Author's Notes: Here it is... the long awaited chapter 7. I hope you enjoy it... rewriting this was absolute torture. TORTURE I TELL YOU!! There was a part that was like, 600 words, that I had to rewrite. It majorly sucked.

Deds: Unique Art, Avatar Airis, and Celtic Goddess of Fertility. I wish there were more... -hint hint-

Disclaimer: I do not own "Avatar: The Last Airbender." This is the seventh chapter. Shouldn't you know this by know?

I exhaled a deep breath of uncertainty as I walked down the corridor, a vague feeling of eagerness developing in my gut. I just decided to go back to my room, and nothing else. I was done for today.

I took a different route this time. I passed another portrait of that family- this time with a devious looking girl demanding the front, and no mother.

I looked at my ground as I kicked around the dust in front of my feet. My eyes shifted back and forth, checking for a door with a long scratch etched in the metal. That was the only thing making the door to my room different than the hundred others.

I stopped in my tracks as I saw it. Not a scratch, but a glistening something peeking out from behind a door left slightly ajar. It was open, a tiny crack, just enough to know that it was open at all. Cautious, I pushed the door open all the way. Near my feet was that shining thing- A red velvet bag of rubies and black diamonds.

Oh. My. God. I had never, in my entire fifteen year old life, seen this much treasure in one place. And since I wasn't stupid, I stuck more treasure than I had seen in my fifteen year old life inside my pocket.

And treasure was almost the least of it. More than dust-bunnies, unimportant scrolls, and a bunch of Fire Nation trash: this room was wall-to-wall sloppily tacked up wanted posters, ominous weaponry, and more gems (than I could carry.)

My eyes fell onto the wanted posters first. Most of them illustrated a boy dressed in yellow and red holding a long stick. He sported strange tattoos, and looked about 12. "If you find this boy, turn him in to the Fire Lord for a reward of 20,000 gold pieces."

That would set anyone for life! And anyway, how much could a little kid do to be worth so frickin much? I poured over those posters trying to find the thing that was tapping at the back of my mind. Maybe it was something about how he looked...Airbender tattoos. Of course! This was an Airbender, and the last. He was an Avatar! An entire nation was after the world's last hope for peace.

I pinched my eyes closed in anger. This was why I was apart from the rest of my hopeless nation. I wanted to save the world, and not destroy it. And nothing more.

I tore that poster off the wall, and froze. Under it, was another.

But this time, it was a face I knew.

The leader of Katokai.

I pulled it off the wall and read it to see what kind of lies the Fire Nation had made this time: "For treachery to the Fire Nation and ambush of Fire Nation royalty. 300 gold pieces will be rewarded for arrest of Takashi."

No... I balled my hands into fists in fury, but it wasn't a lie. I would get revenge, somehow...

I exhaled my frustration in a somewhat failed attempt of calmness. Though a pretty strange place to meditate, I collapsed into a cross-legged sit. I positioned my hands into this strange curl and closed my eyes.

My heart skipped a beat as I shot up, startled by a crashing noise. I saw a bow and set of arrows -still quivering- on the ground. Cautious, I picked it up by my fingertips like it was a delicate and fragile piece of china, though it had a few careless scratches. I blew the dust off it as to see all the intricate details that I hoped would be engrained in the dark wood. I strung a makeshift arrow to the thinning string. I gripped the bow in my right hand and pulled the arrow back in my left.

"You hold it like this," Haka Sai instructs. "Good, you're doing great. Now: inhale as you pull the bow back, and make sure you exhale as you let it go. Just like the bow, first all the force accumulates, then rushes out; like breath. Sorta like Firebending too. Are you ready to try it?" He rests a hand on my shoulder.

"Ok, I guess." I inhale, pull the string back, concentrate on the shining apple that I am aiming at, exhale, and let the arrow fly. I hear the soft twang as it zooms through the air and savor the expected splash of juice and the soft thump as the apple hits the ground. "I did it, Haka, I did it!" I jump up and down in excitement.

"That was great! Maybe if you're lucky you'll get as good as me one day." He chuckles and bends down to kiss my cheek.

"I'll try." I watch him walk into the house and disappear behind the door.

I wiped away the stay tear that had escaped from my eye. I wished more than anything for him to be with me now, and get me through these horrible days. But fact of the matter was that he would never be with me again, no matter how much I wanted him to be. And I had to accept that once again.

I tore down the poster of Takashi and the Avatar and ripped them for nobody to ever see again. My eyes came back to the bow... I stuffed it under my arm and hid it behind my back. It was the closest thing I would ever have to my previous life, and I would never let it leave me.

I edged out of the room and headed towards mine.

I walked along the empty halls, spiritedly looking once again for my bedroom. I didn't even notice any living thing other than myself until I was soaked in hot tea. "Excuse me, Miss," came a calm voice, and one that I vaguely knew...

"Oh, sorry. I didn't see you," I apologized. I went to hide the bow; unfortunately, it was on the floor in plain sight. I bent down to pick it up and started to run, but the old man's hand gripped my shoulder before I could. My shoulder ached: people just love to put their hand on my shoulder lately.

"It's Ok, I won't tell," he added in a whisper. "It's one of our oldest ones, it surely won't be missed." The old man's voice was soothing and wizened, and one of the most comforting I'd heard in a long time.

"I guess I'll be going then," I said as I edged off toward somewhere, only to be stopped – again – by him.

"Why don't you come and have some tea with me? You look tired."

I hesitated, unsure about whether to accept his offer or refuse. "Ok."

"May I take this for you?" He gestured toward my bow – I guess it was mine now. He stole it away in a room behind a scratched door. How in the hell did I miss that?

I strolled behind him for a short while until we came to a room with no door. It was sort of like the room that I had the meal with Zuko in, except much more relaxed. On either side of the room there were line ups of flickering candles, leaving dancing shadows on the walls. The elevation in the center of the room was the same, the cushions no different from the main dining room. It was simple, and just peaceful.

"What kind of tea would you like?"

"Green, please." I actually wasn't big on any tea; I was more of a water person. The old man poured me the piping hot drink in an intricately detailed red and gold porcelain cup. He poured some for himself, and took a long sip from his cup while I hurriedly took one from mine.

There was a silence between us; I thought to myself, And I am here again, because?

"Where are you from?" The old man finally broke the silence; he had at last put the cup down from his lips.

I wouldn't give away my real home; it would be way too risky, especially I was in close alliance with the leader of my village. "Kuzai."

"Ahh... isn't that an island off the Earth Kingdom coast?"

"No... it's a, um, small village in the, um, run-down parts of the Fire Nation. Not popular, eh-heh." I gave an awkward shrug.

I looked around the room, ready to leave here and go to my new self-proclaimed room and play with my bow. Too bad I was stuck in here with a smelly old guy. I cooked something up in my head as I "listened" to the old man go on and on with stories of his almost- conquering at Ba Sing Se.

The old man paused, apparently finished. "Wow, that was cool. I could listen to that story all day... but yawn am I tired! I think I'll go to bed now. So... bye?"

"Sleep well, Miss," he called as I left- possibly a little more hurriedly than courteous. After I'd left the room, I ran like the wind toward my own just for the sake of it. I was in sight of that grey metal door when the ship gave a horrible lurch to the left, knocking me to the ground. My shoulder hit the wall with a lot of force on the way down, almost bringing me to tears. I struggled to get off my hands and knees when I heard violent footsteps come down the hall. I stumbled through the last few steps into my room just before a steaming prince stormed down the corridor.

"Who is changing the course of my ship? What is the meaning of this?" I listened from behind the closed door.

"The Avatar has been sighted at Zijan island, Sir."

"And, why has nobody told me this?"

"We've just been informed ourselves. But it'll take a while to get there; two weeks at the least."

"I don't care! Wherever the Avatar goes, I go. Now get back to work."

I pressed my back against the door as the footsteps faded back into oblivion. It was all silence again. I plopped down on the mat and looked longingly at the bow and arrows. I would, but I had more important things on my mind.

I walked back into the tea-room, and found the old man sitting with a grin on his face.

"I want to ask you something."

"And when I answer, will you actually listen?" he said with a strangely kind smirk. I felt my cheeks become warm.

"Yes, I promise." I took a deep breath. "Why is Zuko so hyped about catching the Avatar? It seems no one else works half as hard as he does to catch the Avatar. I don't understand." The old man folded his arms.

"Prince Zuko is a very complicated young man. You will be interested in his story.

"Let me in!" the young prince ordered the guards standing watch over the entrance of the Fire Lord's war room.

"Prince Zuko," General Iroh said to his nephew, laying two hands on Zuko's shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"I want to go into the war room, but the guard won't let me pass!" the prince answered, looking up at his uncle.

"You're not missing anything. Trust me." Iroh led Zuko away from the entrance. "These meetings are dreadfully boring," Uncle persuaded.

"If I'm going to rule this nation one day, don't you think I should start learning as much as I can?" Prince Zuko said with an innocent hopeful smile.

"Very well. But you must promise not to speak. These old folks are a bit sensitive, you know?" Iroh tried his best not to hurt the young prince's feelings.

"Thank you Uncle!" Zuko bowed to his uncle, and with an uncle's arm around nephew's shoulders, they entered Ozai's war room.

"The Earth Kingdom defenses are concentrated here;" the General announced. "A dangerous battalion of their strongest Earthbenders and fiercest warriors," The General slid a piece across the large map to a spot in front of several pieces labeled with an Earth kingdom insignia. "So I am recommending the forty-first division.

"But the forty-first is entirely new recruits!" an older General spoke out. "How do you expect them to defeat a powerful Earth Kingdom battalion?"

"I don't," the General answered. "They'll be used as a distraction as we mount an attack from the rear. What better to use as bait than fresh meat?"
Prince Zuko stood up, an untimely look of outrage painted on his face. "You can't sacrifice an entire division like that! Those soldiers love and defend our nation! How can you betray them?"

The other occupants of the room stared at the young man in disbelief. Zuko's outburst was absolutely unacceptable. It was no way for a prince to act during a vital war meeting.

"Prince Zuko," the Fire Lord said, stepping out from behind the flames. His voice was cold and unloving. "You should know that your little outburst was an act of complete disrespect. And respect is something you must learn." He looked into his son's eyes. "And an Agni Kai shall teach it to you."
Zuko looked upon the General. "I accept."

At sunset the next day, Prince Zuko stepped onto a dueling platform. He didn't show fear, until he dropped his cloak. On the other end of the platform- the man he was about to attack- was his father.

Zuko fell to his knees, petrified. "Please, Father! I only had the Fire Nation's best interests at heart! I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!"
Ozai advanced towards Zuko as if his opponent was anything but his thirteen year old son. "You will fight for your honor."

Zuko remained kneeling on the floor, only looking up once. "I meant you no disrespect. I am your loyal son." Zuko's voice shook, as if tears were about to spill through his eyes.

"Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!"

"I won't fight you."

"You will learn respect," Ozai came closer yet to his son. " And suffering will be your teacher."

While fearful tears flooding from Zuko's eyes, his father unleashed his most powerful strike to Zuko's face.

"The Fire Lord said that Zuko had shown shameful weakness, and could only return home and have his honor restored by the capture of the Avatar. Does that answer anything?"

I couldn't think straight, only nodded with my eyes staring down in an empty stare of sorrow and disbelief. I finally gathered myself to say, "So that's how he got his scar."

"Correct. He thinks it marks him for who he is; the mark of the banished prince. But he could never be more wrong. He is a strong young man, troubled, but strong," he said. "I think we've talked enough for one day, Miss. I think you'll be happy to get some rest."

"Yeah," was all I said as I left the room.