Chapter 18: A New Journey

We'd been adrift for what felt like days, but I was aware that it was actually only a few hours. The water seemed endless, and there still was no sign of land. Zuko slept with exhaustion, the sail shading him from the blazing hot sun that rose an hour ago. Sitting on the raft cross legged, I moved the water at our makeshift boat in a repetitive motion trying to keep us moving. Iroh sat a few inches beside me, watching my movements with concern.

"You've been at it for hours now. You should take a break," he insisted. "You need your rest, just as I told Zuko."

I smiled weakly. It had been four hours since we'd left the North Pole… Four hours since I'd officially become a traitor. Iroh wanted me to take a break, but waterbending was a distraction I didn't want to lose. My mind kept trying to shoot back to the thoughts of my family. My mind kept trying to fill me with guilt as images flashed of my dad… Gran-Gran… Sokka… Katara… I'd just betrayed them all.

My heart weighed heavy with confusion and uncertainty. What had led me to such a rash decision? What had led me to betray my people so easily? I knew the answer though. My eyes trailed over to Zuko, who seemed to be more at peace than he had been in a very long time.

Zuko… I'd become a traitor for Zuko… I would not let my people hurt him. I loved him too much to see him captured.

"I'm okay," I lied to Iroh. "I can keep it up for a few more minutes."

Iroh sighed heavily. He then looked at the horizon before us. We sat in silence for a few minutes, the both of us not having much to say. After a while, Iroh broke the silence. "Thank you, Crystal... I'll never be able to repay you for what you did this morning. Zuko would've been a prisoner if it wasn't for you."

His sincere gratitude startled me. However, I recovered continuing to move the raft through the water with my bending. "He probably could've handled them himself… I just didn't want anyone to get hurt…" My hands stopped their constant movement as I gave my arms a small break. The raft slowed as the extra push of the waves dispersed back into the sea. "I've heard stories from my father about what our people do to Fire Nation men we take captive. Zuko would've been killed or tortured if the North Pole got their hands on him."

He was surprised by this information. "I always imagined the Water Tribe to be a peaceful nation. I can't imagine such brutal treatment coming from your people."

My hands ran through my tangled hair. It was in deep need of a good brushing. Actually, it was in need of a wash. "My people have struggled to survive for many years. Some are still the kindhearted people you're imagining, but others have turned hard. War has taken the best out of our people and turned their ways. If my mom were still alive, I have no doubt my father wouldn't have abandoned our tribe the way he had. In his eyes though, revenge towards the Fire Nation became his number one goal. He desired to destroy the people who took away his wife."

Iroh wanted to know more. "So your mother was killed by the Fire Nation?"

Staring down at my crossed-legs, I nodded in reply.

"Is that how you got your scar?"

My hand automatically rose up to my cheekbone where the skin was discolored. I shut my eyes remembering the pain that had coursed through my skin. The smell of burning flesh was unforgettable as well.

"She'd told me to run… When the Fire Nation entered she told me to leave… I was too scared for her to leave her behind…"

I stopped speaking, realizing what was happening. I was telling the one story my family barely even knew to a man who was supposed to be my enemy. Looking over at Iroh though, I didn't see him in such a way. He was my friend. Actually, he was like an uncle to me.

In my tribe, the people are all close-knit and act like everyone is blood related. For many men in the village, my father calls them his brothers even though our relations are distant in blood. For the women of the tribe, my mom used to call them her sisters. The tribe is designed to be one huge family. However, I never truly felt that way. I suppose after my mom died, I preferred to be more on my own than associate with the people of the South Pole. Looking back, I realized I barely associated with anyone in the tribe apart from my Gran Gran, Sokka, and Katara. Now here I was, calling a man I'd only known for a few months an Uncle figure… I was beginning to feel far more distant from my people by the day.

"You should get some sleep… You need it," Iroh encouraged, seeing my mind had suddenly gone some other place.

The thought of sleep made my gut tighten. I feared that if I went to sleep I would dream about my family and their disappointment. I feared that I would be forced to face them, and see the hurt on their face at my betrayal.

"I'm alright… You rest first. I'll wake you when I reach my breaking point," I promised. "I just want to think right now."

Iroh sighed heavily. "They'll forgive you, Crystal. They're your family."

I nodded, but didn't respond. Instead, I began to move my arms again to return to controlling the water around our raft. As the waves hit our transportation once more, and we moved forward back towards the Earth Kingdom, I stared at the water trying to sink my thoughts away.

Zuko POV

My eyes opened, but quickly shut when the sun burned into them. The rocking of the raft made me nauseous and my throat was parched. There was no telling how long I'd been asleep, but from the direction the sun burned into my eyes I estimated it had been a good six hours. When I finally managed to open my eyes, I had to turn my head to the side so the sun didn't blind me. Looking over, I saw Uncle was laying on his side asleep. Crystal was still awake though, and I saw her hand move back and forth in a repeated motion as she pulled waves at the back of our raft.

Sitting up, I grimaced at how sore my muscles felt. My movement surprised Crystal, and she turned her head my way startled. When she saw it was just me waking up, she turned back away and stared at the water before her.

Moving carefully so I didn't flip the raft, I managed to scoot over to her without bumping into Uncle. "You're still awake?"

My question only earned a slight glance, and then a small nod. When her eyes shot my way, I could see how tired and worn she was. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she looked like she could crash at any moment.

"You should sleep. You haven't since you left Zhao's ship."

She shook her head. "I don't want to sleep… Being up distracts me."

Her words made me fall silent. At first I wondered what she needed a distraction from, but then I understood. Crystal had just helped me escape the North Pole, and in doing so she was now a traitor to her own people. She probably felt as lost and scared as I had when I was banished from the Fire Nation.

I knew from experience, changing the subject was the best cure. "How are your feet? They were pretty blistered up from the snow and ice."

She shrugged. "They're fine. I healed them up some with water while you were asleep. They should be back to themselves in a day or two."

She fell quiet again. The both of us sat not sure what to do or say. As we sat in silence, I couldn't help but actually see Crystal for the first time since we'd escaped the North Pole. Her hair was tangled, most likely from being locked up in a cell for so many weeks. Her skin was bruised up, and also blistered from the cold air. Her clothing was covered with dirt and wrinkled from dry water. The one thing that concerned me most, was she looked like she'd lost even more weight than when she was back on my ship.

"Zuko… I'm fine," she said suddenly. My eyes shot up to meet her gaze as she looked at me with knowing. "You need to worry more about yourself. We're about to go into the Earth Kingdom, and from what I've gathered over the weeks you're not exactly welcome in much of the land."

She was trying to distract me from her problems, and bring me back to the problems before us. I ignored her though, too concerned to think about anything else. She'd stopped her movements, and the raft had slowed to a drift without the assistance of her bending. Her azure eyes looked foggy and out of focus.

Finally, I knew what to say. "I never said thank you."

My words surprised her. Her face turned puzzled. "Thank you? For what?"

I hung my head with a grimace. "I would lie and say I could've handled those men on my own, but I know the truth. If you weren't there, I would've definitely been captured. My fight against Zhao had been the last of my energy. When I saw the warriors prepare to fight me, I knew I wouldn't be able to win. You saved me…" My eyes met hers. She was bewildered by my gratitude. "Thank you for not leaving me."

A pause fell between us, and I wondered if maybe I'd said something wrong. However, she smiled that smile I'd come to love, and I knew I'd done the right thing.

"If I left you, I'd have to break you out of the North Pole's dungeons. That would've been too much work."

Her statement threw me off. When I saw the laughter in her eyes though, I could tell she was trying to joke. Her optimism made me smile, ever so slightly. "Yeah… I guess so."

She sighed heavily then, and turned her body carefully so she was facing me. She bit her lip like she always did when she wanted to say something but didn't know how to say it.

Finally, she took in a deep breath. "Honestly, the thought of you being a prisoner made me sick to my stomach." She stared down at her hands which rested on her knees. "I couldn't bear the thought of seeing you at the mercy of my people… They would've tortured you… or worse. I couldn't-" Her voice caught in her throat, and I was surprised to see tears form in her eyes. "I couldn't watch them torture you... I couldn't watch them kill you… The thought of what they would've done to you… I- I would've never been able to sleep at night knowing-"

I broke the distance between us, suddenly wrapping my arms around her shaking frame. The raft wobbled at the quick movement, but evened out. She was tense at first, but eventually relaxed in my embrace. She fell into my thick coat, her face pressing into the fabric as her tears continued to fall. I was aware she was crying more from exhaustion than anything else. I hugged her closer, pressing my face into her hair wishing I could do more.

Katara POV

The young warrior hung his head in dismay as he finished telling the chief what my ears didn't want to believe. Chief Arnook sat on his throne, his face hard as he tried to keep his grief at a minimum. He'd just lost his daughter to the moon spirit, and although she had saved her people in the process, he was suffering greatly from his loss.

"This can't be true! She wouldn't do such a thing! There has to be an explanation!"

Sokka was trying to keep his grief to a minimum as well. He'd loved the chief's daughter Yue, and having to watch her sacrifice herself to the moon had been one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do. He didn't want to believe on top of everything else that our sister had turned her back on our people.

The warrior frowned deeply, his nose red from digging out of the snow. "You heard me and the rest of the men, Sokka. We were buried beneath your sister's attack. She knew what she was doing the moment she stepped in front of the firebender."

Sokka stepped towards the young warrior who was probably ten years older. He tried to size the warrior up, not wanting to face the inevitable that our sister had chosen a firebender over her people.

"Crystal would never betray us! I know her! She's been hurt too much by the Fire Nation in the past! She's been Prince Zuko's prisoner for months! There's no way she'd help him escape after everything he's done to her!"

"Calm down, Sokka," Chief Arnook ordered.

It was the first time he'd spoken since the warriors entered the palace throne room to give their message to the tribe. After Aang had returned from using the Avatar state to defeat Zhao's fleet, we'd gone to the Chief with heavy hearts to tell him of Yue's sacrifice. The Chief was already accompanied by other warriors who looked to have gone through war and back, and they definitely had. Master Pakku was in the crowd as well, and seemed to be as tired as the rest of the men. The Northern Water Tribe had managed to take on a few prisoners, but Prince Zuko and his crazy Uncle were not among the captives. And Crystal… she was nowhere to be seen…

"No! There is no way my sister would attack her people! This guy has no clue what he's saying!" Sokka pointed a finger at the warrior in rage, who managed the whole time to keep a composed face.

Chief Arnook stood then, and approached the warrior and Sokka with slow steps. "Sokka… Asok is one of my most trusted warriors. He states that your sister helped the Fire Nation prince escape, and I believe him."

Sokka turned towards the Chief with disbelief. "You can't believe this! I know my sister, and she would never attack her own. Zuko must've made her or something! She must've been force-"

"Sokka!" I finally spoke up for the first time since we'd gotten to the palace. "Enough!"

The men in the room looked over at me with surprise. Aang stood beside me and was bewildered when he heard my voice. Sokka seemed to want to protest, but when he saw the weariness and distraught on my expression, he finally stepped away from Asok in defeat.

Chief Arnook let out a heavy sigh. "Let's continue this discussion later after everyone has had some rest. We all have been through much trouble today. Everyone go home to your families and celebrate our victory. I will ponder over what shall be done about our sister from the Southern Water Tribe."

As if a river was parted, the men in the room all tiredly made their way out of the palace. The room took a moment to clear out, but finally all that remained were Chief Arnook, Master Pakku, Sokka, Aang, myself, and a few of the palace guards. The commotion in the room was finally gone, and a silence filled the air only for a moment.

Sokka still wasn't done with his rebuttal though. "I can't believe this! There's no way Crystal would help that monster escape. She must've been put up to it. She must've been brainwashed or something. There has to be an explanation!" He started to pace back and forth. Chief Arnook had returned to his throne with a contemplative expression. Master Pakku shook his head in disbelief. Aang looked over at me knowing the truth just as much as I did.

I hung my head.

"Crystal knew exactly what she was doing." I spoke the truth, and although I didn't want it to be true, Sokka needed to know. "She helped Zuko escape of her own free will."

He stopped pacing and turned to me still unable to believe our sister would do such a thing. "Why would she?! He's her captor! That doesn't make any sense!"

Crossing my arms, I felt shivers run down my spine as I knew the answer. "She doesn't see it that way."

There was a pause as my words floated through the air. Aang sighed beside me, wishing my words weren't true. We both knew the fact was definite though.

Sokka was amazed. "What are you talking about?"

My heart ached. "Remember when I was captured by Zuko and tied to the tree… Well... we had a conversation… Turns out that Crystal and Zuko have gotten pretty close over the months they've been together… I think…" I stopped, not wanting to say it out loud. The very thought made my stomach sick.

"You think what?"

Sokka's question made my words catch in my throat. Finally, I found my voice again.

"I think Crystal helped Zuko because she… Because she cares about him… loves him..."

My words hung in the air. Aang rubbed the back of his neck not liking the awkward silence. Sokka fell speechless, not sure how to respond. Chief Arnook and Master Pakku seemed shocked by my reveal.

"Loves him…?" Sokka couldn't fathom what I was trying to say. Or he didn't want to. "You think Crystal actually likes… No…" He shook his head in refusal. "There's no way! Crystal isn't that foolish to fall in love with such a monster! She wouldn't fall in love with a firebender!"

Aang cleared his throat. "Well… Love works in strange ways, Sokka… I mean, back when I traveled around the Fire Nation a hundred years ago there were tons of Fire Nation men married to Earth Kingdom women. Just because you're of two different nations doesn't me-"

"I could care less if she fell in love with someone from the Earth Kingdom! What I do care about is the thought of my sister falling for the sworn enemy's son!"

I spoke up again. "I don't like it either, Sokka. But if it's really the case, then there's nothing we can do about it."

Chief Arnook stood from his throne again, and his voice held the authority that had been lacking earlier. "There is something we can do about it. I've reached my decision. As of today, Crystal is a traitor to her tribe and people. I do not speak for the Southern Water Tribe, but as for my own I decree that your sister is not welcome in the Northern Water Tribe. If she returns here, she will be marked as a sworn enemy and taken into custody." He then turned to Master Pakku. "Try to find out Chief Hakoda's location. It is important we notify him of his daughter's treachery."

My eyes widened. My blood seemed to go cold. Sokka was horrified by the Chief's order. Aang seemed to want to argue, but knew it would do no good.

Master Pakku surprisingly spoke up. "Sir… May I speak." Chief Arnook was surprised, but nodded in response. Master Pakku looked over at us as if to try and reassure us it would be alright. He then met Chief Arnook's questioning gaze. "If what's said is true, then of course we should be upset that the child has fallen for the enemy. However, I must disagree with you that she herself is the enemy. Many of my warriors can vouch for me when I say, that child fought hard for her people during the battle today. When she was found outside the walls, I ordered Asok to bring her to the palace. She refused to obey and assisted me and my men in the battle. She did not fight for the Fire Nation. She fought for her people. She refused to let the Fire Nation destroy our home and tribe. It was not her home, yet she fought to protect us all. I can't say I'm thrilled she put an avalanche over my men, but up until then all she cared about was keeping your people safe. And honestly, she didn't harm anyone. A few runny noses won't be the end of the world."

There was another pause as Arnook took in this new information. I was astounded by what Pakku had said. Crystal had helped fight beside the waterbenders and warriors. She could've gotten killed fighting against Fire Nation soldiers! However, the thought of her defending our people made me proud. She wasn't switching sides of the war… She was just following her heart. Even though her heart was held by the enemy.

The chief seemed to ponder heavily over all that was said. Then he sighed for what felt like the fiftieth time. "I suppose that does change things…" His eyes shot over to the three of us, who stood in the room with uncertainty and despair. "However, I can't forget the fact that your sister assisted in the escape of the Fire Lord's son. In my eyes that is still treason to her people. I will not tell your father of this, but you two should be aware of how serious this matter is. If you can convince your sister of how foolish her actions are, and she apologizes formally to my people, then we will oversee her transgressions and welcome her back as our Water Tribe sister."

His words made both Aang and I shoot one another a gaze of relief. Crystal hadn't been completely banished from the Northern Water Tribe, which meant Arnook would most likely not send word to father. Father already knew from Bato that our sister was captured by the Fire Nation. The last thing dad needed to worry about was Crystal falling for the prince of the very people who killed mom.

Sokka seemed to agree with Chief Arnook's new view on the matter. "Don't worry, Chief. I'll knock some sense into my sister. When I'm through with her, she'll remember who the true enemy is."

Later that morning, we found ourselves back in the room we were staying in. As Sokka prepared his mat for much needed sleep, and also to think about everything that had transpired, I couldn't contain myself anymore. Aang and I had been quiet after Arnook dismissed us, and I wanted to speak so terribly. Finally, I did.

"Sokka… If she really loves Zuko, then there isn't much you can do… From what I gather, Crystal loved Zuko enough to turn against the Water Tribe. It won't be easy to convince her not to have feelings for him."

Aang also added his thoughts. "Yeah… You can't really stop love… If it's fate then-"

Sokka interrupted. "This isn't fate! This is craziness! We'll get her back from that monster, and once she's no longer his captive she'll see clearly. She's obviously very confused… Who knows what Prince Zuko has done to her in the three months she's been with him. We just need to remind her what's real and not real!"

Aang and I knew there was no longer a point in arguing with Sokka. With defeat, the two of us went to our own sleeping areas to get the rest we all needed. As I slid under my covering, I shut my eyes saying softly, "What's going on in your head sis…" Then I said in my thoughts. "Take care of her mom…"

Crystal POV

"A ship!"

My eyes shot open as Zuko's shout brought me out of my sleep. When Zuko had held me in his arms, I'd been so comfortable that I couldn't stop myself from drifting. I wasn't sure how long I'd been out, but when I opened my eyes I could see the sun was already lowering in the sky. Iroh was awake, his hands on the sail of our raft as he tried to direct it towards what Zuko was seeing. Zuko stood with his hand on the pole of the raft, his finger pointing at something ahead. Both of them looked excited and relieved. Sitting up, I followed Zuko's pointer finger to the ship he saw. A good distance ahead of us, there was a shape on the horizon that could definitely be interpreted as a ship. My stomach growled at the thought of the nourishment I was much lacking. My skin ached from the sunburn I'd developed. My heart leaped at the thought of rescue and civilization. We'd been on the raft for what felt like a lifetime, and without assistance we would surely die.

"Thank, Agni!" Iroh was elated that there was hope for our survival. "We need to flag them down somehow!"

As if the thought of getting off this raft motivated me, I managed to find my sea legs and stand up on the raft. Zuko and Iroh paid no mind, trying to figure out what they could use to get the distant ship's attention. As they pondered over this, I began to manipulate the water below us. Creating a stream that pushed against the back of our driftwood, I sped our movement in the direction of the ship. The sudden speed of the raft caused Zuko and Iroh to stumble, but they shot me grateful expressions knowing I was the cause.

It only took ten minutes for us to catch up with the distant ship. From what I could tell, the ship was a merchant vessel that was most likely carrying supplies to different ports in the Earth Kingdom. The vessel was made out of steel like Fire Nation ships, but had no indication of what nation it came from. The crew of the ship had spotted us as we approached, and they were lined up along the ship railing staring down at us. A dinghy was approaching, which they had lowered down from the ship only a moment before. A man in brownish tinted clothing rowed towards us, and when he got close enough he came to a stop.

The man was actually a teen, maybe my age or a little older. He had shoulder length brown hair, that was partially up in a topknot. There was a brown headband around his cranium, which matched the tan shirt he wore. His pants were a dirty brown, and he wore sandals. His skin was sun-bleached from constant exposure out at sea, and he appeared well toned from labor.

"Are you three alright?" His pubescent voice threw me off, because it made me immediately think of Sokka. He had grabbed the side of our raft when he got to us, his sea-green eyes taking in our appearance with both curiosity and concern.

Iroh spoke with relief. "Actually, we could really use a lift. Our ship got caught in a storm while fishing, and we ended up getting thrown overboard. Our vessel capsized, but luckily the raft I kept for precaution survived. We've been out at sea for over a day now, and could really use something to eat."

The tale told was incredulous, but the young man seemed to look past the story. "Well come on and I'll row you to the ship. My father's captain, and I'm sure he'll have no problem with you staying with us until we reach port. We're making a cargo run to a Fire Nation colony. The trip will take a few days, but I'm sure we can keep you comfortable until then." His eyes shot towards me. "I hope you don't mind, but you'll be the only female aboard. My father's doesn't take on female workers… He doesn't think women should work on the ocean. He's a superstitious man. Says it's bad luck to have women on board or something like that. I think he's worried it will just distract his men."

His confession didn't make me any less eager to get onboard the ship.

"I've met worse," I promised. Also, I was the only female on Zuko's ship for over two months. It wasn't something I needed to get used to. "That won't be a problem. Anything to get us off this raft…"

He nodded. "Well come on aboard," the young man said. "You three look like you could use some dry clothes and warm food." He held a hand out towards me, and I smiled with gratitude.

"I'll help her," Zuko spoke. He grabbed my hand before I could take the gesture of the stranger before me and pulled me over to his side. He then scooped me up, having amazing balance on the raft beneath his feet, and placed me into the dinghy. I gasped as my legs were moved from the raft to the boat. Once I was stable, Zuko let go of me and climbed in beside me. Our savior was surprised by the action. Iroh chuckled from behind.

A moment later the three of us were seated in the small dinghy with the teenager who introduced himself as Kahru. When he asked for our names, Zuko and Iroh gave some fake ones, taking on the identities of Shang and Chin. When he asked for my own, I said my real one without thinking that it would cause any suspicion. He was surprised though, asking what nation I was from. He could make out Zuko and Iroh were Fire Nation right off, but Crystal wasn't exactly a common name found in the world.

"Oh… I'm from the Earth Kingdom colonies…"

He was currently rowing us back towards the ship, our raft being left behind. "Hmm… Interesting… So are you all from the Earth Kingdom?"

Iroh quickly came up with more to our tale. "We're actually from the very port you and your crew are headed."

Kahru seemed suspicious of our tale, and I could tell he was even more suspicious of Zuko who had kept quiet through the whole conversation. Zuko sat beside me in the dinghy, his eyes staring at the floorboards of the boat.

A few minutes later we were on board. The crew greeted us with excitement, and quickly offered us some water for our parched lips. The three of us drink greedily, realizing it was our first drink in what felt like forever. They gave us some fruit too, saying we looked like we could use it. After we ate, and Iroh came up with an elaborate tell as to how we ended up three days from land, Kahru showed us to the room below deck where we would be staying.

There were two hammocks in the room, and two chests bolted to the floor. There was also a porthole that the sun shined through, and a lantern sat by the door. "Sorry it's not much. We had two crewmen sign off a few weeks ago, so this room has been vacant. I'll see if I can find a spare mat after I let my dad know you're all okay. I'll be back later to bring you to dinner. I'm sure dad would love to meet you all. We don't have a lot of guests on board."

He left us then to go attend to some duties. As soon as he left, we all let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Well isn't he a nice young man… See Zuko? I told you everything would work out in the end."

Zuko seemed troubled. "This was sheer luck, Uncle… If this ship hadn't come along we would've probably starved to death or died of thirst."

"Looks like the spirits are keeping us alive." Iroh walked over to the hammock. "That's very nice of them."

As Zuko and Iroh were conversing, I walked over to the window and stared outside. The waves were just a few feet below, and I could still see the raft as we gained distance from it. While the voices of my companions droned in the background, I placed my hand on the cold glass looking off towards the north where I knew my family were.

Still conflicted with my decision, I hung my head with my eyes shut tight.

Sokka… Katara… I love you… I'm sorry we're still separated… But… I couldn't let Zuko be prisoner… I care about him too much…

Forgive me…

Sokka POV

The snores of Aang and Katara were my indicator that they had both fallen asleep. That was my cue. Slowly I crawled out of my sleeping mat, grabbed my fellow Boomerang, and headed out of the warm ice building we'd been staying in. The day was still alive, and men and women were embracing all over the streets. Children danced and giggled with delight that their fathers and Aang had kept the tribe safe. As I headed to the palace, I let my hand tighten around my boomerang.

The war prisoners had been interrogated. They would soon be carted to a prison in the Earth Kingdom near Ba Sing Se. Right before we left, Master Pakku informed me privately that one of the prisoners had known my sister. When I asked him how, he told me to meet the prisoner myself so I could have all my questions answered. The prisoners were currently being held in the palace dungeons. They were being guarded heavily by Pakku's most trusted pupils. I wasn't sure what would come of the prisoners after they were taken to the Earth Kingdom, and I honestly didn't care. All I desired at the moment was answers. This prisoner who knew my sister would tell me the truth.

There was no way my sister Crystal had fallen for Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation!

When I arrived back at the palace, Master Pakku was already there waiting for me. I had told him I would return after giving Katara and Aang the slip. He greeted me with a guarded expression, and led me through the interior of the icy palace. As we made our way down a few halls, descended a winding snowy staircase, and headed deep under the icy ground I noticed the light was starting to disappear. A warrior was waiting for us in the dark hall though, his hand holding a lantern. He guided us farther down the dark passage towards an arched doorway. The closer we got to the prisoners, the more my heart accelerated in both uncertainty and anticipation.

When we finally reached the dungeons, I was amazed to see the twenty war prisoners were each in their own individual cell of ice. The firebenders were chained tightly behind, while the non-benders sat on the cold ground helplessly.

I didn't waste a minute. "Which one?"

Master Pakku led me through the dark room down three cells. He stopped at the icy bars of the non-benders cage. "His name's Hul. He claims he worked under Zuko's crew right before joining Zhao's fleet. He'd been given task of keeping an eye on your sister during her imprisonment."

The Fire Nation prisoner stared over at me, but I could tell he wasn't thrilled with his situation. None of the men were. They looked scared, and I didn't blame them. My tribe hadn't taken prisoners for many years, so I wasn't sure what the proper after-war treatment was. I was certain Chief Arnook would not show sympathy towards these men though, especially after they tried to attack our people. And once they were moved to the Earth Kingdom, I could only assume things would get worse.

"You knew my sister?"

The man looked me up and down until his eyes bore into my own. "Hm… You must be Sokka…" His voice sounded tired, but I could tell he was trying to keep guarded and not show weakness. He paused for a moment to let his words hang in the air. "Crystal talked a lot about you. You definitely have her nose. I wouldn't pass you two for twins though."

He spoke as if they were friends. The thought made me scowl. "I'm not here to make acquaintances! What do you know about my sister's imprisonment? How much did you all torture her? Did you brainwash her?"

My questions astounded the man. "Geez… Cool yourself boy. You act as if we're heartless monsters. Your sister would argue with your accusations." He continued to speak as if he wasn't a prisoner who could be executed at any moment. He was totally calm. "Crystal was treated well on board. We all enjoyed her company during the long voyage. She was a young spirit that made all of us cheer after years of nothing but a moody prince. You may think poorly of us, but none of us dared lay a hand on her. None of us honestly had the heart to do such a thing."

I scowled. "That's a lie! The day she was taken prisoner one of your buddies attacked her! I saw it with my own eyes!"

Hul frowned. "Yeah. Kahn felt terrible for what he did to the girl. He was given order to detain her though, so he didn't know what else to do."

I stepped forward, my hand only gripping my weapon tighter. "What else did you monsters do to her? How did you brainwash her?"

This time Hul laughed. "Brainwash? You have a big imagination kid. None of us are trained with that skill." He sighed then, leaning back on the wall of his icy prison. "Everything your sister has done up to this point has been of her own will. Even saving my life when I almost fell overboard was her own choice. She has a good heart. You should be proud of her."

His words stopped me from snapping at him again. Instead I fell quiet, the grip on my weapon weakening as I heard his opinion towards my sister.

"Why would she save you…? Why would she save any of your kind…?"

Hul looked at me with sincerity. "Because she saw good in each of us… You may not believe what I say, but we're not all heartless monsters. We are all just doing what we have to so we can make a life for our families. Crystal saw the humanity in all of us… That's why she saved me." He sighed. "And now I can be a prisoner at peace knowing I saved that girl from a horrible fate as well." He glanced back over at me. "I heard she escaped Zhao… I'm glad to hear… she doesn't deserve the fate that man would've given her." He smiled. "She's a wonderful young woman… be proud of her."

I grit my teeth. "Just… answer me one last thing... Is it true? Did she really fall in love with Prince Zuko?"

Hul sighed. "Yeah… never knew Zuko was capable of something like that. Those two clashed so much to begin with, but over the weeks the young prince started to change. His harsh demeanor and lack of care for anyone but his uncle seemed to simmer. He started to become concerned for his crew, and seemed to care for the waterbender immensely… they were rarely not together. Plus, there was a guard who spotted them kissing one night. They never really announced their relationship, but it was pretty clear that they were head over heels for one another." He shrugged. "We were all betting on it. The Prince looked smitten from the first week."

I took in what the enemy before me was saying. As his words sunk into me, I felt my blood go cold. My sister had truly lost her mind… She had truly become blind to the truth of the world. She kissed the Fire Nation Prince? She thought these people had good in them? She saved this Fire Nation man from dying?

Her brain was clearly a mess. That was the only logical explanation. She had been away from home for too long. We had to find her and save her. We had to get my sister back. I had to knock some sense into her skull. She needed to be reminded of everything the Fire Nation was capable of.

Turning away from Hul without another word, I walked away from him needing some time to think. Master Pakku stepped aside to let me through, and I heard him follow behind without saying a word. He knew I needed to sort out my thoughts.

As I headed up the stairs, I thought back to a few months ago when we were back at the South Pole. Katara had a nightmare about the Fire Nation coming to kill us, and Crystal had been the one to console. I was awake as I heard my twin sister say, "Don't worry Katara… Those monsters won't hurt us. Sokka and I won't let them touch you."

She had once seen them as monsters like the rest of us… So why had she changed her views all of the sudden? I couldn't help but remember her condition after we found her the fateful day mom died. She was barely alive… she was hanging on by the smallest shred of life… It took her weeks to recover, and even when she did she had the enemies mark on her clear as day. After being hurt so terribly by the Fire Nation, why would she allow herself to save one from dying?

What was she thinking?

I stopped at the top of the stairs, my body shaking as I thought about everything that was occurring. My sister was out there with the Prince of the Fire Nation. I had to get her back. I had to remind her of who the true enemy was. She needed to come to her senses before Zuko hurt her beyond repair.

I would get my sister back… I wouldn't give up until I saved her… because none of it was right… a waterbender and a firebender were not acceptable! She could not be in love with Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation!

Crystal POV

Sitting on the cot that Kahru had one of the crewmen bring into our small room, I listened to the snore of Iroh and the steady breaths of Zuko. The day had passed by pretty eventful. After we got some rest, we met Kahru's father up on deck. He was a strong and tall man, much more clean shaven than his crew. You could tell he wasn't on any particular side of the war, having no prejudice towards Iroh and Zuko when he picked them off as Fire Nation men. He explained his reasoning to us, giving us a small background of his family when we ate dinner in his cabin later in the day. He told us that his grandma was Fire Nation, and his grandpa was Earth Nation. He explained his family stayed out of the war as much as they could, and when he got old enough he began selling merchandise to both sides of the war.

"I don't agree with the war, but I don't have the heart to choose a side. I'm both Fire and Earth Nation, and I accept that."

After he explained his story to us all, Zuko and Iroh seemed to relax for the first time since we stepped on the giant vessel. The dinner given to us was packed with meat and nutrients, which was something we all desperately needed. Iroh had some drinks with the captain afterward, while Zuko kept close to me as Kahru showed us around the ship. I wasn't oblivious to why Zuko was hovering so close: he didn't want the men of the crew to get any ideas.

When our tour was over, Kahru walked us back to our room. A crewman had already brought in the cot, and Iroh was asleep passed out in his swaying hammock. "Get some rest you two. You definitely need it." Kahru left us with those words, and when he was gone Zuko and I made our way to our stations.

My body couldn't get comfortable on the cot as the ship swayed on the ocean waves. The creak of the ship was deafening to my ears keeping me awake. I had felt exhausted, but for some reason I couldn't sleep. I knew why though… My mind was still racing with the knowledge that I was now a traitor.

As I sat curled up on my cot- my arms wrapped tightly around my legs hugging them to my chest and my forehead pressed against my knees- I couldn't help but imagine what my family were thinking. How disappointed was Sokka? How much did Katara feel betrayed? How much pain had I afflicted on both of them?

My mind was so loud with my thoughts, that I was surprised when the cot creaked beside me and warm familiar arms pulled me toward a familiar body. I relaxed as Zuko pulled me into his comforting embrace, and rested my head against his chest. "You need to sleep," he whispered. "You're at your limits."

I nodded against his chest, not wanting him to leave me. His hold eased my worries and pain slightly, and my thoughts became distracted. "Don't leave me," I begged softly. I knew I meant more than just that moment. I meant for him to never leave me. I didn't want him to go back to the Fire Nation. I wanted him to stay with me, and be with me for the rest of his days.

He misinterpreted my meaning. "I'll stay with you until you go to sleep… Just please try."

I nodded, and then the both of us extended out on the cot. As we rested beside each other, I felt Zuko's arm only hug me tighter. My head still rested on his chest, and his other hand brushed through my tangled hair softly. My mind finally calmed, my tense body relaxed, and I drifted to sleep by the sound of his beating heart.