*Revised 9/1/2021*

I rewrote part of this chapter because I was not entirely happy with the first draft. Hope you like the (albeit small) changes!

Special thanks to formerAnnie for her feedback :)

There are people that can make your heart instantly beat faster.

There are people that light up a room, just by their presence.

There are people that can make you smile by just seeing their face.

If you are lucky, you will find a person that can make you smile every day. No matter how difficult or how dark everything seems at that moment, you cannot help yourself but smile in their presence.

And for Zuko, that one person just entered his dark and gloomy existence again.

"Hi Zuko," he heard a female voice say, "Glad to see you again."

Elyrie saw his dark silhouette sitting up straight. "Lily!" he answered, his baritone surprisingly clear in the dark. Elyrie felt a wave of affection go through her at the sound of her pet name. She had not told anybody about her pet name at the North Pole. For some reason, it felt extremely private and she was not ready to share something so personal with her newfound family just yet. But she could have known that Zuko would call her that. He barely had called her anything else for as long as she remembered.

Smiling, she walked over to the shutters to open them. The setting sunlight filled the room with an orange light. Zuko stood up from the matrass and walked towards her as his eyes adjusted to the light.

In the light, Elyrie was finally able to see his face. It was healed, for which she was glad. The bruises and cuts had disappeared and his alabaster skin was as smooth as she remembered. His cheeks were somewhat hollow, no doubt the result from the weeks without food and water. His hair was still shaven except for the ponytail. His eyes, the colour of molten gold, looked red and puffed as if he had not slept in days. She did not doubt for a second that the last few weeks had taken their toll on him. Nevertheless, it seemed like his lips formed a smile.

Zuko walked towards Elyrie, just as she opened the shutters. Shielding his eyes from the bright light that filled the room, he walked towards the small figure. When his eyes adjusted, he was able to see her more clearly. No longer wearing the long, flowing dresses, she was now dressed in a pair of blue pants and a thin, white vest. Her auburn hair was tied back into a low ponytail, which let small strands of hair dance freely around her heart-shaped face. She had a blush on her pale cheeks and her full lips were formed into a broad smile. The captivating sapphire eyes looked at him with the same happiness he felt when he finally saw her sweet face again.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he found his voice again. Her smile was so enchanting, he could not help himself but to answer her smile.

His eyes fell on the small scar on her temple, which was barely visible anymore. Only a thin white line had remained. How different from my own, he involuntary thought. Again, the anger and desperation came back to the surface.

"I came to see you." Elyrie answered cheerfully, but she did not miss his eyes darkening, "I missed you." In a reflex, she grabbed his hand. Surprised at her reaction and her words, Zuko looked down as she closed her cool, slender fingers around his.

Before Elyrie could say anything, she felt Zuko pull her closer and place his arms around her in a swift motion. With one hand on her back and the other on the back of her head, he pressed the girl to his chest. Pleasantly surprised by his reaction, Elyrie placed her own arms around his waist. Burying his face in her shoulder, she heard him say "I missed you too, Lily."

Slightly pulling away, Elyrie looked at Zuko's face and saw the golden eyes brighten again. Relieved, she softly exhaled. As she did this, her full lips slightly parted. Zuko's golden eyes looked at her mouth for less than a second. He wondered how soft the touch of her lips could be. Elyrie saw his face lowering slightly and felt that her own heart started to pound faster.

Then, small cough brought the two back to the present moment.

Zuko let go of the girl and looked at Iroh, who was still standing on the doorstep with an amused smile. Sheepishly rubbing his neck, he nodded to his Uncle. He had completely forgotten he was there too.

"Prince Zuko," his Uncle said with knowing look, "Isn't it wonderful that Elyrie has rejoiced us with her presence here?"

"Yeah," Zuko stammered as he looked at the twinkling blue eyes, "I-, ehm, very wonderful."

Elyrie let out a small chuckle at his stammering. "Do you want to come to the beach with me?" she asked with a voice like warm honey. Zuko groaned and shook his head, scoffing at the suggestion. It was nothing his Uncle had not asked a million times since they arrived at the resort. "I promise you don't have to swim!" she added with a smile.

Looking back into her blue eyes, he wanted to refuse. Then he halted as he saw her expectant look. "Fine." he sighed. Elyrie clasped her hands together in delight as she practically danced to the door, her curls bouncing up and down behind her.

"Will you be joining us, Uncle?" she asked in a sweet voice as she placed her hand on his arm. Gently, the general patted her hand as he shook his head. "No dear," he answered, "I have a tea brewing session planned." He frowned his brow at the torn pants and old shirt his nephew was wearing, the rags from his outfit at the North Pole. "Prince Zuko, wouldn't you want to change first?" he asked carefully, "to something more appropriate for the beach?"

Zuko looked at his attire and felt his good cheek heat up. He had not been expecting company, so he had thrown on the first thing that was laying around the cabin. "Just a moment," he mumbled as he walked to the small closet, "I'll be right out."

Elyrie hid her smile behind her hand as she tactfully walked out of the room. His Uncle lingered in the doorstep for a moment before he said "Enjoy your evening, Prince Zuko." Zuko nodded to his Uncle as he grabbed a light red tunic and comfortable pants.

Fumbling with his torn shirt, he took a few deep breaths. Was she really here? He found it hard to believe. The last weeks had been nothing but misery and bad luck for him. The moment he had left her in that frozen hell, everything had spiralled downwards. He pulled his tunic over his head and straightened it. It still hurt that she had stayed there. After Zhao's demise, he had expected her to come with him. He wanted her to come with him. He could have protected her and taken her with him when he returned to the Fire Nation with his honour, like his Uncle had said.

With one leg in his pants, he almost fell over because he was not paying attention to what he was doing. Steadying himself against the wall, he groaned. She had stayed behind for her family. People she barely knew. It made him irrationally angry for some reason, but then again: almost everything made him angry at this point.

But then, she came here and it was as if dawn itself had returned in his dark life. With her, it always was as if no time had passed between them. And now, she was waiting for a walk on the beach with him. His lips twitched again, forming a smile against his better judgement. He had refused his Uncle's requests a hundred times over, but he realised that he would even play the tsungi horn to be with her at this moment.

Elyrie looked around the resort and was pleasantly surprised at its beauty. Uncle had given her a quick tour just after she had arrived and shown her the massage parlours, relaxing pools and the beautiful beach. The village was located in a mountainous region close to the ocean, which created an unusually beautiful scenery. With a waterfall so close to the ocean and cherry trees surrounding the area, it almost seemed like she had designed the place herself.

The perfect cure for homesickness, she thought happily. Even though this place was technically not Fire Nation, the influences were visible everywhere in this part of the colony in the language, customs and architecture. The waterfall, beautiful mountains and the sight of the ocean was like one of the pictures in her books.

She kicked off her slippers and stepped off the wooden deck in the soft white sand. She cherished the feeling of soft sand beneath her bare feet. After weeks of steel and ice beneath her, it felt refreshing to feel warm sand again. The sweet scent of cherry blossom and grass tickled her nose as she inhaled deeply. Walking to the shoreline, she felt a pleasant shiver as the waves rolled over her bare feet.

Standing on the shore, she felt the pushing and pulling of the waves against her ankles. The clear water came again and again. The fresh air and salty sea breeze caressed her face.

Zuko saw her silhouette standing by the shoreline. The reddish-brown curls formed an aureole around her face as she stood with her back to the setting sun. "Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked when he came standing next to her, although out of reach of the waves.

"Look," she said as picked up a beautiful white shell, which curved upwards. Placing the shell against her ear, like her mother had shown her when she was small, she heard the sounds of waves. She handed the shell to Zuko, "Remember how Mama used to tell us that you could hear the sea in this, no matter how far from the ocean you were?"

Zuko nodded and when she handed him the shell, he saw the small white line on her left ring finger, where the engagement ring used to be. For some reason, it made him quite happy to see that it was gone. But he had noticed the other ring on her right hand. He took the smooth shell from her, but didn't raise it to his ear. "Lily," he asked tentatively, "Where did you get the ring?"

Elyrie turned her hand to look at the stone. "It was my mother's" she answered with a smile as she extended her hand to Zuko so he could get a better look, "It was the engagement ring my father had given her."

"It is beautiful," he answered as he lightly lifted her slender fingers to his eyes. The ring was made of white-gold and was more delicate than the pompous ring Zhao had given to her. The sapphire was almost the same colour as her eyes. "It suits you" he said as he let go of her hand.

"I think so too!" she retracted her hand with a smile and let her thumb go over the sapphire.

For a time, neither of them said anything as they began to walk across the shoreline. It was not an uncomfortable silence, on the contrary: they simply enjoyed each other's company in silence. Zuko had never been a man who enjoyed meaningless chitchat very much. Nothing bothered him more than people who continued to fill the silence by talking about superficial subjects like the weather or his health. To make matter worse: that was all the people in the resort seemed to talk about.

Zuko growled and kicked a small stone in the water as he thought about the last couple of days. They had stretched on like a yawning void, inevitably leading up to tomorrow. Tomorrow, he thought as he felt his chest constrict.

"Lily," Zuko finally said as he continued to walk alongside her, "Why have you come here?" Her arrival was so unexpected and so well-timed, he refused to believe it was a mere coincidence that she was here. "I thought you needed to stay at the Northern Water Tribe?"

Elyrie bit her lip before she answered. Instinctively, she felt that he did not need to hear that his Uncle had summoned her as a means of distraction. Moreover, it was not entirely true. She exhaled slowly as she kept looking at the shoreline in front of her.

"To tell you the truth," she began as she started to turn her ring around her finger, "I was homesick." She cursed herself as soon as the word had left her lips.

Zuko raised his eyebrows as she walked out of the waves and let herself fall down in the warm, white sand.

"Homesick?" he asked, unable to believe that she of all people could feel unhappy.

Chewing on her bottom lip, she knew she was entering dangerous territory. If anybody was homesick, it was him. She had not come here to tell her own depressing stories. But they had never lied to each other.

"It was truly a blessing to learn more about my mothers culture and the other part of my history," she said while turning her sapphire ring around, "But it was all quite overwhelming."

Zuko saw that she started to twist her ring, signalling she was nervous. "It is a vastly different place," she slowly explained with her eyes fixed on the horizon as the sun started to touch the surface of the ocean, "It is a tight-knit community and people are very welcoming."

"The only thing is, I felt like an outsider. Not just because I am Fire Nation, but because everything is so different from everything we grew up with. The culture, the customs, even the food! They all tried their hardest to make me feel welcome, but I could not shake the feeling."

Elyrie walked out of the waves and let herself fall down in the warm sand in the hope to calm her nerves, but it was no use. The fear and helplessness she felt when Hahn began about another marriage resurfaced.

"When I was there," she said as while still kicking the sand beneath her feet, "One of the men proposed the idea of marriage."

Zuko's hand tightened around the shell she had given him until he heard a soft cracking sound beneath his palm.

"I refused and might have thrown my wine over his head in the process," Elyrie continued as Zuko sat down next to her.

"You threw wine over him?" Zuko repeated with raised eyebrows. His prim and proper friend who never spoke out of turn had thrown wine over somebody who proposed marriage. It was an amusing idea. But when he looked at her face, he saw that she didn't smile. Instead, her eyes darkened as the last rays of sunshine disappeared behind the waves of the ocean. On the dark blue canvas of the night sky, the stars and moon became visible.

"My family fortunately agreed with me that marriage was not the most logical next step for me" she said as she looked at Zuko and her blue eyes hardened, "But all the time it felt like I was a foreigner and I just felt-," she said as her voice broke.

"Alone?" Zuko finished for her.

She sighed and turned to look at him. His eyes almost glowed in the dark. She away from his compassionate eyes and felt foolish. She was here to cheer him up, yet now he was the one comforting her.

"Yes" she whispered as she looked at the Moon, "But I am so sorry to cast such a shadow on a lovely evening." She pulled the ribbon from her hair and let her curls fall down her face as she twirled a strand of hair between her slender fingers . "I came here because I missed you. I missed Uncle. I missed my home." She let her hand rest on his knee, "And you have no idea how happy I am to be here."

With the starry sky above them, the waves provided a soothing musical symphony. The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a long time. Zuko absentmindedly caressed her long hair as he watched the waves in front of him. Her familiar scent of roses comforted him, just like she had done so often. And you have no idea how happy I am to see you again, he thought to himself.

Maybe it is not always about avoiding hardships, Elyrie mused while enjoying how Zuko stroked her hair, Maybe we can find solace in comforting others as well. Compassion is a wonderful thing; it can help you see things from another perspective and help yourself as well.

"Frankly, I don't know where to go from here." Elyrie said, breaking the silence. "For the first time, the path that lies ahead is determined by only me."

"And isn't that what you always wanted?" Zuko asked as he continued to let her soft hair slip between his fingers. It was so simple, yet so comforting to have her with him here.

"It is!" she said cheerfully as she stood up to stretch her strained muscles, asleep from sitting long in the same position. Zuko let the strands of hair slip out his hand as she pushed herself up.

"Perhaps I'll travel the world as a writer," Elyrie said as she twirled around " or an opera singer, wouldn't that be lovely?" She started humming as Zuko glanced at a loose curl that fell over her shoulder.

Zuko shook his head with a smile. Leaning back on his elbows, he watched her twirl and hum. "What would you write about then?" he asked as she stopped twirling and sat down again.

"Oh, everything!" she exclaimed as she sat down on her knees, "I have spend my entire life reading books, so maybe I finally put them to use?"

"And what do you want to sing then?" he asked as his hand went over in the warm sand.

"Love songs, lullabies, folksongs!" she chuckled as stood back up and made a mocking bow, as if she thanked the invisible audience, "Everything I know!"

She extended her hand to help him stand up. "Come, it is late." she said as he grasped her hand, cool fingers entangling warm ones, "We need to head back."

"So," Zuko said as they walked back, "This means that whole world can enjoy the noise you so often produce, both on paper and in real life?"

Elyrie threw her head in her neck and laughed. "Of course!" she said with glittering eyes, "Why torture only you when there are so many others?"

Zuko shook his head and she stepped in front of him and walked backwards so she could look him in the eyes. "Is there by any chance a piano here?" she asked, "I haven't played in a long time."

"There is," Zuko answered, "But do you really need it to sing?"

"Zuko," she answered with a glitter of mischief in her eyes, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you wanted me to sing."

"Don't be ridiculous." he answered with a smirk. She laughed again as continued to walk backwards. "Any requests?" she asked playfully as she raised her arched eyebrow.

"Surprise me" Zuko answered.

Then, she started to sing. Soft, but clear and pure.

I can hear you
You can hear me
When we listen with our hearts

I understand you
You understand me
That's a place where we can start

Her soprano reached a crescendo and echoed over the smooth surface of the sea.

Words of kindness and forgiveness
Bring us closer, not apart
When we speak our minds
And listen with our hearts

In her enthusiasm, she did not pay attention where she was going and her heels met the wooden deck behind her which separated the resort from the beach. Zuko grabbed his arm when she almost stumbled backwards on the deck.

"Thanks!" she laughed as she grabbed his lower arms with both hands to steady herself. When she stepped backwards on the deck, her eyes levelled with Zuko's. His warm, golden eyes looked beautiful, she involuntary noticed.

"Don't mention it" he answered as he stepped on the deck and swept the sand from his clothing. Elyrie followed his example and ran her fingers through her long curls to pat off any leftover sand.

Iroh smiled when the pair entered the cabin. Zuko looked a lot better, he immediately noticed. A glimps of a smile was visible in his golden eyes. Iroh sighed content.

"I have made some special tea for you, dear!" Iroh said to Elyrie as he motioned to the steaming pot on the table, "It is a blend of jasmine and lychees!"

Zuko groaned at his Uncle and his tea obsession, but Elyrie smile widened.

"It sounds wonderful, Uncle" the girl answered as she sat down at the table. She took a sip from the cup Uncle offered her. The sweet, warm drink tasted delicious. Uncle's tea is always delicious, she mused as she took another sip.

"Now," Iroh said as he gave Zuko a cup and sat down as well, "I want to hear everything about your stay at the North Pole!"

So Elyrie told them everything that had happened to her. It almost seemed like a fairtyale when she told the whole story. She told how she had stowed away on the battleship and got picked up by waterbenders and brought to the Chief. How she had been recognized and her relation to the Water Tribe was made known. That her family were no mere commoners, but members of the Royal Family. That her mother was Thyra, the lost princess of the Northern Water Tribe. The lost princess who ran away from home, only for her daughter to return years later to take her rightful place.

"So you are a Princess of the Northern Water Tribe then?" Zuko asked in disbelief. The whole story had baffled him. He thought she had found her family among the commoners. This could only happen to her, he thought amused.

"Don't look so shocked," Elyrie answered with a playful look, "Have you never noticed my royal appearance and natural elegance?"

"Just a minute ago, I noticed you falling over because you were not paying attention to where you were going" Zuko quipped with an arched eyebrow.

Elyrie let out a sparkling laugh. "But to answer your question: I am not a Princess, but my mother certainly was!"

"That would explain a lot." Iroh said as he tapped his finger to his chin and thought about Thyra. He always had admired her and was saddened by her death. Her soft voice and natural grace was something that could only be achieved by growing up among generations of royal women. Elyrie had inherited her poised demeanor, he mused, as well as the adaptable nature of the Water Tribe citizens.

"Now I understand why my parents were always so adamant about not letting me try bending," Elyrie said as she lit up her fingers. The small flames danced over the tips as small candles. "If I turned out to be a waterbender, it could have been discovered."

"And once you turned out to be a firebender, they could not go back on their word." Iroh finished for her, as he remembered how hesitant her parents had been about the bending of her daughter. Yet, he wondered why neither of them had told her about her mother's heritage. They surely had a good reason, he didn't doubt it, but it made him curious nonetheless.

"Exactly," Elyrie answered as she extinguished the flames, "But I do wonder why I turned out to be a firebender. Has it something to do with your character?"

"Partly, but my theory is that it has something to do with your birthdate." Iroh said as he poured himself another cup of tea.

"Why?" Elyrie asked as she took another sip from her own tea.

"Your character is more fitting for a waterbender: calm and patient. Firebenders often have more temperament," Iroh said as he put down the pot and shot his nephew an obvious look. Zuko answered it with a glare.

"But you were born on the Summer Solstice," Iroh continued, ignoring his nephew and looking at the auburn-haired girl across the table, "During the Summer Solstice, firebending is at its strongest. They say that the most powerful benders are born around that time."

"So you think that I was destined to be a bender and my birthday was the tiebreaker?" Elyrie asked as she tapped her nails on the side of the cup, pondering his theory.

"More or less." Uncle nodded to her.

"I see," Elyrie answered as she placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a yawn, "But forgive me. It was a long day and I am very tired." Stretching her arms above her head, she asked "Do you mind if I went to bed?"

"Of course not, dear", Iroh said as he rose from his chair. He walked over to the closet and handed her a blanket. "I prepared the cabin next to ours for you. Your bags are there already, but here is a blanket in case you are cold."

She took the blankets with a smile and embraced the older man. "Thank you for always being so thoughtful." she said warmly.

Iroh beamed with pride. "You are very welcome," he answered as a faint blush coloured his cheeks, "but now it is time to go to bed!"

The next morning, Zuko woke up long past sunrise.

Stretching his muscles, he blinked a few times to watch the bright sunlight that filled the small cabin. He felt well rested, undoubtedly the result from a good night sleep.

"Good morning, Prince Zuko" he heard the voice of his Uncle say, "Would you like some lunch?"

"Lunch?" Zuko repeated as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Yes," Iroh replied jovially, "It is almost noon."

"Noon?" Zuko repeated again as he jumped out of his bed to get dressed, "Why didn't you wake me?"

"What for?" Iroh asked innocently, "Did you have plans?"

Grumbling, Zuko said something that sounded like "Nothing." Iroh hid his smile by pretending to cough. The last days had been a great pain to get Zuko out of bed at all. With a little bit of luck, he might even forget what day it is, Iroh mused as he watched his nephew pulling a shirt over his head. He knew that was too much wishful thinking, but it was nice to see Zuko enthusiastic for a change.

Zuko splashed a bit of water in his face to wash himself. In the small mirror, he tied his hair in a ponytail and inspected his reflection. Before he could open his mouth, his Uncle already responded: "On the pier."

Still mumbling, he thanked his Uncle and swiftly walked outside to the small pier. Build above the river, it was a beautiful place to look at the mountains. Zuko immediately spotted the auburn hair. Elyrie sat crossed-legged on a bench with a book in her lap. The book, bound in red leather, was opened at the middle. She must have sat there for quite some time.

"What are you reading?" he asked as he say down next to her.

"Good morning!" Elyrie said with a radiant smile, "If even I am up before you, it says something."

"Yeah, yeah," he scoffed as he pointed to the book in her lap. "What is it?"

"A collection of old legends and myths." she answered as she showed him the beautiful picture of a castle on the side of a rock, "I was just starting with the myth about Eros and Psyche."

"What is that?" he asked when she placed a small piece of paper as a bookmark between the pages.

"A legend about a beautiful mortal woman who caught the attention of an immortal God." she answered as her finger trailed the golden letters on the cover. "Do you want to hear it?"

She opened her book again at the beginning of the story when Zuko nodded to her. When he saw her sitting there, he thought about the first time he had met her, more than fifteen years ago.

With a grunt, the eight year old Prince threw the book against the wall. Despite his expensive education, reading was something that was a challenge for him. He hated the small letters that danced around when he tried to make sense of them.

"Why did you do that?" a voice asked indignantly. When the young Prince looked up, he saw a girl with reddish-brown standing at the entrance of the library. She couldn't be older than his sister, but he had never seen her before.

"Who are you?" he asked when the girl picked up the book he just had thrown off the table. "Elyrie." she answered without looking up. Instead, she inspected the cover and the back of the book to make sure it was still intact.

"You shouldn't throw with books," she said in a high voice, "They didn't do anything to you."

"Maybe not to you," he answered as he crossed his arms in an annoyed manner, "But they are so boring."

The girl did not answer, but instead studied the title on the cover. An Extensive Guide to the History of the Building of Temples. "Is this all you read?" she asked as she placed the book on the table in front of Zuko.

Zuko looked up and saw that the girl had big, dark blue eyes. She didn't look at him as if she wanted to taunt him, like Azula used to do whenever he couldn't do something. She looked rather curious, as if she was truly interested in his answer.

"Yes" he mumbled as he pushed the book away from him, "Books are boring."

The girl chuckled and Zuko looked up annoyed. "Don't laugh at me!" he exclaimed. But the blue eyes were not unkind. "I understand why you hate reading if this is all you read." She said as she walked to a bookcase. For a few moments, she said nothing as she let her small hand trail the backs of the books.

"Here!" she said as she pulled a book from the shelf, "Maybe you like this!"

"What is it?" he asked as he let himself glide out of the chair by the table. "The Legend of Yue Fei" she answered as she climbed into a large chair next to the bookcase. She was so small and the chair so big that she almost sank into the pillows. "It is a story about a brave general who fought to defend his country and protect his family" she said as she placed the book on her lap, her tiny legs dangling above the floor.

"You want me to read it to you?" she asked as she patted the empty spot next to her. He shrugged and climbed into the chair next to her. Then, she started to read out loud.

Her voice was clear when she told of the heroic deeds of Yue Fei, the brave general who defended his country from foreign invaders. A symbol of loyalty, he always stood up for the poor and weak members of society.

Zuko was entranced by the story, but just when the hero was about to leave to fight in the war, the two children were interrupted.

"Lily!" a female voice called from outside the library. "I am here, Mama" the girl answered.

Two women walked into the library. Elyrie immediately recognized the beautiful woman with her mother. Lady Ursa, Princess of the Fire Nation. Wife of Prince Ozai, the brother of General Iroh. Elyrie let herself glide out of the chair and bowed to the Princess.

"Zuko, dear" Ursa said to her eight year old son, "This is Elyrie, the daughter of Thyra."

"Lily," Thyra said in her gentle voice, "Please show your respect to Prince Zuko."

"Very pleased to meet you, Your Highness" the little girl said with a small curtsy, although she almost lost her balance doing it in the long dress. Zuko chuckled and the girl looked up with a shimmer in her eyes. "Well, you try it in a dress then!" she said with a pout.

"Lily" Thyra scolded her daughter, although she tried to hide her smile. Lady Ursa did not even attempt to hide her laugh when she heard the little girl.

Zuko smiled at the long forgotten memory. Her voice, musical even at such a young age, had given him the stories and fairy-tales from around the world. He never knew what kind of worlds were hidden within the pages of books, but she had shown it to him.

"There never was a story of a more pure love, than this of Eros and his Psyche." Elyrie finished as she closed the book.

"So, she only returned to him when her castle was taken from her?" Zuko asked as he leaned back with a scoff.

"You can't be serious!' she exclaimed as she put her book down, "That is not the message at all!"

"Oh please," Zuko answered as he rolled his eyes, "The girl only fell for him because of his riches."

"I can't believe that is what you took from the story!" she said while she playfully slapped him against his chest, "Unbelievable."

From a distance, Iroh stroked his beard with a loving smile as he watched the bickering pair on the small pier. "Are they fighting?" the young masseur asked the older General when he looked at the pair.

"No, not fighting," Iroh answered. "They don't agree on much. Frankly, they don't agree on anything. But there is one thing they share, and that is that they are completely devoted to each other."

He had seen them grow up together. The calm personality of the girl and the hot-headed temper of his nephew couldn't be more different. Yet the funny thing was, they brought out those two traits in each other. She was the only one with whom Zuko acted relaxed. And he was the only one who could tease Elyrie enough to get under her skin and made her lose her patience.

Iroh hated to disturb this peaceful setting, but it was time to go back and have some tea. "Zuko, Elyrie" he shouted, "Time for tea!"

When they entered the cabin, Iroh opened his bag to show them his new treasures. "Look at those magnificent shells" he said with a content smile as he picked up a beautiful shell, "I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come!" Elyrie took it from him and admired the pink colour.

"We don't need any more useless things" Zuko groaned as he watched the ever-expanding assortment of trinkets of his Uncle, "You forget, we have to carry everything ourselves now!" Elyrie chuckled, but was abruptly interrupted.

"Hello brother." a sharp voice said, "Uncle."

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas!

In the spirit of that, I thought it was time for some long overdue fluff!