Several years earlier, (Y/N)'s childhood home

I sat staring out at the stars. I had been spending so much time at the palace I had almost forgot how pretty the sky looked from outside our house.

"It's late and I have school tomorrow, I need to sleep or I won't wake up in time." I thought backing away from the windows.

I lit a small flame on a candle and carried it to my room. I soon took notice of the eerie quiet that haunted the halls.

"I thought mom had said she wouldn't go out tonight."

I sighed diming the candle's flow of embers.

It took me 20 minutes gazing up at the ceiling to realize I couldn't sleep. Whenever I closed my eyes my thoughts wandered to Azula threatening me.

"Ahh stupid Azula! Why can't you just be happy and fall in love with Ty Lee already! You're always calm around her."

I stood up from my bed and walked outside observing the flush of vines binding the sides of my house.

"(Y/N)! (Y/N) are you out here?" I heard a familiar voice call.

"Zuko? What are you doing out of the palace this late at night? Is something wrong?"

"I just wanted to check on you, I heard Azula got pretty upset with you today." He frowned, "it's all my fault! She just doesn't like you hanging out with me. I'm so sorry."

"I'm fine Zuko, and it's not your fault that your sister is a wacko. She just threatened me. What do you think happened?" I chuckled faking a smile. The last thing I needed was to see Zuko sad.

"She said she attacked you! I didn't know if she was lying or not. I got worried and couldn't sleep so I just wanted to check. Luckily the guards weren't paying attention so I could get out. "

"Well I'm okay. You're always so protective Zuko... it's like..really sweet." I blushed red overcoming my cheeks, "Come inside... I can make you some tea for coming all the way out here if you want."

"You sound like Uncle... has he been bothering you or something?"

"Iroh just taught me how to make some amazing tea! I don't think that's exactly bothering me."

"It's just hot leaf juice... I don't see what the big deal is!" Zuko spat crossing his arms.

"Oh Zuko... you can be so small-minded! What are they even teaching you up in that palace?" I teased a heavy smirk crossing my face.

"Hey... take that back!"

"You'll have to catch me first!" I chipped dashing away.

"Ugh get back here!"

~

Today Zuko was going to begin teached Aang firebending. I was going to watch, maybe give Aang some pointers when...

"Umm (Y/N) can you come over really quick." Zuko awkwardly muttered across from a confused Aang.

"What is it Fire boy? Oh do I get to help teach Aang! Yay!" I chipped as Zuko took me over to the side.

"Well you see... the thing is whenever you're around I get kind of...uhh.. distracted. Like whenever you smile or something... I just like freeze. So for Aang's sake could you maybe sit his first lesson out? I know that you were looking forward to this but... I uhh... I need to be a good teacher. Not saying that you wouldn't be a a good help but umm... I kinda need to make a good impression for all the times I tried to capture him."

"Oh so that's why you were creepily staring at me and blushing all morning. Don't worry I will get out of your sight so you can focus on your student!" I announced patting him on the back, "Flameo hotmen I will be back later!"

"I knew people still said that!" Aang gushed excited.

I ignored him and started walking. Zuko began to explain how Firebending shouldn't be feared and I kept away until I couldn't hear him anymore. If Zuko wants to handle this on his own then I'll let him.

Some time to myself actually sounded quite relaxing. The Air temple was big but we usually hung around the same area. So ever since I joined the group I never got to just do my own thing for a while.

I scaled the Air temple's ground until I wandered away from the temple completely, might as well explore the area!

~

"Okay I am officially lost!"

The sky was growing darker by the second. The others were probably starting to get dinner ready by now.

I'm sure once they realize I'm gone they'll send Toph or something.

"I'll be fine." I reassured myself, "I'll be fine."

I continued walking until I reached the nearest tree and proceeded to plot down in a mess of dirt.
"If I'm going to be here a while I might as well do something productive..." I sighed picking up a stick. I sat before the heap of dirt and practiced tracing letters.

I could practice bending, but I didn't want to draw to much attention myself in case their were Fire nation soldiers around.

Honestly, writing was something I used to enjoy when I was little, but in the mess of the war I hadn't been able to find much free time. First chasing the Avatar down and now plotting to defeat the Fire Nation, I never seem to be able to catch a break.

"Perhaps I could try making some poetry?"

Madness is only a temporary flame

Soon fickled by the shadow

From where it once came

For if the days pass only dim

Did the sun ever truly rise?

As melancholy as insanity may seem

To that of cottled mind

Insanity becomes sanity

If only given time

The letters were messy but readable, "Whoever finds this is either going to very confused or very scared..." I chuckled.

I moved a couple feet away to a patch of clear dirt.

Wicked be thine blessed fate

Hallowed hearts and broken mind

Spurs of insanity linger within

Thunderous rage sprang

Throughout the hall

"Am I truly to be the most wicked of them all?"

Okay maybe I now get why I don't write poetry... I can't tell if this is deep or stupid.

Meanwhile, Air temple, Zuko's POV

I looked over at the Avatar's friends enjoying their dinner. My firebending teaching had failed, I just couldn't firebend like normal. What was wrong with me?

"Listen everybody, I got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff."

"Don't look at me I didn't touch your stuff." Toph declared defensively.

"I'm talking about my firebending. It's gone." I muttered.

Katara begin to laugh feverishly,
"I'm sorry I'm just laughing at the irony. You know, how it would've been nice for us if you lost your firebending a long time ago?"

"Well it's not lost it's just weaker for some reason..."

"Maybe you're just not as good as you think you are." She retorted.

"Ouch..." Toph grinned.

"I bet it's because I changed sides." I stated.

"That's ridiculous." Katara stammered eating her dinner.

"I don't know... maybe it isn't. But if Zuko can't teach me for a while until he gets his bending back, where's (Y/N)?" Aang asked looking around.

Suddenly it hit me, I hadn't seen (Y/N) since this morning,
"I don't know..."

"Again? You have got to be kidding me!" Sokka complained throwing his hands in the air, "this girl disappears faster than the airbenders! Oh uh sorry Aang."

Aang frowned at Sokka.

"We need to look for her!" I announced.

"Zuko I hate to say it but she knows where we are. She'll come back eventually. She probably just wandered off and lost track of time. Training Aang is the most important thing right now and you're the only Firebender we have so we need to focus on getting your bending back." Sokka added, "we can look for her later if she still isn't back later."

"Fine..." I huffed.

"Zuko maybe you're firebending comes from rage and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it the way you used to." Aang stated.

"So all we need to do is make Zuko angry! Easy enough. Hey Zuko remember when your girlfriend left you for that Fai guy! That was pretty funny. Oh remember when you told her to go away and now we don't know where she is!" Sokka teased poking me.

I hope she's okay.

~

Next day, (Y/N) POV

The night had passed, I had slept in an abandoned house I found nearby.

I hope Aang's training is going smoothly. Zuko can be a rough teacher but he gets the job done.

I looked around the old house, I couldn't really tell who it belonged to. This area was fairly desolate plus it didn't look old enough to be lived in by an airbender.

Probably just someone who was tired with society and traveled all the way out here. I looked through the house, it was fairly clean inside  for it's condition.

The walls housed a pair of small tapestries depicting turtle ducks. The floor was wooden overflowing with scuffs and broken panels.

There was a table, the cot I had slept on, and a makeshift kitchen.

The house reaked of alcohol, luckily I was unbothered by the scent due to my mother's problems with the substance. It was oddly welcoming.

I knew I should try to go back to the air temple soon, Zuko's probably going to have a fit when I get back.

"Why did you go so far off? Are you hurt? Where did you go?"

I chuckled as his voice played in my mind. Zuko's protective nature was kind but annoying to a fault. Ever since Azula began  threatening me he had been that way. The problem had been growing slightly better, but I'm sure after this fiasco he'll go back to his old ways.

I stepped outside the house to get some fresh air. My stomach grumbled, when was the last time I ate?

Okay add, "eat something" to the list along with, "get back to the air temple" and "kiss Zuko because it's been a hot second and he gets grumpy."

Maybe they'll be some rice or something in the the house? That doesn't go bad right?

There was rice, cooked rice, and it definitely went bad. From one bite I felt like throwing up.

"Okay today is officially going bad!"
I felt like someone threw my stomach off a cliff and forgot the rest of me.

"At least I'm not hungry anymore..." I thought tossing and turning, "maybe there's a book or something in here to distract myself?"

I looked at the small bookshelf in the corner of the room,
"Looks boring... no... no... what's-" my heart stopped.

I grabbed the book farthest to the right, from the looks of it, it was a personal journal.

The diary of Yenay Ito.

"That's my mother's name..." I thought staring at the cover, "must be someone else... if it was my mom's it would be in the Firenation right?"

I turned to a random page near the front of the diary,

"Today I saw Peng at the market. I wish I could work up the courage to talk to him. I heard his Father Captain Zhu is close to getting a promotion! I hope that Peng doesn't have to move to capital city or anything, then I would never get to see him."

Father and Grandpa Zhu? This... this is my mother's journal. My heart froze, as I looked up, anger rushing through my veins. "Why me destiny? Why today? I never asked for this.... who thought I would want this? My mother was horrible to me, she was always gone, drinking. I know that now. I never asked for fate to send me answers, I just wanted to move on with my life. Who lead me here?" I yelled tears forming in my eyes, "I probably sound crazy don't I?"

I threw the journal across the room ignoring the growing pain in my stomach,
"I am not my mother."

~

I sat alone, my stomach bleeding with pain, my mind brewing with anger.

"Why hasn't someone come get me yet? I don't want to be here anymore. Have they forgotten about me?"

I let off some steam turning my head to the journal discarded on the other side of the room,
"Is this what you want?"

I grabbed the journal,
"At least it will pass the time."

"Peng is really something! I finally talked to him today and... ahh he's perfect! He's quiet and shy but pretty funny to talk to. Tomorrow he's going to show me some of his firebending  techniques."

"It's official! Peng asked me out today. We were walking near the lake when he said something  like, "Yenay, I think you're really sweet. Will you be my girlfriend?" Of course I said yes!"

"Peng has been acting weird lately, all he cares about is his bending. He keeps talking about moving to capital city for the  opportunities you can't find in a place like the colonies. I'm really worried about him."

I flipped to the next page, the handwriting was drastically neater and the ink more fresh.

"The wedding is in 7 days. I'm stuck in the capital city for the time being. I don't know whether to go through with it or run. I'm scared what will happen if I stay. But I don't know where I'd go."

"I'm on my honeymoon in a small house near the old Southern air temple. I thought perhaps I could try to make a run for it since we're so far away from home. I can't let this be my life, please oh please. Once we go back to our home in the capital, I may never be free again. I'm so stressed lately I've been drinking whenever I get the chance. At least then I won't remember."

I flipped the next page, it was completely blank,
"That can't be it! What happened next?"

I knew what happened, she was never able to escape,
"Did father really cause all this? I knew he was distant but I didn't think he would ever be capable of abuse. But why would my mother lie?"

I don't have time for this, I need to get back. I stood up,
"Huh my stomach doesn't hurt anymore."

I stormed out of the house, I should have never wandered off this was useless! But, I looked back at the house,
"Maybe not entirely..."

~

Zuko POV

"(Y/N)! (Y/N) are you out here? It's me Zuko!"

"Do you think she left us? Maybe she's done with Avatar business..." Sokka suggested.

"She wouldn't do that!" I snapped, "we should have brought Toph... she could have sensed her."

"Look mr Grumpy I'm sure she's just around the- oh hey (Y/N)!" Sokka stated casually pulling back some plants to reveal (Y/N) standing in front of a house.

"(Y/N)!" I embraced her in a hug.

"Nice to see you too Zuko." she teased.

"Why did you wander off so far? Is everything alright? Was it something I said?'

"You didn't do anything Zuko I just don't know the area well. How did training go? Can Aang firebend yet?" She gushed.

"Well we had to go to the original source of Firebending since mine stopped working. I traveled on Appa with Aang to the ancient Sun Warrior civilization since they originally learned it from the dragons. At first I wasn't so sure about it but then we got stuck in a trap and learned that the Sun Warriors weren't extinct. Then we had to carry sacred flames up a mountain to show we were worthy to the firebending masters Ran and Shaw who turned out to be the last surviving dragons. Then we had to do "The Dancing Dragon" dance since we lost our flames. Then they engulfed us in flames and showed us that fire is energy and life not just destruction. Also it turns out Uncle lied about the dragons being extinct to protect them. Anyway I can firebend again... so how was your day?"

"I umm I ate some rice and got sick...." she muttered trying not to laugh.

"Well sounds like you both had equally fulfilling days! Can we please go back now?" Sokka complained crossing his arms.

"Sure... can I umm hold your hand?" I asked reaching out to (Y/N).

"Sure." She blushed grabbing on.

"Wait what's that book in your hand?" I noticed.

"It's nothing...let's just go."

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST.

So basically I knew that I wanted to write a chapter where we learn more about (Y/N)'s family. Since Zuko is kinda doing his own thing with Aang I was like why not make it this one???? Sorry if it's a little bit less... lovey dovey than the usual chapters but I hope you guys still enjoy it!  Don't worry (Y/N) will be going to boiling rock with Zuko and Sokka so get excited!!

Also yes that was my bad poetry earlier in the chapter.... I didn't want to steal someone else's so I just used mine. Sorry I subjected you guys to that XD