And though it's clear

Though it was always clear

That this was never meant to be

If you happen to remember

Stop and think of me

Her voice made it's way to his room. Her high notes floated towards his ears and he sat up straight. He had heard the song before, but couldn't make out the words. Without thinking, he stepped out of bed and opened his door.

Her voice became clearer and then he recognized the song. It had been her favourite song when she was younger. She had sung it while she accompanied herself on the piano in the palace. It was from a play they had seen together with his Mother. Mother loved plays and Elyrie happily went along with them. Her natural affinity for music had made her an eager student and she had played the piano with his Mother over a thousand times. Zuko listened again to her voice and started to make his way towards the deck.

Elyrie reached the second verse, feeling joy spread through her chest.

Think of us

When the world was green

Don't think about the way

Things might have been

Iroh stroked his beard as he smiled at her choice. Clever little thing, he thought. This song was sweet and innocent, but her reason to sing this was hard to miss. It was her way of apologising without having to say it in so many words. A stubborn girl through and through, but she had the wit to challenge Zuko without having to face him directly. He closed his eyes and continued to listen to her voice.

Think of me

Think of me waking

Silent and resigned

Imagine me, trying too hard

To put you from my mind

Elyrie felt happy that her voice had not failed her. She had picked the song for a reason, but only now did she fully grasp the similarities with the song and her own situation at the moment. She wanted Zuko to think of her, as she would think of him when she had returned to Zhao. She wanted to part as friends, not in this angry way. She poured her heart in the song and sang the lyrics with all the love she possessed. Her eyes found Uncle, who gave her an encouraging nod.

Then her eyes met familiar golden eyes, which shimmered in the candlelight. His face looked stern, but his eyes watched her with awe. She smiled and hold his gaze as she continued

Think of me

Please say you'll think of me

Whatever else you choose to do

There will never be a day

When I won't think of you

Zuko stood behind his Uncle and looked at the girl. She was singing like an angel and her voice had drawn him out of his dark room, as she had done so many times before. Her voice just sounded like home, afternoons spent playing together and music lessons with his Mother.

Flowers fade

The fruits of summer fade

They have their seasons

So do we

But promise me

That sometimes

You will think

Elyrie felt her cheeks heat up as she reached the end of the song. Her eyes glittered with pride and joy. She looked around the men when she took a deep breath. The last note of the song was a high D, so she mastered all her courage. Then she looked Zuko straight in the eyes with a mischievous smile as she belted the last note.

Of me!

She clasped her hands on her chest. Slightly out of breath, she felt her heart pounding against her chest. It had been a long time since she had sung for a crowd, but the feeling of triumph was overwhelming.

There were a few seconds of silence. The crewmembers simply stared at her without making a sound as the last note died away. Then Jee put down his pipa, stood up and started to clap. Iroh joined, quickly followed by the rest. The crew gave her a standing ovation and she felt herself blush again at their kindness. She bowed elegantly and smiled widely when she came back up again.

Zuko clapped as well with a small smile on his pale lips. He shook his head, but could not help himself. He could not stay mad at her. She had sung a beautiful song with the voice of an angel, but he was not oblivious at the hidden meaning. Uncle gave him a small nudge and looked at him. Zuko scoffed at his Uncle, who wiggled his eyebrows at him.

"Stop it." He said in a grumpy voice, "I'm not playing the tsungi horn."

Elyrie walked towards Uncle and Zuko. Her eyes still sparkled with happiness as Uncle grasped both her hands.

"My dear," he said as he looked at her, "You sang beautifully." Then her turned to the men and added "Didn't I tell you her voice could break hearts?" The men murmured in agreement and made their way to her to compliment her. Elyrie felt shy at the attention but happy at the same time.

Lieutenant Jee was the last to compliment her, but he did it in the most gentlemen-like manner. He bowed before her and lightly kissed her hand.

"By listening to your voice, I remembered what true music sounds like." She made a curtsy to him and took his large hand into both her hands.

"Thank you for accompanying me, captain." She said with a fond smile, "I could not have done it without you." He nodded his head at the compliment and let go of her hand.

Elyrie then turned around and made her way over to Zuko, who stood a bit further away in the shadows. She pressed her lips together.

"So, what did you think?" she asked nonchalantly. Zuko looked at her with a smirk.

"Like I said, you really can't do things quietly." he answered, his look teasing. She cocked her eyebrow and suppressed a grin at his teasing tone. That tone told her enough: he was no longer mad at her. She was happy her last night on the ship was not spoiled by a fight.

Then, she smiled sweetly at him and elbowed him swiftly in the ribs. He groaned and she laughed.

The music night had been a great success. Iroh had played the tsungi horn, but Zuko had stayed as well. A rarity, if Elyrie were to believe Uncle. Even though he did not dance or play an instrument, he had sat down with the rest of the crew and enjoyed a drink.

She on the other hand had danced the whole night and played the tambourine, but politely declined to sing another song. One was enough, she thought.

It was around midnight when the crew started to retire to their cabins. Uncle suppressed a yawn and said, "Well, I am going to bed."

Elyrie nodded. "Let me clean up, Uncle." She offered with a smile. Iroh pinched her cheek and chuckled. "No need, dear. Only the instruments need to go back inside, the rest we will do tomorrow."

But she shook her head. "No, please let me help. It is the least I could do after you all have been so kind to me."

"But isn't it too much to do on your own?" Iroh tried, looking at the empty cups and blown out candles on the deck.

"Oh, but Zuko will help me." she said sweetly.

Zuko looked up in surprise and shot her an annoyed look. She returned it with a smirk and batted her long eyelashes at him. "Right?" she asked in a sweet tone, "Since your crew takes such good care of you?"

He scoffed at her and murmured something. It sounded like "The sooner you are off the ship, the better." Nevertheless, he agreed to help.

Wrapped around her little finger, Iroh thought amused.

The deck was clean is less than an hour. With Zuko cleaning up empty cups and Elyrie scrubbing stains of the deck, it was done in no time at all. The only thing left to do was to place the instruments inside.

Zuko motioned for her to follow him and showed her the room were the instruments were usually stored, to which she raised her eyebrows at him.

"I thought you never cared for music night, so why do you know where they keep the instruments?" she asked. "Don't tell me you secretly practiced with the tsungi horn?"

He rolled his eyes when he answered. "I don't, but this is known on the ship as Uncle's storage room. He keeps all his stuff here."

Elyrie lit up her hand to get a better look at the dark storage room. But when she had set one foot inside, she shrieked and almost lost her balance as she backed away. A creepy statue of a monkey smiled at her, his ruby eyes lit up by her fire.

"What in the world is that!?" she asked with a higher voice than usual.

"Something my Uncle bought from a bunch of pirates." Zuko answered as he lit up his own palm.

"It is terrifying." She said with wide eyes, "And I thought Uncle had such good taste."

Zuko shook his head. "Not when it comes to decorating. When it comes to shopping, he lives by the motto 'The only thing better than finding what you are looking for, is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain'."

Elyrie chuckled as she looked around. "So I can see." The entire room was filled with trinkets and things you buy at a marketplace. From seashells to antique chairs, it seemed Uncle had collected them all.

"Lily," she heard Zuko say, so she turned around. He handed her a shawl made of red velvet. "In case you are cold."

"Thank you." she said as she took the shawl. She wrapped it around herself, letting the velvet fabric caress her soft skin. "Another one of Uncle's necessary purchases?" she asked with a smile. Zuko nodded.

"Come," he continued, "Let's finish this." She extinguished her flame and followed him back to the deck. They placed the instruments back in the storage, which took only a few minutes. The last instrument on deck was the pipa, but Elyrie hesitated to bring it inside. She lovingly caressed the beautiful string instrument. Mama had one just like it, she remembered. Zuko extended his hand to take over the pipa, but she shook her head.

"My mother had one just like it. She would often play for me." Absentmindedly, her fingers played with her necklace. The golden locket caught the moonlight. Zuko noticed it.

"Did you get the locket from your mother?" he asked. She shook her head and took off her necklace.

"No, but I always carry my parents with me this way." She opened the locket to show him the pictures inside.

Zuko took a closer look. He remembered her parents well. Her father was an intelligent and kind nobleman, who often helped him with his studies. He saw less of him, however. Her mother he remembered vividly, since she had been a lady-in-waiting for his own mother. He remembered that Elyrie told him her mother was from the colonies, which was evident in her distinctive appearance. Elyrie had inherited her blue eyes, but not her tan skin or dark brown hair. Nonetheless, the resemblance was uncanny even with the different colouring.

"She was a beautiful woman. You look so much like her now." he said matter-of-factly, as if he observed something ordinary. Like the sky was blue or that fire was hot to the touch.

He thinks I'm beautiful? Elyrie looked up in surprise. She looked away from his gaze as she closed the locket and put her necklace back on.

"You must miss them." He said softly.

"Every day." She answered with a melancholic look.

She shivered when the wind brushed against her and she pulled the shawl closer.

"I meant to tell you," she remembered suddenly, "I actually learned a firebreathing technique from Uncle! It does help me a lot, but I always love a shawl to wrap myself in." Zuko looked at her with a frown.

"You never knew about the firebreathing?" he asked confused. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Yes, I did. But I enjoy shivering so much that I simply ignored it for the last twenty or so years." She replied in a sarcastic tone. Zuko scoffed at her answer, but thought about the lessons Uncle had given him. He had taken them for granted the last years, but he realised not all were so lucky to have their own instructor.

"Even though I never formally trained with a master, my mother taught me some moves." She continued. She lit up her fingers and formed a long trail of fire. She pulled it back and let it click, like a whip. It was different from the firewhips he had learned, more fluently and less aggressively. "And some others, I invented myself. Propelling myself came from a fairytale about flying persons. And the twirling firewhip was a combination of classic dance and the whip. The Royal Academy for Girls has drilled me with dancing skills anyway, so I might as well use them in combat when necessary." She smiled a wicked smile. He was impressed by her creativity.

She picked up the pipa again. "How about one more song? Since you missed most of music night?" she said teasingly. Zuko rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Any requests?" she said before quickly adding, "Never mind, I only can play like three songs on the pipa."

She sat down on the deck with the string instrument on her lap. Lovingly, she stroked the strings and the redwood. It truly was a beautiful instrument. It resembled the one her mother used to play, except maybe this one was smaller. Carefully, she caressed the strings to try it out. A sweet tune came out of the pipa, which made her smile. She adjusted it and played a simple chord, one her mother taught her. It was a simple lullaby. She sang soft and sweet, while the lyrics kept coming back to her as waves on a sandy beach. The song her mother used to sing to her, all those years ago.

Hush now, my darling

Close your eyes and sleep

Waltzing the waves

Diving the deep

Stars are shining bright

The wind is on the rise

Whispering words of long lost lullabies

Zuko sat down next to her as she continued to play. Her curls hang loose around her face, framing her heartshaped face. Her slender fingers tickled the strings, while she smiled at Zuko. Her sapphire eyes glowed with pleasure and happiness.

Oh, won't you come with me?

Where the moon is made of gold

And in the morning sun

We'll be sailing

Oh, won't you come with me?

Where the ocean meets the sky

And as the waves roll by

We'll sing the song of the sea

"I know it is the same again, but it is all I know." She said apologising as she looked back at him. He did not respond but looked at her with a piercing gaze. Self consciously, she quickly looked away and tugged her hair behind her ear. She stood up and went inside to put the pipa in the storage room. She noticed Zuko had not come with her, so she went back outside.

She saw him leaning on the railing, looking over the ocean. He looked sad all of the sudden. She sighed as she made her way towards him. When she stood next to him, she placed her hand on his arm.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly. Zuko looked over the water and sighed.

"What if you are right? What if all of this is useless?" he said in a dark tone. "What if Zhao captures the Avatar before me and I lose everything I ever worked for?"

Elyrie felt her guilt resurface. She did not know what had brought this on, but reached out to him.

"Zuko," she said while softly caressing his arm, "I am sorry about what I said." She placed her hand on his. She choose her words carefully this time, so she could tell him what she thought without forcing her own views on him. "I know you will reclaim your rightful place as heir."

He turned to look at her. She met his piercing golden eyes and saw the pain in them. He must feel so lost, she thought. She wrapped her arms around his arm, pulling him to her side while he continued to look at her. She placed her head against his shoulder.

"I know you will become Fire Lord one day", she whispered "You are a man of honour and I know you will lead our Nation the best way you can."

Zuko felt his heart swell at her words. He sighed and let his cheek rest against her hair. He was not surprised at her reaction. She always knew what to say to comfort him.

After she had finished playing on the pipa, his memories had resurfaced. And how far it all seemed out of reach, like she had at that moment. It dawned on him that tomorrow, she would be out of his life again. It filled him with an inexplainable sadness, even when he knew it was about to come to an end. And with her gone, he would be able to focus his energy again on finding the Avatar. But what if that would fail? He would remain a banished prince forever and probably never see her again. And she would be married to Zhao, who might be the one to capture the Avatar instead of him. It felt unbearable at that moment.

He inhaled the rosy scent of her hair. It felt good to feel her so close to him again. She had always comforted him as a child, knowing what to say to cheer him up. And she had embraced him. Like himself, she did not like it when people came into her personal space too often. But she had willingly embraced him, without hesitation. And he was not bothered by her touch. On the contrary, he cherished her being so close to him.

She shivered, feeling the cold sea wind brush against her shoulders. Zuko placed his arms around her and pulled her closer, resting his chin on her shoulders while holding her in front of him. She leaned her back against his chest and cherished his warmth. His arms wrapped in front of her, she placed her hand over his. They kept standing like that in comfortable silence again looking at the ocean.

"I know you will succeed in reclaiming your birth right." she said after a few minutes while gazing at the ocean in front of her.

"I will miss you, Lily" he said suddenly, his voice almost a whisper. She smiled and turned her head to lean her forehead against his cheek. "I'll miss you too. But this is not the last time we see each other, I promise."

Zuko knew it wouldn't be the last time. He would not be able to bear it if he never saw her again. In a few days, she had become an integral part of his life again. Like nothing had changed since the day he was banished. As if the five long years never stood between them.

He knew he was a banished prince and she an engaged woman by now. But when they were together, they were just like two children again, playing and laughing. He had smiled more in these past days than in all of the five years combined.

Elyrie looked at the night sky. A million stars sparkled bright and the ocean reflected the lights. The moon was full and bathed them in a blue light. It was enchanting. She sighed and leaned closer to Zuko. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and buried his face in her silky hair.

Laughing, Elyrie pulled away from his embrace and turned to look at him. He looked happier, more content. She smiled at him and he smiled back gratefully.

"I am going to bed." she said as she let go of his hand. Then she leaned over to give him a small kiss on his left cheek.

"Goodnight." she said with a smile that drowned out all the stars in the heavens. He only nodded at she he watched her go back inside.

He sighed and turned around, resting his hands on the railing. He did not know what had come over him when he pulled her closer, only that he wanted to hold on to her forever. He laid his hand against his cheek, the one she had kissed. He still felt her touch on his skin. It had been his scarred cheek. She had not evaded it or hesitated. She had kissed it as if it were nothing.

He shook his head at the thoughts that filled his mind. She was his best friend, after all. He cared for her as a friend.

Iroh walked back to his rooms with a fond smile on his lips. He had watched from the window at the steering room, happy with what he saw. He had watched with a smile, seeing how comfortable his nephew was around the girl. He was glad to see his nephew slightly relaxing for a change.

He had heard Elyrie sing from his room and came out to look from the steering room. Iroh had listened to her voice, touched by the tones. Her voice was crystal clear and he smiled fondly at her. After she had finished, he brew himself a cup of tea. No man can have a good night sleep without a bracing cup of tea, he chuckled to himself.

But when he looked out of the window again after he had poured himself a cup, he nearly spilled his precious tea. He had been surprised at the sight. Elyrie, her small frame wrapped in a shawl, had leaned back against Zuko's chest. Zuko had wrapped his arms around her and his head on her shoulder. Iroh smiled at the sight. He finished his tea and saw that the girl had left. Zuko was standing by himself, still looking at the ocean.

Maybe everything will turn out all right in the end, he mused. After all, destiny is a funny thing.