Zuko had come back from the island with his men on one Komodo Rhino. The entire party was soaked. Hikari had asked what had happened only to be shouted at with the demand she never ask again. Of course she let them be after that. It probably would wound their pride even more.

     Typical men.

     While they had their wounded morale to tend to, she was more focused on beginning an expansion of her abilities. It was only the day after the attack on Kyoshi Island. The girl was sparing a couple of the crew members. There was firebending thrown in here and there. For the most part, they were taking it easy on her. She had yet to gain full confidence and control when it came to a fight against benders, not to mention being outnumbered by them.

     Her mind was rushing as fast as her heart was pounding. It was hard to keep track of who was where and when fire would come blasting in to catch you off guard. It was a challenge. She was going to pass it. She would not trust herself to ask her important question if she lost this spar.

     She blocked a punch to the face and used it as an advantage to twist her opponents arm behind his back. Out the corner of her eye, she saw the blast of fire. Using the firebender as her shield, he was forced to knock the incoming blast away, only to have his legs kicked out from underneath him. He was knocked out when he hit the ground.

     The two fighters walked around each other, trying to read who would do what. It was clear that Hikari would not be attacking first. Her adversary jumped up and sent an arch of flames just by kicking. She rolled out the way and stood to be met with more fire coming her way.

     The brunette huffed through her nose and decided to take the initiative and get into close quarters to get him to stop. He would have to focus on her instead of what he would bend at her next. It just so happened that when he got hit by her uppercut, he hesitated long enough to get his legs swept out from underneath him. The victor of the fight smirked down at him before holding her hand out.

     Defeated, he took her hand and got to his feet with her help. The other was just coming too, his helmet was off and he was holding the sore spot on the back of his head.

     "You're getting stronger, Hikari," the fallen man commented.

     "Just the way I like it." She helped him to his feet, "I hope I wasn't too strong for ya... You actually blacked out there."

     "Eh, nothing the doctor can't look at."

     "Too bad General Iroh wasn't here to witness that," the other soldier said. "I think he would have been very impressed."

     "I hope so!" She placed her hand to the back of her neck, "If he were here, I'd ask him if I... Well..."

     A different voice asked, "If you could what?"

     The three jumped and quickly bowed before the character in question. Iroh stood there with his usual look of cheer, though it seemed to have dimmed at little. The spar the brunette had been in was both to get in more training and build up the confidence to ask for what she wanted. Seeing that her uncle was now here and had overheard her, there was no point in running.

     "General Iroh, sir!" The uninjured man addressed him, "We were just having a friendly spar."

     The other nodded his head, still holding his sore spot, "Yeah! Lady Hikari is getting better by the day. You've taught her well, sir."

     "There's no need to defend me," the girl in question told her partners, "it's not like I'm in any trouble... I hope."

     "Is that so?" The old man grinned, "Why don't the two of you take a short break and get that injury checked. I'd like to have a few words with the young lady."

     When the two men were out of earshot and sight, her teacher gestured for her to follow. It lead to them being in his room, sitting to a cup of lemon ginger tea. There was small talk between them. The problem was that there was an elephant mandrill in the room that had yet to be addressed.

     "You did very well during that fight, niece," Iroh addressed her.

     Hikari blinked, "You saw all of it?"

     "Of course. I was looking for you when I saw that you were about to begin your spar." He took a sip from his tea, "Which brings me to why I wanted to talk to you. What was the question you had for me?"

     "I... Well..."

     She sighed out. This was not Zuko she was talking to, it was her uncle. He was not going to yell out at her. There was no reason to be fearful in the first place. Even then, she could feel her heart rate pick up. She just wished she could bang her head against something.

     "I've been thinking about this since we were with Commander Zhao." She chose her next words carefully, "At first, I saw him as a joke, but after his threat, I grew terrified. I was scared. Not only was I scared about my own safety, but Zuko's when the Agni Kai became an accepted challenge. I don't want to feel that way again. That's why I've been training harder.

     "There will be a day when I can't look to you and Zuko for protection. I've thought on it a lot and I... I want to start training with a weapon. I know there are risks to learning to use one, but I feel like I'm ready. I want to be as strong as I can so I can stop hiding and actually do something. I don't want to look to everyone else for protection. I want to be able to defend myself and others."

     There was silence between them for a few moments. The only sounds to be faintly heard was the humming of the engine and the foot falls of the crew. The other thing Hikari could hear was her heart pounding in her ears. She knew it was due to overthinking this entire thing. Still, the story had been told and her answer was soon to be given to her.

     "Are you sure you want to handle a weapon, Niece?" Iroh was stoking his beard while he gave her a stern look, "There are many responsibilities to handling a weapon. There will be good things that come from this opportunity, but there are also harsh realities as well."

     She nodded, "I've thought it over enough. I'm confident that this is what I want."

     "Very well."

     He went to his bed and pulled a wooden box out from underneath. It was clean. There was nothing special to gaze at or rouse much curiosity. It was what the older man pulled out next that caused the girl to stare in wonder.

     She had never seen anything like it. It was a sickle with a short handle. The handle looked to be almost as long as her forearm, crafted with polished, red tinted wood. Black leather was wrapped around the middle, leaving an area for grip. The silver blade curved from the top and into a perfect half circle. From the bottom came a long chain that ended in a large weight.

     "Oh wow!" Hikari breathed in wonder, "I've never seen anything like it."

     "It is an old treasure from my time in Ba Sing Se. It seems, I've finally found the reason I've kept it all of these years." Her uncle handed the weapon over, "I have a feeling this was made for you."

     "Uncle... This is amazing!" She took hold of her new treasure and grinned, "When can I start training? I'd love to learn how to use it."

     For days she would practice, even after her training sessions with Zuko and Iroh. It ended up with getting hit in the head and other places with the weight of the chain, the prince even face palmed the few times she tangled herself up. There was only one occasion she had to see the healer they had on the ship when she had been scared out of her wits, managing to cut her arm open... She still did not stop training, only approached it with more caution.

     To her, the only thing she could do was advance. In the future, it would be an absolute blessing.

     The day was bright and sunny. She forgot the exact reason why, but they made a stop in the Earth Kingdom. They were nowhere near a port. Even then, it was nice to get back on land where she belonged. After walking around for a bit, she decided to practice with the chain end of her kusarigama, or in simpler words, chain sickle.

     The brunette swung it around her being as a protective barrier to keep opponents away. It was simple enough when you got the motions down and learned to not hit yourself with the weight. The weight was useful in catching the sword, or body part of an opponent. Better yet, if aimed correctly, it could force a weapon out of hand with a swift and painful flick to the writs or knuckle.

     "Hikari!"

     She went to hit whoever scared her. She quickly realized the person who scared her was an ally and tried to stop the weight from hitting him. In one false move, the weight flung back and popped her next to her right eye. She ended up falling back with a painful shout of "Ow!" She held her hands over the throbbing spot. Tears were forced out of her eyes, half was caused by the pain, the other half was because the pain was so close to her eye.

     When she saw Zuko's mild look of concern, she glared at him, "Look what you made me do!"

     He flinched, "...Are you okay?"

     "Does it look like I'm okay?" She took a deep breath, "It hurts a lot. What do you need?"

     "I... Do you know where, Uncle is?"

     "The two of us went for a short walk when we landed. I ended up coming back. I don't know where he went." Seeing as the prince looked ready to run, either from her rage or feeling awkwardly responsible (which he was) she offered, "Do you want me to come with you?"

     "No, it's fine." He started walking away, "Get back on the ship, we're leaving shortly." He paused and turned his head so she could hear him better, "And get the healer to check on that."

     Heat covered her face. Thankfully, he did not turn around. She must have been as red as his shirt! She was still upset by what happened, but that was so unexpectedly sweet! At least... It was sweet compared to everyday Zuko.

     She boarded and did as she was told. She was fine, minus the red, tender spot on the side of her face. At least it had not hit her directly in the eye. Otherwise, she would have been left with a black eye. Even then, she had gained the attention of the crew who saw her, still with tears that were uncontrollable. It was nice to know they cared.

     The ship did not move for a long while. Hikari gave up on hiding her misery. She went outside and found that Zuko and two of the crew members were walking back to land.

     "Zuko! Where are you going?!" She jogged to catch up, "And where in the world is uncle?"

     "He was in the hot springs." He did not spar her a glance, "I gave him half an hour to get back. It's been too long. The sun is already setting."

     Her hand went to her new belt with the sheath for her Kusarigama, "Then I'm coming with you."

     "I didn't tell you to go back."

     She knew that was the closest she was going to get to an invitation. They trekked through the trees and back to where the old man was last seen.

     The prince broke through the branches, "Uncle! Uncle, where are you?"

     "Sir, maybe he thought you left without him," one man suggested.

     Hikari noticed something red out the corner of her eye, "Isn't that...?" She went to the source and found a pile of clothing, "I think these are his clothes... Is he running around..." She could not even say the words.

     "Something's not right here..." Zuko paused, "That pile of rocks!"

     Sure enough, and weirdly, the bottom of the pool was filled with rocks. It was not normal though. The boulders were all pointed up like a tent.

     "It looks like there's been a landslide, sir," someone suggested

     "That's not a landslide," the girl commented, adjusting her hold on the clothes she had found.

     "Land doesn't slide uphill. Those rocks didn't move naturally." The other teenager stood upright, "My Uncle's been captured by earthbenders!"

     "Then why are we standing here?! We gotta get a move on!"

     The four hurried back to the ship. Zuko and Hikari mounted a Komodo Rhino and took off. The prince wanted to argue that she should just stay behind, but... The hold she had on him told him she was determined to help. Arguing would only waste time and effort. He had assisted in her training and had seen her practice on her own. She could handle herself.

     They found themselves traveling through the night to make up for lost time. The firebender would have to hold up his flame to still see the tracks that the earthbenders left behind. Every now and then, they would take turns getting off to inspect the tracks and make sure they were on the right path. There were also the few short naps the girl ended up taking. It was not on purpose, but the prince had not yelled at her for it either, so it was a wonderful sign.

     The sunrise would have been enjoyable if they weren't on a search. Yet, it was finally lighting the area. They could see the tracks. Better yet, they managed to find a clue.

     The two hopped off of the animal to find a lone sandal in the middle of some animal tracks. The brunette watched her friend pick it up. For some reason, he smelled it, causing the girl to laugh at his facial expression.

     "Yeah, that's Uncle Iroh," Zuko announced.

     "Did you have to smell it to figure it out?" Hikari smiled as the other got into the saddle, "I mean... That must have been disgusting."

     "It was." He held his hand down to her, "After two years at sea with him, you learn some things."

     She adjusted herself behind him and placed her arms around his waist as they had been, "Well, it wouldn't surprise me. Especially after all you've been through together... Would you say you've learned anything about me?"

     "A few things."

     "Well, I've learned some things about you too."

     "You felt the need to do that?"

     "Why wouldn't I? I've told you before that you're my friend...the only friend my age at least. I would even go as far to say you're my best friend. You and uncle are dear to my heart. I guess I see you as family, or at least in Iroh's case. But in some senses, you and I can relate. You're trying to regain your lost honor. I'm trying to regain my lost memory. We're both traveling the same journey, just for different reasons and goals."

     There was silence after that. The road was being followed once more. The only disturbance was the Rhino turning and giving them a clear view of the Avatar's flying bison, as she had been informed on what it was. While Zuko had been tempted, he kept to finding his uncle. Hikari had to admit, she was proud of him for that.

     Not an hour later did they begin to hear voices. They both dismounted their ride before sneaking in closer to see the commotion and the cause of it.

     The scene was Uncle Iroh forced to lay his shackled hands out. There were four men surrounding him. All of them wore matching outfits of earthy colors and dome shaped hats. A fifth man, most likely the head of the group, stood in front.

     "These dangerous hands must be crushed," the leader stated.

     He used his bending to make a giant rock appear. The boulder was raised over the old man. They were ready to crush his hands!

     The prince took the initiative and charged forward to kick the rock away. The girl, while surprised at the suddenness, made it down to join them. She soon realized that the oldest man of the group had been freed, even though the shackles and chains were on his wrist.

     Hikari brought out her weapon and began swinging her chain. The three of them had their backs to each other. All the while, the rest of the earthbenders were ready to take charge of the situation

     "Excellent form, Prince Zuko." There was a short chuckle from their uncle, "Your technique is getting better, Hikari."

     She could almost hear the smirk from her friends' words, "You taught me well."

     "Why not? We have you to thank," the girl added.

     "Surrender yourselves!" The head man and the others prepared their attack, "It's five against three. You're clearly outnumbered."

     "Yeah, that's true, but you are clearly outmatched," Iroh spoke.

     The only female smirked, "Underestimating us is a mistake."

     One of the soldiers used his bending to throw some smaller sized rocks at her. She knew right away they were not keen on hurting her. She took it as her advantage. The chain spun faster, breaking the pieces of earth apart. Followed by a flick of the wrist, the man attacking her found his hand smarting in pain. He was not ready for her to be close enough to receive a bruised jaw and his legs kicked out from under him.

     She glanced over and saw that there still a bender standing, reading to bury Zuko under masses of dirt. Without a second thought, she threw her chain, wrapping it around his ankles, tying them together. With a harsh pull, the man was on the ground, buried under his own attack.

     "Huh." Hikari looked around at the defeated, "I guess you could say they hit rock bottom."

     Seconds after she was laughing at her own joke, along with her uncle. For once, the angsty and grumpy prince seemed to be a slight bit amused.

     The male teenager placed a hand on his uncle's shoulder, "Now would you please put on some clothes?"

     "After all of that traveling, you would think they would at least give an old man some clothing or tea," the retired general pouted.

     "Don't worry," the brunette was already taking the lead, "I brought the clothes you left behind."

     "You know, Nephew, you should learn to plan ahead. You should follow Hikari's examples."

     When she heard a loud smack and growl, she laughed once more. It was good to have Uncle Iroh back.

------------------------

A/N: Welcome back everyone! You can thank me for having a horrible sense of humor later. I remember watching the episode and thinking of, "Man, he hit rock bottom." and laughing until I cried. 

Writing the relationship between Hikari, Zuko and Iroh is probably my favorite thing to write about in here. Hikari is the energetic, happy person. Iroh is the wisdom with puns man. Zuko is the angsty tempered one. Mix that in a bowl and you have one big comical mess!

One more thing, considering that this story is actually finished (pre-written wise mind you) I'm just going to finish updating it all. So be warned, Book 2 is still in the workings with 4 chapters as of the moment. Soooooooooo....

ONE WITH THE SHOW

Tootles~

-Muse