I made minor adjustments, and I hope to have a new chapter posted soon. I've been busy with a high school project, but please enjoy the story.

Along The Way

I'm walking out of the huge Fire Nation ship into the freezing cold of the Southern Water Tribe. I'm clutching onto my grandfather's hand and I just look up to him and smile. He looks down to me and smiles also and that's when I ask, "Grandfather why are we here?"

"We're visiting your Grandmother Katara," he replies.

"Why, is it about Grandpa Aang?"

"No, it's about the new Avatar," says Grandfather.

"Who is it?" I ask.

"I don't know yet, that's why we are here Iroh."

"Oh, okay," I say and we continue to my grandmother's ice hut. I run ahead of Grandfather and push away the animal skins covering the entrance to Grandmother's. I run inside and wrap my arms around her legs and she bends down and hugs me back.

"Who's this handsome boy in my home?" she asks me and I just giggle.

"It's Iroh, Gran Gran," I reply back.

"My, you have grown up my little firebender. Where's your father and mother?" she asks me.

"They aren't here, I came with Grandpa Zuko."

"Oh, then where is he?" she asks. Just as she says that he steps into the hut holding a small girl's hand. The girl has light blue eyes, dark brown hair braided down her back, and is wearing an oversized coat going all the way down to her toes.

"Iroh, I'd like you to meet Korra," says my grandfather. He then looks up to Grandma Katara and they other hug each other.

"Where's Ursa and Bumi?" asks Gran Gran.

"I decided to take Iroh on a Grandpa, Grandson trip. I also thought he could make a new friend," he says this while gesturing towards Korra.

"Oh, well that's sweet?"

"So Katara, how have you been holding up?" asks Grandfather.

"Zuko, it's been five years since Aang's death. It's just been so hard watching Korra grow up and me knowing that he's so close and yet so far away in another life form," says Grandmother and that's when she begins to cry.

"Katara, it will be alright. It's hard to live after a loved one dies. Trust me I know ever since my uncle's death and Mai's. The spirits want us to continue living," says Grandpa Zuko.

"Alright you two how about you go outside and play for a little while, and I'll talk to Grandpa Zuko," says Gran Gran wiping away her tears.

"Okay," I reply and walk out with Korra at my heels.

Korra then turns me around and yells in my ear, "I'm the Avatar and you gotta deal with it!"

I rub my now damaged ear and say back, "Why don't you prove it then."

"Fine, I will," as she's saying this she levitates a huge piece of earth in the air and slams it back down. Korra then produces a small flame and then puts it out with a huge splash of water.

I look at the young Avatar with wide eyes and an open mouth. She smiles triumphantly at her success and says, "Is that proof enough fire boy?"

I shake my head in a 'yes' reply and say, "How old are you, Korra?"

"I'm five years old. How old are you Iroh?" she asks.

"I'm seven years old," I reply back.

"Do you want to meet my best friend?" she asks.

Not sure of how to respond I say, "Ummm… okay," and she then takes my hand leads me to a small house.

Korra pushes open her door and leads me to a small sleeping animal, "This is Naga, she's my best friend," she states.

"Your best friend is a polar bear-dog?" I ask.

"Yeah, since there aren't a lot of kids out here she's my only true friend," She states sadly.

"I'll be your friend. I mean if you want?" I say.

"Okay!" she says as she comes running towards me with open arms.

"So what do you do to keep yourself busy here?" I ask.

"I sometimes sneak out of the town and go penguin sliding. Do you want to go?" she asks.

"I would love to go," I reply back. She then grabs my hand again and takes me out of the small house and towards the gate of the tribe.

We finally get to the gate and there's a member of the White Lotus guarding it and he says, "Where do you think you're going Korra and Iroh?"

"We want to go penguin sliding, so could you open the gates?" she asks sweetly.

"Can't Korra, Iroh is going to be leaving in about ten minutes so maybe another time," the guard says.

Korra then turns to me and asks, "You're leaving?"

"Yeah," I say sadly, "But we can still be friends. You know we can write to each other."

"Oh okay," she says with her head held low.

We head back to my grandmother's house and walk in with sad faces and my grandfather Zuko notices, "Why the long faces you guys?"

"We're sad because we won't be able to see each other anymore," says Korra.

"Don't worry you two. Iroh and I will be back here very soon, but for right now we must be going so good-bye Katara and young Avatar Korra," says Grandfather. He then grabs my hand and leads me out to the Fire Nation ship. Korra and Katara are following us close behind so they can see us leave at the dock. Grandfather gets on the boat first and I then get on after giving Korra a final hug and saying good-bye to Gran Gran.

I walk up the long ramp leading to the ship and I look behind me only to see Korra crying and I then yell out, "I'll be back before you know it Korra!"

She looks up to me and then yells back, "Okay!"

I turn back around and finish my walk up the ramp. We wait for them to pull up the anchor and the boarding ramp and then we're off. I keep waving to my grandmother and Korra until they can't see me anymore. My grandfather then comes up behind me, sets his hand on my shoulder and says, "I see you made a new friend."

"Yeah I did. When will I be able to see her again?" I ask.

"Very soon Iroh, don't worry. I've also been thinking we need to start working on your firebending a lot more don't we."

"Yes Grandfather, but when can we start?" I ask.

"We can start tomorrow on the deck. We need you to be a tough firebender," says Grandfather.

"Thank you so much Master Zuko," I say and he just laughs.

"I believe Grandfather is fine Iroh and I do believe the ship has our dinner and tea ready, so let's go inside before we catch a cold," says Grandfather.

I nod my head in response and head to the dinning area of the ship. The cook serves us noodles and dumplings and we have jasmine tea also. I guess jasmine tea was Grandfather's Uncle's favorite tea or well that's what he said. After dinner Grandfather takes me to my room and lays me down for bed and I then ask, "May you tell me a story?"

"Of course, what kind of story?" he asks me.

"Could you tell me how you received your scar?" I ask.

"Oh, well. Ummm… okay."

I was thirteen years old and my Uncle Iroh had invited me to a war meeting with the greatest generals and my father, the Firelord. They we devising a horrible plan about taking out the Earth Kingdom towns and I had spoke my mind to a general speaking when I was supposed to keep quiet. The general had challenged me to an Agni Kai and I was ready for, only when it came to the Agni Kai it wasn't he general I was up against. It was my own father.

You see I may have spoken out loud to the general but it was my father who I disrespected because I had spoken at his meeting. I begged for his forgiveness but he told me to fight and I never did. So he punched a fist of fire on my left eye and had me scarred for the rest of my life. My father had then banned me as a traitor to the Fire Nation and I could only come home if I had the Avatar.

"But you never did capture the Avatar," I say.

"Well for the first three years of my banishment I had tried to find him and restore my honor, that's a whole different story and you need your sleep," says Grandfather.

"Good night," I whisper to my grandfather.

"Good night Iroh," he whispers back as he turns of my light and closes the door.

I roll on my side trying to sleep, but I have so many things on my mind. My grandfather received his scar in a horrible way from his own father, I left my only friend back in the Southern Tribe, and have no idea when I'll see her again.

Only I never knew it would be three years until I saw the young Avatar again.

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