Special thanks to starlightz1112,almostinsane,Cala Akina Morushiku, nonesofar,Fran, Mystic Water Bender3, frozonedude12, albr62,Tree Flower,Junkfood, and Kiriko-sama for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the last airbender!


Zuko followed the guards to the room the prisoners were kept in. Sokka was laying on the floor. The Avatar looked worried and the girl looked annoyed. "What's wrong with him?"Zuko asked.

"You mean besides his brain? He's hungry."said Katara.

"Need food...wasting away..."Sokka gasped. Katara rolled her eyes. Zuko stared at the guards.

"You didn't feed them?"Zuko demanded.

"We did sir! Last night!"

"Well feed them again!"said Zuko the guards left and Zuko was about to follow.

"You can't give the fire nation the jewel of fire."Katara said. Zuko turned to face her.

"Why not? It is rightfully ours is it not?"He asked.

"He does have a point Katara."said Aang.

"Fine! You know what keep the stupid jewel. Bring the Avatar to the fire lord! Your only cutting off the only hope the world has!"cried Katara.

"If you forgot water bender, I am part of the fire nation and these are great victories for me."Zuko said.

"You know it's wrong. You know no one should have that much power and you know the fire nation shouldn't be doing this."Aang said.

"I already told you Avatar-"

"My name is Aang."Aang said angrily.

"Fine I already told you Aang that it doesn't matter what I believe."Zuko said and he turned to leave.

"It does matter! Your prince of the fire nation!"cried Aang.

"Look Avatar I mean Aang I have no say in anything alright? My job is to capture you and be loyal to my nation."Zuko said and he left. Aang sighed.

"Don't worry Aang you will get to him I know you will!"said Katara putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Wheres the food? I'm starving!"cried Sokka. Guards came in and gave them food. Aang was silent for awhile.

"I think I have an idea."he said with a smile. Just than the door opened and Iroh walked in.


Zuko looked out into the ocean. Behind the ship black clouds were chasing them and ahead was blue sky. They were running a race trying to beat the storm. The Water was a dark gray and the waves were huge. They would most likely get caught in the storm. "It looks like a storm is coming."said a voice. Zuko turned around sharply to see Aang standing there.

"HOW DID YOU ESCAPE?"yelled Zuko.

"I didn't escape."said Aang with a laugh. "Your uncle invited me for some tea."said Aang. Zuko's mouth opened slowly and he glanced at his uncle who smiled and waved drinking his tea.

"UNCLE!"yelled Zuko.

"Yes Prince Zuko?"Iroh asked.

"Why did you let the Avatar out? He could have escaped!"Zuko yelled clenching his fists as smoke began leaking out between the cracks in his fingers.

"I told you! I'm not even going to try. I'm not leaving with out Appa and you have him chained up. There is no way I could set him free."Aang said. Iroh nodded.

"I believed Aang and offered him and his friends to come join me for some tea."said Iroh. Zuko clenched his teeth.

"Where are the others?"Zuko asked.

"Oh they are chasing a flying lemur around."Iroh said with a smile and took another gulp of tea. Just than Sokka and Katara ran up on deck chasing the lemur who had a shoe.

"GET HIM, GET HIM, GET HIM!"cried Sokka pouncing at the lemur and failing miserably crashing into the floor. Katara ran over him and swiped the shoe from Momo.

"I got it!"said Katara jumping up triumphantly on Sokka's back.

"That's great...now get off."Sokka hissed. Katara stepped off Sokka and handed him his shoe with a smile. Zuko stared at his uncle.

"I am positive they wont try anything besides I thought it would be nice for them to get some fresh air since your father will probably lock them away for the rest of their lives."Iroh said. Zuko crossed his arms and turned back to the ocean. Aang walked over to Katara and whispered something in her ear. Katara nodded and walked over to Zuko standing next to him. Zuko didn't acknowledge her so Katara spoke up.

"I've seen your bending. It's pretty impressive."Katara spoke up.

"I haven't seen much of yours."Zuko said shortly still looking out into the gray ocean a little worried about the on coming dark storm clouds.Katara frowned.

"Yeah well I really had no one to teach me. I'm the only bender of my village and i had to teach myself how to bend."Katara said.

"Must have been difficult."said Zuko finally looking at her. Her blue eyes sparkled even in the dark.

"Yeah that's why we stole-took the water bending scribe. So Aang and I could learn water bending together. We were trying so hard to get Aang to learn the four elements. Now that were captured it looks like Aang is never going to know anything but air bending. What do you think will happen to him once we get to the fire nation?"Katara asked meeting Zuko's yellow brown eyes.

"I couldn't tell you."He said.

"Iroh said he would be locked up, us to. Aang isjust a little kid. He's going to spend the rest of his life in a jail cell."said Katara.

"If your trying to make me feel guilty it's not working."Zuko said crossing his arms.

"I'm not. But I would like to ask you a favor. Now I know we barely know each other and I know your going to say no, but Aang's life is going to be ruined. He's just a kid and he's going to spend the rest of his years locked up. I want you to give him a false sense of hope. Let his last few days of freedom be his best. Make him think there is actually hope."Katara said. Zuko was silent for a while.

"What do you want me to do?"Zuko asked finally.

"You will do it?"cried Katara.

"It depends what it is."Zuko muttered.

"Teach him fire bending."Katara said.

"WHAT?"yelled Zuko flames shooting out of his fists singing Iroh's eyebrows.Iroh blinked and went back to his board game which he was playing with Aang while Sokka hovered over them.

"Whats the problem?"Katara asked.

"If I teach the Avatar fire bending I am helping him in his quest to defeat the fire nation!"Zuko hissed.

"No your giving him a false hope that he actually will escape and defeat the fire nation. You and I both know there is no way out of this and that in a week or less Aang will be locked up forever because of you. You owe him this much."Katara said. Zuko said nothing and stared out at the ocean. Katara glared. "Fine."she said and walked over to Aang.

"Well? Did it work?"Aang whispered.

"We will see."Katara said with a grin. Iroh looked from one than to the other and smiled. They were planning something.

"Can I talk to you two? Alone?"Sokka asked. He pulled them to a side of the ship that was empty so that they were out of ear shot from everyone.

"Yes Sokka?"asked Aang.

"Look even if what Katara said to him works that's not going to solve our problem. Sure you will know fire bending. It won't be a lot of use to you while your locked up!"Sokka hissed.

"Well that's when we move to plan 2. Getting Zuko on our side."said Aang.

"That doesn't seem to be going well! The uncle on the other hand was easy."Sokka said.

"Well if he does agree to teach Aang fire bending it means he's feeling guilty. Aang can work off that."Katara said. Sokka shook his head.

"Besides if worst comes to worst we call Appa he breaks his chains and we get on him and fly away. It's a good thing Appa isreally strong."Aang said. Sokka shook his head.

"I just get the feeling that it's going to go horribly wrong."said Sokka.

"Sokka you think that about everything."Katara said.

"And what usually happens? Something goes wrong. Case closed."said Sokka. Katara shook her head.

"Well we are going to try to get this one to work."Katara said smiling. Sokka walked over to Iroh.

"So how do you play this thing?"he asked looking at the board game. The others walked over as well.Zuko stared at the dark gray ocean and looked up at the sky. The storm would be on them soon. It's not like Zuko didn't like Aang. He didn't have a grudge against him or anything and was sure the little oddball was a great guy. He was just doing his job. The only thing that would return him his honor. But why did he feel so bad about it? If giving his father the avatar was the right thing to do why did it feel so wrong?

"It's been to long...I can't start changing my mind now! I've come to far."Zuko whispered to himself. But why not show the Avatar a few fire bending tricks? It's not like he could teach the Avatar anything useful in less than a week. What harm could it do? Zuko turned and looked at the Avatar who was whispering something to the flying lemur. Zuko shook his head and looked back to the ocean. If they got hit by the storm they would have to head for the eye. This storm could delay him getting to the fire nation.

"You see Momo you can fly but I can-ugh float!"said Aang making one of his air scooters and spinning around. Momo's big yellow eyes blinked.

"Avatar want to learn basic fire bending?"Zuko muttered in almost a low whisper. Aang blinked.

"REALLY? COOL!"Aang said excitedly landing back down. Iroh looked from Aang to Zuko and smiled in a knowing way and turned to his game teaching Sokka how and beating him a few times. "Wait...but why?"Aang asked.

"I'm bored and your not a challenge enough to entertain me in combat. So maybe if I taught you a few moves you would be more worthy."Zuko said.

"He really knows how to cook up a good excuse."Katara said to Sokka.

"Maybe it's not an excuse maybe it's the truth-argh I lost again!"cried Sokka in dismay.

"Alright."said Aang.

"Were going to start simple."said Zuko and he left and came back with a candle. Aang stared at it. "Your going to try to make the flames rise move your hands like this..."Zuko said making a movement similar to Katara had once made and the the fire grew tremendously and shot into the air. Than Zuko moved his hands down and the flame dimmed and nearly died out. "Now you try."Zuko said.

"Aang learns quickly."Katara said watching in interest while Sokka was determined to beat Iroh at a game. Aang made the movement with his hands concentrating on the flame willing it to rise and it did. It rose into the air with speed than died back down. Zuko blinked. The water tribe girl was right. The avatar did learn fast. When Zuko was young that small trick took him a few weeks than he masteredit and went on toother tricks and now he thought himself a decent fire bender.

"Alright try this..."said Zuko and he moved his hand to the left and the fire followed leaving the candle until it was a string of fire that he could do what ever he wanted with. He spun his hands and moved his hand back to the candle where the fire landed.

"Alright..."Aang said and did the save movements creating a string of fire that he used for a jump rope. "This is cool!"Aang said but hit the string of fire with his leg and his pants caught fire. "Uh Oh!"said Aang. Katara opened her bottle of water and sent a water at Aang putting his pants out. Zuko watched amused.

"Alright as amusing as that was lets not use fire for jump rope."Zuko said with a smirk. Aang nodded in agreement. "Alright enough kid stuff. Let me teach you real fire bending..."