We hit over 2,000 views with that last chapter! Woo-hoo! Thanks for all the support/faves/reviews/follows everyone! I really do appreciate it!

And for those viewers who want to see some girl time, we've got some coming up when they hit Red Sand Island!

Chapter 12: Chocolate Cake

So whatever path we chose to take
There will be highs, and there will be lows the same
Oh we'll never run from our mistakes
The harder we fall the harder we try
We'll just try again

Watching Huo trying to practice the fire skates was really hilarious, in all honesty. He would supercharge his feet and get ready to skate off when suddenly he would fly to the left, right, or even backwards to destroy whatever was near him. He'd apologize to the cursing men or groan after hurting himself, but then he'd just try again.

While Iroh gave the boy some kudos for trying so hard, the kid needed to learn when to call it quits. The move wasn't going to work for him—at least not yet—and he needed to learn that fact.

"Alright, Huo, take a break." He put a hand on the surprised boy's shoulders and was suddenly flung twenty yards to the left when the boy tried the move again. Iroh crashed into a pile of crates that had just been set up again and groaned when his head slammed into a metal wall. He shouted, "Huo!"

The boy peeked out from behind a destroyed crate with a worried look on his face, like Iroh would punish him or something. Instead, Iroh just laughed. Huo looked incredibly confused and a few of his officers asked, "Is everything alright, sir?"

Iroh just shook his head and smiled. "Huo, come here."

Huo's wide tan eyes turned into saucers. He stepped forward slowly and sat at Iroh's feet, broken crates and their contents spilled all around. "Yes, sir?"

"This is a great lesson on when it's time to step back and wait. While you may want to master this move with all your might, it could take a few years for you to ever even get the basics of it. So, for now, we'll move on."

"But—"

"No buts. I don't think my ship can handle anymore of your practicing. We'll pick up on another move in the second set tomorrow, okay?"

Huo's desolate eyes lowered to the floor. Iroh hated seeing the kid like that. He was sweet and kind and wanted to learn. Punishing him wouldn't help his spirit but he had to learn to fix his own problems. Still, it was time to move on and teach the boy more than just Firebending. "Yes, sir."

"But first, Huo?"

His eyes lightened again, if only slightly. "Yes?"

"Get a broom and tell the other men to stop cleaning. Now you're going to learn another important lesson—the lesson of cleaning up your own messes. And then report down to the officer's mess. You'll be eating with us from now on."

HHH

I had an hour and a half of cleaning up my own mess to worry about how I'd perform down in the officer's mess. What was it like down there? Did they eat young children for dinner, like the men joked about? Were the plates lined with gold and the utensils made of pure platinum?

The sun was telling me that it was five thirty or so, so I rushed down to my quarters and straightened up my uniform. I'd recently gotten a new set with a little bit of my money and four new pairs of socks. The only reason I got so many of them was so that I could stuff a pair down the front of my pants. Not a large bulge, mind you, but enough that if someone bumped into me there wouldn't be a void space there where something was actually supposed to be. That, and I needed more socks because it got pretty cold some nights.

My hair actually looked correct in its top knot when I emerged from the hull a few minutes later. Genji was standing guard at the door to the main enclosure of the ship where the officers stayed, the officer's mess was contained, and the helm stood proud and tall. He gave me a hairy eyeball when I tried to pass. "Where are you going?"

I felt like he did this to me every time. It was my duty to be where the General was but I was always stopped. "The General told me that I was eating with the officers tonight."

He had nothing to say to that. I slipped by him and made my way to the officer's mess, curious to see what it was like. I'd only briefly seen the inside of that room, although I had been in Iroh's room multiple times. When I arrived, it was much smaller than the crew's mess but much brighter. A golden chandelier hung from the center of the room. The table was metal, but it was carved and shined in such a way that it was obviously expensive. The chairs had cushions on them, for crying out loud!

And the food that was already laid out? There were fruits and vegetables I'd never seen before, as well as the normal variety, plus meats and cheeses, breads and sweets, all piled onto one table! My mouth was watering and yet I had no clue what half of the food even was.

The General called me over. Next to him were Lieutenant Roade, the man who had threatened me oh-so-long ago and also signed me on, as well as a few other officers I'd seen but didn't' know the names of. They were all looking at a map put where Iroh's place setting was supposed to be. "We're getting close to Red Sand Island. We need to make sure all of our men are ready for the transition to land-battle training. Any questions?"

"No, sir."

Iroh nodded and smiled at me a little when he saw I was there. "Alright, then. Looks like it's time for dinner. Gentlemen, my ship's boy will be joining us for dinner from now on. He needs to learn etiquette and manners."

I felt myself blushing as I sat down to Iroh's right. All of the officers were staring at me like I'd grown a fifth head. What? I made sure I cleaned up and looked presentable. What did I do wrong? Genji came in and sat to my right. "What'd I do?" I asked him under my breath as someone from the kitchen brought out our food for us. That's weird. We get served?

Genji pulled his napkin (made of very soft cloth) into his lap and put his hands there while everyone was served. He gave me a look that told me to do the same. "It's a test," he said equally as quiet.

Another test?! I fumed a little, especially when I saw all I was going to get to eat. It was strangely prepared leafy greens with some shredded carrots and other vegetables in a little bowl with some kind of ginger dressing. Then, next to it, was a small bowl of broth with mushrooms and onions in it. "I thought I was done with the tests," I muttered irately. And what kind of meal is this? I thought the officers got better fare! Man, the boys down below are gonna be pretty disappointed.

Iroh gave a little laugh at my pout. "The tests will never be done, Huo. You'll always be learning and putting your knowledge to use. One day, you'll be leading your own men and you will be glad I tested you as often as I do."

I huffed and wondered why no one was eating yet. As soon as Iroh took his first bite, though, the men at the table started eating and talking softly. It was nothing like the rowdy nature below, nothing at all. It was like all these men were prim and proper and didn't need to really converse with one another. It made me sad, actually.

I lowered my head and said a quick prayer. No one at the table seemed to mind, unlike down in the enlisted mess. Then I looked down. There were at least five different kinds of utensils on either side of my plate and even two above it. I looked to Genji with confusion and he was holding what looked like a trident in his hands to spear the leafy green vegetables. He'd picked it up from the right, so I did the same.

The salad was delicious, as was expected, and the broth made me feel all warm inside. Then I was surprised when the server took my plate and bowl away and brought out what looked like fish swimming in some kind of sauce with a lot of dirty rice. I looked to Genji to see that he was using the next set of platinum-ware—a set of chopsticks. I picked them up and took a hesitant bite and was amazed at the taste!

"This is delicious!"

Iroh looked over to me with amusement. "A different fare from the enlisted mess, I take it?"

I nodded, my mouth full of food. I tried not to talk much and instead listened to the other men. Many of them were talking about the land training or meeting up with their wives once we landed near Republic City. Those who didn't have significant others, mostly the younger men, were cajoled by those who did. "Come on, boys, it's time to settle down! Find yourselves a woman who will bear you strong sons and keep the house for you while you're away on missions."

Genji looked especially uncomfortable about the talk. "Not all of us are quite ready yet."

A man a few chairs down from me leaned forward to look in my direction. "Eh? Well, better get a move on. The younger boys are getting all the girls these days. Isn't that right, Huo?"

I coughed and choked on the little bit of fish I had left. While the men all chuckled at my expense, yet another course came out. This one was a succulent red meat with some kind of rice and beans and roasted vegetables. If possible, it tasted even better than the last dish. I was getting full, but keeping my mouth occupied kept me from saying something stupid. That and I didn't want to waste a single bite.

"I bet the girls back home thought you were a catch," one of the older men in the room said in my direction. "And now that you're in the military, they'll be begging at your feet, eh, boy?"

I was blushing scarlet. "I, ah..."

"He's already got a girl...or should I say a woman?" This came form one of the Lieutenants. He was younger and had apparently had the day off at Kyoshi with me. "I saw you and Captain Sakari before we boarded at Kyoshi."

Iroh was staring at me with this weird confused look and I just ate more food until my ridicule was over. Then he turned into a stern older brother in a second. "How did you...what? Huo!"

"What?" I asked innocently. I had to say something that would keep me on Iroh's not-disappointed list. "She, ah...she's got a great...brain." For the first time, the men in the officer's cabin all laughed. I ate faster to keep my mouth full and to hide the blush. "Why, what do you all look for in a woman?"

The conversation turned off of me and onto everyone else. Some men talked bout a woman's hips—which I had and was blushing slightly to hear about. Apparently a woman with wide hips not only wore dresses better but also bore children easier. Others talked about women who could sew and cook. It was all about their looks and good taste. They had to be calm and obedient. They had to be quiet. Not one of them wanted a woman who could fight or speak her mind...no one wanted me.

I looked to Genji and asked, "What about you, Genji? There's got to be something you like in a girl."

He nodded and solemnly pushed his food around his plate. "There's this girl I liked back in Zaofu. She didn't notice me."

Not sure where Zaofu was, I gave him a sympathetic look. "I doubt that. What was her name?"

Genji sighed and put his knife down. "Opal. She was beautiful and incredibly intelligent, but I was just a soldier...still am, I guess. And she's still the daughter of the city's leader. And anyway she's way out of my league."

I looked over to Iroh who seemed a little desolate as well. "What about you, Iroh?" He looked surprised at my question. "What kind of girl do you like?" I couldn't help blushing and I actually really wanted to know the answer.

"Well, not a girl," he said defensively. "A woman. One who'll keep me on my toes. Keep me honest."

"What if she could fight?" I probed as yet another course was brought out. It was some kind of sweetened bread or cake. It was a dark brown and had icing all over it.

Iroh pushed his to the side with a disgusted look on his face. "Well, that wouldn't matter, I guess. A bender would only make children stronger." He sounded as if he was repeating something he'd heard a million times. "And she'd have to be intelligent and speak her mind."

I couldn't help but grin and take a big bite of the sweet bread. Besides being excited about his answer, suddenly I was amazed by the taste of this sweet thing! "Mm! What is this?!"

"It's chocolate cake," Iroh said with an irate look. "You like it?"

I started to savor every bite. "It's...it's amazing. I've never had anything like it."

The prince's face fell from distaste to pity and guilt. He sighed and slid his plate over to me. "Here, you can have mine. Wouldn't want it to go to waste."

"You don't like it?"

He shook his head. "I don't much care for sweet things."

I started eating the prince's cake and couldn't help but smile. I'd learned a lot about the prince—he was caring and kind, but held a poised exterior. He wanted a woman who was strong and could keep him on his toes, not someone who was merely pretty and kept her mouth shut. Also, no sweets for the prince.

As I finished the cake, though, I realized that I could never be that woman. Just as the girl Opal was out of Genji's league. Iroh was out of mine. I was just a peasant girl from a family of traitors. He was the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation and a General in the United Forces.

I'd never be able to show myself to him. I'd only ever be Huo the ship's boy and it was dangerous to get attached to him. Rather than get attached to him, I would practice more. I would become the best damn Firebender in the entire fleet. I would try my hardest to master every move set before me. What had happened that morning could never happen again. I wouldn't let it happen again.

That night, I practiced the Fire Skates for six more hours until I got it right. Try, try again.