Hikari felt anxiety clawing through her veins most of the day. There was no major reason to be triggered. All she had really done was train with some the fellow crew (now that the blasted sling was gone and she was free again). There had been one point she had decided to bug Lieutenant Jee out of boredom. Other than the fact that tonight was music night, there was absolutely nothing that should have been causing her current predicament.

     She had done some meditation, breathing exercises, forced herself to drink tea, and even took the time to talk to Iroh about her problem without a cause. To no avail, she was just pouting on the floor, in front of the cot...in Zuko's room.

     As mentioned before, it was music night. Their uncle wanted the prince to play the tsungi horn. He also wanted the girl to be there to sing, dance or even offer a story, yet she refused due to her ailment. The other teen refused to be a part of anything the old man hosted. That left the two of them in the dark room, pouting in silence.

     "Why won't it go away," the girl complained.

     "Remind me why you're in my room," the prince growled.

     "I feel horrible. I don't want to be alone and we both want nothing to do with music night." When he was silent, she sighed, "Look, it you really want me to leave, I'll go. I-"

     "Just stay."

     "...Thanks."

     "You look fine."

     She stared at him. It took a few moments to realize he was asking about her health. A slight smile graced her features before returning to a frown.

      "I've been feeling anxious all day. My heart feel like it's racing, when it's not. My breathing is rapid, or at least it feels that way. I'm shaky and not like myself and..." She ran both of her hands through her hair, "I don't like it, but it's there."

     "Have you...tried meditating?"

     "Yep. Forced myself to drink tea too."

     "What brought this on?"

     "It's been on and off all day. I talked to Uncle about it too." Hikari threw her head back onto the bed, "I sincerely hate this."

     Zuko huffed, "You've expressed that already."

     "Says the guy whose worried about my wellbeing."

     "I am not."

     "Have you tried this? What brought this on? Admit it," She turned to look at him, "you care about me."

     "Whatever make you happy."

     "Awe, come on! That was so sweet of you!" She laughed seeing him glare at the opposing wall, "You should be caring more often! It's a total ladies magnet."

     "I don't need dating advice!" The door to the room opened and the prince addressed his uncle, "And for the last time, I'm not playing the tsungi horn!"

     "No, it's about our plans." Iroh stepped in, "There's a bit of a problem."

     Hazel eyes widened. Commander Zhao entered the room. Her heart rate picked up. He was the last person she wanted or expected to see. The surprise caught her off guard in a very bad way. She ended up clutching her top, afraid her heart would bust out.

     "I'm taking your crew," the imposer announced.

     "What," Zuko demanded shocked.

     "I've recruited them for a little expedition to the North Pole."

     "Uncle, is that true?"

     "I'm afraid so. He's taking everyone," Iroh used his sleeve to dry the tears that were not present, "even the cook."

     "Sorry you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar. But I can't have you getting in my way again," the other man mocked.

     Furious, the banished prince tried to charge at the creep, but the retired general stopped him, "No!"

     Zhao saw the girl as she slowly pulled herself up. It almost felt like her heart was going to pound out of her ribcage. At the same time, she almost felt like something had hardened her emotions. He was not going see her cower in fear, not even a flinch.

     "You're awfully quiet, young lady," the man commented.

     She stood, walking to stand beside her friend, "Everyone has their off days, Commander."

     "It's admiral, now."

     "Oh! My apologies." She bowed at the waist, offering a dramatic hand gesture with it along with dripping sarcasm, "Admiral Commander Creep." She stood upright, her expression blank, "It seems I forgot about your promotion. Seems anyone is pansy enough to receive that title these days."

     He glared. Behind those eyes were fires, fires burning with intense hate. All the while, her expression gave away nothing to her painful heartrate, or the shaking she felt. Hikari had to admit, she was proud about her accomplishment. Maybe she had picked up a thing or two from Zuko.

     Thankfully, instead of getting angry, he turned his attention to the wall. He was looking directly at the oriental broadswords that hung there. Her eyes narrowed, what about those swords had caught his interest?

     The man took one off of the wall and swung it expertly in practice, "I didn't know you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko."

     "I'm not." Said prince looked away, "They're antiques. Just decorative."

     The girl knew then and there that he had lied. He had done it enough times to signal to her that it was an absolute lie. She rolled her eyes, trying to pass it off. That creeper was reading their body signals to pick up on anything. Hopefully, she had given off false information.

     Zhao ran a hand over the metal, "Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh?"

     "Just rumors. I don't think he is real," the old man replied stoically.

     "He's real, all right." He handed the sword to the retired general, "He's a criminal, and an enemy of the Fire Nation. But I have a feeling justice will catch up with him soon. General Iroh, the offer to join my mission still stands ... if you change your mind." He stood over Hikari, "Young lady, I would like to have a word with you...privately."

    Zuko almost snarled in fury, "Whatever you have to say to her, you can say to my face."

     What surprised the royalty in that room, was that she waved her hand dismissively, "I'll hear what he has to say. My only request is that we speak on deck. I won't be trapped alone in a room with you."

     The older man smirked. She followed him down the stairs and onto the deck. Some of the crew were still moving back and forth to take their things onto their new ship. It may as well have been a real one to them. The Admiral came to a stop and turned to face her. In turn, she crossed her arms.

     "I have a proposition for you... What was it? Hikari," he mocked.

     She glared, "Spit it out. I'm only out here for your entertainment."

     "My, my. Still a holder of our nation's spirit."

     "Get on with it!"

     "I would like for you to join me in my siege of the North Pole." When he saw the incredulous look, he continued with an explanation, "You see, I'm only trying to save you from the prince. You don't know Zuko as well as I do. If you stay, he will take all his anger out on you. He'll burn you mentally and physically. And that won't just be with firebending."

     She raised a brow, "Are you suggesting Zuko will abuse me?"

     "Yes. It's not even a suggestion." The admiral grabbed her hand and dragged her to the railing, placing a hand on the shoulder opposite, "If you join me, you will be royalty...hypothetically. You will receive the respect you deserve. Every last man on my ship will be at your beck and call."

     "My question is: What's in it for you?"

     "Not only will Zuko be left utterly hopeless, but you can become my daughter. You have no family, correct?" She said nothing and his smirk returned, "You would be known as the Conqueror's daughter. Anything you've ever wanted, I can give you."

     Hikari jerked away from his hold, taking a few steps back, "What makes you think I would join you?! I hate you! You know I hate you! If you want to give me something, it's never coming back into my life and leaving Zuko alone. I've been with him for months. I know him. He may be a pain in the butt, grumpy, a kill joy, and lose his temper, but he's my best friend. He knows how to take charge. He knows his crew is valuable. It's hard, but he can admit it when he's made a mistake.

     "You, on the other hand, Commander, hold no respect for anyone. You would willingly toss innocent lives aside to get what you want. You were willing to attack your prince, even after he bested you in agni kai. Heck, you even had the decency to flirt with me and then turn and threaten for my silence!

     She got in his face and glared with great intimidation, "I won't be silent by your command or anyone's command. Zuko has more honor in this world that the tear drop you think you possess! You're an abuser Zhao. You're an absolute creep! You deserve nothing that's been handed to you."

     Hikari turned to storm off, but she had to dodge a torrent of flames. The older man glared at her with all the fury she knew had been there all along.

     "A simple no would have sufficed," the admiral growled.

     She smirked, "Oh, you needed an explanation."

     He charged her, trying to catch her with a whip made of fire. She dodged and got into close quarters. Throwing punches, ducking and kicks. She would have to make do without her kusarigama. Of all the times to leave it in her room.

     Zhao continued with his onslaught of flames. She was too close to be able to damage with fire. She had already attempted to twist his arm behind his back, but that had landed her on the deck with the need to get out of the way. The brunette went to send a kick to his face, but he caught her foot.

     The man smirked, thinking he had won, but Hikari had other ideas. She used her still standing leg to jump up. She quickly rotated her body and connected that heel with his jaw. The moment he let go, she rolled forward, making a break for it. She slammed the door closed, feeling the heat of another attack behind her. She never stopped until she got to her room, slamming that door behind herself too. She forced all her body weight against it.

     The girl was panting heavily. Her heart was pounding in her ears. She slid to the floor and stared at the other wall of her room.

     She...had just done that.

     She let out a deep sigh and began laughing. How stupid could she get?! She fought Zhao and she lived! Maybe it was the relief of living. Maybe it was the fact she had left her mark on the abusive admiral. Whatever the case was, she could barely breath. Tears were streaming down her face. She did not want to move.

     Once the outburst had died down, she stared at nothing for the longest time. Who knew how much time had passed? The only thing that she knew was that she had just hit Commander Creep and could now tell the tale. It had really shocked her. To add to that, it really made her wonder what intent he had in mind for her.

     There was a knock on the door, "Hikari, are you in there?"

     "Yes, Uncle." She sighed in relief before getting up to open the door, "Is there something you need."

     "It's a lovely night for a walk." Iroh smiled, "Would you care to join me?"

     "Sure!" Hopefully it would get her mind off of things. "Is Zuko coming?"

     "I was just on my way to ask."

     The girl with hazel eyes quickly grabbed her kusarigama, not wanting to be without it again, then grabbed her cloak. She followed the old man up the flights of stairs to the prince's room. Iroh entered without knocking and stepped inside. She followed as well, seeing that Zuko on his bed, still pouting, and was wearing his robes to keep warm as well. Now that they were closer to the north pole, it seemed the nights were getting more and more chilly.

     The uncle looked to his nephew, "The crew wanted me to wish you safe travels."

     "Good riddance to those traitors," was the bitter response.

     "It's a lovely night for a walk. Why don't you join us? It would clear your head." There was no response, so the oldest started to leave the room, "Or just stay in your room and sit in the dark. Whatever makes you happy."

     Hikari stopped him, whispering, "Wait for me, I'm going to talk to him."

     She got a nod in reply. Once he was down the hall, she took the liberty to sit on his bed, by his feet. She looked at her hands, not entirely sure how to start.

     The girl breathed out a long sigh, "Zhao requested I join him in his siege of the North Pole." She saw the gold eyes narrow, "I told him no. I'm not going to betray you, Zuko. I think you're a great leader. I can promise you, your honor surpasses Zhao's...because Zhao has none.

     "He told me that you would begin to take your anger out on me. Maybe that's a truth, you've done it before, but I know you well enough. I don't take it to heart like I used to. You're my friend and I want to be there for you." She placed her hand on his leg, "If you ever want to talk to me about it, I'm here. I'm going to join, Uncle."

     There was no response or even a shift in facial expression. She gently closed the door behind her. Thankfully, Iroh was waiting for her. She shook her head. She had tried, that was what counted.

     The old man was humming a tune. Hikari walked beside him silently. Something felt really off. It was depressing that, that stupid, stinking Admiral had done all of this. All the same, something just felt off about the entire thing. It was almost like something more sinister was lurking in the shadows.

     As if confirming all of her suspicions, there was a loud explosion. The two turned, seeing the black smoke, littering the sky, based with a bright orange.

     "Zuko!"

     They both ran back to the dock. The boat they had been on minutes before was in a flurry of fire. The thick smell of smoke attacked her nose. Maybe it was because she was not a fire bender, but she could not get as close to the wreckage as Iroh. She wanted to get closer, but the heat kept her away.

     "Uncle! Put it out!" She got a little closer, but could go no further, "You can put it out! It's fire! It's your element!"

     All the flames were lifted into the air as a great big fire ball, then dissipated like dust on the wind. Hikari threw off her belt and dove into the cold waters. Zuko had to have survived! He was too stubborn to die so easily. This was his element! Maybe he had protected himself with a shield? Bent the flames back? He was alive, she knew it.

     "Hikari! Come back," the old man called.

     "No!" She took hold of a piece of debris, "Zuko's alive! I'm going to find him!"

     She swam to the other side of the ship. He had to be somewhere. There was no way he had died. She refused to believe it.

     The water felt like it kept getting colder. There where times she had to take a break on a piece of debris. She had to keep shouting to let her uncle know she was alright. Her worry grew with each passing second. The dread was building the longer she was in the water. Hope was draining.

     She was looking for another piece of debris to rest on when she noticed one had a large form on it. As she drew closer, she realized it was Zuko! She pushed herself to get to him as quickly as possible. He was not awake, but as she drew closer, she saw him breathing.

     "Uncle! I found him," she shouted.

     Whether he heard her hoarse voice or not was another story. She wrapped an arm around his waist and her other hand on the floating debris. She had to drag him onto shore. Iroh was beside her in an instant, assisting her with ther other teen's weight.

     Hikari watched as the old man slapped the teen's cheek, attempting to wake him up. There were three cuts above his right eye along with bruising on the corner. There was a scratch on his nose. Then, there were two scratches on his lip. It felt like an eternity passed before Zuko groaned. He looked at the two people hovering above him.

     "Pirates..." He sat up too quickly and groaned, "The pirates blew up the ship."

     Iroh placed a hand on the teen's back, "Take it easy, nephew! You have been hurt."

     The girl abruptly stood and walked a good distance away, her back turned to them. The prince had to raise a brow at the odd behavior. He was able to stand and look to his uncle who had a small smile forming on his face.

     "Hikari was very worried about you," the old man said.

     He narrowed his eyes trying to see her better from where they stood, "Is she crying?"

     "Go comfort her."

     "How would I do that?"

     "Start with a hug."

     Gold eyes widened, "With what?"

     Iroh pushed him forward, "Just go to her!"

     The prince limped forward, still regaining his bearings from the explosion. As he got closer, he could see her shaking. The sound of spastic breaths reached his ears, too.

     "Hikari," Zuko spoke. She froze, but she still sniffed, "I'm alright. I'm not going to let Zhao get away with this. He's-"

    He was cut off by the girl. She was hugging him as tightly as she dared. She buried her face in his chest. She sobbed. He could feel her hand clutching the fabric of his robe.

     "I thought I lost you." Hikari loosened her hold, but did not let go, "I...I thought you died!"

     The prince was shocked to hear those words. He knew for a fact she was his closest friend. After all this time, he realized that besides his uncle, she was his only friend. He was her only friend too. Maybe...he needed her a little more than he realized.

     Slowly, he wrapped his hands around her, "I'm sorry."

     The brunette's voice cracked, "It wasn't your fault.

     Zhao was going to pay.

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A/N: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One MORE CHAPTER BEFORE THIS BOOK IS COMPLETED!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG! I'm so happy I had a moment to just binge an update. I don't know about you guys, but I really enjoy writing this as much as going back an re-reading this.

I'll see you guys next chapter!

Tootles~

-Muse