The next morning, before I went down to breakfast (sending Katara down before me), I went up to the Helm Room. "How long before we reach the Great Gates of Azulon?" I asked the Helmsman.

"They are there, Prince Zuko. We're just pulling up to them now. I suggest that you grab something portable for breakfast and wait outside. If you don't tell them of your capture, the guards there will attack our ship. I'll stop just before the Gates and try to show them we mean to talk." he explained.

"Okay. Thank you, Helmsman." I told him, before grabbing some toast and jam and walking outside.

"Where are you going?" Katara asked as I walked out the door.

Uncle Iroh explained for me. "We will be arriving at the Great Gates of Azulon today, and..." his voice faded out as I walked farther from the tower.

I saw the jet skis come zooming from the statues of my grandfather. Before they moved out of my view, I sent up three short bursts of flame above me: the national signal for an S.O.S.

"You need help?" a woman's voice yelled out.

"No, but I need to talk! I'm not posing any threat!" I yelled back to her.

"Very well!" the woman called back, "Please move to the side of the statue and lower your gang plank!" I sent a crewman up to tell the helmsman what to do, and felt the ship slowly turn into position. Once the gang plank was down, the woman who'd been speaking, along with two men, walked on board. "Hey!" she exclaimed upon getting a closer look at me, "You're the banished prince!"

I shook my head, and smiled a little. I said, "Not anymore."

"Wha-...You mean you've captured the Avatar?" she asked incredulously.

"Well how else do you think I got into the Fire Nation?" I responded, chuckling.

The female guard regained her composure and said flatly, "Well, I'm going to have to see the Avatar before I let you any closer to the Palace."

"Very well." I said. I took the three guards down to Aang's cell.

"Who are they?" Aang demanded.

"Keep quiet." I told him roughly.

The woman sighed, looking the Avatar over. "Well, he certainly looks like the Avatar, but...I'm going to need some more reliable proof." she said.

"How else do you want me to prove it?" I asked, surprised.

"Airbend." she said firmly to Aang.

"What?" the boy asked confusedly.

"I said, AIRBEND." she repeated. Behind the woman's back, I gave a slight nod to Aang, silently telling him to do what she says. He sighed, apparently understanding.

"Umm, lady? You may want to move over..." he said. The woman side-stepped out of his way. Realizing I was now in the line of fire, I was about to do the same, before I felt a huge gust of wind, was thrown back through the door and into the hallway wall, and heard the laughter of a certain twelve-year-old boy.

"You nasty little rat-viper, you're going to pay for that!" I yelled, standing up and storming up to him. The woman stepped in front of me and gave me a stern look. I remembered my orders three years ago to "bring the Avatar back unharmed," and calmed down.

Saying that everything checked out, the guards started walking out of the room. "Well if you don't pay for it, someone else will!" I hissed quietly to Aang.

"No, Zuko, please! Don't do anything! PLEASE!" he called after me desperately. I didn't really know if I meant that threat, but I was really really mad, so I didn't really care. The three guards, who had ignored Aangs pleas, went back to the statue and let us pass.

"Have a nice day, your Highness." the woman said as she was leaving.

After we were moving towards the Palace, I had calmed down quite a bit, and was feeling more than a little sorry. I went back down to Aang slowly.

"Zuko, please, I'm sorry to embarrass you or offend you or anything! Just please don't hurt Katara!" he started pleading again. I held my hand up to stop him.

"Nevermind about that, Aang. I, uh...well I didn't really mean it. I was just a little angry. I...I guess what I'm trying to say is..."

"You're sorry?" Aang interjected, starting to smile. "It's okay, I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to embarrass you, I just couldn't resist."

"Ha, it's okay. I've certainly done my fair share of things like that." I laughed; he laughed.

"It's nice to not be hating each other for once." he said, and I sighed, agreeing, but wishing I didn't.

The room settled into an awkward silence, so I decided to leave without a word. However, I paused for a moment at the door, not looking back. "I-..." I sighed, "I'm sorry...about all of this." I walked out, and went up to my room to be alone.

After a short nap, I went up to see Katara and Iroh just coming to the end of a game of Pai Sho.

"Is this what you were doing while I handled the guards?" I asked, sitting down to watch.

"Yes." Katara replied, not looking up. It seemed to have been an intense game; both players were perspiring with anticipation. "Please please please don't see it..." I just barely heard Katara whisper to herself. Apparently, whatever she was talking about, Iroh did see it. For once he made his move, Katara slapped her palm to her forehead and fell from her cross-legged position to her back. "No!" she whined.

"I think it's going to be quite a while before you can beat me, Katara. I'm a master with the Lotus Tile." Uncle Iroh said with a grin.

"Wait a minute..." I said, turning to him, "I thought you lost your Lotus Tile!"

"Oh, yes, didn't I tell you? It was in my sleeve the whole time..."

"What?" I exclaimed, then huffed an irritable sigh.

"Well, think about it, Zuko. Would we have this wonderful Pai Sho player if I hadn't thought I'd lost it?" Iroh pointed out. I sighed again, realizing he was right. Katara sat up, now over her loss.

"Alright, a bet is a bet. When to we start?" she said, also sighing.

"What did you bet?" I asked, a little frightened at the answer.

"To learn to make gingseng tea!" Iroh cried happily. I rolled my eyes and stood up.

"You two are crazy." I said.

"Hey, don't blame me! It was his idea, and I thought I'd win!" Katara defended, "Besides, I'm the real victim, here."

"Yes, I suppose so. Wow, learning to make tea from Uncle Iroh, huh? I hope you make it out alive." I joked. Laughing, Katara went down to the kitchens with Iroh. I leaned against the wall, thinking about how great it was that Katara didn't hate me anymore. At this point, I would say she considers me her friend! But not her boyfriend...

I looked out the window to see the Palace ahead of us. Finally...

Home.

A/N- Okay, yeah, I know. I said no more chapters at sea. That's just how this one turned out. My bad, I false advertised. Anyway, they just pulled up to the Palace now, so there's really no more sea left for me to write on!