POWERFUL PRACTICE

Ok so there's a lot of music that was really playing in my ears when I was writing this Chapter. And if you guys want to Experience it the way I did I'll list the songs. You can youtude them. I'll put a * next to each part where you should play the song(s).

* Calm Meditation Radio on Pandora.

** Any other name - Thomas Newman

*** Sail (Feed Me Remix) - Awolnation

Later that evening, and despite Zuko's complaining, Iroh showed me to some private quarters where I could stay. When it was finally time for dinner I was starving. I sat down with Zuko to my left and Iroh to my right. Normally Iroh sat next to Zuko, but he said he wanted to talk to me, so ya. Most of the crew had already eaten and had started working on digging out the ship.

When the cook brought out our meals I didn't know what kinda food it was, but it smelled awesome. I got the fried rice and the veggies which looked like the ones I was used to. I took one bite of something crazy spicy and I thought I was going to cry. "What is that?!"

Iroh just laughed and poured me some more water. He was laughing so hard he didn't even have enough air to answer, so I just pushed the plate of strange noodles with red sauce away.

"Felicity, could you please finish explaining what's going on?" Zuko was less than pleased that I was busy drinking as much water as I could and not answering his question.

What I wouldn't give for some milk right now! I waved off his fussy pants comment, "You know, Zuko..."

"Prince Zuko!" He growled.

"Yeah, that's what I said. We really need to work on your people skills." After a whole pitcher of water I could finally feel my tongue again. I took a deep breath, that pitcher was gonna come back to haunt me I could feel it. "Well, as I was saying, honestly I have no idea. I'm just as shocked as you are about all the weirdness going on with me. I've never had something like this happen. I didn't meant to do what I did before, it just kinda happened! I do have a theory though but I want to test it first. If I'm right, it means I can probably do a lot that I haven't realized yet. "

"What do you mean test it?" he went back to calmly eating his flaming noodles of death.

"You know like training to see if I can control it, and to find the full extent of what I might be able to do….."

"Absolutely not! I don't even know if you're an enemy or not. Just because you're setting here and not in the brig doesn't mean you can't still be put there. If you are going to stay on my ship then I forbid you from doing anything that will put my mission in jeopardy." He slammed his bowl down on the table and turned to face me.

Forbid me, huh? I felt my rebelliousness level reach an all new high. I'm talking over level 9000 high. "I'm not asking for you permission. Just sharing my idea."

The wood table under his hands began to smoke, "How dare you, I'm the crown prince of the greatest nation in the world. To go against me is to go against the fire nation."

"I get that, but here's the deal, oh mighty fire prince, I'm not a member of the fire nation. Therefore you cannot be my prince," I stood up to head back to my room.

"Stop," Zuko shouted. "I order you to stop!"

"Me and orders don't really mesh well, Zuko," I kept walking, "You could always ask me politely to wait for you." He yelled behind me, I didn't stop to turn around but I could smell the smoke. Ha, hot head, "Well, what will it be, Zuko?"

"Fine, do whatever you want, just as long as you stay out of my sight!" He slammed his fist against the wall. "Guards, that girl is not allowed to leave her room without my permission, do you understand?"

When I made it back to my quarters, I slammed the door hard and I changed into my own clothes that were finally dry. Zuko's old clothes were too big and very heavy, and honestly I didn't want anything that had to do with him near me right now.

If I was going to test out these weird new talents, I needed to be able to relax. I got my iPhone, which oddly enough was still on 100% after two hours, and started my music. (*) If he was going to be a jerk about this, I'd practice in my quarters until Prince fussy pants went to sleep.

Growing up I took karate and kick boxing with my brothers, then my oldest brother got into tai chi when he went on a college trip. He taught me the basics, and when I started college I found a group. It wasn't long before I became friends with a girl in the group and she invited me to her yoga class. Right now Yoga would have been my first choice, but since I don't have a mat, Tai chi it is!

I took deep breaths and slowly found my rhythm and shifted my body through the forms. The 24 forms was my favorite, it took anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, and gave me time to relax and help me think.

As I moved through each form I let my mind run free. I thought about all the things I've always wanted to do and see. Random things that no one probably ever thought about, like what it would be like to walk through a rain storm that was in slow motion or stand in you room but smell and feel a breeze from a Japanese cherry tree garden. The metal walls of the ship melted away and I was standing in sun light. The pale pink petals fell from the trees and seemed to float around me.

Oddly enough I could still hear the sound of the crewman talking in the back of my mind. They just had a shift change after digging and melting snow.

Snow, It started to fall in the garden and soon the ground was covered, but I wasn't cold. I was the same comfortable temperature. That made sense; this was just in my mind. Though it looked real I hadn't really left my quarters.

The crewman's conversation entered my mind again. They were talking to Uncle Iroh, he was so respectful. He thanked them for all the hard work while he poured them hot tea.

I wish I could help. If I could, they wouldn't have to work so hard. They could rest and get out of the cold. I know they were looking for Aang, but they weren't really bad people. Zuko would come around in time, I knew that. This was just how he was in book one. He would mellow out. I just have to give him time.

As I shifted through the 18th form, I heard someone at my door. I pulled my thoughts away from my snowy cherry blossom filled garden. It was Uncle Iroh, I could hear him humming a tune in his head.

"Come in." I thought to him

"Felicity? How did you?" he asked from the other side of my door.

"I don't know, but come in" I laughed as he opened the door.

"So... Oh, sorry to interrupt," he didn't come any farther inside.

"It's ok, I only have a few more forms left." I smiled, "Please have a seat. Is that chamomile I smell?"

"You have a good nose for tea," he laughed and sat down at the small table. "What is that you are doing? It looks like water bending forms."

"It's called Tai Chi," I took a deep breath "It's very relaxing and promotes good health. It helps me think. I'm trying to figure out my talents."

"I see you have discovered something, you talked to me. Somehow I could hear your voice in my head, as if you were standing right next to me." He didn't seem to mind me getting in his head.

"I've actually discovered a few things," I reached my closing form and took one more deep breath.

"Really? And what were they?" He held out a cup of tea for me.

I picked up my notebook and phone then sat down beside him, "Ok, so I think it's best for me to start from the beginning. The best way to explain I think is to show you this." I put my notebook and phone on the table. "So this is from where I'm from. It can tell me the date and the time," I slid my finger across my iPhone screen and typed in my pass code, "plus it lets my do a lot of other things." I pulled up my music and scrolled through the songs. "Remember the song I was humming, "Clair de Lune?" I pressed play.

Iroh looked surprised with the music started, "How very interesting."

"Yes, and this is my notebook. It's kind of like a scroll but at the same time very different. I was holding these two things when I fell into this world."

"Fell into this world? What does that mean exactly?" He rubbed his chin and stared at me.

"It means, I'm not from here at all, and I literally fell here. I'm not sure how, but I think that this notebook is the reason why I can hear and talk to people in their minds. I was writing this story, and my heroin in the story," I opened the notebook and turned to the page, "can do some of the same things. I am curious to see just what I can do, and if I'm right, I can probably do a lot."

He nodded at me, "I have a few theories myself. You see, my nephew told me that he was not the one that caused the tea to boil and the cup to shatter. I wasn't so sure at first because you see he has quite the temper."

"Yeah," I chuckled, "I know."

"I think it might have been you, but I've never seen someone firebend something without touching it."

"That would be amazing, I've always liked fire. I just wish I could help out in some way" I stared down at my tea-cup.

He reached over and patted my hand, "Why don't we take a walk around the deck? Don't forget your tea." He walked to the door.

I grabbed a blanket from my bed and wrapped it around my shoulders. "Ok, let's go!"

The crew had cleared more ice then I thought, but then again some of them were fire benders. Melting snow was probably no big deal for them. "You really think I could be of help?"

"I do! Maybe if you just try some basic forms to see if you can firebend, " He stood next to me and gave me simple instructions. It seemed easy enough, but boy was I wrong.

At first all could do was heat the air around my own body. Iroh told me that was because of the Chi or energy in my body.

"I am amazed you can control your chi at such a level," He didn't seem to mind the heat rolling off of me.

"Well, that is probably because of the Tai Chi I was doing. That's the point. It promotes wellness and rejuvenates the body. It's what waterbending is based from, but I'm not a waterbender."

"Maybe not, but because you have mastered these water bending forms, it could explain you're mastery of Chi. You just have the chi of a firebender and not a water bender," He patted my shoulder. "Now relax and instead of trying to make a flame try to take control of your own chi and use the heat of it to melt the snow."

"Got it, let's see what I can do," I drank the rest of my tea then handed him my cup and blanket. I figured the best way to clear my head was with music. I had a yoga/mediation play list that would do the trick. (**)

After doing my tai chi 24 forms again all I managed to do was heat the air around me some more. I wasn't able to control where it went or anything like that. I was getting pretty aggravated at myself. I wasn't doing anything to help!

I jerked my phone out of my pocket and when I did the "shake shuffle" kicked in. The total opposite of relaxing yoga music played loudly in my ears and that was, (***) 'Sail (Feed Me Remix.)' It was really one of my favorite songs.

I have a habit of getting completely lost in my music and pretending to be the conductor. My head moved along with the heavy beat, I closed my eyes, and my hands tapped the air as if it were a drum. I just let myself go with the sounds. You know how that is right? When something takes control of you and you don't even know what you're doing. I felt warm, like I just finish exercising and my heart was beating faster. Weird enough, there was almost like a pulse in my fingertips, like there was a force pushing out of me with every beat.

I was pulled out of my musical trance by Iroh's hand on my shoulder. I pulled one headphone out of my ear and turned to him.

"Felicity, what are you doing? What was that strange sound?" He looked shocked, but then again they didn't really have dubstep in this world.

"Oh, sorry could you hear it? It's a loud song. I'll turn it down."

Just then Zuko stormed out on deck, "What's going on out here? What was that...?" He froze as he looked past me.

When I looked at the front of the ship I couldn't believe my eyes, "No way!"

All the snow had completely melted. There were six or seven small lines of flames leading away for from me to the front of the ship, but they were dying out from the water.

"General Iroh, did I? And you could actually hear it. The song and the words? Everything?"

"Yes! I was the strangest thing I think I've ever seen or heard." He stocked his goatee. "It was as if you were fire bending but different. A strange sound started pulsing around you and it was like you were pushing heated chi from your hands, but there was a booming sound. As you moved your head the snow started melting from the top and when you moved your hands or feet the snow was melted off into the water."

"Ok so maybe if I tried to..."

"No! No, more trying! I told you not to do anything from the beginning," Zuko ordered.

"I was just listening to my music, and this happened. Don't you think it would probably be a good idea if I knew what I was doing?" I just gave him this 'really' look. You know what look I mean, that 'you're really a moron' look. "Look at the positive side, Fussy Pants; we can get the ship underway now!"

Iroh walked up between me and Zuko, "Prince Zuko, if you are so worried about it, I will train her myself and take full responsibly for her."

"Thank you, General..." I started to say but was cut off by Iroh,

"Please, I'm retired. You can call me Iroh."

"Can I call you Uncle Iroh, like Zuko does?" I held my hands together, as if I were begging.

"Of course, it would be an honor." Just then he yawned, "It's getting late. We all need our rest. Tomorrow when we reach port for repairs, we can go shopping. How does that sound?"

"Sounds awesome! Ah, I mean, great! That sounds great! Thank you! Good night, Uncle Iroh." He waved goodbye as he headed below deck.

Zuko was just standing there glaring at me, "You disobeyed my orders."

"Me and orders don't go well together, Zuko. I told you that. I'm a rebel! Always have been, always will be! But I'll never turn my back on a friend. You could be counted as a friend Zuko, but that's on you."

"On me?" He looked shocked.

"I know you don't know me, and I don't know what I'm doing, or how I even got here. I don't even know how to get back home. My sister is probably worried sick. You and Iroh are the only people I have right now. I'm not going to mess that up."

"How do you know I won't leave you at the port?"

"Because whether you or anyone else thinks it or not, I know you are a man of honor. You won't leave me in a strange world, completely defenseless, and I know too much remember." I gave him my 'really?' look, but added a sweet smile right behind it. "Where did all that talk about throwing me in the brig go?"

"You don't seem completely defenseless to me, and I still might do that. You were not supposed to leave your room without my permission." He folded his arms across his chest.

"You're probably right, I'm not one to back down from anything or anyone. And I did have supervision, I was with Uncle Iroh himself." I crossed my arms as well. I was getting cold again. I didn't know what had happened to my blanket, I couldn't stop shivering.

"Don't call him that! You can call him Sir Iroh, understand?" Zuko must have noticed how cold I was, he took off his robe and handed it to me, than jerked away quickly.

"Look, fussy pants, he said I could, and that's all that matters to me." I put the robe on, Man this thing is warm. I stared at him for a moment, "You know, you really should think about letting your hair grow out. It would look really good, trust me, I know these things."

"Trust you? Ha, like that will ever happen. I don't even like you," He glared at me. "I'll expect you to return that!" Before he turned to leave Zuko said one last thing, "and stop staring at my hair."

"Fine. Besides, why would I check out your weird ponytail when you have nicer things I can look at as you're walking away?"

He spun on his heels and looked at me with that 'I'm angry at you but I'm angrier at myself for blushing' face. "Do you have any respect for anything? I am a prince and you are nothing more than a peasant that somehow crash landed on my ship. Stop saying things like that to me, it's not amusing."

"Not for you maybe, but dear Zuko I'm flirt and I can be selfish." I just smiled, "Consider that your fare warning. You'll get used to it, I have a strange way of getting under people's skin. I'm sure I'll have you wrapped around my finger in no time." He did his little smoky growl thing and stormed off. I really can't wait until he grows out his hair.

I stared up at the sky for a little while longer. The few crewmen still on desk thanked me for my help with the snow. I just smiled and told them it wasn't a problem. My mind at the moment was stuck on my sister. Ally cat, I know you're probably scared, and wondering where I am. But I promise I'm fine.

I started listening to my music again as I made my way back to my room. I had to drink three glasses of extra strength chamomile tea before I could fall asleep. What I wouldn't give for some ZzzQuil right now.

THE TWO DAYS LATER: EARLY MORNING

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"JEEZE CHREEZE," I woke in the morning with the grace of a blind moose on ice skates. "Who in the Halibut is beating on my door?" I jerked the door open, of course who else would it be? "Really Zuko?! You're like a bad drummer. What do you want?"

He handed me a tray. There was a bowl of fruit, something that looked like oatmeal, and two kabobs of some kind of meat. "We had breakfast an hour ago, your food is cold."

"Like your heart?"

"WHAT?!"

"What?" I said innocently and grinned. "Thank you for the food. I'm just not used to being woken up so loudly and so early."

"I've been up since dawn," He looked mad at me. I hadn't even done anything yet, had I?

Just then a strong wind blew down the hall from outside and I felt goose bumps rise on my legs. MY LEGS! I had just gone to sleep in his old shirt that Iroh gave me. We both seemed to realize my state of undress at the same moment because he quickly diverted his eyes up and I could see a blush creeping up his neck

"Hurry up and get dressed. As soon as we dock, you, Uncle, and I are going ashore. Make sure you wear the Fire nation clothes. You draw too much attention in that little shirt of yours."

"Is it warmer where we are going?"

"Yes."

"And you want me to wear three layers of your old heavy clothes?"

"Yes."

"Is there every the tiniest chance, I'll sweat due to the warmer-ness and three layers of clothes"

"I guess so."

"Then I'm wearing my tank top." I turned to go in my room, but of course he caught my arm.

"No! I order..."

I stopped him right there, "Zuko, you already know how I feel about your orders. It's not going to work. I'm sorry if my 'tiny shirt' distracts you, but I'm not going to burn up just because being covered from head to toe makes it easier for you."

He growled but let me go, "It's not just that you are a distraction, it's also for your safety."

"I'm not defenseless, remember? You even threatened to leave me here!" I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at him.

"We both know my Uncle would never let me leave you here."

"True, but honestly you can't be worrying about me. Zuko, I know you are on a mission to find the Avatar. For you to become the man I know you will become, you have to look for him. I may tease you, but that's just me. That's how I am with people. If you really think I'm too much of a distraction, I will take myself out of the equation."

I could tell he was thinking it over, "How much do you really know about me? That's the second time you've spoken about 'the man I will become' like you know what's going to happen. What are you not telling me?"

"Many things, and I know all about you. I really can't give too much away, but if you think that you can deal with me being here I will help you in any way I can to get you to your true destiny." Man, that sounded cool. "And I will wear Fire Nation clothes, but only if I'm comfortable in them. I won't change myself to make anyone else happy. I refuse to back down on this, understand? I will not be suppressed, I'm too strong-willed for that."

"If you really do know so much about me, prove it." he challenged.

I knew there were a lot of things I could have said to prove my claims from watching Avatar, Zuko was always my favorite character. Not because he was handsome or a prince, but because of what he overcame. He really did have a kind heart and he conquered his past. I respected that. He was scarred for life, but over time he learned that he wasn't his scar.

I reached up and touched his scar. I felt him tense up, but he didn't pull away. "You don't have to regain your honor for him. Do it for yourself. You are not a coward or weak because you wouldn't fight your father."

He pulled my hand away, "Who told you?"

"No one," I swallowed back tears. I always hated his dad for doing that to him. "Be careful not to say too much about the Avatar today. You're going to see Zhao. Don't trust him for a second. That will prove me right when it happens, you'll see."

The horn/signal thing went off to let everyone on board know that we were reaching the dock. That was when I realized Zuko still had my hand.

I slid it out of grasp and stepped back into my room. "I should get dressed. I'll meet you on deck."

He just nodded and backed up from my door. I closed it before he could say anything. That was a little too close, Fili.