The ferry started sailing away from the harbour towards the capital of the Earth Kingdom.

Elyrie felt the cool breeze caress her face as she looked over Full Moon Bay. The secluded clove was the reason why so many refugees could cross over to Ba Sing Se without being detected by the Fire Nation. Even though the water and land surrounding the capital was heavily patrolled, the Fire Nation never discovered the hidden bay between the cliffs. Elyrie knew that their maps only showed the Serpent's Pass, which was synonymous with 'death'. The narrow pass along the cliffs always had the risk of breaking off, which could kill you or throw you in the water. And if you didn't get caught by the patrolling Fire Nation ships, the enormous water serpent did the trick.

How they kept this a secret for over a hundred years is impressive, Elyrie thought as she leaned over the railing and looked at the four other ferries ready to sail behind them.

"Who would have thought, after all these years, I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace," Iroh said seriously, before he whipped out that ridiculous straw hat with flowers, "As a tourist?" The big smile was almost infectious and Elyrie was happy that at least he was in a good mood today.

"Look around," Zuko said as he leaned on the wooden railing, obviously not sharing his enthusiasm "We're not tourists, we're refugees." He took a sip from the brew they were giving. They were told that the trip would take the whole night, so they were served food on the ship. If that is what you could call it. Zuko had known hunger, but he almost spit it out right away. "I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in the dirt." He sighed as he looked down the brown blur, what was suppose to be stew, "I'm tired of living like this."

Elyrie turned around and looked around her on the deck of the ship. She never thought she would see so much suffering in one place. All kinds of people were assembled on this spot. Young people, older people, children, crying babies, people who walked with canes, people without legs, people with broken limbs, people with severe burns. So many burn wounds…

"Who isn't?" she said as she let her gaze go over all the hungry, desperate faces around them. Uncle, Zuko and she were at least relatively healthy adults who made their way here. But all these children, elderly, pregnant women, sick people… They had given up everything to get here, hoping for a new life, safe within the walls of Ba Sing Se.

The knot that had settled in her stomach refused to go away. It was too much to comprehend how many lives were destroyed by the war. By the Fire Nation, she thought as she saw a young man around her own age pass by. He limped and his lower leg was completely wrapped in bandages. His right arm was wrapped in a sling and the arm that supported the cane was scarred from fire. Elyrie had seen enough burns to know these were serious. From his wrist to his elbow, long red patches contrasted against the tanned skin colour. She wanted to look away, but forced herself to return his smile as he walked by.

It was probably a soldier who had been sent home from the battlefield due to his injuries. And a father, she thought when she saw the young woman walking next to him. The hair of the young woman was even shorter than Elyrie's: the thick brown hair was chopped off, which probably meant that it had been burnt as well. She was carrying a baby, while a little girl walked just behind them. The little girl was barely old enough to walk by herself, but her mother couldn't carry her as well. Aside from a baby, the mother was carrying the one bag they brought on her back.

Elyrie's eyes followed them until they were out of sight. It was a family on their way to a new beginning and she hoped they would find their place in Ba Sing Se.

"You are absolutely right." a male voice answered and made Elyrie snap out of her thoughts and look up. A tanned young man with messy black hair stepped out of the shadows. He had a sly smile, accentuated by the straw dangling from his mouth.

"My name is Jet." He said, his low voice sounding casual as he pointed to the two people standing next to him, "And these are my Freedom Fighters: Smellerbee and Longshot."

"Hello." Zuko said, turning back to the ocean. The message was obvious: don't bother me.

"I am - ehm,- Liana," Elyrie introduced herself a bit uncomfortable. She had to remember to use the fake name that was registered on her passport, "And these are Lee and Mushi." They nodded at her and she took a good look at the Freedom Fighters. Jet seemed to be around her own age but the other two were even younger than she was, Elyrie estimated, maybe in their late teens.

"Here's the deal," Jet said, immediately getting to the point, "I hear the captain's eating like a king while us refugees have to feed off his scraps." He arched an eyebrow while he narrowed his eyes, obviously discontent with the arrangement. "Doesn't seem fair, does it?"

"What sort of king is he eating like?" Iroh asked with a small longing in his eyes.

"The fat, happy kind." Jet replied, his voice betraying his anger.

Iroh didn't respond to that with words, but the small drool forming on the outside of this mouth was reply enough.

"You want to help us "liberate" some food?" Jet asked, his gaze fixed on Zuko now.

Elyrie followed his eyes, which went to the broadswords standing at Zuko's feet. Even though Zuko had given no indication that he was interested in what Jet had to say, she knew Zuko would agree to this.

And Jet seem to know it too. She had to admit that she was impressed by his perceptiveness: he had observed their discontentment and saw that Zuko was physically up to the task of sneaking in and stealing food.

Zuko briefly met Elyrie's blue eyes, who nodded almost invisibly. When he looked down into the drab in his bowl, he had made his decision. Zuko threw the bowl in the water. "I'm in." he said with determination shimmering in his eyes.

"As am I." Elyrie added as she straightened her spine. Zuko's eyes quickly went to her, but he felt that this wasn't the moment to point out her earlier opinion about stealing. She would only counter that this was different. Besides, she was probably right: he knew she only agreed because the captain had more than they had. Apparently, that was enough to convince her.

Jet seized them both op before a slow smirk crossed his face. ""Let's get to work then."

Along with the other Freedom Fighters, Elyrie went around to distribute the food on the ship they had swiftly stolen that evening. It had been fairly easy for them: at dusk, Jet and Zuko snuck into the kitchens while she and Smellerbee stood watch. With three bags full of food, they had made their way down to the deck again with the help of Longshot and a perfectly aimed arrow.

Jet surprised Elyrie by insisting they should equally distribute the food between all the refugees present on the ship. She had underestimated him: the name Freedom Fighters was more than just for his own freedom, then.

The five of them worked around the ferry to make sure everyone was fed well, so they had the strength to last through the night. The grateful faces of the people on board were heart-warming every time she handed a bowl of food or a piece of bread to them.

As she made her way around the other side of the deck, Elyrie recognized the family she had seen on deck that afternoon. Kneeling down, she handed the woman with the short hair a package with a little bit extra food. With a grateful smile, the woman took it with one hand while steadying the little infant in her other hand. Elyrie returned her smile and winked to the little girl next to her before she went on.

The ferry wasn't extremely large, so within ten minutes Elyrie had done her share of distributing. On her way back, she saw that the young woman was struggling with her baby.

"Do you need some help?" Elyrie asked as she saw the woman holding her baby while she tried feeding her husband. He couldn't hold his bowl and eat with only one hand, but the woman couldn't feed him while simultaneously holding their baby.

"Thank you." She answered as Elyrie sat down in front of them and took over the fussing baby. She let his head rest in the crook of her arm and she saw that it was a little boy. He couldn't be older than a few months, she estimated based on her limited knowledge of infants. His eyes were blue, but she saw the slight decolouring around the irises. His eyes were turning brown, just like his sisters' were.

The little girl said nothing as she sucked on her thumb and leaned against her mother. With her big brown eyes, she observed Elyrie with the shameless curiousity of a child. Elyrie gave her a small smile. "What's your name?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Shia." The girl answered while still sucking her thumb. "That is a pretty name." Elyrie complimented her and to her delight, she saw the little girl beaming with pride. "How old are you?"

"Four." Shia answered proudly as she held up four finger.

"You are a big sister then!" Elyrie said, "I am sure you are a great help to your mother and father."

"Did you get money for your hair too?" the little girl suddenly asked as she looked at Elyrie's short curls. Elyrie blinked a couple times, just as her mother shushed her daughter. "Shia, we don't ask people questions like that!" she reprimanded her as she shot Elyrie an apologetic look. "I am sorry."

"It is no problem." Elyrie said as she plastered a smile on her face. Inwardly, she felt something crumble. The chopped off hair wasn't because of a fire, it was because of poverty. Of course the woman had sold her hair. Hair was always something that brought up a lot of money, especially when someone had nothing left to sell anymore. She had cut it voluntarily to earn some money, maybe to pay for this journey.

Elyrie thought about her own long locks and how torn she felt when she had cut it. But her regret was because of vanity, not one moment did she consider selling her hair for the money. Again, she felt the shame rise as she let her hand go through her short hair. Then, she lowered her hand to touch her ring that was hidden under her shirt: she was wearing expensive jewels, while this family had nothing. Conflicted, she started playing with the hidden ring in an effort to calm herself as she thought about all the luxury she had when she was Shia's age.

The baby boy in her arms started crying, which brought Elyrie back to the present. "Hush, hush, little one," she said softly as he gently rocked the fussing baby, "Don't cry."

She started humming softly to sooth the baby. The notes of her mother's lullaby made his attention focus on her as his large eyes stopped crying. She smiled when she saw his little fists swing in the air from delight.

Oh won't you come with me

Where the moon is made of gold

And in the morning sun

We'll be sailing

Shia kept sucking her thumb as she moved over and she leaned against Elyrie's arm. Surprised by the gesture of trust of the little girl, Elyrie turned to her.

"Is everything alright?" she asked as she stopped rocking the baby in her arms.

"You have a pretty voice." Shia mumbled in a sleepy voice.

"Thank you." Elyrie answered with a genuine smile. She continued the song as she saw Shia's eyes grow heavier, but as soon as she stopped her eyes flew open again.

"Can you sing some more?" a low voice asked. Elyrie looked up and saw it had been the father who had asked her that. She looked him into his brown eyes – so like his daughter's – and she saw an almost pleading look. His face didn't have any scars, but she saw the pain in his eyes with every move he made.

To refuse such a simple request would be heartless. "Any requests?" she thus asked, as she handed the baby back to his mother. The man smiled at her – a genuine smile – as he asked for an old folksong.

"So you finally talked to her?" Iroh asked as he took a bite of the good stew in his bowl. They had rolled out their sleeping bags and sat on them as they ate the food.

"Yes." Zuko answered as he played with a piece of bread.

"Communication is always to key to a happier existence. Or at least a co-existence." Iroh nodded as he slurped the food with delight.

"Hmm," Zuko mused as he took another bite of fresh bread, "I didn't realise that she was so affected by it, because she didn't let it show."

"Yeah, I know." Iroh answered as he chewed with a content smile.

"You knew?" Zuko asked with raised eyebrows.

"You don't travel so close by and not exchange some thoughts." Iroh answered pensively, "Besides, she wore it on her face every time we passed a village which had been raided by the Fire Nation."

"She did?" Zuko asked while he thought about all the villages and houses he had passed that had been burnt or destroyed. He was certain he had seen a few, but they hadn't stood out in his mind. Was it because he hadn't seen the horrors of war as close as she had?

That sounded ridiculous, especially if you took into consideration that he had been travelling all over the war-torn world for the last five years. Yeah, but then you were the destroyer, a little voice said to him. Fire is a dangerous element, when it's left uncontrolled. He shook his head and focussed on another subject.

"So you think she will be able to conjure lightening now?" Zuko asked, even though he lowered his voice to avoid attention.

"No." Iroh said decisively, "There is a difference between knowing your closed off from your emotions and actually managing those emotions."

Zuko wanted to ask what he meant by that, but they were interrupted by Jet as he sat down cross-legged across from them. He had distributed his portion of the food around the ship, and Zuko appreciated him for it. He had to admit that he hadn't thought of equally sharing it until Jet had suggested it.

"From what I heard, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se," Jet said as he started on his own portion of roast pork, " I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall."

"It is a magnificent sight." Iroh answered as he saw the hope in the eyes of the young man.

"So you've been there before?" Jet asked him curiously.

"Once." Iroh nodded a bit dejected, "When I was a different man."

"I have done some things in my past that I'm not proud of," Jet said to him, "But that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se: for a new beginning. A second chance."

"That's very noble of you," Iroh said with admiration in his voice, "I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances."

Zuko felt that this was directed at him, but he had no idea why. What was his second chance? A life in Ba Sing Se as a refugee? He refused to believe that. Was there anything worth looking forward to in Ba Sing Se, other than the relative safety it offered him? Days dragging on without any purpose? What would be the point of building a life there?

"Where is Liana?" Jet asked as he turned his head. It took Zuko a moment to realise who he meant. He gritted his teeth, annoyed by the fact that Jet noticed her absence before he did. But he was right, where was Elyrie? Where did she wander off to now? Zuko sighed inwardly. Why did she always disappear? Luckily, it was boat she had to be somewhere on the ship. Or she had fallen overboard, which would be very typical.

"I'll go look." Zuko said as he stood up, missing the knowing smile of his Uncle.

As he walked over the deck, looking out for short auburn curls or blue eyes, he thought about the last days. Even though their journey to the city had been tough, it hadn't seemed to difficult now that he and Elyrie had settled their differences. Uncle had been right: communication seemed to be the key.

He felt that warm wave roll through his chest again as she so playfully suggested that she needed to show her 'affection'. And she had.

From the moment they had escaped the desert, they had been as inseparable as they always had been. Her fast chatter, her clattering smile and her natural cheerfulness had returned and it wasn't that threatening to him now. Instead, he found comfort in her presence again.

And even though he might be oblivious to most thing, he knew she found comfort in being with him as well. While they had been waiting for their ferry, she had fallen asleep with her head against his shoulder. His heart started pounding when he remembered how she had snuggled up against him, in such a trusting manner. He quickly shook off the memory as he continued looking for her distinctive features.

But he heard her before he could see her.

Everybody is born to care

It is something we were meant to share

Not to keep to ourselves all alone

As Zuko turned around the corner to the other side of the ferry, he saw that Elyrie sat cross-legged on the deck surrounded by young children as she sang. In her lap sat a little girl who sucked on her thumb and was clearly falling asleep against her.

If we make room for someone new

Doesn't mean that there's less for you

Only means that our circle has grown

Zuko saw that not only the children were listening to her, but adults as well. Everyone listened with a smile. Music is a language we all speak, his mother had taught him that. Her voice soared far above the crowd. Higher and farther than anyone on that ship dared to dream, as if a bird spread it's wings to fly to freedom.

Love knows

Love grows

Bigger than before

In your heart

There's always more

Zuko leaned against the wall as he listened to her. It had been a long time since he heard her sing. He didn't remember the song, but that wasn't important. He heard the words, knew their meaning and listened to her beautiful voice.It's magic

The more you give it away

The more love comes back to you

Every day

As her song continued, the frightening future in an unknown city didn't seem as frightening. On this ship, people had come together on their way to a better life. They had nothing and lost everything. But in that moment – in that brief, sweet moment - every person on that ship was the richest one alive.

Zuko felt an strange sense of peace coming over him. As she sat there, he couldn't recall a moment she had ever been more beautiful to him.

Her clothing was old, not the fine silk she wore when he knew her as a child. Her shiny auburn curls were unevenly chopped off, hanging just past her shoulders now. But her smile was even more beautiful now he knew what hardships she had faced and how she had conquered them. Her eyes were vivacious, filled with the all the love and kindness she could fit in her frail frame.

His heart started pounding again as he admired her, her beauty and grace. The soft smile that played on his lips was almost unconsciously. He looked over his shoulder when he felt a small tap on his arm. Uncle stood beside him with a serene smile.

"I heard her too." He said when he saw Zuko's look, "The ferry isn't big enough to escape one show."

Zuko's lips twitched in a half smile as he looked back at Elyrie, surrounded by children. She did make it a show, alright.

So, love knows

Love grows

Bigger than before

In your heart

There's always more

Zuko's heart softened when he saw her gently nudge the cheek of one of the little girls as she sang. It seemed so natural, even though he hadn't seen her often with children. She would be a wonderful mother, he thought to himself as an image of her with a small baby appeared in his mind's eye. He blinked a couple of times in surprise. Where did that come from? He shook his head as her song came to and end. Zuko looked around as he heared the applause.

Zuko smiled – an actual smile – when their eyes met as he raised his hands to applaud as well.

"Thank you." she mouthed to him before she let her radiant smile pass over the crowds. Then, she carefully lifted the sleepy girl from her lap to the mother as she stood up. She waved to the other children with a friendly smile before she walked over to Zuko and Uncle.

"You really can't do thing quietly, can you?" Zuko asked with a grin.

"Sorry." She answered with a smirk, not looking the least bit sorry at all.

"Yeah, right." Zuko chuckled, while he muttered something under his breath. Iroh couldn't hear it, but it did sound something like 'show-off'. Elyrie heard it too, because she stuck out her tongue and gave Zuko a playful slap against his shoulder. As they made their way back to their sleeping bags, the two continued their banter in a way only they could.

Iroh walked just behind the two, saying nothing but listening to every word they exchanged. He had heard it over a thousand times and it never differed: Elyrie's voice would get higher and the speed of her talking increased; Iroh was always amazed at how many words she could produce whenever she was agitated about something. But in sharp contrast to her babbling, Zuko would only react with an arched eyebrow, a silent nod or just plainly look at her at the end of an argument. And precisely that was what got under her skin, because she got more worked up about it every time.

"I mean, you are more of a show-off than I am! The way you stacked the bowls of food with only your swords," Elyrie continued, "I mean, you could have just picked them up!"

"Hm, sure." Zuko nodded, his voice even and his look blank. To a bystander, this might seem like he agreed with her, but Iroh saw at the look in his eyes that he was exactly responding this way because he knew it would agitate her.

"Ugh!" Elyrie pursed her lips as she obviously fought the urge to punch him as he let a slow, sarcastic smile cross over his face. "But, you are!"

Iroh placed his hand in front of his mouth to cover his smile as this continued. Zuko's relaxed smile and Elyrie's worked up state seemed the polar opposite of their normal behaviour. And precisely that was what was so comforting to him now: Elyrie needed the outlet and Zuko needed to wind down.

As he watched them, he saw that the flutters and sparks were impossible to ignore, even though they seemed completely oblivious about it. But, he was confident that one day they would realise it themselves. They have to, he mused as he saw the look in Elyrie's eyes as she gazed at his nephew.

However, the discussion didn't stop until they were in the sleeping bags and they had wished each other a good night.

"Good night, Uncle!" Elyrie said to him as she snuggled under her blanket. She fell asleep almost instantly, just like Zuko did as soon as his head hit the pillow.

This is a good thing, they are together, Iroh thought as he looked at the relaxed features of his nephew. In Ba Sing Se, they would get the stability and safety that they had missed these past months. It might not be ideal, but he hoped it would be enough for them to rest and recuperate. The future looks a little brighter tonight, he thought with a smile as he looked over the night sky above the ferry.

The water was calm, with only the moon shining the light in the bay. The sounds of the waves were soothing as the ferry moved forward silently. Iroh sought the stars, recounting all the different forms as he found the familiar patterns. How often he had watched the stars these years was impossible to count but it always relaxed him.

All I need now is a bracing cup of tea, he thought. Too bad they hadn't been able to steal some jasmine tea from the kitchens. This had to be the longest he had ever been without a good cup of tea.

We all make our sacrifices, he chuckled to himself, just as a dark shape crossed the sky. Iroh squinted his eyes as the figure came closer. It looked like a giant shadow heading for the walls of Ba Sing Se, but he recognised the shape in an instant.

He gasped audibly, unable to stop himself.

The sky bison! If he is here, then the Avatar…

"Uncle, what is it?" Zuko asked as he lifted himself on his elbows. Iroh turned around and saw that Zuko looked at him with half-opened eyes, obviously woken up by his distress.

"Nothing." Iroh answered quickly as he tried to gather his thoughts, "Go back to sleep."

The morning fog seemed to remove the sight of the water in front of him. Zuko stood on the top of the ferry and looked at the grey curtain of mist. Even though the sun couldn't break through, Zuko knew it was early in the morning. Whether it was visible or not, the rising sun always woke him up.

"Enjoying the view?" he heard a female voice ask. A smile tugged at his lips when the small figure of Elyrie walked up to him.

"You are up early." He said as he shot her a sideways glance. Her skin was glowing and the dark circles under her eyes had lessened, as if they had been straightened out by a good night sleep.

"I slept well." She answered as she stretched her arms above her head, "Do you think we will arrive soon?"

"I have no idea where we are now." Zuko answered as he looked back in front of him. The mist had removed all sights and with it, his orientation, "But it won't be long now."

Elyrie tangled her fingers together as she breathed in the salty air. It won't be long now, she repeated in her head as she felt the ferry slowing down, just as she heard footsteps on the wood behind them.

"You know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were." She heard the voice of Jet say, obviously referring to Zuko.

Elyrie felt Zuko stiffen beside her and she grasped his sleeve in an effort to restrain him. And maybe to seek some comfort herself, because she couldn't help it as her heart began to pound wildly. She did not look at Jet, who walked up next to Zuko, but kept her eyes focused on the waves in front of her.

Zuko's eyes went sideways. First to Elyrie on his left: her features seemed to harden as she let her mask slip in place to reveal no emotion. He felt himself do the same as he looked at Jet, who stood on his right.

"You're an outcast, like me." Jet added in a relaxed tone. Elyrie held back a sigh of relief and released her grip on Zuko's arm.

"And us outcasts have to stick together." Jet continued as he chewed on his straw, "We have to watch each other's backs, because no one else will."

That sounded rather bitter, but Elyrie wasn't in a place to judge him for it. Last night made her realise again that a life of luxury came with blind spots for the misery of others. Nevertheless, she felt relieved that he hadn't recognised Zuko. Otherwise their cover would have been blown before they had set foot in Ba Sing Se.

"I've realised lately," She heard Zuko say "That being on your own is not always the best path."

As he said this, Elyrie felt his fingers stroke against the back of her hand. She drew in a breath at the softness of his touch as his large hand gently grasped her smaller hand. She did not look at him, but gave his hand a soft squeeze as their fingers locked together. His familiar warmth was so comforting that she felt herself relax as she let her head rest against his shoulder. Zuko placed his cheek on the top of her head as he leaned into her touch.

It was as if the universe shared their moment, because the sun finally broke through the fog and the outer walls of Ba Sing Se appeared in the distance at last.