"How many times do I have to repeat myself? Long black hair! Eyes around the same color as mine!" Zuko snapped, pointing a finger at his good eye.

The simpleton merchant's dumfounded stare never broke. "Uh… What? You looking for your sister or something?"

"It doesn't matter who she is!"

"Then why you lookin' for her?"

There was so much rage bubbling in him, Zuko was sure his head was going to explode. "That's not what I meant! Look, she wore a green and pink dress. Just tell me if you've seen anyone like that around here!"

The merchant rubbed his chin as he gazed thoughtfully at the sky. "Sure, I seen someone like that. A girl dressed all fancy-like with flowers and them sparklies in her hair," he said, wiggling his fingers next to his head. "Also wore a green neck cuff too that sorta matched her dress. I wondered what a pretty little thing like herself was doing all by her lonesome. The Lower Ring was no place for a girl like that; it'll eat her alive."

"And where did she go?" Zuko pushed.

The merchant eyed him. "You implying that I followed her? Son, I ain't no creep."

"No, I—Just tell me already!" Zuko barked. "This is important!"

The merchant regarded Zuko for another moment, tapping his chin. Then, he gave a nonchalant shrug and pointed. "It ain't hard to tell where she went. Based off her dress, I say she works at the Silent Falls Inn." Zuko followed the merchant's finger and saw a tall building that rose above every other shack in the area. "Finest place in the Lower Ring, and the finest ladies working in it. Though I'd be careful of the inn owner if you're planning to run in there after one of the girls."

Zuko glared at the merchant. "I'm not ru—Oh, forget it." Turning away from the merchant, he headed straight for the tall inn. It stood out from the shambling buildings around it was in a rather pristine state. For a rather opulent place, Zuko was surprised it hadn't been overrun by the plethora of looters and bandits that lurked here.

The entrance to the inn was flanked by two young women. They were wearing identical green and pink dresses. As they bowed to Zuko, he noticed that both of them were also wearing green neck cuffs. "Welcome to Silent Falls," they greeted. "Stay as long as you wish."

As soon as Zuko stepped through the door, he spotted her. Her back was turned to him, but her long black hair and flowers told him who she was. She was collecting used cups and bowls onto a tray. Zuko hurried over. She must have heard his footsteps, because she turned around to face him. Quickly, she bowed low. "Welcome to Sil—," she greeted, but as she rose, her words were cut short. She let out a shrill gasp, her hands flying to her mouth. Then, she whirled around and resumed her work, her movements erratic.

Zuko frowned. "Seiya, why won't you look at me?"

"I'm sorry," she replied, lifting up the tray and preparing to leave. "I don't know who you are." As she stepped away, Zuko reached out and grabbed her arm.

"That's a lie and you know it," he said. He stepped in front of her to meet her gaze, but she ducked her head away. "Wait, please. What's wrong? What happened to you?"

"Only patrons are welcome," Seiya said quickly. "Otherwise, you must leave."

"I'm not leaving until—."

"What's going on here?" A rough hand clasped Zuko by the shoulder and pulled him back. A bulky man wearing elaborate clothing loomed over him. He lowered himself until he was eye-to-eye with Zuko. Immediately, the young man's eyes noticed the scars that cut thin, pale lines through his skin. There was a small, circular one on his neck. "These girls aren't here for you hooligans to harass. You don't want to know what happened to the last idiot who threatened one of my workers."

Zuko glowered back. "I wasn't harassing her," he defended. "She—."

"Patrons only," the man interrupted, his grip tightening. "If you're not here for a meal or a room, get out." Zuko was roughly shoved towards the entrance. He didn't want to stir up trouble, especially with a man who looked like he could crack skulls with one hand. Digging his hands into his pockets, Zuko walked out of the entrance. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the girls bow as he exited. He walked a few buildings over and sat down on the steps of a half-collapsed house. Leaning forward, he leaned his forehead against his hands.

He found her in one of the rear courtyards. She was hanging damp sheets onto the drying line, using a stool to reach the clamps. Zuko clasped his hands tightly behind his back and walked over. As he drew closer, a gust of wind suddenly blew a sheet into his face.

"Ack!" he cried as he waved his arms wildly, trying to pull the sheet off of him. When he finally managed to wrestle it away, he saw her staring at him with a puzzled expression. "Oh… hi," he greeted awkwardly, raising a hand. Suddenly, the sheet flared up and slapped him again. The girl pulled the line so that the sheet moved away from him.

"Thanks," Zuko said. The servant dipped her head courteously.

"Can I help you with anything?" she asked.

"Well, actually I…" Zuko paused to clear his throat, "I just wanted to say sorry about yesterday. You know, the thing that happened in my room… I didn't mean to yell at you. I thought you were Azula."

"There is no need to apologize, Prince Zuko," the girl replied.

"No, there is!" Zuko said. "You didn't deserve that. I feel really bad." Behind his back, he twiddled his thumbs. "So… what's your name?"

"Seiya," the girl replied, pulling another sheet from her basket.

"Oh… Hi, Seiya."

"Hello, Prince Zuko."

So what was he supposed to say now? He had gotten his apology out of the way, but strangely he didn't want to leave just yet. "So… are you a firebender?"

The girl paused, and then reached up to clip the corner of a sheet. "We aren't allowed to bend, Prince Zuko."

"Oh. That's a shame."

Seiya shrugged. "It's okay. I don't need it to work."

"I think anyone should be able to bend if they want to," Zuko stated. Seiya finished hanging up the sheet. But before she could step down to retrieve another one, Zuko stooped down to snatch one from the basket and held it up for her.

"Thank you," she said softly. While she stretched up to hang the sheet up, Zuko caught her sneaking a glance at him.

"Do you bend, Prince Zuko?" she ventured.

"Yeah. Hey!" He pulled his arms out from behind him. "Do you want to watch me firebend? The other day, my uncle showed me this really cool move! It's like this!" He raised his foot up into the air, and then brought it straight down. As his heel hit the ground, a ring of fire exploded out.

Seiya gasped and quickly snatched up the basket as the fire passed by. "The sheets!" she warned. Zuko winced.

"Oh, sorry."

"That was a good move. You're very talented," Seiya complimented as she set the basket back down.

Zuko felt his chest swell with pride. It was the first time someone had commented on his firebending without comparing him with his sister. "You think so?"

"Of course."

"You should help me practice, then!" Zuko suggested happily.

Seiya bowed. "I would be honored, Prince Zuko."

"What are you doing in a place like this?" a voice asked, interrupting his thoughts. Zuko started and looked up. Standing over him were two familiar faces: Aang and Katara. With another nervous glance over her shoulder, Katara continued, "Seriously, I don't think this is a good place for us to be in."

"It's great to see you too," Zuko said, standing up. "How have you two been?"

"Well I'll be much better once we head back to the Upper Ring," Aang whispered back.

"I can't leave yet," Zuko said. "There's something I need to do here."

"And what's that?" Katara asked.

"See that inn over there?" Zuko motioned towards the inn. "I need to talk to someone in there, but the owner won't let me…" He trailed off as an idea sprung to mind. "Wait, I know… Aang, I need you to do something for me."

"You said as much in your letter," Aang mumbled. Zuko fished a hand through his pocket and pulled out a few bronze coins. He reached out and dropped them into Aang's hand. "Go into the inn and distract the owner for me. I'm sure he wouldn't turn away the avatar. It'd help if you bought a drink or something. Just keep him distracted while I sneak around the back."

"What for?" Katara asked as Aang peered at the money in his palm. "Yeah, what for?"

"I'll explain later, okay?

Zuko watched as the two walked towards the inn. He reached into his vest and gripped the silk scarf tucked against his chest. Then, after waiting a few minutes, he headed for the inn. This time, he dodged around the entrance before the two girls could see him and slipped towards the back. As he rounded the corner, he quickly retreated back and pressed himself against the wall as a server walked out from the back door. She deposited trash into a furnace and burned it with the pull of a lever. Then, she walked back into the inn.

Once the coast was clear, Zuko walked over to the door. The furnace smelled awful. Zuko wrinkled his nose. He opened the door a crack and peeked in. The door led to some sort of supply room. Shelves were lined up against the wall, holding food items and dishware. Zuko slipped in and tiptoed through the room. The supply room opened up to a long hallway with multiple doors. Zuko let out a breath of frustration as he made his way cautiously down the hall. Every door was shut. Curiously, Zuko jiggled the handles of a few and found them locked.

But there was one that was slightly ajar. As Zuko came up to it, he noticed the flickering of light coming from the crack. He pressed his ear against the door and heard someone moving within it. Slowly, he pushed the door open a little more and peeked in.

Seiya was there, readying the room for its next guest. She was trying to light a second candle, but the match had gone out already. She attempted to light another one, but it wouldn't spark up. Zuko swung the door wide open, but she didn't notice as she tried again with a third match.

"Why bother?" he asked aloud. "It would be easier just to firebend."

Startled, Seiya dropped the matches on the table. She didn't turn to face him. "Go away," she whispered.

"Why are you acting this way?" Zuko asked, stepping into the room. "Seven years ago we were best friends. What happened?" He reached for her.

Suddenly, she whirled around, pointing a knife at him. Zuko stumbled back. "You!" she cried, tears leaving trails down her face. "You happened!"

He couldn't believe it. From all the years he'd known her, she had been the sweetest, most innocent person he had ever known. And yet here she was, holding the end of a knife at him. He was just starting to realize how much she had changed.

"You promised me you'd never let anything bad happen to me!" she sobbed. "But it was my fault. I put you on a pedestal so you'd have no choice but to look down on me. You were my world, but I became nobody to you! And when they made me disappear, you didn't even notice!"

Zuko dropped his hands. "I don't know what you've been through," he said quietly. "I never meant for you to get hurt." He walked towards her, ignoring the tip of the blade that was directed straight at his chest. "You were my closest friend. You still are." He stopped in front of her. With a gentle hand, he slowly lowered her arms. Her hands loosened. The knife clattered onto the floor between them. Seiya brought a hand to her mouth as more tears spilled down her face.

Zuko closed in to hug her, but in that instant he saw a look of genuine fear cross her face as she stepped back. "Please don't touch me," she pleaded, her voice weak.

What had happened to make her so afraid of physical contact? To be honest, Zuko was too afraid to ask. Instead, he reached into his vest. "I have something for you," he said as he pulled out the white scarf. A look of amazement crossed Seiya's eyes. She reached out and took it, clutching it to her chest.

"It was all I had left of you after you were gone," Zuko said. "I missed you."

She finally looked up at him. In her amber eyes, he finally saw her again. His dearest childhood friend. "I missed you too, Prince Zuko."

I had a dream about the way things used to be

We would play out in the streets

When we were young, and we were free

But somewhere out there

We got lost along the way

Makes it harder every day just to get by

But we're gonna be alright

"Better (All the Time)" by The Everlove