It's been a few days since the talk between Zuko and I on the deck. There some days were I'm still mad at Zuko for locking in me in his room. But on other days, we actually get quite along. You could even say we're slowly becoming friends. In a weird way of coarse! Anyway, today was a new day on Zuko's ship, and so far so good! "Good morning Asami!" Iroh said with a bright smile when he saw me enter the dinning room. "Good morning Uncle Iroh!" I said with a bright smile as well and sat down. "Zuko." I said as greeted him with a nod, which he returned.

The second I sat down, Kai jumped off my shoulder, onto the table and run over to the small tea cup. Kai looked inside of the cup with a frown and chirped in sadness when he saw it empty. He looked up to Iroh and made the most adorable puppy eyes with a soft wine. Iroh chuckled softly at his fire ferret friend and picked up the teapot and poured some tea into Kai's small teacup. "Here you go Kai!" Iroh said as he poured in the tea. Kai yipped his thanks to the retired general and started drinking his tea. Both Iroh and I laughed at Kai's eagerness for tea, while Zuko smiled a very, very, VERY small amusement smile.

"Here you go, dear Asami!" Iroh said as he handed me a cup of tea. I said my thanks and took a sip, moaning as the wonderful tea hit my taste buds. Iroh chuckled with a proud smile and poured some tea for himself and Zuko. "May I just say how lovely you look today my dear!" Iroh complimented with a fatherly smile. "Thank you." I said with a small blush. I was wearing a purple dress with gold flowers on it. The dress went down to my feet and covered my back, so I didn't need to wear a scarf or my boots. Although, the dress had short sleeves, so I would have to wear gloves if we anchor at any harbor today.

Our breakfast soon came and the three, wait... four if you count Kai, of us started eating. As we ate, Iroh told me that we would be anchoring at an Earth Kingdom market soon to resupply. From what he was telling me, the Earth Kingdom was under Fire Nation control for over five years now. The Fire Nation was using the towns coal mines there to fuel their ships. I was shocked from what I was hearing from the retired general. What shocked me even more was that earthbending is forbidden in the Earth Kingdom town. Anyone who get's caught earthbending, get's thrown in prison. And not just any prison, and metal prison in the middle of the sea, far away from earth for them to bend.

I couldn't believe what Iroh just told me. Earth represents strength and pride. That's why the words, 'strong' and 'proud' are tattooed on my left leg above my Earth Kingdom symbol arrow. The Earth Kingdom is the nation with the most courage and bravery. I just find it hard to believe what's happening to the Earth Kingdom.

"Is everything alright my dear?" Iroh asked with a concern frown, breaking my deep thought. I quickly nodded, and took a sip of my tea, that was now a bit cold. "You seem distracted." Iroh stated the obvious. Zuko looked up to his uncle before looking to me with a 'wanting to know too' look. I sighed softly and placed my cup back down on the table. "It's nothing really..." I said as I looked at my tattoos. "But..." Iroh said, knowing that I wanted to say more and encouraged to say it. "It's just what you told me about the Earth Kingdom." I admitted as I sighed sadly.

"I know how it feels like to have your freedom taken away. But even held captive, my ability to bend was never taken away from me. I was always allowed to airbend. But the Earth Kingdom we're going to is allowed to bend their earth. They're not allowed to use their gift they were born with." I continued with a frown of sadness. "And it's not just the prisoners, but everyone in that village. The prisoners are taken away from their earth while the others aren't allowed to earthbend in fear of getting thrown in prison." I said as I shook my head in disappointment. "It's just not right..."

Both Zuko and Iroh looked at each other with ashamed looks before looking back to me. Zuko took my head and gave it a gentle squeeze with a very small, comforting smile. "I'm sure it's not that bad." He said with a small smile, trying to cheer me up. But I just shook my head as I held his hand. "Zuko, the Earth Kingdom is the strongest and proudest nation in the world." I said as I released his hand from mined and lifted my dress slightly up on the left side. As I raised it up, I showed the two royal firebenders my earth arrow. "Strong... proud..." Iroh read aloud while Zuko's eyes scanned them.

"As far as I know, Earth Kingdom has more hope and courage than other nations. Every time I lost hope or my courage, I thought of the Earth Kingdom. How they would always have hope and courage. How they would never give up, no matter what." I said and covered my left leg again. "But now, what's happening to them... Their bending isn't the only thing getting taken away from them. It's their hope and courage as well." I said as I looked down in sadness, feeling bad for both the prisoners and the civilians. Iroh sighed softly and gently patted my back in comfort. While Zuko looked down at his empty plate in shame and in thought.

"Don't you worry, dear Asami!" Iroh said as he smiled brightly and gently squeezed my shoulder. "One day, somebody is going to stand up, and help them find both their courage and hope back!" I smiled at the retired and laid my hand over his. "Thank you..." I said softly as I squeezed his hand that was on my shoulder. Iroh nodded to me and pulled his hand back. "Now," He said as a playful look formed on his face. "Hand over your tea so that I can reheat it for you!" Iroh said with playful mocking voice. I couldn't help but laugh at the kind old man and handed my cold tea to him to reheat it for me.

***

It was around noon and I was standing outside, watching the sea. Kai was busy playing with a toy that Iroh bought for him, while I was playing with my necklace Iroh got me, deep in thought. So deep in thought, that I didn't even hear Zuko walking over and standing next to me. "Hey." I jumped in surprise when Zuko suddenly spoke next to me. Realizing that it's the scar prince, I took a deep breath as I held my hand against my chest. "Don't do that!" I said with a laugh, which Zuko returned with a shrug. "I'm sorry." Zuko said with a smile, which I returned. "No you're not." I joked, making him huff a laugh before shrugging. "Yeah, you're right!"

I laughed again for his honesty and turned back to face the ocean. "What were you thinking about?" Zuko asked after a moment of silence. "Eh, nothing much really." I answered with a shrug and started playing with my necklace again. "I see that you're wearing that necklace again." Zuko said with a small smile, which I returned. "Yeah, I really it." I said as I held the necklace in my hand with a thankful smile. "I'm really glad that Iroh bought it for me." I said as I let the necklace go. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Zuko flinch from my words and frowned. I was about to question him about it but was interrupted by Kai.

Kai had accidently threw his toy overboard and was crying out for it. I chuckled at my fire ferret's panicking before I used my airbending to bring the toy back before it fell into the water and gets lost at sea. The second the toy got back on board, Kai quickly grabbed it with a cheerful yip and run over to the other side of the ship, away from the railings, and started playing with his toy again. Both Zuko and I chuckled in amusement at Kai and looked back at the ocean. When I looked out at the wide open sea, I started noticing that we're getting closer and closer to land.

"Look's like we're here." I said as we got closer to the Earth Kingdom. "It seems so..." Zuko said with a frown. "Come on," He said as he smiled a very small smile and took my hand in his. "Lunch is most probable ready." He said and walked back into the ship, pulling me along. Before we got inside, Zuko picked up Kai and placed him on his shoulder. Zuko handed Kai's toy to me and took my hand in his again. As he pulled me, I looked back and forth from our joined hands to him and to Kai on his shoulder with wide eyes. Zuko continued pulling me along with him, and the more we walked, the more I blushed for him holding my hand in his.

We got to the dinning room soon and entered. Before we entered, Zuko released my small, soft hand from his strong, rough yet slightly soft, warm hand. We walked over to our table and sat down as if we didn't just hold hands from the top deck to here. Iroh soon came in later with a teapot in hand and with his everyday cheerful smile. He greeted us and poured us some tea after sitting down. Zuko and I thanked him for the tea, well I did, Zuko just grunted, and drank our tea in peaceful silence. Iroh poured tea in Kai's cup and went to place it in front of me. But when Iroh noticed that Kai wasn't on my shoulder, he frowned and send me a silent message.

I just smiled and pointed to Zuko. Iroh looked over to Zuko with confused eyes before they widen in surprise when he saw Kai on the scar prince's shoulder. The retired looked back to me for answered but I just shrugged with a soft laugh. Not knowing what else to do, Iroh just shrugged and placed Kai's cup in front of Zuko. Seeing his tea, Kai quickly jumped off Zuko's shoulder, on to the table and started drinking his tea. Not long after that, the cook came in and gave us over food. When the cook saw Kai close to Zuko, he was surprised as well, but quickly recovered and placed Kai's food next to Zuko's.

"So, Asami, remembered when we talked about how you and your fiancé met the other day?" Iroh asked as he picked up his chopsticks. "Yeah..." I said as I picked my chopsticks up as well. "Remember how I said that the name Emiko sounded familiar to me?" "Sort of... what about it?" I asked as I picked up one of my dumplings and ate it. "Well, I found out why it sounded so familiar to me!" Iroh exclaimed with a big smile. "You remember Nico, right?" I froze for a moment in thought as I started going through my mind. "He's the komodo rhino I met on my first day here." I answered after remembering the gentle beast I met.

"Well, I just found out that Nico is actually one of Emiko's offspring's!" Iroh exclaimed excitedly. The dumpling I just picked up, drop and fell back down into my plate after accidently releasing it. I looked up to Iroh with shocked eyes as my mind replayed his words in my head. "Wait a minute..." I said as I put my chopsticks down. "You're saying that Nico, a komodo rhino from this century, is Emiko's, who was born a hundred years ago, offspring?" I asked as both Zuko and I looked at Iroh with disbelieve looks. But the retired general just nodded without breaking his cheerful smile. "That's exactly what I'm saying!"

"I don't want to sound rude, Uncle, but I'm pretty sure that is not possible." I said with a gentle smile. "But it is!" Iroh exclaimed, his cheerful smile still on his face. "Uncle Iroh, I may not be an expert on komodo rhinos, but I do know that they only live up to 30-50 years." I said as I frowned softly to him. "Emiko was 5 when Zian found her. So if my math is right, Emiko would have probable died 45 years ago, 65 if she only went to 30 years." I said as I picked my chopsticks back up. "And from what you told me, Nico is only 10 years old." I said as I went to pick up my dumpling again. "Yes, that's true..." Iroh said he watched me. "But Nico's mother was Emiko's daughter."

Before anything else, Iroh placed some papers next to me and smiled. I frowned slightly and put my chopsticks back down. I took the papers and started reading them. True to his word, Nico's mother is Emiko's daughter. But is it the same Emiko though? I looked up from the papers and looked back to Iroh, who was still smiling brightly. "There are a lot of Emiko's, Uncle Iroh." I said with small gentle smile as I shrugged. "How do we know that this Emiko is my Emiko?" I asked as I went to give the papers back, but Iroh just shook his head. "That is also true," Iroh said as his cheerful smile became a knowing smile. "But how many Emiko's have trainers named Zian?"

I frowned at the retired general's comment and went through the papers again. And what I found was the what Iroh said. Emiko's trainer was named Zian. And the more I read, the more I realize that it is both my Zian and Emiko in these papers. I soon started laughing as I read before sighing with a small smile and gave the papers back to Iroh. "It's my Emiko... It's my Zian." Iroh smiled brightly to me and put the papers away. "Now we know why Nico likes you so much!" I laughed at Iroh's comment and started eating again as I thought my komodo rhino and fiancé.

"Prince Zuko!" A crew member called out as he run into the dinning room. "The prison holding the earthbenders is under attack!" "By who?" Zuko asked as he stood up from his chair. "By the prisoners themselves your Highness!" The crew member said quickly. "What?" I said in shock as I looked up to him. "How are they attacking without any weapons or earth to bend with?" Zuko asked with a neutral face. "That's the thing sir," The crew member started as his took a deep breath. "They're attacking coal." "Coal?" All three of us said in confusion while the crew member nodded quickly. "Yes, they're using the coal from the prison factory."

"And that's not all sir..." The crew member added nervously. "What is it?" Zuko asked, getting a bit frustrated at the man not talking. "From their description, it seems like the Avatar is there, and he's helping with the attack." Wait, what! "Aang's there?" I asked while Zuko asked, "The Avatar's there?" The crew member nodded to both of us, and looked to Zuko, awaiting orders. "Full steam ahead to the prison!" Zuko ordered as he started walking out off the dinning room. "The Avatar isn't getting away this time!" He exclaimed before disappearing from both mine and Iroh's eye sight. "Well then," Iroh started as he picked up a dumpling. "Seems like we're going to have a short lunch then."

I laughed softly to the retired general before nodding to him in agreement and continued eating my lunch as well. Not long after, I finished my lunch and went to my room to get my gloves after taking and placing Kai on my shoulder. The gloves are purple fingerless gloves that are the same purple as my dress. I quickly put them on and left my room, heading back to the dinning room where Iroh was busy drinking tea. As I walked back, I past Zuko's room and stopped for a split second. If Aang was really and is still there, Zuko will do anything to capture him. And then he'll lock me up as well... I will no longer be his friend, I'll be his prisoner...

I quickly shook away that thought and continued walking. Zuko won't capture Aang, and even if he does, I'll just help break him out before we get to the Fire Nation. I may have became friends with the Prince of the Fire Nation, but I will not let Aang get capture by him. Even if it means doing what the Monks taught and told me to do when the Avatar's safety comes in the line... No matter how much I care for him. The Avatar's safety comes first.

***

We got to the prison before sunset, and from the looks of it, the Earthbenders won. Zuko's soldiers and I was busy searching around for any clues or something, while Zuko was busy talking to the warden. From the sound of it, the warden was pissed off. "I've never been more humiliated in my life!" The Warden exclaimed in anger. "I should have killed that foolish little girl the second she gave that stupid inspiration speech!" He continued ranting as I walk over to them. "And those savages even dared to throw me into the ocean!" I rolled my eyes in annoyance and stood next to Zuko, who also rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I should have killed that stupid, foolish, little girl!"

"If you had killed her, you have had more trouble than attacking earthbenders." I said to the warden with a frustrated glare. "That girl is with the Avatar, if you had killed her, the Avatar would most probable go into his Avatar State. You and you're prison guards would not have survived." I said, half lying and half telling the truth. If the warden had killed Katara, Aang would most definitely gone into his Avatar State. Killing all the firebenders though, I don't know how far or how much control Aang has. He would kill a few maybe, but not all... Well, that's what I hope.

"Does it look like I was talking to you, you foolish girl!?!" The warden snapped at me as he death glared at me. I returned the glare as I crossed my arms, while growled at him. "Watch your tone, Warden." Zuko said with a warning tone, death glaring at the warden in front of him. The warden looked to Zuko in surprise, before his eyes moved to my left hand and back to Zuko. Realization formed in his face, before looking down with a fake apologetic look. "My apologies, Prince Zuko." The warden said as he bowed down and back up. "But she's a woman, and a woman has no knowledge of what happens on a battlefield."

"You've seen what a few earthbenders can do just with a little bit of coal." Zuko said and pointed around him. "You actually lost your whole prison from it." Zuko said and then looked the warden deep in the eye with a death glare. "Asami can do twice the amount of damage singlehandedly, without even using her bending." He said to the warden with a clear, strong voice. If the warden or other people weren't here, I would have blushed fifty shades of red by now. "Just imagine what damage she can do when she does use her bending." Zuko continued, making the warden's eyes widen in both surprise and fear. "If I was you, I wouldn't test her." He finished and turned to face me.

"I'm just going to one last quick search, and then we can leave." Zuko said with gentle voice, as if he didn't just threaten a man for just bad mouthing me. I nodded to him with a small smile and watched him leave. After Zuko left, I waited for him to distance himself from us to him, before turning to the warden with a neutral look. The warden's eyes widen slightly when he noticed me staring at him. He gulped nervously when I formed my hands in fists and took a small step back. I opened my mouth and made a biting sound and I shut my mouth, while baring my teeth at him. The warden jumped up in fright and run away screaming.

I smirked and laughed as I watched him run away and walked over to Zuko. He looked over his shoulder when he heard me coming and smiled. "The warden still alive?" He joked as he continued walking. I laughed softly at his joke and walked with him. "I think he learned his lesson today for disrespect and judging." I said as I walked next to him. "And I think getting snapped at by the Prince of the Fire Nation might have helped as well." I added with a smirk, which he returned. "Thanks by the way." I said as we stopped at the end of the prison. "For standing up for me and putting him in his place." I said with a shy smile.

"You didn't have to, but you did. So thank you." I said as I started blushing. Zuko smiled slightly to me and nodded. He opened his mouth and was about to say something, but stopped when something caught his eyes. Zuko frowned at the object and walked over to it. I frowned as well walked over as well. When I got to him, Zuko bended down and picked something up. He stood back up and showed me what the object was. I gasped when I saw it and looked up to Zuko with wide eyes. "It's Katara's necklace!" I exclaimed as Zuko closed his hand over it. "It was her mother's." I said as Zuko put the necklace in his pocket.

"Poor Katara! She must be devastated without it!" I said as Zuko turned to stared out at the ocean. "I can't imagine what she's going through. If I lost my engagement ring, I would die!" I continued as I thought about how poor Katara felt. Zuko just grunted softly before taking my hand in his. "We'll give it back to her when we see them again." He said and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "Come on, we need to go before we lose your brother's trail again." Zuko said and walked back to the ship, with my hand in his still. As we walked back, my heart skipped a beat for holding his hand. But I soon felt guilty, because in a way, it felt like I'm cheating on Zian, even though he isn't here anymore.