Asuni smiled slightly in amusement as she heard the kitchen door open. It had been a few days since she'd seen Zuko and she'd been a bit worried something might have happened. She straightened up from her stretches and quickly picked the sword up off of her bed and placed it back in the cubby. She usually spent her night practicing to keep from getting rusty, sometimes into the wee hours of the morning if she was feeling particularly cooped up.

"Look who's back," Asuni said, emerging from the room. Zuko had dragged the chair around the table so that he was facing away from her. Asuni shook her head in amusement and walked around towards the counter, going for the hot water she'd put on earlier, hoping he'd visit and they could share a cup of tea. She bent over the counter and started pouring it into cups, the soothing scent of green tea filling the air.

"Look at me."

Asuni blinked at that and turned to face Zuko at the table. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the angry red flesh covering the left side of his face. It spread over his eyebrow and down onto his cheekbone. The worst of the damage was right around his eye where the hit connected, his eyebrow and lashes burned away. It spread around his head slightly, crinkling his ear.

Asuni raised an eyebrow and turned back to the cups. "What's with the orders?"

His eyes widened and Asuni wondered if she'd just said something wrong. Sure, she'd noticed the scar. It was pretty obvious. But she'd seen scars on older members of the Royal Guards. Sometimes late at night they'd gather by the forge in the firelight and start comparing wounds and telling war stories, much to the interest of the younger generation. It was a special treat when Lo Shen took off his layers of armor and showed the multitude of scars and cuts crossing his torso and talked about how he got them.

Asuni was familiar with scarred flash, and maybe that's why it wasn't so interesting to her. For her, it was like a sign that a person had a story to tell, and that was the only really interesting thing about it, the story. She knew how Zuko got his scar, so it wasn't particularly note-worthy to her. She felt the same about Colonel Zhang's missing leg or the lash marks across Major Lian's back and shoulders. She knew the story, so there was nothing else interesting to be seen there. Once the story was told, the scar faded back into the person, just another part of their appearance.

Zuko was startled. He knew Asuni had never focused on the gauze over his eye, had never even brought it up unless he asked for something to help with it. That was why he'd decided that here in the safety of the kitchen, away from the soldiers, he might just be safe to take the gauze off, and he wasn't wrong. Even now she'd only glanced over the scar and then gone back to fixing tea.

A sense of relief washed over him, and it was the first time in his life he could recall being pleased at being ignored.

"Asuni?"

Asuni looked up from slicing the meat for the night's meal and saw a soldier poking his head in. It took a second, but she managed to match his face with a name. "What is it Kang?" she asked, wiping off her hands on a towel and mopping it across her forehead. Even with looser clothes, she was still sweating in the kitchen.

"Well," he began, stepping fully into the kitchen. "You see, General Iroh's birthday is in a week, and the crew wanted to do something special for him. We were wondering if you could make him a cake or something? We thought we could take a few minutes and have a celebration. Nothing too fancy. A couple of the men can play instruments, we thought they'd play…"

"That sounds like a great idea!" Asuni agreed, smiling. Kang breathed a sigh of relief.

"Great. Do you have everything you'd need for a cake?"

Asuni nodded thoughtfully and moved to the storeroom, opening the door and poking her head inside, rustling through the ingredients she had available. "Let's see… flour… sugar… I think I can do it!" she smiled, nodding to him. He grinned in reply.

"Great! Could you have it ready by about noon, do you think?"

"Please, who do you think I am?" Asuni grinned. She stood up and saluted sharply. "You can count on me, soldier!"

Kang laughed slightly at her. "I'll tell the rest of the crew we'll have a cake. See you later, Asuni."

"See ya!" Asuni grinned, waving as he turned and left the kitchen.

"Sir?"

Iroh looked up from his Pai Sho game and prince looked up from his maps and charts. The pair of them had been closeted away in the control room for most of the day. Zuko glared up from his charts and snapped, "What do you want?"

"We need both of you on the deck immediately," the soldier requested grimly.

"Sounds serious," Iroh chuckled, rising from the table. Zuko straightened up sharply and stalked over to the soldier.

"What's happened?" he demanded. "Is it something to do with the Avatar?"

"It's best if you come and see for yourselves," the soldier replied, shaking his head as they all made their way down to the deck.

"Tell me what's going on!" Zuko snapped. "I'm not going to-"

"Happy birthday General Iroh!"

Zuko recoiled in surprise at the shout. Anyone who wasn't absolutely critical to the running of the ship was gathered on deck, wearing smiles and casual clothes. A few men who were able to play and had brought their instruments along struck up a song and the assembly joined in a rousing – if incredibly discordant - chorus of happy birthday. By the end, the general was wearing his biggest smile.

"And now here's my contribution!"

From below deck, Asuni emerged, struggling under the weight of a three-layer cake. Immediately a pair of soldier moved forwards and took it off her hands, guiding it over to a table piled high with plates.

"Ah, thanks guys!" she grinned, dusting her hands together. She slung a towel over her shoulder and produced a large knife, spinning it deftly through her fingers as she walked over and cut into the cake. She put a generous piece on the plate and carried it over to Iroh.

"Happy birthday General," she grinned, proffering the plate. Iroh took it and bit into it, chewing thoughtfully. He smiled and grinned.

"Best I've ever tasted!" he announced, and a cheer went up from the crew before they converged on the cake.

"Did you know they were planning this?" Zuko asked his uncle, looking around at the assembled crew in surprise. He was startled and slightly unnerved by the fact that the crew had planned this and he hadn't heard even a hint of it.

"No, but it's welcome to think that they care enough," Iroh smiled, taking another bite of his cake and smiling serenely. Zuko winced slightly. He hadn't even acknowledged that it was his uncle's birthday, and yet the crew had put all this together. He hadn't even remembered it was today.

"Happy birthday, Uncle," Zuko murmured.

"Oi, back, ya vultures!"

Asuni burst from the crowd. The musicians were playing again and those that weren't eating cake were dancing. Asuni swatted away a hand that reached for the plate of cake she held in her hand and stuck out her tongue at the soldier who pouted at her.

"Here you are, Prince Zuko!" she announced with a flourish, holding out the cake to him. Zuko turned to her in surprise. Asuni raised an eyebrow. "Well, take it! It's not poisoned!" When he still didn't move, Asuni rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to stand here forever…"

Zuko reached out and took the plate. Asuni grinned. "That wasn't so hard, was i- Ah!"

A soldier swooped past and scooped Asuni into his arms, dragging her into a lively dance. Asuni laughed and eagerly joined in.

It had been a while since she'd felt this confident about her mission. When she first came she'd focused only on the fact that she didn't know how long she'd be here, that she was leaving everything she knew. But now she'd adjusted. She still missed her friends from the kitchens and the Royal Guards, but the soldiers welcomed her among them and she found herself cutting loose like she would have. Her mission wasn't lonely and isolating like she'd assumed. She wasn't hiding in the kitchens and skulking around observing. She was right in the middle of things, which was where she liked to be.

"The cook seems to like you," Iroh observed casually, taking a bite of cake.

"I suppose," Zuko grumbled, shoving a piece into his own mouth to keep from having to talk anymore.

"And she's very pretty, isn't she?"

Zuko choked on his cake and Iroh calmly reached over and patted his back as he got his breath back. Zuko glared at his uncle and tugged away.

"I don't have time for things like that," he snapped. "I have to capture the Avatar and restore my honor. Besides, she's just a cook."

"Oh, I'd wager she's much more than that," Iroh said in that irritating way of his that implied he knew more than Zuko did. Zuko hated that tone.

"What do you mean by-"

"Ship off the starboard bow!"

The cry was heard over the music and laughing and immediately everyone froze, turning to look to that side. Sure enough, a ship was heading towards them at full steam. It looked a bit worse for the wear. It was a Fire Nation ship, or at least it used to be. Now it was flying the skull and crossbones.

"Pirates," Asuni murmured, and that set everyone off. The soldiers ran from the deck and down into the depths to retrieve their weapons and armor, readying for a fight. Asuni moved to the railing and stared at the oncoming ship. They must have assumed, based on how old the ship they were on was, that it was probably sold off to some rich Fire Nation noble or a retired old military man who wanted to relive the glory days. Either way, lightly manned, weakly defended, and easy pickings.

Asuni was bumped into violently as a group of soldiers moved past her and staggered sideways, hitting Zuko, who had taken a similar position. He turned and fixed her with an angry look.

"You! Get below, you'll just be in the way up here!"

Asuni knew that was the best decision. She had no doubt that, even though they were unprepared, the soldiers plus the Prince and Iroh could fend off the pirates. There was no way they were good enough to take on a fully-crewed Fire Nation ship packed with some of the best. Up here though, in the midst of a fight, she might have to defend herself, and give away some of her training. Below she'd be safe and out of danger.

However, as Asuni made for the steps into the depths of the ship, she was cut off by soldiers surging from below with their arms full of sheathed swords. Those still on deck converged around them, grabbing swords and readying to fight. Asuni tried to push around them and get to the stairs, but someone banged into her and she staggered against the railing.

The pirate ship swung around and pulled up alongside of them. Planks were lowered and the pirates started surging across. A soldier moved to every plank, punching fire along it. Some pirates ducked and fell or simply threw themselves over the side, trying to avoid the flames. A few were apparently Firebenders. They took the fire and redirected it back at the soldiers, who were distracted long enough for them to cross to their ship. The pirates who made it over grappled with the soldiers blocking their path and pushed them back, allowing more to file on behind them.

Asuni stayed huddled by the railing on the opposite side of the ship, eyes wide, shaking. To anyone who didn't look twice, she would look the part of the terrified cook. But looking closer you could see that her eyes were filled with adrenaline, not fear. She was shaking trying to hold herself back, not trying to contain sobs. Asuni desperately wanted to go and help the men she'd come to know well over the past few weeks, but she knew she risked exposure.

But… maybe not. If she attacked with weapons, yes. A normal kitchen girl wouldn't know how to use a sword or a spear or anything like that. But a kitchen girl who was obviously Water Tribe, who'd admitted to having a Water Tribe mother…. That girl could probably get away with having hidden her Waterbending if she was in the Fire Nation.

It was taken out of Asuni's hands as one of the pirates caught sight of her huddled there and came for her, probably thinking that she would be a good hostage, as well as one who wouldn't fight back.

"Come here, pretty girl," he said, reaching out to grab her wrist. His eyes widened when a stream of water uncurled over the railing and wrapped around his wrist. "What the- Aaah!" He went flying over the side of the ship with a shout and splashed into the ocean several dozen yards away.

Asuni stood up and took a stance. Water surged over the side of the ship and covered her arms from the shoulders to far past her hands. Asuni's arms snapped out and the water lashed out, coiling around the waist of one of the pirates that was giving Kang trouble. His eyes widened and he turned to look at Asuni in shock.

"You're-"

"I know," Asuni replied shortly as she flung the writhing pirate in her grasp over the railing after his companion. She swung her arms around and lashed a pirate near the rail across the chest, sending him flying over the side. Asuni dropped her water onto the ground and iced it over, skating along gracefully and pulling water up the side of the ship, creating a huge wave behind her. She skidded to a stop and thrust her arms forwards, completely dousing three Firebenders who were being backed into a corner by a duo of soldiers. With another flick of her wrists they were iced over, unable to move. The two soldiers turned in surprise, thinking they were about to confront a Waterbending pirate, only to gape at their cook.

Asuni moved on toward Zuko. He and Iroh were taking on no less than six pirates. Asuni dragged more water over the side of the ship and swept behind the pirates, icing the ground under their feet. They slipped and slid, trying to keep their balance. One was a Firebender and melted the ice under him. He turned furiously to see who had created it, only to get kicked to the ground by Zuko.

By that point the pirates had realized they had picked a poor target. Those who were still functional were dragging those who weren't back over the planks, upending them to keep the Fire Nation soldiers from boarding them in retaliation. The soldiers sent up a cheer as the pirates sailed away. They hadn't lost a single man, and the injuries were minor.

"You!"

Asuni spun sharply, still tense from battle, only to find Zuko snarling at her. He seized her upper arm.

"You're coming with me!" he shouted at her, and started dragging her towards the steps down in to the ship. The crew's cheers stopped as they watched. Those who hadn't seen her bending were quickly filled in by those who had and watched with worry and slight suspicion. Iroh followed Zuko sedately into the ship, sighing and shaking his head.

"You're hurting me!" Asuni cried as Zuko's grip began to heat with his anger. She wrenched free and tried to step away from him, only for him to grab her shoulder and shove her forwards into a bedroom. Asuni staggered at the rough treatment and toppled half-way onto a bed similar to her own. Looking around she was shocked to see how large it was, and the Fire Nation flags hanging on the walls. This was the prince's room.

"Nephew, be gentler with her," Iroh admonished.

"Why should I?" Zuko retorted, glaring at her. "She lied to us!"

He felt oddly betrayed. Not long ago he'd shown her his scar, the first person he'd chosen to show it to, revealed that personal bit of himself, and the whole time she'd been lying to him while acting like she was a friend.

"I never lied!" Asuni protested, surging up to her feet. She took great offense to that considering she'd been very careful to not tell any lies, simply to avoid a question or phrasing something differently in order to answer personal questions without revealing things she didn't want revealed.

"You didn't tell us you were a Waterbender!" Zuko roared, a hands-breadth from her face.

"You didn't ask!" Asuni snapped back.

"I shouldn't have to!"

"So I'm supposed to read your mind?" Asuni responded indignantly. "That's ridiculous!"

"You can't talk to me like that, you're just the cook!"

"Exactly, I'm just the cook!"

Zuko blinked in surprise. He hadn't been expecting that response. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice assuming a more tolerable volume. Asuni sat back down on the edge of the bed, glaring at her hands.

She hated having to explain this. She hated that barely two weeks into her mission she'd given away a key fact about herself, but she hadn't really had another choice. And now she had to explain one of the problems that had plagued her for years.

Strictly speaking, she was never forbidden from revealing that she was a Waterbender by anyone. The Royal Guards had Earthbenders who were open about what they could do, both to their fellow members and the outside world. Asuni had the same freedom. It had been a personal choice for her to keep quiet, both to keep from drawing attention to herself, and out of fear.

Her mother had left the Northern Water Tribe, thrown out by her parents because she was a non-bender and refused a betrothal, and, on top of that, wanted to learn to fight, something that was not a woman's place. She flew in the face of so many traditions. Aluki had made her way to the Fire Nation, where women were allowed to fight. Her desire to fight led her to Lo Shen, and then they fell in love and had Asuni. Aluki died shortly after, but not before finding out that her daughter had the bending her own parents had so looked down on her for lacking.

However, Waterbenders had long since been rounded up by Fire Nation troops, systematically defeated, imprisoned, and exterminated. The Southern Water Tribe was said to have lost every single one of its benders. Any Waterbenders in the Northern Tribe who were caught were given the same treatment. While having been part of the Fire Nation since birth would likely have exempted her, Asuni had always feared the same thing happening to her. As Lo Shen often said, she had her mother's fighting spirit, and her biggest fear was being chained or tied down.

"I'm just the cook," Asuni repeated slowly. "And I'm a Waterbender. For years the Fire Nation rounded up any Waterbender they could find and imprisoned them, kept them away from water as well as they were able. It's hard to deprive a Firebender of their element, so you can't understand what it's like… but it's horrible. And I was so worried that even though my mother was thrown out of her Tribe, had served loyally, that I had been born here and that I served loyally, that the same thing would happen to me. So I never told anyone what I could do," she finished.

"A reasonable response," Iroh mused.

"How is that reasonable?" Zuko demanded, still running on anger.

"Not to be rude or anything, but the Fire Nation did wipe out an entire nation to take out one guy," Asuni said pointedly, looking up at him darkly. "I may not have handled it the way you'd prefer, but I was trying to keep myself safe!"

Her only response was a harsh look sent in her direction from Zuko that was quite clearly meant to quiet her. Zuko tugged Iroh away to the corner and they began to whisper. Asuni lowered her eyes.

This was it. She'd blown a critical mission in two weeks. He was going to throw her off of the boat and she would have to return and tell the others that she had failed dismally. She'd have to see them looking at her with judgment, or worse, pity. Lo Shen's response would be the worst. He had trusted her with this, her first big mission, and she had let him down. That was probably the worst part of this.

Asuni stood up with a sigh. Zuko immediately whirled on her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To pack," Asuni replied blandly. "You're throwing me off the ship, aren't you?"

Zuko grit his teeth, taking in her appearance. In his experience, Asuni was always lively, smiling or chatting or smirking about something, he'd even caught her singing as she made tea once or twice. Something about her exuded energy. But that was all gone now. She was slumped and had her eyes trained on the ground. Sadness hung around her like a cloak.

Iroh nudged his nephew, looking up at him pointedly. He knew that his moral nephew, the one who would stand up for soldiers he didn't even know in front of men who were far and away more experienced than he was, was still there under the layers of anger, and that boy wouldn't dump a girl at the nearest port for hiding something about herself out of fear.

"No," Zuko said tightly. "I won't… throw you off. I can… see why you did what you did."

Asuni looked up, hardly daring to believe it. She hadn't failed, she wouldn't be going home in disgrace. Zuko fidgeted uncomfortably under her stare as she gaped at him, hardly able to believe her luck.

I thought he was a completely different person… but maybe not.

"You know," Iroh broke in, cutting through the tension and dispelling it easily. "I've heard that Waterbenders possess remarkable healing abilities and we seem to have a few injured soldiers. I don't suppose you know how to heal?"

"I do," Asuni nodded eagerly. "Shall I tend to them?"

"I think that would help the crew get over this little shock," Iroh nodded approvingly.

For the first time since she'd arrived on the ship, Asuni looked to Zuko and acted the part of a servant. She lowered her eyes and asked, "Is that alright with you, Prince Zuko?"

Zuko wasn't stupid. Asuni wasn't like he'd expected servants to be. It was obvious she pretty much did whatever he wanted, it just so happened that what she wanted didn't inconvenience anyone. She seemed perfectly content on the ship, like she belonged there, and she behaved just as casually as she might at home with her friends. This was the first time he'd seen her actually act like she was his servant, and, to his surprise... he didn't like it.

"Do what you want," Zuko said wearily. Asuni nodded and rose, giving a deep bow. It wasn't like the first bow she gave him. There was no mocking, only a deep respect.

Before, Asuni hadn't really respected him. She'd acknowledged him as the prince, as her superior and future ruler, but some part of her was still clinging to that first moment of brutality, when he treated her like the scum of the earth, and holding her back despite the fact that she genuinely liked him after getting to know him a bit better.

Before he had been just a mission. But he'd shown that he wasn't just the angry, bitter boy he seemed to be. A trace of the moral boy she'd heard stories about in the palace was still in there. She cared what happened to him, not just as an assignment, as something to please her father and to prove herself worthy of her place in the Royal Guards and as his daughter. Now she respected him and cared for him, and it was no longer an assignment. She wanted to protect him, for his sake, not his country's.

For the first time, she truly understood the dedication of the Royal Guards. Sure, she loved her country, she did what she did in the Royal Guards for her father's sake, but it had always been about Lo Shen. Now she understood the deep loyalty he held to his country, something he held inside him like a sage carried their religion.

Zuko was the prince of the Fire Nation and he was hers to protect. Who knew how long it would take until they were back to the Fire Nation? But come hell or high water, nothing would touch him out here, not if she had a say about it. He had her loyalty, and he had it until she died.

Asuni straightened up and left the room, mind spinning with that revelation as she emerged onto the deck. There were a few men there nursing burns or small cuts, but no one was mortally wounded. All eyes turned to her and Asuni held her head high, her shoulders thrown back confidently as she strode to the nearest soldier who was hurt. A friend of his was wrapping bandages around a cut along his upper arm.

Asuni gently brushed the man's hands aside and started to unwrap the cut. When it was revealed she raised a hand in a long, smooth motion, drawing water over the side of the ship and covering her fingers. The water glowed as she placed her hand over the cut. The soldier flinched in surprise and tried to move away from the glowing liquid, but she put a hand on his shoulder to hold him. He froze until Asuni released him. He looked to his arm unsurely.

"I'll be damned," he muttered, staring at where his wound used to be. Then he looked up at her and smiled. "Thanks 'Suni."

Asuni breathed a sigh of relief - they don't hate me! – and moved on to the next injury.

That night, when it came time for dinner and Iroh and Zuko seated themselves at their private table, Zuko was surprised when Asuni came in with a tray laden with his favorite foods. Iroh pointedly pretended to ignore that fact as he casually sipped his tea. Zuko looked up at Asuni in surprise as she began to place the dishes on the table. He hadn't expected any kind of gesture like this, especially after how rough he was with her earlier.

Asuni didn't say anything in response to his look, she just closed her eyes and gave a small, serene smile, inclining her head to him respectfully.

I know, I know! I did next to nothing with this story for a year, but now I'm back! Yes, this is going to be a real comeback, I've got like eight chapters planned out in my head, so I'm ready for this!

As a side note, I know her Waterbending came out pretty quickly, but I felt it really limited the character to have her hold that back, and besides, that's only one of Asuni's many cards she's played close to the chest. Her secrets will slowly come out throughout the course of Book 1, and then in Book 2 she will probably fully assume her role as a Royal Guard.