Still Normal POV

On The Deck

Zuko tossed the cursing girl away from him, turning his back to her. He hadn't even bothered for the traditional attire. Besides, she was a GIRL. And, he wanted this over with NOW!

"I trust that you have enough dignity in that tiny body not to strike with my back turned," a cold voice tore from the Prince's pale lips.

"I do have honor you know. Unlike some people," she muttered and turned her back to his.

"Whatever. Begin!" he hollered.

Both spun around, meeting eachother at the same time with a stream of fire that just missed the head of it's target.

"Oh, so we have a mind reader now do we?" Zuko ducked, shooting a stream of fire along the deck.

Yumi stumbled none to gracefully backwards and laughed.

"No. You're moves are just so tasteless. You use the same ones every time," she took a few steps forward.

"Oh? So then I guess you've seen this one too!" he produced multiple fireballs, clouding her vision momentarily

Using the vulnerable moment, he stepped up behind her and pulled her up into a headlock.

"Well, this one's new. But, you forgot one small thing."

"And what would that be?" he raised an eyebrow.

"My feet!" she landed a kick to his kneecap, identical to the one he'd given her earlier.

Zuko grimaced and flung her across the ship into the control room. He limped forward as her body slid down the steel wall and hit the deck. Dizzy, Yumi sat up against the wall with her head between her knees, trying to stop the pulsating in her head. The Prince reached her and poised a fist at her face, ready to end it. Hiding a smirk, Yuimi stuck out her left leg and tripped him, unsteadily making her way to awkward form of standing. With a growl, the teen jumped up and punched her in the still injured area of her ribcage, more than satisfied with the snapping sounds that filled the air. Biting her lip to stifle her screams, Yumi took a step forward and landed a punch to the side of his face. Now, Zuko had become more than fed up with this fight. He shot a fireball to the other side of her ribcage, quickly moving behind her and wrapping one arm around the severely injured abdomen of the smaller teen. Yumi howled in pain as his arm held her, the pressure already more than she could handle.

"Give up. You can't fight me anymore," Zuko's breath was hot against her ear.

"I never give up. I'm fighting to the finish Princey," she stepped on his foot as a last resort.

Zuko stumbled back with a cold look in his eyes. The same cold look that he had given her the day that they'd been banished.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that! It's not my fault! You think I wanted this to happen to either of us!" she grimaced through the newly forming tears in her eyes.

"You weren't meant to be banished and neither was I! This is my sister's fault. But that has nothing to do with the reason why I hate you!" Zuko shot another fireball at her which barely grazed her cheek.

"Then why do you hate me! I don't understand!" she winced at the burn forming on her face.

"Because you joined up with her! I offered to train you! I offered to teach you to become better at fire bending but you turned me down! You said that you didn't want to learn and then, you started taking lessons from her! It's her fault we're banished!" his voice was laced thickly with rage as he shot another stream of fire at her kneecaps, crippling the girl.

Yumi's body collapsed to the ground. In to much pain to try and soften the blow, the teenager's head hit the deck with a thud.

"I didn't want to become attached to you. I didn't want the Fire Lord to use me against you to get his way. Heh, looks like you win," she managed a small smile at the Prince above her before slipping into unconciousness.

Zuko sighed and dropped to his injured knees. He stared at the form of the beaten girl before him and shook his head.

Attached to me? Does that mean that she...liked me?

He managed to stand and gather up the girl in his arms. Silently, he lay her on his bed, to tired to attempt to make it to her chambers.

"So I win then. Heh."

But what have I really won here? Something I already had? Control over this girl. I've had control over her since we took her in. She did whatever I told her to. What's changed?

A soft knock on the steel door roused the Prince from his thoughts.

"Come in Uncle."

"What gave me away?"

"You're the only one who would dare to talk with me, espescially after an ag-ni-ki."

"Who won?"

"Who do you think?" golden eyes shifted to the unconcious girl on his bed.

"How badly is she...?"

"Pretty badly. It was a close call Uncle. She almost beat me."

"I'll see what I can do about her injuries," he bent down and tried to shake her from the deep slumber.

The body moved and whimpered but did not wake Iroh turned to his nephew.

"Why won't she wake?"

"She hit her head. Several times. The control room, the deck, my fist...I'm not sure if she'll ever wake up Uncle...I'm just not sure," he sighed heavily, shoulders slumping forward.

The old man sighed, gathering several items from an emergency kit the crew had agreed on keeping under Zuko's bed. He placed a small cloth in a bowl of cold water, quickly placing it on her head.

"You may want to turn your back Prince Zuko. I have to treat the wounds on her upper body," he slowly pulled open the blouse.
"It's fine Uncle," the teen ran a hand over his ponytail.

"Then be a gentlman about what you're going to see," the ex-general moved the shirt off the girl.

Zuko's eyes widened, seeing the extent of all the injuries he'd caused. The old man's hands slowly washed the burns, bringing soft whimpers from Yumi. Zuko let his fingers trace the broken rib bones that jutted at abnormal angles.

"Let me do it Uncle."

"Alright then. But, respect her right of not being able to defend herself," Iroh smiled and headed towards the door, "Would you like me to make you some tea Prince Zuko? It's jasmine."

"That would be nice Uncle," Zuko turned his back to the door.

With slow, gentle motions, he ran the damp cloth over the burn on the side of her face. A soft sigh passed her lips.

"Are you going to wake up now? Uncle's gone. It's just me here now. I can't hurt you anymore than I already have. Not mentally anyway," he ran the cloth across her neck line.

"Owww...ca-can't you be a little gen-gentler?" a hoarse voice whined.

"So you are awake," warm hands brushed over the broken ribs.

"Anh!" Yumi squealed in pain.

"So, how many do you think I broke?" Zuko smirked.

"Six?"

"Ahh..nope. Seven. Want to try for an eighth?" he felt her ribs.

"You wouldn't. You arrogant sonova-" she screamed.

Snap. Zuko snapped another rib, causing Yumi to bolt upright in the bed and scream louder at the new surge of pain.

"Why? Why do you keep trying to piss me off?"

"S-Seems to b-be the o-only thing I'm g-good at now," she winced.

"Hmm, you're pretty much right," Zuko continued to clean the wounds.

"If you intend to keep hurting me, why are you fixing the wounds?"

"Because you're mine. And, I can do what I want with you."

"Worst reasoning I've heard all day," she tried to roll onto her side.

"I don't think so," he pushed her to lay flat, straddling her hips.

"Get off of me..." she blushed.

"Quiet you half-witted Princess," he started to reset the broken ribs.

"Ouch...Princess?"

"That's right. You act just like a spoiled little Princess. That's how my father treated you," he finished setting the ribs and wrapped the bandages tightly around her small frame.

"And you are the perfect example of a brat Prince," she laughed.

"Who taught you to fight like that? Up on the deck."

"Y-You did."

"I never taught you to fight," he rolled off to the spot beside her.

"I watched you."

"I never saw you."

"That was the point."

"Why? Why didn't you just ask if I would teach you?"

"We weren't talking. After the incident in the control room..."