A/N: So hey guys... sorry it took so long to update this story. School's been kinda rough and it doesnt help that my Sayuri muse is on holiday right now... any ways I don't own anything except Sayuri and her family.

- Chapter 3-

"So let me get this straight," Sayuri spoke after Mushi, who'd just introduced himself as General Iroh of the Fire Nation, had finished his explanation, "you two are firebenders from the fire nation, who are looking for a new lease on life by going to Ba Sing Se, right?" Iroh nodded and waited for her to continue. "And you," Sayuri pointed to the young man sitting next to her who'd she learned was named Zuko instead of Lee. "are the crowned prince who was banished from the nation and sent off to capture the Avatar."

"You're correct, young lady." Iroh smiled politely. The old man handed her another cup of tea.

"And what about you?" Zuko sneered at Sayuri. "What's your story?"

Sayuri looked down at the ground, her bright hazel eyes became downcast. "I don't really have a story. I was six years old when my mom died, I ran away from my village and never looked back. I've been traveling around ever since; just looking for a place where I'd fit in."

Zuko scoffed at her. "What could make you such an outcast. What could such an innocent little earth kingdom girl like you ever have done wrong so that you have to run away from your home."

"Well if you really want to know so badly," Sayuri snapped, "the thing that makes me such an outcast is that my mother was an earthbender and my father, a firebender. I'm a freak, a half breed, and a monster!" she yelled, tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. "But I guess being a pure blooded firebender and all, you wouldn't know about what it's like to be treated like you're worth less than dirt just because of who your parents are."

Sayuri stormed off away from the two firebenders. She wasn't about to let either of them see her cry. She would not, could not let them have the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"Zuko, you need to apologize to her." Iroh said as soon as Sayuri had disappeared from his sight.

"Why do I have to apologize, Uncle? I just asked her a question." Zuko asked. Iroh gave him a glare. "Fine... I'll go," the scarred prince grumbled, walking in the same direction that Sayuri had disappeared down only moments before.

He found her sitting on the ground with her back against a giant tree. Sayuri's cheeks were tear stained. When she finally noticed Zuko standing next to her, Sayuri got up and moved away.

"What?" she started bitterly, "You didn't get enough of making me feel bad about myself?"

"That's not what I meant to do, and that's not why I followed you, Sayuri." Zuko responded darkly.

"Then what did you want?"

"I wanted to apologize to you. I didn't think you would react that way."

"Of course you didn't..." Sayuri grumbled sourly.

"Look, the way I see it, you, uncle, and I still have to get to Ba Sing Se. Once we get there, you can go on your merry little way and we can forget that this ever even happen."

"So?" Sayuri said, not really getting the meaning behind his words.

"What I'm trying to say is just travel with us untill we reach the city. That's all. Nothing more, nothing less. But, if you betray us I will hunt you down." The banished prince's tone was dark and deadly. "The choice is your's to make, Sayuri, choose wisely."

Zuko, having said all that he was going to say, turned away from Sayuri and made his was back to camp. He left Sayuri to sit out in the forest-like scenery and compose herself.

A small while later, Sayuri rejoined Iroh and Zuko. She noticed that they were packing up camp, probably getting ready to head off for Ba Sing Se again.

"So, you guys are leaving?" She asked stiffly.

"You're not coming with us?" Iroh asked curiously.

"No. Thank you for the tea. It was delicious," Sayuri responded somberly.

"This doesn't have anything to do with what my nephew said to you does it?" The old general questioned.

Sayuri shook her head and picked up her bag. "Thank you for helping me, General Iroh. I hope you and your nephew make it to Ba Sing Se safely." Sayuri bowed politely to the old man and walked away from the camp. She was back to traveling by herself once again.

A few hours of silence later, and Sayuri had made her way to the edge of what seemed to be a desert. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a beautiful glow over the desert's sandy dunes. Resting at that time seemed like a good idea, but Sayuri wanted to be across the desert by time the morining sun rose. She knew that somewhere amongst the sandy dunes of this beautiful wasteland was a small town that she could gather more supplies in.

Trudging her body forward, Sayuri steadily traversed through the sand untill the moon had risen high over her head. The nighttime air was cool on her skin, that was now soaked with sweat. By the time she'd managed to get any where near the town she was looking for, the sun had risen above the horizen.

'Thank the spirits, now I'm sure I'm going the right way.' She thought to herself. Sayuri traveled over the rest of the sand and entered the town. She scoped out her surroundings and found a place where she could get some direction; a bar. As she entered the structure and took a seat at one of the tables, Sayuri noticed an elderly gentle man sitting alone at a table with a pai sho mat set up infront of him. Presuming that the old man was alone, Sayuri rose from her seat and joined him.

"Is this seat taken?" She asked the old man. He shook his head and motioned for her to sit down across from him.

"Do you play pai sho, Young lady?" He asked amicably.

"Yes I do," Sayuri replied, gingerly taking one of the playing peices in her hand and set it down, "but its been a while since I last played."

"Not much time to play anymore with the war that's going on now is there?"

"You... could say that again," Sayuri set down her last piece and the man did as well. As he surveyed the board, his eyes widened in confusion.

"You are a member of the White Lotus?" He stared at Sayuri in awe.

"White Lotus? What do you mean?" Sayuri wondered as the man began cleaning up his side of the board. "My mother taught me how to play and when she would end our games, that shape was the formation that the peices would make."

"Your mother must've been a member," The old man thought aloud. "Was your mother, by chance, Sabrina Yang?"

Sayuri nodded, not wishing to talk about her mother anymore.

The old man went silent for a few minutes. He stood up and motioned for Sayuri to follow him out of the bar. She followed him to what seemed to be a flower shop. They went up to an old, wooden door and the man knocked on it.

Another pair of eyes appeared from behind the door.

"Who's there?" a voice boomed as a small chunk of wood was slid away from the door and a pair of beady eyes drilled into the two people standing infront of the door.

"A young lady who seeks guidance," the old man spoke mildly. Apparently, those words were all that the old man needed to say for the guard to open the old wooden door. As the door swung open and Sayuri stepped forward, her senses were met with new sensations that she'd never experienced before.

The room that Sayuri entered was decorated with many different flowers that gave off exotic smells and were oddly colors. In the center of the room was a large table surrounded by at least twelve chairs. Residing in one of the chairs was an man who looked older than time itself. The decrepit man motioned for Sayuri to sit across from him. Sayuri had a feeling that she'd met the man before as her bright hazel eyes bore holes into his cascade blue eyes.

" You look more and more like your mother everyday, Sayuri." the old man's voice was barely above a whisper. "I sumize that you wish to head to Ba Sing Se?"

"I do," was the reply from brown haired teenager. "but I have no idea how I would get there. The only way I know how to do it is by boat, but I need a passport to even get tickets! And how do you know my name?"

"As a member of the Order of the White Lotus," The old man began to wrasp, "You always have a way of getting to where you need to go. Your mother made sure that you would be well taken care of once you found your way to us."

"But you still didn't answer my question about how you knew who I was," Sayuri complained.

"I do not have the time to explain this concept to you, Sayuri Yang. You must leave now, there is a boat headed to the Earth Kingdom Capital. If you hurry, you should be abled to catch it." The old man spoke as he handed a small envelop with Sayuri's passport tucked away within it.

With a small nod, Sayuri was off to the docks that held the ships that were headed to Ba Sing Se. She traversed through the desert once again, this time; Sayuri had a goal in her mind: To reach the docks and finally end this long voyage.