doesn't go far with me, Zuko." I squirmed to try and free my arm from his hold, but it just tightened around my arm.

"It's not flattery when it's the truth," Zuko said sternly. I could tell he meant it this time, so I sighed.

"Fine, but I'd advise you to release my arm before something disagreeable occurs," I said with a bored tone. I felt him release my arm. I turned around and found him strangely close to me. Looking into his eyes, I sidestepped him and walked back to where we were sitting and took a seat.

Zuko did the same right in front of me and began telling his story. It was indeed a tragic story filled with much hardship, but I needed to share my thoughts on his story with him if he ever wanted to heal from it.

"You," I said. "Should've done what your mother said. She told you to never forget who you are. I think along the way you've forgotten, Zuko."

He was about to open his mouth, but I looked at him as my eyes turned their golden color in the moonlight and shouted, "Don't object to my thoughts!"

This silenced him sufficiently as I continued.

"To me, it sounds like you were once a happier child, who was poisoned by the ways of your younger sister," I said calmly. "You shouldn't try to be like her at all, because one day believe it or not, she will get hers. Personally, I wouldn't mind being the one finishing her off, but that's something I believe you need to do."

Zuko nodded. It seemed he was glad that understood that, but it was completely obvious.

"You try and do things on your own and you deny the help of your Uncle, who is the greatest firebender I've ever met," I said. "You know why he is the greatest?"

The Prince looked at me for a moment and then shook his head.

"Because he draws wisdom from more than one place," I said firmly. "He studies the different types of bending and takes some of their methods. Believe it or not, but each one is connected if you look at them carefully."

This sparked interest in the Prince as I continued, "Waterbending is fluid, but powerful like a firebender should be. Earthbending is persistent, just like the determination of a firebender. Airbending is quick and free which would enhance a firebender's power. We benders have a lot more in common than one would think."

I paused and sighed.

"Zuko this will be meaningless unless you can learn to let go of your past," I said, calmly. "First, I'll tell you about my past and reveal to you something I've never told anyone else before.

Zuko was interested at this point and sat more erect with the light shining down on his scarred face.

Staring him straight in the face I said, "I was two years old when my father was sent over to the Earth Kingdom in a new regiment that was to be used as bait, much like the one you fought for. I stowed away on the ship being a foolish young girl. My father was killed in that battle and what became of my mother I will never know. I was raised by the infamous ninja Sumiyaka Ryoku. He never treated me as a daughter, but treated me as his martial arts student. That man pushed me harder than I will ever push you, because I don't want to put another person through that."

I searched deep within myself for the courage to say what I was about to and found it. Taking in breath, I said, "When I was fourteen and I had completed my training, Ryoku challenged me. He said that if I didn't want to be kept as a slave for the rest of my life, I had to kill him."

The Prince stared at me with unhidden interest at his point as I continued.

"As you can see, I'm not a slave. Everyone wonders how I know Ryoku is dead. I know because I killed him," I said, revealing my deepest secret.

Zuko looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time. He was obviously shocked and if I could've read his mind at that point, he probably would be wondering how I beat the greatest martial artist alive.

"I don't know why he did it, but he left me no choice Zuko," I said calmly. "After that, I became a bounty hunter in the Earth Kingdom, bringing the heads of dangerous criminals to the officials. I became a cold blooded killer, murdering countless Fire Nation soldiers. Then I realized my rage was aimed at the wrong group and realized it should be aimed at the cause of the war, Fire Lord Ozai, which is why I joined up with Aang."

I paused to let it sink in for Zuko. I knew he was surprised by all of these revelations, but they were all true, so he'd have to cope with the fact that I was a murderer someday.

"I had to let go of my past to learn to channel lightning Zuko," I said. I stood up with my bag and spear on my back. "I don't believe in self-pity, but I do know that I never loved in my life, which many would consider a sad fate. Friendship is what keeps me going. Learn to rely on your friends and loved ones Zuko, because they won't turn from you."

Looking down, I said, "What will your choice be Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation?"

He stood up and was compelled since I used his proper title.

"Will you let go of your tragic past to create a brighter future?" I said as he took a step closer to me. I looked straight up to his eyes now as he looked down.

Zuko looked at me with an almost weakened expression and I actually saw tears running down his face.

"I will," Zuko said as he choked a little between tears.

It was shocking watching this guy break down. He was always strong and unfaltering, but now he was crying right in front of me.

I quieted my voice in sympathy and said, "Repeat after me, Zuko. I will not let my dark past cloud the skies of my bright future."

He was silent for a moment but then managed to say, "I…will not let my dark past cloud the skies of my…bright future."

I whispered, "Good." As I said that, I placed a hand upon his broad shoulder after reaching up. I hoped to comfort him, but I was never really all that good at comforting people.

Suddenly, he let his head droop and rest on my shoulder while his arms hung lifelessly at his sides. I felt the tears run down my arms as I looked to his head with newly grown hair lying on me. Unsure of what to do, I dropped my spear and bag and slowly wrapped my arms around his back, standing on my tiptoes. I drew circles on his back with my fingers and whispered, "Let it out, Zuko."

Upon impulse, I felt my hand run through his soft hair gently trying to comfort him. I felt the sharp intakes of breath as his back rose and fell. He had had an unfair life for someone who was deep down as good as he. I knew it to be true somehow. Deep down, there was a heart as gold as his eyes. I moved my arms to be wrapped around his neck as I hugged him tightly as the sobbed lightly on my shoulder.

Then I felt his strong arms wrap around the small of my back. He lifted me off the ground as he stood to his full height and pulled me into him, while I still had my arms around his neck. I was surprised by this sudden and powerful embrace. My feet hung lifelessly below me as Zuko still had his face buried in my shoulder.

Next I knew, he was lowering himself to sit Indian style with me sitting on his thigh, while my legs draped over the other. But I was still pulled into his hard chest tightly and now he rested his head on the top of mine. I pulled my arms tight to my body, but then began pushing against him.

Lifting his head, he looked down at my blue eyes. I knew I wanted this and I knew he did too, but it wasn't time. I could just tell. Pulling away from him, I stood and looked down at his sitting form.

"I'm your teacher now Zuko," I said my voice cracking involuntarily. "A teacher and a friend…but that's all I am."

I picked up my belongings and began walking back toward the campsite with Zuko following me closely. I could almost feel his eyes on me the entire time.

The next few months I taught Zuko almost everything I could mostly weapons and knowledge training. Zuko never tried to approach me as more than a student again. He had become strangely protective of me during this course of time, claiming that it was only because I was his teacher and needed me to teach him more. I knew that to be a lie. He just liked to think I needed protecting as the small, fragile female, which was completely false.

I noticed him come to respect me more and more as time went on. The more I showed him how much I knew and how powerful I could be the more he seemed to see me as who I truly was: an ass-kicking ninja and a firebending female master. It's about time he did if you asked me. Seriously, Zuko stayed close behind me as if he was my personal body guard. On the physical side, Zuko grew taller and more muscular even in those few months while his hair grew out so he had a ponytail soon again.