It was a beautiful day. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue. There was no wind, not a cloud in sight and a flock of birds flying overhead. Hikari felt like it was the kind of day you would read about in a fairytale. It really was pleasant, but a sniff from her uncle told her otherwise. In fact, Zuko lowered his spyglass to listen as well.

     Iroh pulled at his beard, "There is a storm coming. A big one."

     "You're out of your mind, Uncle." The prince approached him, "The weather's perfect. There's not a cloud in sight."

     "A storm is approaching from the north," the old man insisted, "I suggest we alter our course and head southwest."

     "We know the Avatar is traveling northward, so we will do the same."

     "Prince Zuko, consider the safety of the crew."

     Hikari raised her hand slightly, as if to gain his attention, "Zuko if he's right, the Avatar wouldn't travel either. He would consider his friends safety as well as his bison's

     She and her uncle received a glare, "You forget the bison can fly! The safety of the crew doesn't matter!"

     It was then the lieutenant, Jee, walked onto deck. By the look on his face, he had heard every word. The Fire Nation prince realized the lieutenant was there and his expression briefly lost its raging intensity. He walked over. The teen showed his dominance by standing over the man, looking at him from a very short distance away.

     She heard her friend's next words, "Finding the Avatar is far more important than any individual's safety."

     Zuko walked inside, leaving Jee to glare after him. Thankfully, Iroh was kind enough to defend his nephew. It was clear the teen was already having one of his off days. That much, the girl could see.

     The old mans words sounded uncertain, like he could not believe them himself, "He doesn't mean that. He's just all worked up."

     "Who knows?" Hikari shook her head, "It's the start to one of his bad days. Someone's going to end up hurt or be put under his fury."

     The lieutenant merely huffed and went back below deck like he had come. The brunette sighed. She just knew something was going to happen. At this point, who knew what it would be? Knowing Zuko, he would likely challenge someone to agni kai.

     It could not have been more than two hours before the storm clouds appeared, seemingly from nowhere. Jee and several other soldiers had come up to stare at the foreboding formation. The prince walked out, regarding the clouds as some of his men turned to face him. The female stood off the side, feeling a lot of tension in the air.

     The head of the crew taunted his leader, "Looks like your uncle was right about the storm after all."

     Iroh walked out, "Lucky guess."

     "Lieutenant! You'd better learn some respect," the teen jabbed two fingers into the man's chest, "or I will teach it to you."

     "What do you know about respect?" Jee was ignoring Iroh's signals to stop, "The way you talk to everyone around here, from your hard-working crew to your esteemed uncle, shows you know nothing about respect! You don't care about anyone but yourself! Then again, what should I expect from a spoiled prince?"

     That man had taken his words too far. The girl felt her heart rate pick up when Zuko steadily turned, stopping in the position to begin a fight. The lieutenant, being the idiot he was, responded with the same stance. They met in the middle with their wrists fighting each other.

     The uncle tried to stop them with words, "Easy now." Instead of it working, smoke began to rise from the prince's hand. This led to the old man pulling them apart, "Enough! We're all a bit tired from being at sea so long. I'm sure after a bowl of noodles, everyone will feel much better."

     Thankfully, Lieutenant Jee walked away.

     Zuko turned his back to Iroh, "I don't need your help keeping order on my ship."

     When his elder placed a comforting hand on the teen's right shoulder, the younger shrugged it off and went to stand at the front of the ship. Their uncle took it as the sign to leave his nephew alone. Hikari, on the other hand, decided to go stand by him. She would not talk. She would be a presence. If he wished to speak he would.

     The wind was blowing directly in their faces, tossing their hair around. The girl's pull over was billowing with the strong gusts along with her pants. She crossed her arms, eyes taking in the dark clouds. There would be rain...a lot of it.

     "What do you want," her friend growled.

     She glanced at him, "I want to be of service... You're getting aggravated, I know. Would it help to talk about it?"

     "I don't need to talk about anything."

     "I just want to help you... I know it's getting upsetting. It seems like every time you come close to getting to the Avatar, you lose him again. You're going to be able to do it, it's just going to take trial and error."

     "Don't pretend like you understand me," the prince shouted. "Getting the Avatar has no meaning to you! You're just here, playing the part of being a doll for my uncle."

     "That's not true!" Hikari felt hurt by the accusation, "If I remember correctly, I'm your prisoner, with a lot of privileges apparently."

     "Then I release you if it gets you away from me."

     "Why can't you listen to a single thing I say?! Zuko, you're my friend and I-"

     "I don't have time for "friends" and I don't need one." She went quiet and the next words made her furious, "What? Are you going to cry now?"

     "You know what? No! I won't! I've just wasted my time trying help you! All I get out of it is trouble, an earful of your constant yelling and blowing up at everyone, including Iroh. You're hopeless!"

     "You're pathetic, Hikari."

     "Pathetic?! All you do is whine about me, about your honor, about how nothing goes your way. Let me tell you something; I'll make both of our lives easier! The next time we dock, I'll leave! Then, we're both happy! You don't have to see me and I can get you out of my head because all you do is give me a constant headache."

     "I give you a headache? I always sit through your squabbling. You're childish and ignorant. You act like a pet to my uncle. You think you're so great. Without uncle, you would be nothing. The reality is, you're nothing with or without him." She turned her back and began walking away, having hear enough from him, "You're nothing. You hear me?! Nothing!"

     She turned around, shouting as loud as she could, "GO JUMP IN THE OCEAN!"

     She stormed back into the ship and slammed the door behind her, hoping he had heard it loud and clear. She put her back against the door. Something wet trailed down on her face. She was crying. How long had she been crying? Probably long enough for him to see that...maybe even when he had asked.

     She made slow progress going up the stairs. She was hurt. She was really hurt. She had said some pretty nasty things to him. That did not make up for what he said to her. Zuko had not been entirely wrong either. She really was nothing. She barely knew anything about herself, with no copper piece to her name. She was extremely childish, but at least she could take a hint on when to stop.

     Hikari looked at the door to her room. She would definitely leave. He had freed her at this point. She could go do whatever she wanted. She could leave of her own free will now. Yet it felt like there were chains on her heart to stay. No matter how stupid and a pain in the butt he was, he and Iroh were practically family to her. She trusted them with her life. At this point, maybe just Iroh. Could she even call him uncle anymore?

     She stepped inside her room and looked at the chaos she has created. Scrolls were everywhere. Clothes were strewn about. Even the bed was in disarray. The door quietly closed behind her.

     Her body did the work for her. She rolled up the scrolls her uncle had gotten her, throwing her own story and translation to the side. The clothes were folded and put away neatly. The bed was made. She placed her hand on her kusarigama, she would give it back to it's previous owner. She was done with this life.

     She found herself with the captain and helmsman. It was quiet, minus the thunder that was rolling in. Lighting was beginning to highlight some of the distant clouds, giving her a shiver. Would it be worth it to just throw herself into the waves of the oncoming storm? ...Nah, it would be too easy. In this life, you had to go down in style.

     "Miss Hikari?" She raised a brow at the captain, "You've been quiet. Is something wrong?"

     She huffed through her nose, "I got a lot on my mind."

     "The helmsmen heard you shouting at Prince Zuko."

     "And?"

     "I assume this has something to do with him."

     "Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" She slouched back, crossing her arms, "Please throw me overboard."

     "That bad, huh?"

     "Whatever gave you that idea?"

     The man's eyes were focused on the darkening horizon, "Miss Hikari, it may not seem like much, but I'm glad you're here."

     The brunette raised a brow, "Why?"

     "This may be the opinion of a sea-faring fool, but you bring something to this crew. You waste no time when it comes to lending a hand. You're humor is something new to listen to after always hearing General Iroh's jokes." She laughed hearing that. "You remind me of my own daughter. You've got a head on your shoulders. You're strong. I've seen you train, young lady. You're confident in what you do and you keep trying."

     "Are you sure about that?" She crossed her legs, sitting up straighter in her spot, "Let me tell ya, I fell about as confident as a prairie mouse facing off against a platypus bear. I barely have any memory of who I was before I stumbled on this merry crew... I'm nothing but rubbish.

     "I don't think rubbish could beat a pirate in a fight. So I've heard."

     "He had it coming the moment he grabbed me."

     The man laughed, "I see Fire Nation spirit in you, miss. It's good for all of us. When you're at sea, you don't get to see too many women. Having you on board is a treat. If you were to give orders, these men would follow in a heartbeat. Maybe it's just me, but it's nice to see a young woman be passionate about fighting with a weapon or even story telling."

     "Thank you... I guess I needed to hear that."

     There was idle chatter between them. The helmsman even came in to strike up conversation. It did nothing to cover the on coming storm. The waters quickly turned into choppy waves. Lighting was striking around the ship. Thunder boomed like an unknow god of fury.

     The captain began to focus on the way ahead. Hikari stood by, ready to take action if it was needed. The helmsman stepped outside to report on the surroundings.

     Lightning lit up the lookout balcony, temporarily blinding the driver of the ship and his female companion, who was knocked over by the force of the blow. The ship rocked unsteadily for a few moments. The sound of metal on metal reached their ears. When they could look, the man who had been on the balcony seconds before was gone.

     The captain looked frantic, "Where's the helmsman?!"

     The brunette ran to the opening to the look out and found her stomach turning. The balcony had been struck, bending it out of shape. That must have been the reason for the screeching. At the bottom where it was bending down, she could just see the man's head.

     Without thinking about the consequences or the danger, the girl crept along the straightest edge of the platform. She tied the sickle end of her kusarigama around one of the posts. Then, she wrapped the chain around her wrist, securing it to hold. Prepared to take the risk, she let herself slide to the bent railing that was still holding up.

     She reached out as far as she could, "Take my hand!"

     "If I let go, I'll slip," the man argued.

     Curse the storm.

     It seemed he jinxed himself. Seconds later, his hands started to lose hold. The female dove off and caught one of his hands, the problem was that her right arm had most likely been pulled out of socket. The chain tied around her wrist was now biting into her skin. Both of her arms were getting strained. The helmsman was holding onto her for dear life. A pained noise escaped her mouth, but she was determined to save this man's life. To heck if she was nothing compared to that jerk of a prince. She was going to save this man's life.

     She looked down, and saw two people climbing up, "I'm going to swing you to the ladder."

     Upsettingly enough, she whimpered feeling the chain constrict more, if that were possible. There was definitely going to be a mark left on her for this.

     Using the mobility she had, she swung him as close to the ladder as possible. He slipped, but thankfully was caught. She grabbed the chain with her other hand. She had to loosen it around her wrist, it was beginning to become too much. She had managed to get her torso over. Thinking she was safe enough, she unwrapped the chain from her wrist.

     The boat took a sudden turn and she felt herself slip. She tried to grab the railing the helmsman had been holding onto, but the rain prevented any grip. She was so shocked, she could not scream. Maybe...it would not be so bad. After all, it would get her out of his way for good

     Someone grabbed her arm. Hikari looked up and saw Zuko staring back, a small smirk on his lips. The brunette felt her lip twitch and she mimicked the facial gesture. She got a hold of the ladder and slowly climbed down. Her shoulder was beginning to really smart. By the time she reached the bottom, she was positive, she would never use her arm again.

     "Hikari!" A pained noise escaped her when Iroh pulled her into a hug, "I was so worried! Are you alright, child?"

     She put her hand over the injured shoulder, "I'm positive I'm never using this arm again."

     Somehow, he found the strength to smile and pulled her into another hug. This time, she returned it, with only one arm. Her eyes went to the crew, trying to read their emotions, but found herself looking at the form of the Avatar's flying bison. The Fire Nation prince seemed to take notice as well.

     "The Avatar," Zuko shouted.

     While everyone else stood back, including the pair who had previously been hugging, Lieutenant Jee stepped forward, "What do you wanna do, sir?"

     Silence passed over them before they received an answer, "Let him go. We need to get this ship to safety.

     Iroh sent his nephew an approving look, "Then we must head directly into the eye of the storm."

     Something grabbed a hold of the girl and before she had time to react, her arm was forced back into it's rightful place, "OW! What was that for?!"

     "You will need this too, young lady." The old man had her arm in a sling in seconds, "You will need time to recover. No training until your strength has returned."

     "Wha... Where'd you even get this from?!"

     "One never knows what life will send your way."

     Her uncle received a playful glare. Even then, they, along with the rest of the crew, felt a sense of security, knowing that safety would be along shortly. It took plenty of time, but the eye of the storm was the calmest thing that had happened all day.

     The brunette went to the railing to look at the water. The rain was still coming down, but somehow, it felt like peace. There was still a storm going all around them. In the end, they had found an important piece of the day: stability. The crew acted more willing to work for the prince. Everyone was safe. Zuko had made a good decision.

     A bright blue light began to rise to the top of the water. The flying bison appeared with the Avatar on it's head. The brunette smiled and used her good hand to wave until they were out of sight. There would be more chances. Today just was not the right day.

     "Hikari." The girl in question frowned when she saw the other teen, "Follow me."

     She sighed in defeat, doing as told. She quietly followed him up many flights of stairs. What surprised her was when they stopped outside of his room. He opened the door and she stared stupidly. What was he doing?

     He gestured for her to walk in. The moment the door closed, she felt like a caged animal.

     "I needed to talk to you...alone," the boy spoke.

     Hazel eyes narrowed, "Go on."

     "What were you thinking? You nearly got yourself killed! That was reckless and-"

     She watched him. All his words were tuned out. She did not want to hear it. He could do all the ranting he wanted; but one thing was clear.

     "Are you listening to me," Zuko demanded.

     "Why should I? You never listen to me. Besides, what did you want me to do? Stand aside like the piece of nothing you said I am? I saved that man's life!" She went to cross her arms, but had to settle for putting her hand on her hip, "You said it yourself, I'm nothing. I'm nothing compared to anyone on this ship. Most of my memories are gone. I don't even have a copper piece to my name! Well, I can do something! I can save a life! I can fight! Heck, I'll break your nose if you want me to prove I'm strong! I-" She went quiet.

     The young prince sat down on his bed. He looked at her, waiting for her to say more. It felt like all of her rage was turned to ashes and blown away. Silence hung in the air.

     He motioned for her to resume, "I'm listening."

     "Are..." She felt caught off guard, "Are you okay?"

     "Hikari... I was wrong."

     "Okay, that's it! I'm dead! Since when-" The glare that bore into her shut her up, "Sorry. Please, continue."

     "As I was saying..." His hands went to gripping the support of the bed, "I was wrong. I spoke out of turn when I said you were nothing. You are a valuable asset to this crew. You train diligently, you're strong, with more time and training, you could outdo any man walking this ship... I..." She could see his knuckles turning white, "I'm sorry."

     He was a prideful arrogant fool, but:

     "It takes a great leader to admit when he's in the wrong." She sat down next to him, resting her head against his shoulder.

     "...You're not mad?"

     "Oh no, I'm furious and what you said was wrong in every way. I was hurt, still am to be honest."

     "Oh."

     "I can forgive you, though. It's not going to make everything better, but I'm letting go because I'm seeing something I've never seen in you before... Humility."

     He looked down at her, "Are you still going to leave?"

     "Did you truly free me," she responded.

     "Yes"

     "Then no. I have a mind to make sure you stay out of trouble."

     He smiled.

     "You have a lot of work on your hands, especially with that injury," was his response.

     Hikari sat up and stared with shocked eyes, "Did you just... Did you just smile and tease me?!"

     The smile left the moment he saw the grin forming on her face, "No! I take it back."

     "Nope! No take backs!" She was already out the door, "Uncle! Uncle, guess what?! You're never going to believe this!"

     "Hikari!"

     Some of the crew had to wonder what had happened if they caught sight or heard the girl laughing as she ran from an infuriated prince.

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A/N: THREE CHEERS FOR ANGSTY TEENAGERS

That really had to hurt her. For me, I think this is the chapter where Zuko really begins to appreciate Hikari, if only by a little bit. I don't know why, but it's a lot of fun to write this story. I mean, yeah, fantasies are coming true, but I love writing these characters. 

Minus Hikari, I hope everyone else has been in character enough. 

Tootles~

-Muse