Disclaimer: I disclaim that I own Avatar. Yeah… I don't think I'd be writing fanfic if I did own it.

For the next few days I was pretty quiet, didn't talk much, and avoided people as much as possible. Of course, the rest of the crew seemed to have decided to act the same way and hardly anyone talked to me, or even looked at me. I can't say I didn't like being left alone, but after a while I did start to feel lonely. I took to spending a lot of time in my room and on the deck.

That's just where I happened to be, a little over a week and a half after I arrived here, when Zuko walked up to me.

I saw him approaching and turned off my iPod, closed my sketchbook, then smiled at him.

"Hey."

"Hello."

"…" Okay… awkward silence. "So how have you been? Your cut healing ok?"

"Yes it is, thanks for asking. I can finally start training again too." I grinned at him.

"I'll bet you were bored out of your mind."

Zuko smiled too, though it was very small. He looked much nicer when he smiled. I almost told him that out loud but I couldn't.

Another silence, though this one was less awkward.

Zuko cleared his throat. "In two days we'll be making a stop to get supplies, and a few other things." He didn't have to mention what the other thing was. Kicking Hue off the ship.

"My Uncle also wants more tea." Zuko wore a grumpy look. I laughed.

"He's definitely addicted. Though, it is pretty good stuff… Ginseng was it?" He nodded.

"I think it's disgusting." I laughed again. And I couldn't stop smiling. It was nice chatting with someone my age. Or was he my age?

"Sorry this is just a random question, how old are you?"

"I'm sixteen years."

Wow, I thought he was older…

"I see." There was silence for a few seconds.

"You're eighteen correct?" I nodded. "Are you engaged?"

"What?"

"Well, you have some really fancy rings, I thought…" his sentence faded off into silence. I laughed faintly.

"Oh, no. I've had that a few times though, so it's ok. This one," I pointed to my ring finger "is a Promise Ring… my dad gave it to me. The stone is a Sapphire too, which is my birth stone."

"What's a Promise Ring?"

"It means I intend to remain a -… chaste until marriage." Zuko's face turned a bit red and he looked somewhere other than at me. "The one on my left pointer is from my best friend's mom, and the one on my right hand, the Opal, was my grandmother's. She died of cancer a few years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that… is cancer a disease?"

"Yeah… it's pretty bad. Doctors can't really figure out how to cure it, and the only thing that seems to stop it somewhat is Chemo, or radiation." I sighed deeply, then looked at Zuko.

"I really don't think I'm in my own world anymore." He looked surprised.

"You mean you're from another world?"

"That's the only thing I can think of! I mean, you don't have America on your map, and we've already taken millions of satellite pictures of the entire world; I'm pretty sure every place has been discovered by now. Your continents don't look familiar. And then there's the fact that you can control elements, you don't use guns, and your culture is a lot like China a few hundred years ago. In my world, well, we can't control elements, and we use electronics for almost everything now."

I sighed again. How on earth am I going to get back if I'm in another world? I don't even rightly know how I got here.

"I suppose that kind of answers my question then." I looked at Zuko oddly.

"What question?"

"I originally came out here to ask why you didn't use your… bending… that night before I got there. You used it perfectly well afterwards."

I thought a moment. "Well, yeah I guess that's right. I'd never been able to use that before so it didn't really occur to me to use it until I realized I wasn't at home any more. And, well… I was pretty scared."

I know were this conversation's going. And I don't want to go over it again.

"I'm just glad you're ok." Wait, what? I looked at Zuko out of the corner of my eye, blushing. His eyes flared briefly with anger and compassion, then they became a mask again.

"Well… thanks." I smiled at him. He smiled back faintly.

He stood up to go back inside the ship. "I like it when you smile." Then he turned and walked away.

My heart seemed to get off beat, and my face flushed crimson. I looked away, then turned back to watch him go below deck.

I sighed shakily, putting my hands on my cheeks, trying to cool them down. I couldn't stop smiling!

What's wrong with me, my word! You'd think I have a crush or something… do I? But I can't, he's a prince for crying out loud. And younger than me… and from a different world!

I decided to explore the supply rooms of the ship to take my mind off things. What with the whole accepting that I'm on a new world and crushing on Zuko thing, I needed a break.

The first room I found was a food storage room. Not much I can say about that, except there was lots of food. And a few rats… I didn't feel so good about meals anymore after that.

I wandered into Iroh's tea room, water supplies room, medical supplies room, clothing supplies, bedding… there was a room for just about everything. Though when you think about it, they do have to live on this ship for years at a time.

After a few hours of wandering around and looking in the various rooms, I stumbled upon the piece de resistance: armory!

My eyes got big and a huge smile lit up my face. Let's just say, I have a crazy fascination with swords, weapons, and armor. So I loved this room. I walked slowly around the room, pausing at each interesting weapon and examining it closely as I admired it.

After I'd wandered around most of the room, I decided to head off to my room to read and turned quickly. I almost collided with a tall figure in red and black armor; the face was covered with a scary red and white mask with what looked like horns on the side. I unconsciously let out a small scream.

Then I noticed it wasn't a person, it was just the armor put together on a stand. I laughed nervously.

"Haha, oh my word. I'm so stupid."

"Who's in here?" a voice asked from the doorway. I looked around the armor to see Zuko in the doorway, looking like he was ready to leap into action.

"Oh, um… it's just me." I stepped into his line of sight.

"Oh. What are you doing in here?"

"Well, I decided to go exploring and I happened across this incredibly awesome room." I smiled stupidly. "I love swords."

Zuko smiled. "Do you know how to use one?"

"Actually, no. I've always wanted to learn but I've never found someone to teach me. I wasn't a high enough belt in Tae Kwon Do to learn sword fighting, and fencing just isn't really sword fighting. So I've just always admired them." I ran my hand over the hilt of a katana nearby.

"Well, if you really want to, I could teach you. I'm good, if I do say so myself, and you may need it here."

My eyes lit up in excitement. "Are you serious? I'd love to!" I had a sudden urge to rush forward and hug him, but restrained myself at the last second. That would have been awkward; I didn't know him that well.

Zuko smiled again. "Is there a specific sword you want to learn? Or a specific style you prefer." I laughed.

"Actually, I know absolutely nothing about any of your styles or swords. But I do like smooth movements, so is there a style that uses that?"

Zuko thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. I do know a style, but I would have to teach you with different swords. The ones I have are… antique." He looked a bit guilty, but I put it out of mind.

"Where would I find other swords, are these all taken?"

"Actually, no. these are where we keep the extra armor and weapons."

"So you guys actually wear this thing?" I pointed at the freaky armor with horns.

"No. That armor is specific to Admiral Zhao. We just happen to have, a few spares."

I smiled slyly. I knew what he meant by spares: something to sneak around him in.

"So, I guess… I just pick a sword from these in here?" He nodded. "On second thought, you'd better pick. You would know more about it than I do."

He thought for a few moments, going around the room looking at different swords. Zuko finally picked one very long, thin katana off a rack and handed it to me.

"This one should do just fine."

"It's beautiful…" I ran a hand gingerly over the mirror-like black sheath.

"I can start to train you tomorrow if you like. There's nothing else we can do until we dock."

I smiled, so happy to have this chance at a dream I'd always had. "Thank you so much. This means a lot."

Zuko nodded his head in a kind of bow, or acknowledgement.

"Do you want me to help you find your room? I'm sure you don't know the way."

Again, I laughed. "Yeah actually. I don't know where I am. Thanks."

After he showed me to my room, he turned to go down the hall to his own. "See you tomorrow."

I grinned. "Yup! Looking forward to it! Night."

After I changed into my pajamas, I set my new katana on the dresser where it gleamed in the faint candlelight. I was so happy to actually learn how to sword fight. This was definitely a dream come true… maybe I wouldn't entirely hate it here after all.