Disclaimer: Never have I and never will I own Avatar: The Last Airbender

A/N: Thank you for the reviews. ; u ; They are always helpful and appreciated.

The day of Azula's party was tomorrow and it made Miuna feel anxious. She could confirm that Azula wasn't joking because the physical invitation had came at her home the evening of the day after she was invited. At night, Miuna would read it and scan over every piece of it, checking to see if it was forged because she still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she was invited to a royal party; Azula's birthday party. Nothing about it seemed likely but everyone kept stressing that she was over-analyzing things.

Glancing towards her window, the moon was in a bright, waning gibbous. How odd it would be that the moon would be full on the day of Azula's party. Maybe she was over-thinking and maybe Azula was sincere. Maybe she was being too judgmental in thinking that Azula had a "devilish" spirit. After all, she did have friends and they must know a side of her that people weren't allowed to. What if this was Azula extending a hand in friendship?

"What a load of ostrich-horse shit." She mumbled out loud, not believing that thought in the slightest.

"Miuna, are you awake?"

Looking towards the door, she smiled upon recognizing the voice. "Yes Grandma, I'm awake."

She had watched the sliding door open, her grandmother carefully entering and closed the door behind her. She walked towards Miuna before sitting down in front of her, "I was a bit worried about you. You were in your room all evening."

"I wasn't hungry, just a bit tired." Cinta's expression hadn't changed, she kept her smile despite wondering what was really plaguing the girl's mind.

"Is it because of the birthday party tomorrow?" She asked, which made Miuna stiffen some upon hearing the question. Cinta took note, realizing that she had hit the nail on the head. "What is making you stressed about it?"

The woman was too keen, but she was glad that she was. Her grandmother never allowed her to shut herself in. She made it easier for her to discuss her feelings. "I don't know Grandma, it's like…. Azula has never particularly liked me. It's just weird how she up and decided to invite me to her party."

"Your grandfather and I believe it to be odd as well." Miuna's face shown surprised as she gazed at the elderly woman before her. "As you know, I grew up in Hiraa'a. I was quite sheltered and didn't meet many people outside from the Fire Nation but every person I have come to meet and know didn't particularly like people from other nations. I never understood why until I had gotten older. Your grandfather used to be prejudice too."

It didn't strike her odd that her grandfather did, but it made her wonder why he had changed. Was it for her or was it before he met her? "Did you ever meet someone from outside the Fire Nation, Grandma?"

"No, I have not except for you." Cinta moved herself a little closer, grabbing Miuna's petite hands. "When I first saw you, do you think I cared you were only half Fire Nation?"

Miuna shook her head, feeling her hands being gentle squeezed. "I never felt you were bothered it..."

"Good because I wasn't." Leaning in, she had rested her head against Miuna's their hair meshing together. "Regardless from what nation you hailed from or what gender you are, I was going to love you regardless because you were my grandchild." The warmth that emanating from her grandmother was comforting and it eased her, calming her worries just a little. "You have to realize that not everyone is going to accept you and you can't force them to, but do you know what you must do?"

"What should I do, Grandma?"

"You must accept you." Miuna continued to look in her grandmother's vibrant eyes, which gave her a sense of strength. The look in her eyes meant that she lived by those words and wanted Miuna to do the same. By the intensity and honesty in them, it made her reassured that was a way to live. She had to always accept herself, even when everyone else did not.

"Thanks Grandma, that really helped." The warmth that surrounded her hands left once her grandmother stood and walked towards the door. "If you feel hungry there's a plate of daifuku and tea in the dining room."

Just the sound of that had made her stomach growl, which embarrassed her but made her want to kick herself for skipping dinner. Miuna was immediately on her feet, leaving her bedroom and making her way towards the dining room just to see her grandfather sitting there, drinking tea as well.

'Was he waiting for me?' She pondered, wondering if she should just go back to her room. The plate of two Daifuku and tea, which still had steam rising out of it was on the table exactly as her grandmother had said. Chewing on her bottom lip, she contemplated for a few minutes longer but went on ahead.

She lowered her head upon entering the room and took a seat at the table. "Grandpa," she watched his eyes lift away from the scroll he was reading and look towards her, "uhm…"

Zhiyong had placed the scroll down, "What have I told you, Miuna?"

Withholding her sigh, she raised her head at a more confident angle. "A simple word is important no matter what you may be."

"Continue." He said, picking up his cup but keeping his eyes fixated on her form.

"By just one single word martial valor can be made apparent. In peaceful times words show one's bravery. In troubled times too, one knows that by a single world his or her strength or cowardice can be seen. This single word is the flower of one's heart. It is not something said simply with one's mouth."

Her grandfather gave an approving nod, "Now, speak what you wanted to say before you stumbled."

"I was going to ask if I was intruding." Miuna kept her hands on her lap, bawling them up out of nervousness.

Zhiyong had shaken his head, "I knew you would be coming. Your grandmother was worried because you did not eat."

"I'm sorry I skipped dinner without alerting you why I would not be at the table." She apologized, "That was rude of me."

"You were too busy agonizing over something so trivial, that's why you've taken such a long nap." His ability to read her was kind of aggravating but also amazing. Maybe she had shown her emotions too easily or did this year that they have spent together really revealed so much of her personality? "Have you decided on anything?"

She nodded, picking up the pink and round white, round pastry before taking a bite. The strawberry flavor immediately washed over her tastebuds, which made her beam happily. She liked it when her grandmother cooked pastries since it was rare and always delicious.

After she chewed it down, she answered him. "I decided to go and not worry so much. I said I was going to go, I gave my word. It's too late to change my mind, and I am not going to runaway."

His brow rose, somewhat surprised by this newfound faith in herself. He was more proud more or less, but he was curious as to what lead her to have this conviction.

"I have to stop worrying about what everyone else feels about me, and worry about what I feel about me." She took a sip of her tea, still surprised that it was still so hot, which made her hiss slightly since it somewhat burned her mouth. It was still tasty nonetheless.

"I'm glad you've came to that realization. I was beginning to worry…" He didn't finish his sentence, but that's because she knew her grandfather wasn't fond of speaking too much of his personal feelings. That alone was enough for her though.

"Grandpa, can I ask you something?" When he gave her a nod of approval, she continued on. "Why did you accept me when I came here? You could've turned me away. I've hurt your reputation by just existing. So, why did you keep me?"

Zhiyong wasn't entirely shocked by her question, but more so surprised that now she chose this time to ask it. He was sure that was the real reason behind her broken relationship with Zhao and the reason why she did not feel confident about this party. She was shouldering all the hatred people had for outsiders while trying to remain unnerved. He didn't know if that was bravery she came to have or had all along.

Rolling up the scroll and turning to look towards the young girl, he noticed that her eyes never wavered away from him. She was ready to know something that sat on her mind for quite sometime. "If you're wondering had I been prejudice to outsiders then you're right." He said, closing his eyes briefly. "I served the Fire Nation army nearly all my life. All we did was take Earth Kingdom lands, take waterbenders from the South, and did whatever the Fire Lord needed to be done and I did believe in Azulon's dream. His word was sound to me."

"Your father was going to marry your mother before you were born. She was probably pregnant with you at the time when I rejected their marriage." Miuna's eyes widened upon this new revelation, "But your mother, Aika, struck a chord with me; I'd never forget her words. I had been living my life acting as if the Fire Nation was superior that I had forgotten that we were all human and no matter what element we bend or don't, what nation we're born or raised in; we're all human."

Looking down at his empty teacup, he had taken a long sigh. "After that, Aika had run away. She left Zhao, leaving no trace of her and I had watched my son grow very cold. He hated the Water tribe since and our relationship has deteriorated. I has quit the Fire Nation army and had done some traveling as a new person; opening my eyes more after keeping them closed for so long."

"I have to admit that some of my old feelings did resurface when I had saw you. I thought, 'Why did she have to be Aika's child? A mixed nation child.' Yet when I saw you, I had saw more than just your mother or Zhao. I saw Cinta and myself in you, and how could I dislike something that is apart of me? You're my grandchild, my one and only. And you have done nothing to deserve the words or actions people have said or done against you."

It was then she had notice she was crying, feeling the tears rolling down her face in streams. Miuna quickly went to wipe them away, but instead found herself choking back a sob while doing so. She was eternally grateful for her grandfather's honesty. And she was glad that she had grandparents who loved her for her.

: : :

Why did the woman have to be so heavy handed? Miuna could barely keep a straight face, her expression shifted from showing pain and a failed attempt of trying to mask it. The woman was combing through her tresses so roughly, but it was her own fault for not being diligent in brushing her hair every other day. "Grandma! You're literally hurting me."

"Oh suck it up." The woman barked while combing through the tangles in the girl's head. Once she finished and brushed it down, she marveled at her work for a few seconds. "You need to dress up more often, Miuna. You look beautiful like this."

With skepticism and a pout, Miuna was forced to turn and look into the mirror. Her hair that was usually in a messy style was neat brushed and combed, slicked back into a neat bun that was in the lower, center back of her head but two strands of her hair framed her face and fell to the center of her chest.

The top half of her dress was a traditional, maroon colored and short-sleeved qipao with golden piping while the bottom half was a black and plain skirt. She argued that she didn't need anything bright or too attention grabbing, and so she settled for something elegantly plain.

Miuna did notice how differently she looked than normal, but she didn't feel as if this made a difference or anything. She liked how she usually looked compared to being pampered and forced to wear makeup along with fancy material clothes.

"Now, now!" Miuna was startled when her grandmother began pushing her out of the room, "You have to be moving. I know you said you didn't want to be really early but you can't be late either."

Nearly stumbling towards the door, she had slipped on her shoes at the lower floor before turning to look at her grandmother. "Tell Grandpa—" Her eyes then caught him walking towards them, "Goodbye Grandpa."

He gave a stiff nod, which she had made her smile some. She then nearly ran her way towards the carriage, where Chunhua was waiting for her. Climbing inside, she had seen the girl was looking at her reflection, moving strands of stray hair away from her face. "Finally, you took forever."

"How long were you waiting out here?" Miuna asked.

The girl hummed and shrugged, "Maybe an hour or two…"

"You're that excited for this party?"

"Spirits yeah! This might be the party of the year and we're attending it!" Chunhua said excitedly while applying more lip paint.

Miuna wondered if she should be feeling excited as she was, but she couldn't find it in her to be happy about the situation. She still had her doubts.

The carriage ride was filled with conversation, which made Miuna think of her first one here. It was odd that during her time here that this was the first carriage ride that felt lighthearted and filled with laughter and easiness. It wasn't long though, which saddened her but that was to be expected since the Royal Palace wasn't exactly far.

Chunahua was in such a hurry that she grabbed the girl's wrist, sending her nearly flying out of the carriage as they made their way to the gates. Many others were just arriving as they were, giving one of the guards their invitations so that they could be let in.

"Wow, isn't this place beautiful?"

"Chunhua, we're not even inside the palace yet." mumbled Miuna as they were were still in the courtyard, walking their way towards the entrance doors. The palace itself was a sight to behold and made her realize that this change was a lot bigger than how she originally felt.

Inside was much grander and much larger, which made her feel inadequately small. Many shades of red and gold adorned the place with elements that were new and old. It held a sense of tradition but with elegance of the new age, which made her wonder if the Fire Lord requested that or simply accepted the decorators when they wanted to change the palace.

Chunhua led Miuna by her wrist to the ballroom, where the party was held. The ballroom was greatly spacious, and really bright. The marble floors shined, reflecting every chandelier that graced the ceilings. It was hard to miss anything when everything could be seen.

Her friend was practically drooling as she scanned the place while Miuna noticed the tables of food. She felt hungry while Chunhua wanted to socialize immediately. "Chunhua, why don't you go and do whatever it is you wanted. I'm feeling famished."

"You sure? Well," Chunhua thought about it for a few more seconds, "okay! If you need me, I'll be talking to Kikka, the daughter of the best fashion designer the Fire Nation has ever had!"

Nonplussed, she nodded and watched the girl leave before making her way towards the food table. There were a bunch of appetizers, some she had never seen before. Her hand hovered over what looked to be a rice cake, she pulled her hand back as if to stop herself. Maybe it was too early to eat. She didn't want to look greedy.

It was then she felt someone beside her, "I must be in you way, excuse me." She lowered her head and moved away, trying not to knock anyone over. She continued to walk around, unsure what to do with herself in the bumbling crowd.

"Bored?"

"Yeah, to be honest."

"That's quite the honest tongue. Lucky thing I heard it or else I'm afraid someone would have taken that as an insult." Her eyes widened upon her opening her mouth, but she quickly turned to see an older man before her. She immediately recognized him, seeing him once before with her grandfather. The man with the graying hair and long beard, and the round, humble shape of a body frame.

"G-General Iroh!" She immediately bowed upon realizing who he was, but his hearty laugh rung in her ears as he motioned her to stand up straight with his hands.

"No need to be scared, child." Her heart settled down, the warmth in his expression was enough to ease her. She was glad that he was not insulted by her lack of tact but she wanted to kick herself for relaxing to a point where someone caught her saying that. "It is usually boring when people are first gathering to a party."

She didn't take that in account. Things hadn't really started yet, but she felt she was being unreasonably pessimistic because she couldn't shake off that feeling in her chest. "True, but I've never been to a party before so I'm not use to this."

"Oh?" He was genuinely surprised, "You've never been to a party before? Well, I wouldn't call this a party since this is more upscale than just a regular party."

Miuna shook her head, "I've lived in the desert for most of my life, so no. We never really partied unless I was too young for such parties."

Iroh smiled, "Maybe so."

"Ah, Prince Zuko." The girl stiffened upon the name, her eyes following Iroh's gaze in the direction that was behind her. Turning around, she had locked eyes with the Crown Prince himself, who was leaning on a pillar with his arms folded. His amber eyes seemed quite shocked to meet her blue ones.

Pushing himself off the pillar, he walked towards his uncle and the blue-eyed girl, who lowered her head some. "Prince Zuko, this is former Admiral Zhiyong's daughter, Miuna."

"Hello." The tone in his voice was borderline monotonous, which didn't surprise her. Raising her head some, she bowed politely.

"Hello, Prince Zuko." She wouldn't have recognized him since seeing the prince was rare.

Iroh's eyes looked from his nephew and to the young girl, wondering if either one of them was going to say anything after the greeting. Seeing as the silence lingered a little longer than he expected, he spoke again. "Ah, Prince Zuko, did you know that Miuna lived in the Si Wong Desert?"

Zuko didn't look interested and Miuna wasn't exactly keen on his lack of friendliness. Maybe that's why people haven't really known the prince well. "Ah, General Iroh, may I be excused? I feel thirsty."

"That's fine. I'll get you something to drink, I'm quite hungry myself." He had left the two, letting the uncomfortable silence grow in size.

Zuko kept his arms crossed over his chest, while she stood there fiddling with her fingers. She didn't know what to say and he didn't seem too keen on wanting to speak. This was awkward, especially since from the corner of her eye she could see Chunhua chatting away like it was nobody's business.

"You…" She spoke, albeit hesitantly. His eyes slowly went to her direction as she seemed to struggle to get her sentence out. If her grandfather saw her like this right now, he would've slapped her or at least wanted to. Just that thought alone made her try to gather more courage. She stood up straighter, tightened her fists at her sides before daringly looking up at the prince. "You don't have to stick around if you don't want to. General Iroh saw that I was alone and I, without thought, said I was bored. So, you don't have to be here. I know you're trying to be polite."

The change did bring somewhat of a shock. One minute she was fiddling with her fingers, skittish seeming but now she spoke with confidence; the faith in herself had grew in size in those few seconds. "How do you know if I was being polite? What if I didn't move because I didn't want to?"

She never thought of that. He watched as her eyes slightly widened and a stain of red skimmed across her cheekbones showing her obvious embarrassment. He was amused by this, unknowingly, and continued to watch as she tried to gather herself all over again. "Was it arrogant of me to think you were considering my feelings? Of course, most people don't so I should've expected otherwise."

"I'm not like most people." He quickly replied, which caught her curiosity. "I don't want to be pushed into any category."

Did she always say what other people did not want to hear? Was this a skill? Yeah, she was beginning to think she had a knack of making other people uncomfortable. It wasn't just her race anymore, it was how she spoke. "Sorry. I'm… I'm not good with people."

Awkward, very much like himself. Zuko wasn't the friendliest person and he wasn't one to initiate conversations with people other than his uncle. "Don't make sorry become a habit."

"At least I can admit it." Her reply was haughty, and it made his raise a brow in return. Placing her arms behind her, she turned away to stand alongside him, facing the same direction.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

She shrugged, "However you take it."

Was he going crazy or did he just see her personality transform three times within the short course of time he had met her?

"Si Wong Desert?" It surprised her how he moved the conversation along, "It's unbearable. How could you possibly live there?"

His amber pupils gazed at her from the corner of his eyes and he had caught the slight smile on her face. "That's what everyone says."

"Don't tell me you think it's better than the Fire Nation?" Curious, he turned to give her his full attention. "It's a barren region; no water, no life, not even a bird. It brings sure death."

Miuna was quite intrigued at how much he knew about the desert. She assumed that most royals were extremely caged and didn't even bother to learn the terrain and beauty of the world outside their palace, but Prince Zuko proved her wrong. At least, he somewhat did. "That's not true."

"What do you mean?"

Her hands curled into loose fists, pressing against each other lightly as she stared down in the floor, lost in thought as she reminisced of her home. "There is very much life. At night you hear it, the shifting sands… they sing. Voices, like, spirits trying to lure you off course. The heat encompasses you, the endless stretch of sand seems forever like the ocean. And at sunset, it is probably the most beautiful place on earth." Within those eyes of her, a childlike spirit of a little girl remembering her home took form.

The ominous explanation left him curious but he couldn't concentrate on it or speak of it since the doors of the ballroom had opened to reveal the birthday girl. Azula had strutted into the room with long strides and impeccable posture. She didn't fancy herself in wearing a dress, she kept her uniform except it was more decorated and ceremonious than her usual militant garbs.

Immediately, everyone bowed except for the Crown Prince. He stood there with a rather stony expression, and it had made the girl beside him curious. He continued to stare ahead at his sister and soon enough, Azula's gaze met his and she walked towards them.

Miuna wanted to leave immediately but she couldn't find her body moving. No, it stayed in place as the princess approached them and her smile grew in size upon seeing the half Water tribe girl next to her sibling.

"Well, well…" She mused, "This is a befitting friendship isn't it?"

"I didn't show up to bicker with you, Azula."

Azula played coy, pouting. "But big brother, this is my day and you should appease my wishes accordingly."

Her personality never changed, Miuna noticed. Even she and her brother had a rather strained relationship. Zuko seemed too irritated to respond and so he averted his gaze, a scowl on his face.

"You're no fun, Zuzu." She sighed before turning her gaze to Miuna, who seemed perplexed more than anything. "Where's your friend? You know, the dumb chatterbox?"

"Chunhua is speaking to others." Miuna replied, "I wish you a happy birthday, Princess. And I hope many more come."

The Prince looked at his sister, she seemed rather conspicuously aggravated and he wondered if the mixed nation girl was the cause. "Thank you for the wishes." Her reply was dry. "We should speak later, just you and I."

With a slow, hesitant nod, she watched as Azula left the two and for once, Miuna felt like she could finally breathe. Letting out a long sigh, she rested her hand on her chest to regulate her breathing and heartbeat.

"You and my sister don't seem to get along." Miuna gazed up at him and shrugged.

"I honestly don't know." She honestly said, "She's been gunning for me since she met me and I am still surprised that she invited me here."

"If you need a piece of advice," Her eyes gazed up at him, "Azula always lies."

Just hearing that constricted her heart. It made her worries double as she gave him a rather horrified expression. Iroh had returned a plate of meat buns in one hand and a cup in the other.

"Ah, I see you've been chatting." He said happily, handing the drink towards Miuna. "For the lady, and oh, would either of you like a meat bun? They taste better than when we usually have them. I assume they worked even harder for the celebration."

She shook her head, "I'm still… not hungry." She certainly lost her appetite upon that realization and chose to take a sip of the strawberry punch, which was bittersweet. How odd, even the drink even matched her situation.

The general looked to his nephew who was eyeing her, watching as she kept taking slow and continuous sips with a defeated look on her face. "What did you tell her?" He whispered to the teenager.

"Huh?" Zuko snapped out of his gaze and looked toward his uncle, "I didn't say anything."

A middle-aged man came walking through, clapping his hands together to gain everyone's attention. "Guests! Guests! The entertainment is about to happen, please take your seats. Everyone's name is on their table, so please take a seat."

Miuna quietly departed from Zuko and Iroh, wanting to sit down and mull over the fact that Azula was a well-known human form of deception. Her eyes looked for her name, walking by a few tables and chairs as everyone was trying to do the same and get themselves situated.

However, it was becoming more and more difficult to find her name. She saw everyone's: Prince Zuko, General Iroh, Mai, Ty Lee and even Chunhua's but for some reason she could not find her own. It was until everyone was seated that she noticed that she had no chair to sit. No table to stay at. Everyone was in their according seats and there was not one seat for her.

"Trouble finding a seat, Miuna?"

Miuna looked up at Azula, who had turned around in her chair to look towards her. Nearly everyone in the room was staring at her, their eyes boring into her face, making her feel incredibly hot. The nervousness began to trickle down to her hands as it always did, the chill beginning to loom over them. Her heartbeat was irregular—radical to the point she almost felt breathing was impossible—and all she could do was stare so dumbfoundedly.

"It appears…" Her voice had started off low, strained, but she raised volume once she cleared her throat. "It appears I don't have a seat. My name is nowhere to be found."

"Ah," Azula feigned surprise, "it must be because you're the last person invited. I forgot to tell them to add your name to the list of seats." She then tilted her head slightly, "Well, you can't just stand there. You'll distracted everyone. How about you take Chunhua's seat? After all, I invited you and not her."

Briefly the friends made eye contact, Chunhua's eyes looked rather lost, confused as to what was going on.

"Or, you know, you can just take a seat on the floor. I'm sure the floor is more comfortable... for a person like you that is."

A disperse of giggles erupted in the air upon her teasing suggestion, which made Miuna realize that all of this was intentional. That whole 'you've got nerve' talk was a lie. It was really Azula telling her that she was going to break her, that she would give her a lesson for speaking to her like that.

Despite wanting to cry, Miuna dared not to. No tears pooled at the corner of her eyes, her voice daring to crack but she kept it from doing so. No, Azula would not break her. She would not be allowed to keep being played for a fool.

Iroh's frown was quite noticeable as he watched the ordeal, and he quite frankly had enough of it. As he was about to stand and berate Azula, he stopped once he heard Miuna speak.

"I'll do the best option, and that's take my leave." Bowing slightly, she stood up straight. "As I said before, Princess Azula, happy birthday. I hope the rest of you enjoy your evening as well."

Zuko was surprised by her strong front as she turned around to leave. The lights dimming as the entertainment was going to start as Miuna pushed the ballroom doors open and entered the hall.

Now that she was alone ( despite the two guards behind her guarding the door ), she could cry and let her frustrations out, but she refused. She would not cry. She would not give Azula what she had wanted.

Turning right, she walked down the hall slowly as she tried to calm her heart and her emotions. She had gazed down her hands to see that they were completely covered in ice.

This never happened before…

Puzzled and almost afraid, she wondered why she was, for the first time, able to completely waterbend. She didn't have time to question it, instead she tried to free her hands by shaking her hands continuously or blowing air onto her hands to melt it.

"You didn't leave yet."

Looking over her shoulder, she had seen Prince Zuko. It seemed as if he had ran out of the ballroom since he was out of breath, instead of the one stray hair that was always freed from his slicked back ponytail, a couple strands were out of place from his actions.

Miuna forced herself to smile, hiding her hands behind her frigidly. "I… I must've dampened the atmosphere, huh?"

"No!" He shook his head, "Everyone is talking about how strong you are. In fact, my sister is beyond infuriated."

She was surprised that the princess of calm calculation was infuriated by her actions. She figured the girl would grow bored and continue on with her day. Why did her actions have such impact? Why did everyone care that she was brave when they didn't even help but laughed at her?

"...I don't know what to say." She admitted wholeheartedly, "I just… I just didn't want the Princess to see me hurt. And, I was hurt, mind you. You did tell me she always lies and I got to see that for myself."

The Prince couldn't find the right words to say but he did notice how suspiciously her hands were behind her back. "What are you hiding?"

Unsure on whether to tell the truth or lie, she slowly revealed her ice encased hands. "I… This happened."

Confused, he lifted up her hands to see that the only way this could've happened is if… "You're a waterbender?"

"Well, I think that's quite obvious." She replied sarcastically, meeting a deadpanned glare from him, which made her want to laugh.

Release a small stream of fire from her mouth, it warmed up her hands and she could feel the ice melting until it was just her hands free, but wet from the melted water. "You shouldn't tell anyone you're a waterbender, especially in the Fire Nation."

Why was he helping her was the first thing that came to mind. Second, did she just get sarcastic with the Crown Prince? Third, he was holding her hands with both of his. Her hands didn't even feel cold anymore, they felt warm because of the heat that emanated from his hands alone. Slowly, she slipped her hands out of his and let her arms rest back to her sides. "Thanks and I know, but I think I should tell my dad."

He noticed the hesitance in her expression, something that reminded him of his own when it came to revealing things to his own father. "Your dad isn't exactly the most… understanding guy."

"I can say the same about yours." Zuko couldn't even find a comeback because it was the truth, in fact, her words saddened them both briefly.

"Uh, anyway, I'm going home. So…" Tilting forward slightly, she gave a slight bow before standing up straight. "Thank you, Prince Zuko. I don't think I'll ever be more grateful to you than I do now."

Flustered, he couldn't find the words to say as she gave him another genuine smile until it quickly changed. "Wait, did you see that?" Looking up to see her face staring over his shoulder, he immediately turned but he hadn't seen anything except an empty hall.

"See what?" He questioned, but she was already on the move. "Hey, where are you going?" She was chasing whatever it was that she thought she saw. Leaving him behind as her pace quickened. When he turned the corner to catch up with her, she was gone. "W-What? Where did she go?!"