FIRST POV:

Everything was peaceful after that, well, minus Zuko yelling at everyone once in a while but it was a lot less directed at myself. I wore the new clothes with a smile, it felt nice against my skin and it was a lot easier to walk then the constricting winter clothes I usually wore. I liked the arm warmers the most. Though, Zuko doesn't exactly shout at me as much, I didn't approve of him picking up Kya's necklace and was going to use it as bait for them. I didn't say a thing about it, not wanting the Prince to actually leave me behind somewhere alone. Hopefully when Zuko's back is turned, I can snatch the necklace and give it to Katara when I see them.

Speaking of, I walked beside Zuko looking for Iroh who went for a walk and never came back. I glanced around for the chubby man but saw mist ahead. " Maybe he found some leafs and began making tea." I said as Zuko walked passed me, his shoulder lightly bumping mine as he walked. " Oh thank you Mirza for finding my uncle." I said, in a raspy tone, trying to match Zuko's one as I walked behind the Prince. " No problem Zuko, anything for you." I replied to myself as Zuko flings the branches upwards and walked into the area. Iroh was relaxing in a hot spring and seemed very content. " Uncle? We need to move on. We're closing in on the Avatar's trail and I don't want to lose him."

" You look tired, Prince Zuko. Why don't you join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles?" Iroh said as he gestures the hot springs around him. " You too Mirza, it's been so long since you relaxed too." I smile about to join the older man but Zuko snapped his hand around my wrist. 

" Don't enable him." Zuko hissed at me and I huffed, yanking my hand back, crossing my arms over my chest. " My troubles cannot be soaked away. It's time to go!" He argues loudly and I shake my head a bit. Here we go again, another little tantrum of finding Aang.

"You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little. The temperature's just right. I heated it myself." Iroh said as he blows steam out from his nose and into the water. The water looked so tempting, it really did. But I knew Zuko would've been mad if I even dared to jump into the water. My sore muscles from training were killing me. 

" Enough. We need to leave now." Zuko said waving the steam away from his face and walked forwards. " Get out of the water!" 

" Very well!" Iroh sighs standing up but before I could see anything bad, Zuko slammed his palm against my face making me yelp. " OW! I could've covered one eye! I only have one good eye, Zuko!" I complained as Zuko grumbled a bit, something I couldn't hear. 

" On second thought, why don't you take another few minutes?" Zuko said, changing his mind as he removed his hand as Iroh sat back into the water. I push his hand away and rubbed my eye  a bit. " But be back at the ship in a half-hour or I'm leaving without you!" Zuko said as he began making his way back to the ship. I smiled, waving at Iroh who waved back as I followed the prince. " That was awfully nice of you." I said to the crown Prince who huffed.

" He's old, maybe it helps with his bones or something." Zuko said as we walked towards the ship. I smile a bit to myself, Zuko probably didn't want to ruin his uncle's little break from them and hunting the Avatar or he didn't want to see his Uncle's junk. " Stop smiling, you're distracting."

" Why? You just did a nice thing for your Uncle. I find it nice, endearing." I said as I kept my pace with the Fire bender. " I would've done the same to Gram-Gram." 

" What's a Gram-Gram?" Zuko asked, lifting an eyebrow towards me as I smiled a bit, the bitter yet wise woman. Of course, she was a bit bitter when Kya and Hakoda decided to let me live with them in their home. Though, she grew on me and I grew on her, plus she used to braid my hair when I was little. 

" She's like my grandmother, though not by blood. After Hakoda left for war, she started watching me more." I said as I looked to him, smiling a bit. " She wasn't happy about me staying with them in the beginning but she tolerated me."

" You call your dad by his first name?" Zuko questioned me and I chuckled a bit, " What's funny?" He asked, a bit frustrated I'm guessing. 

" Hakoda isn't my dad, he's more like my guardian."  I said as I walked up the stairs of the ship, stretching my arms, planning to practice with one of the guards if they were up to it. They were pretty calm and seemed to only do anything with Zuko's orders. " Nice man."

"Oh." Zuko said as I walked towards the deck, stretching once more. I didn't hear him say anything else as I stood on the deck, slowly doing my breathing exercises. I take deep breaths in and exhale, some smoke coming from my mouth. Iroh said with these exercises, I could have better control of my fire in the long run even when I'm fighting or when it gets extremely cold. I sit down, and kept repeating my actions as the sun slowly set.

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" Hey! Wake up!" I yelped as a hand hit the back of my head, I turn fully expecting to see Sokka but it was Zuko who looked annoyed. " What was that for?" I asked, a bit annoyed as I stood up from my seat off the deck. 

" You're coming with me." He said as he throws something at me, I quickly catch it to see it was my whip. I stared at him confused making him groan, " You're coming with me to help rescue my uncle." I glanced around noticing that Uncle wasn't around and I followed Zuko off the boat and saw a rhino set up for us. Zuko gets on and I sat behind him, not knowing where to put my hands at. " Ugh! Stop distracting us." Zuko huffed, grasping my arms and set them roughly on his hips. I slowly held on as Zuko snapped the reigns. 

" Do you know who took Uncle?" I asked as we began heading into the forest on a dirt path. There were so many possibilities and so many people that wanted Iroh for many different reasons. I did some reading about Iroh while on the ship too, and heard some of the stories that the guards told. Iroh is nicknamed, Dragon of the West and almost took down Ba Sing Se but never finished that mission. 

" Most likely some Earth Benders, the hot springs were trashed with rocks." Zuko said, keeping his gaze ahead. " Probably wanted some payback for what Uncle did a long time ago."

" Damn." I muttered as we kept going down the path Zuko thought was fit. It had gotten darker and my eyes or eye wasn't adjusting well, it happened a lot when it gotten too dark. One eye wasn't better than two. I rubbed my eye and saw something in the distance, " Zuko, look!" The prince snapped to where I was pointing at and stops. I felt him slide off and grasped the thing on the floor, " Is it his?" I asked but Zuko sniffed it before making a disgusted face. " Yes?"

" Yup, it is uncles." Zuko informed with a grimace. " We're on the right trail." He said hoping on and the rhino began walking forward on the path. " Hopefully we're not too late."

" Too late for what? You think they're gonna kill them?" I asked, looking at Zuko's head. The Fire Nation would certainly go crazy if the Fire Lord's brother would've died by their hands. Another reason to start another war or an even bigger war.

" Exactly," Zuko said as the rhino walked up a hill. " Why are you moving so much?" Zuko asked and I stopped rubbing my milky color eye. 

" My eye is just horrible in the dark, it gets irritated." I said, as I moved back wrapping my arms around Zuko's waist, I can feel him stiffen in my grasp. " I'm not very good at night or well, useful at night."

" Tch." Zuko clicked his tongue, " Just go to sleep them. I'll throw you off if something happens." 

" Alright," I yawned, " Don't kill us." With that, I shut my eyes and kept my grip around the Prince. 

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I wake up and noticed my face was pressed against Zuko's armor, I licked my lips and my stomach grumbles. " Ugh," I groan and looked around only to see Zuko was following Ostrich tracks. It looks like we're on the right track then..Man, I'm hungry.

" Good, you're up." Zuko said, I looked to him and yelp as he shoved me off and to the ground. I groan and turn my head to glare at him. " You said you've hunted before, track the tracks." He said with a scowl. I shake my head and stood up, grumbling how much of a jerk the prince was before looking over the tracks. I kneel down a bit to see how fresh. 

" They've came around.." I looked at the dirt, the impresstion was still fresh but the wind was blowing it away a bit. " 10 mintues ago, but they were in a hurry. If we hurry up ourselfs, then we can catch up to them," I said before spotting something in the sky, I gasped seeing Katara riding Appa. Zuko turns his head to look what I was staring at. 

" The Avatar." I heard him whisper and twist the reigns to turn but I moved, stepping in front of him. " Get out of the-"

" We are not abandoning Iroh for Aang." I said sternly as he glared at me. " We need to get Iroh back, we can always capture the Avatar on a later date." He looked mad but then he looked behind him and sighs. " Thank you."

" I wasn't doing it for you!" Zuko snarled at me and I almost fallen back in suprise. Of course, he goes back to treating me like scum. I thought we would've been on better terms after he gave me the clothes. Nope, he's still a jerk, a big sexy jerk with a scar. Wait...sexy?  I shake my head rapdily and clapped my hands on my cheeks to stop the pink hue coming up. NO WAY! HE'S BAD! EVIL! FIRE NATION BAD! " What are you doing now peasent?"

" NOTHING! YOU J-JERK!" I huffed as I began walking down the path and I heard Zuko lead the rhino down the same road with me. I ignored him and kept my head up. " Gah! Jerk!"

" I can hear you!" Zuko snapped from behind me as I kept walking, " GOOD! Like the new nickname?" I called back, as I kept walking, I didn't want him to see how flushed he made me. On the trip, the only thing keeping me alive was my little to no pride and confidence. No way was the prince stealing that from me. " Get on the rhino." He orders, moving the rhino beside me .

" No." I huffed, he groans and then I stopped when I noticed the tracks had finished. " Are you getting on now?" he asked but I ignored the Prince as I slide down the rocks. " Huh?"

" Come on, they took iroh off the dirt path." I called to him, as I saw the ostriches eating grass from where I was. I pushed the bushes beside them only to see Earth Benders about to crush Iroh's hands. I moved for my whip when Zuko leaps over me and down the step canyon where they had Iroh. I moved, sliding down on my butt and land on my own feet just as Zuko kicked the rock away. Much to my horror, I watched Zuko lift his leg up and break the chains with his ankle.

Wow..I mean..I'm impressed or that turned me on..

" Excellent form Prince Zuko." Iroh said, standing up and gotten into fighting postion. " Come now Mirza, it's time to put your trainning to use." He said as I hurried over, remembering my stance. I had my legs open in the stance and hands forward, one beside my body and the other out for a quick attack as needed. Though, my hands were trembling, this would be my first fight with actual fire. " You taught me well, Uncle." Zuko said, getting in the same stance as I was but he was more confident. It was written on him.

"Surrender yourselves. It's five against three. You're clearly outnumbered. " The leader said confdiently. "Yeah, that's true, but you are clearly outmatched." Iroh replies, his chains jingling a bit. They began launching rocks at them, but Iroh swings the chain around destroying them as I moved, taking a deep breath, moving towards one. He saw and launched a couple rocks but I dodged smoothly before getting close enough and kicking the man in the stomach. He grunts and moved to shove me but I moved back as a rock crashed into him. He went down and I turn to see another about to hit me but Zuko kicks an fire arch at his feet, the man falls back with the rock falling on him. 

I looked around only to see the leader bend rocks upwards in the air, but with quick thinking and with a non-bender mindset, I pulled out my whip, I flung it downwards at the man's ankles and the whip wrapped around his ankles. I yanked and the man falls down and the rocks crumbling on him. He groans and I yanked my whip back. It wasn't fire bending but I did kick some serious butt. " We-"

" I could've handle him!" Zuko snapped as he began walking at my direction, yanking my shirt too. I gulped and stared back into his golden eyes. Great, he's gonna kill me. " You didn't even fire bend! How are you going to learn if you keep avoiding your bending? People would gladly give their life for a chance at bending!"

" Now, Prince Zuko-" 

" Shut up Uncle!" Zuko snarled as he glared down at me. " Mirza, you wo-"

" You just said my name," I blurted out and Zuko blinked a bit and lets go of my shirt. " You said my name."

" No I didn't peasent." Zuko huffed as he turns his back to walk back to the rhino. " Uh, Nephew, I believe I heard you say his name. " Iroh said making Zuko stiffen a bit, " Look at you, making such wonderful friends." Iroh said, with a smile. Zuko growls, kicking a rock before walking back to the rhino. I kept smiling, even when I was forced to walk back since there wasn't any room on the rhino. My chest was buzzing and I felt lightheaded, in a good way. Zuko, the Prince of the Fire Nation had said some Water Tribe peasants name. The way he said it made me even happier for some weird reason.

It made me feel important, like I was important enough to be known.