Hello all! I have returned! I'm so glad to read all of your reviews. I hope that this story shall live up to your expectations! Without further adieu, here's chapter 3.

Disclaimer- I do not own Avatar in any way, shape or form.

Entry 3- Hope

I remember crying a lot the first few days of our voyage to find the Avatar. I spent most of my time in the iron room that I would now call home, hoping for my crying to stop. About three days in to the trip, Dragon Iroh found out what I had been doing when I wasn't changing the Prince's bandages. He left me alone for a while, until he realized that my crying wasn't going to stop. He sat in my room every day and we talked out my problems. He helped heal the small cracks and shatters that appeared when I shut down. He told me that the tears were the broken pieces of the old me leaving my body, making room for me to become the person that I was before. I reverted back to my old self within the first week thanks to him.

My smile returned as the days went on, but the Prince wasn't awake to see that. He had been unconscious since the Agni Kai. I went in to change his bandages every morning and evening, talking to him like he could hear me. It didn't help him, though. He seemed worse after we talked…Well, after I talked to him. The only thing he ever said was the occasional sleeping murmur of "I'm sorry." I could only assume that he was thinking of his fight with the Fire Lord.

Then, out of nowhere, he woke up. I was mopping on one of the lower levels when I heard heavy footsteps coming down the hallway. There, face wrapped in bandages and walking unsteadily, was Prince Zuko. But, in a few ways, it wasn't him. He looked drained of strength. He had been off of his feet for some time, so his style of walking was rather…drunk looking. His eyes were also different. They used to hold some kind of hope and clarity. Now, his amber orbs displayed shame, hopelessness, and anger. I couldn't help but to stare at him before realizing that I was staring at the prince, and being an incredibly rude servant.

"You-You're Highness!" I bowed at the waist. "I—You see—How are you feeling?" I stammered the words.

"It doesn't matter." The Prince's voice was cold and bitter like the biting winter winds. It almost made me flinch.

"Get the captain of this ship down here so I can speak to him."

"Yes, Your Highness." I hurried to go get the captain. I realized as I walked that I had never been so terrified by a person. I was scared of Zuko. He had changed…But, anyone would change when they are forced to leave their homeland.

I found the captain a few minutes later, telling him where the prince was and that he requested to see him. Dragon Iroh heard me talking and went to my side.

"My nephew is awake?" He asked me, I merely nodded in response. "How is he? Is he looking well?"

I shook my head 'no'. "He's terrifying." I answered simply. Dragon Iroh understood me and went to go speak to his nephew.

As soon as the Prince's bandages were removed, things went into high gear. We searched everywhere possible. Water tribes, Earth Nation settlements, the old Air Nomad temples. Nothing. Nothing at all arose from our searches. With each day that came to pass, I could see Prince Zuko become more and more frustrated. He was falling just as I had fallen all those years ago. There were times when he would just leave and stare over the bow of the ship. I started to worry for him. I knew how I felt when I was like that, and it was painfully to watch someone I knew go through that. One day, I confronted him.

It had been one year and three months without talking to the Prince when I finally spoke to him. I had been summoned to bring him his dinner, and I chose that time to speak to him.

"You're falling, you know." I started. "I can see it…" I had practiced a speech that I could've said, but I forgot every word the second I opened my mouth.

"What do you mean?" The Prince looked at me with judging and quizzical eyes.

"I mean…You're becoming who I was when this all began." I could tell that he still didn't understand. "I'm not surprised that you didn't notice…But," I sighed, thinking up the right words. "I shut down a few years ago, just like you did. It was a hard thing for me to get out of, and I don't want you to get sucked in as well." His eyes went cold at my words. "Just…Forget I said anything." I said hurriedly and started to leave.

"You sound like my uncle." Prince Zuko's words were coated with bitterness. Apparently he had gotten my speech a few other times. I sighed, leaving his room.

The prince didn't change at all after that. He was still cold, bitter, and shut off to the world. I hoped and prayed every day that we would find some clue of the Avatar. I hoped that the Avatar would bring the hope back to the Prince's eyes. Then, one day, it happened.

A blinding light shot up into the sky. It was so bright, that no one could've missed it. I was on the deck of the boat, as was the Prince. Prince Zuko ran to the railing, his hands gripping the iron as tightly as he could. It was a sign. I went to the railing as well, as did the rest of the crew. But, unlike the others, I was watching the prince. Hope shown from his eyes and the ghost of a smile was on his face. This light was the Avatar and he knew it. After two years, there was hope of going home. The prince started to shout commands, and I even pitched in with the effort to get the ship moving as fast as it could to the source of the light. I had gotten all I wanted, the hope had returned to the ship and its scarred leader. Who knew, maybe we could be home within the month? I didn't care, as long as Zuko didn't become what I had once been, I would be happy.

Ooh! That turned out better than I had hoped! It should be noted that I have no idea what I'm doing when I start to write a chapter…I hope you all enjoyed it!