2 years later

Asuni shivered against the cool temperatures as she placed a tile on the table. The Firebenders might be able to raise their body temperatures to deal with the cold, but despite her people being from here, she was in no way ready to face the polar temperatures in the same clothes she wore in the kitchen. She'd scrounged a parka from some shop the last time they stopped, and she was still cold.

"Do you know what this means?" Zuko demanded.

"I'm assuming it means Asuni and I won't be able to finish our game," Iroh sighed, laying down his own tile.

Asuni glanced over her shoulder at the column of light. It had shot into the air about ten minutes ago and it had the prince in a tizzy. The crew had been startled at first, but they'd quickly brushed it off. The prince, however, refused to be dissuaded from his theory that it was the Avatar.

He'd become increasingly fanatic in the past years, and increasingly angry as his efforts met with nothing. They'd combed the old Air Temples – an experience Asuni would never forget, those monks knew a thing or two about a good view – and ventured from one end of the world to the other and back following thinner and thinner leads.

"It means that my search is about to come to an end."

Asuni and Iroh sighed in tandem. She placed down another tile and quickly returned her hand to her glass of tea, taking a sip and delighting at the warm feeling that spread through her fingers and belly.

"That light came from an incredibly powerful source!" Zuko insisted. "It has to be him!"

"Or it's just the celestial lights," Iroh suggested. "We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing." He placed a tile on the table. "Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?"

"I don't need any calming tea!" Zuko snapped. "I need to capture the Avatar. Helmsman!" he shouted. "Head a course for the light!"

"That's his opinion," Asuni muttered, her words hidden in a deep inhale. Iroh gave a small chuckle. Asuni looked up at him and gave a small smile. "I'll make his favorite for dinner, try and calm him down."

"Might not be a bad idea," Iroh said with his own smile.

Asuni looked down at her tiles and at the array on the table in front of her. She paused, frowning as a rush of wind rattled the tiles, tugging at her sleeve. That wasn't right, the wind hadn't been coming from that direction.

Immediately she began to take inventory. It came from the direction of the light, it smelled musty, like when a room was opened after a long period of vacancy. She breathed in through her mouth. She could taste the same mustiness and, oddly, a bit of animal. Asuni blinked.

Maybe Zuko wasn't so far off this time.

"I need to get started on dinner," Asuni said, pushing her tiles away from her.

"You don't want to finish the game?" Iroh asked, pouting slightly.

"No, you were going to win anyway," she said, shaking her head wryly as she stood, stretching. Her back popped and she sighed in relief. "Anything in particular you'd like for dinner tonight, prince?" she called over her shoulder.

"Whatever," Zuko muttered in reply, eyes trained on the horizon. Asuni sighed and shook her head at him, descending the stairs into the ship casually.

But the moment she was out of view, her stride changed and she headed purposefully to the aviary where messenger hawks were kept. The whole place reeked of birds and bird droppings, making Asuni even more eager to complete her mission. She went to the cabinet where writing utensils, flints, waxes, and colored ribbons for denoting importance were kept. She plucked out a piece of paper, a stick of charcoal, a stick of wax, and a black ribbon for urgent.

On the piece of paper, Asuni scrawled out a quick message.

Headed to South Pole. Light appeared off starboard bow. Accompanied by rush of air. Smelled stale. Prince suspects Avatar. Something's happened. More details to follow.

Quickly, Asuni sealed the scroll with a dollop of wax and pressed the ribbon into it. She placed the scroll into a capsule and tied it onto the leg of a hawk.

"General Lo Shen," she ordered, and turned it lose.

Asuni paused in her nightly clean up as someone knocked on the kitchen door. Curious as to see who was visiting that late, she opened the door.

"General Iroh," she greeted in surprise. "Would you like some tea? I think I still have some hot water-"

"No, that's not why I'm here… though I wouldn't say no to a cup of jasmine tea," Iroh wheedled.

"Come in," Asuni beckoned, opening the door wider. Sure enough, she had about half of a kettle of hot water left. She quickly poured some into a cup and brewed some jasmine tea.

"Did you want to talk about something?" Asuni asked, guessing the second-most common reason for people coming to the kitchen later on at night.

"It seems my nephew is refusing to sleep," Iroh began casually, taking a sip of tea.

Asuni blinked. She certainly hadn't expected that. "I'm… sorry?"

"I tried to tell him that he shouldn't run himself out of this, but he didn't listen," Iroh sighed. "Alas," he bemoaned. "Such is the curse of old men. We've lived long enough to finally become wise, but no one wants to listen to us!"

"Very wise," Asuni assured him, turning back to finish the dishes.

"I was hoping maybe coming from someone his own age…"

"Why would a prince listen to a cook?" Asuni asked with a snort, but her hands had stilled in the water. What was the old man up to?

"Oh, no reason, I just thought maybe you would give it a shot. For his own good," Iroh added. Asuni scowled and let out a huff of air, blowing a stray hair out of her eyes.

He'd just turned this around and made it her duty. The prince was hers to guard and take care of. That included making his food and making sure he stayed healthy. If she didn't help out, she was shirking her duty.

And it wasn't just her duty, it was her desire. Long ago Zuko had stopped being a duty. Asuni actually liked the prince, a bonus to her mission that she hadn't quite expected. She didn't like to see him running himself into the ground as she kept her distance and stayed in her role.

"Alright," Asuni sighed, placing her hands on the counter. She spun around and looked Iroh in the eye. "You're more manipulative than people might think," she observed.

"Me? Manipulative? Whatever do you mean?"

"Unless you're a bat owl, you should be asleep."

Asuni stood on the upper deck. Zuko was by the railing, staring out over the ocean as they chugged in the direction the light had come from. He wasn't wearing his armor, which was surprising. Even when he used to come see her at night for treatment he always wore him armor. Instead he wore warm pajamas and a robe that swayed in the breeze. It was strange to see him so casual.

Zuko didn't turn to look at her. "Did my uncle send you?"

Asuni shrugged. "Nah, he just told me you were out here. I came myself. And I came bearing hot beverages." She moved forwards, offering him one of the cups. Zuko glanced sideways at the cup.

"Not interested."

"It's freezing out here and you don't want something to warm up with?" Asuni said skeptically.

"Don't need it."

"That wasn't even a full sentence. Clearly your tongue is going numb. Quick, before the frostbite sets in," she said, proffering the tea.

"You're not going to leave until I take it, are you?"

"Hm, probably not," Asuni said, leaning back against the railing. She glanced over her shoulder at the landscape, watching as they sailed past chunks of ice that seemed pitch black in the night. She felt eyes on her face, but refused to look at Zuko, even as he pulled the cup from her hand. Asuni smiled, pleased, and took a sip of her own drink.

"Clear night," she observed. "But it's a little late for cloud gazing, isn't it?"

Zuko made a small, annoyed sound in the back of his throat. "If you're just here to bother me, get lost."

"Am I bothering you?" Asuni asked innocently, turning to look at him. "Wasn't trying to."

"Now look who isn't using full sentences."

"Some of us didn't have elocution lessons growing up."

Asuni had learned when she could push Zuko, tease him a little. Right now, he could take a little teasing. A little, not a lot. He was proud and he wasn't going to let her start outright taunting him anytime soon. Or more likely, never.

But it was good for him, every now and then, Asuni thought. It helped him remember that he was human, that he was more than a mission. It kept him from taking himself so seriously, just for a minute or two. And Agni, she liked the guy, but a more scarily intense person she'd never met.

She watched as Zuko took a sip of the tea and scowled slightly at the flavor. Asuni smiled secretively. Chamomile, to help him sleep. Not his favorite, but he'd drink it, she knew.

"I hate chamomile," the prince muttered to himself.

Asuni stretched her arms up, careful not to spill her tea, and got off the railing. She yawned widely.

"Like it said earlier, you're not a batowl, and you haven't sprouted feathers in the last minute or so, so you should really be in bed," she added. Zuko glared at her.

"You're not in charge of me."

"My prince." Asuni took a liberty and laid her hand on his upper arm gently. His eyes slanted towards her, but now he seemed more curious than annoyed. "You need to sleep or you won't be in any shape to capture the Avatar when you find him."

Zuko noted that she said when and not if. It was an important distinction that very few people on the ship appreciated. If implied they had little faith in his abilities, that they thought the mission would fail. The crew bandied it about, not realizing that it smacked him in the face whenever he heard it.

When, though. When was a different matter entirely. It implied total confidence in him, that there was no question he'd succeed. Iroh was always aware of the distinction, of course, so Zuko always paid attention to what he used.

Asuni had said when, and in addition to that, she'd sworn never to lie to him, and she'd never once broken that promise, not in two years aboard the ship. It lent an added ring of truth to the logic of what she said.

"I swear, Prince Zuko, I will never lie to you."

The same blue eyes were watching him now, glittering and waiting for a response.

"As soon as I finish my tea," he finally submitted, acknowledging that she and his uncle had a point. He did need to sleep, and at least if he was sleeping, then the fear and worry would leave him be, at least for a few hours.

"Prince Zuko?"

"What do you want?"

Zuko was leaning on the railing, his eyes fixed on the snow wall becoming larger and larger in the distance as they drew closer and closer to the Southern Tribe. Asuni stood behind him, swaddled in a thick red blanket to protect her from the cold.

All she wanted was to make her request and then escape back into the warmth of the kitchen. Since they'd hit colder temperatures, her domain had become busier than ever as people sought a few minutes of relative warmth between chores. She was now rarely without company and she liked it that way. It made her feel less isolated down in her little kitchen.

But the problem was, this was a major request, and one she was a bit scared to make. Asuni didn't want it to be turned down. Probably because it came not from Asuni, the cook or Asuni, the undercover guard. It came from Asuni, the girl, Asuni, the member of the Water Tribe.

Asuni, the girl who wanted to see her heritage.

"I was just wondering," she began slowly, "if it would be possible for me to join you when you went into the village?"

"And why would I want you along?" Zuko demanded. "You're a cook, not a soldier."

Asuni's jaw clenched slightly at that and she had to bite back her disagreement. Her pride didn't like this, having to ask permission to do something like this. All she wanted was a look at her heritage, to see something that was her birthright. And she had to ask permission.

Mind you, that wasn't Zuko's fault, she reminded herself. It was the situation, not the prince, that she was angry with.

That in mind, she bit down her nerves and irritation and began to lay out her arguments.

"This is Water Tribe country, they might be more helpful if they saw one of their own with you. And besides, I'm a Waterbender. I can do a lot with the snow and ice out here. I might be more effective in a fight," she explained.

"Denied," Zuko replied breezily and turned to descend into the ship to prepare for their docking.

"What's denied?" Iroh asked from across the ship, looking up from his tea. Zuko paused, scowling.

"She wants to go ashore, and I told her no," Zuko snapped, starting forwards again.

"Whyever did you do that?" Iroh asked glibly.

"She's not a soldier!"

"But she's their own kind," Iroh pointed out. "She'll be very useful, I expect! You should definitely take her along."

Zuko grit his teeth. He may be the leader of the ship, but even he deferred to his uncle. Iroh was not as well-known and respected as he was for no reason. He was a decorated soldier, a master tactician, and an expert Firebender. If Iroh thought something was a good idea, it usually was.

That didn't mean Zuko had to like it.

"Fine," Zuko snapped. "I'll consider it," he allowed, even though he knew he would let her go, and his uncle knew it too, going by the twinkle of amusement in the old man's eye. "You have until we dock to convince me," he added to Asuni.

She perked up at the chance. She wasn't stupid, she'd seen the slight slump to Zuko's shoulders that signaled his caving. Asuni had known the moment Iroh approved that she would be going. But if Zuko wanted to pretend he was still mulling it over, fine, she'd humor him. Honestly, she found it a bit amusing.

"State your case," Zuko ordered, stalking off and jerking his hand for her to follow him belowdecks. Asuni mouthed a quick thank you to Iroh and followed him hastily.

"As a Waterbender I'm more suited to operate in this environment if things get bad," she began, glancing around. She quickly realized he was going to his room, probably to retrieve his armor.

"How threatening can a bunch of peasants be?"

"Who tends to start revolutions?" Asuni challenged archly.

"Watch it," Zuko scowled, glaring at her sideways. "You're the one asking for a favor here."

"My apologies, my prince," Asuni said, folding her hands in front of her and inclining her head, as close to a bow as she could come while still walking. "But my point still stands."

"I suppose," he grumbled, shoving open the door to his room. Two men waiting inside for him, armor already in their hands. They looked vaguely surprised when Asuni entered with him, even moreso when she gestured for them to leave. They hesitated, but Asuni gave them a dark look and they fled.

Asuni lifted the chest piece from the bed and approached Zuko.

"You know how that works?" he demanded, looking at her skeptically.

Asuni stepped forwards and snapped it into place, deftly clicking the two pieces together. With only minor difficulty she lifted up the spiked shoulder plates and lowered them over his head.

"I've had to help a few men with their armor before," Asuni explained. "You'd be surprised what you learn delivering meals."

While both things were true, they were entirely unconnected. She simply placed them together to make it seem like they were. Asuni prided herself on being able to lie without lying.

Zuko hid how impressed he was well, but he saw Asuni smiling slightly out of the corner of his eye and knew he hadn't been quite as successful as he'd though. To cover the slip, he growled, "Why should I let you come ashore?"

"To the villagers, you are an invading force. There will be tension just because of your presence. Seeing someone like me might help ease some of that tension," Asuni continued, tying the straps on his shoulder piece tightly and deftly, again surprising Zuko. She moved surely as she handled the armor and he was once again surprised by her abilities.

"Why would you even want to come ashore into a potential battle?" he asked, thinking he'd neatly trapped her. If she floundered here, he could easily justify leaving her behind.

Asuni dropped to her knees, pulling the armored boots out from under the bed. Zuko was a little surprised by this. Dressing a noble, while an honor, was also a bit debasing. You had to kneel at someone's feet, to guide their body into their clothes. There were a lot of people who found it incredibly distasteful work.

He'd assumed Asuni would be like that. Even if it was him, a prince, she seemed cocky enough that it would bother her to have to kneel before anyone. And here she was, dropping to her knees like he was nothing.

Asuni didn't think much of helping Zuko into his armor. She'd done it before, several times. She'd put armor and herself and on others as part of her training. Armor was useful, sure, but only if you could get it on, and there wouldn't always be someone to help you do so.

Her fingers moved instinctively as she slid his right foot into the armored boot and tightened the ribbons that held it in place around his ankle, pulling it taught.

"Is it so surprising?" she asked as she worked. "I mean, by heritage I'm a member of their tribe. Maybe not by birth, but it's still in my blood. Is it so strange that I want to see some of it? Especially since I thought I'd never leave the Fire Nation."

Zuko hadn't considered that. Asuni's features were very obviously Water Tribe, but he frequently forgot that she was. She'd been on the ship the whole time and so it was an easy mistake to make, simply assuming she was one of them and that her family always had been. He supposed it made sense for her to be curious.

And really, there wasn't a downside to dragging her along. She'd proven that she could take care of herself with her bending if it came to a fight, so he wouldn't have to worry about her getting in someone's way or getting hurt. And her points were valid.

Asuni lifted up his helmet and lowered it over his head, being careful of his scar and avoiding touching it to the metal. She settled it snugly into place and then stepped back, smiling at her handiwork.

"You can go."

Asuni's eyes widened and she smiled at him. "I can?"

"You made a convincing argument," Zuko said, turning away from her and marching to the door. "So I'll let you come."

Asuni could have quite happily tackled him in a hug, but she didn't see that going over well. It would likely have ended in burns and broken bones, so she contented herself with grinning like an idiot as she scampered towards the kitchen in search of warmer clothes.

Rather short, but it was a good place to stop. We're getting into the actual show now, so you'll see more of Asuni being a bodyguard and trying to keep her cover, instead of just Asuni the cook. There will also be a lot more action from here on out.

Oh! Also, one reviewer pointed out that Asuni should have told Zuko about the book she learned Waterbending from. I thought I included an explanation, but I looked back and I completely glossed over that, and I've gone back and edited it. The whole reason she didn't mention that was that cooks don't have access to that sort of materials.