Spark [Prince Zuko - Book One]

❃Chapter Eleven❃

Asake decided to do her rounds one last time before she left. They had docked earlier that day, and she wanted to say goodbye to her crew. Even if she hated Zuko, she still loved the crew like they were her family. The first person she found was Daza, who was walking through one of the corridors. "Hello, General Asake," he said, bowing slightly. 

"Hi," she said quietly. He stood back up with a frown on his face. "I wanted to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Daza asked, stepping forward. His warm amber eyes found hers. She would miss him. He had been a great guy to her. "Where are you going?"

"I have to leave," was all she said. She shrugged and looked down at her feet. "I messed up, and now I'm not allowed on the ship anymore."

He nodded simply. He probably knew what she did because Zuko had been angry all night long. He was yelling at some crew members and even at Iroh at one point in the night. "I hope you find what you need in life."

Asake pulled Daza into a quick hug. He hugged her back tightly, and she whispered, "Thank you for everything, Daza."

She pulled away from the hug and began her walk to the main deck, her mind going back to the first day she met Daza. They picked him up during their travels. He was a quiet, shy boy, and was a few years older than her. Though they may not have talked much, they exchanged smiles every so often. She knew she had a friend in Daza, though, even if they didn't talk that much.

Asake decided to take a small detour and walked to the kitchens, where Zi was. One of the last times they had spoken, Zi had given advice to Asake, and she didn't really listen to it. But now that she thought about it, she knew that what the old woman said was the truth. Asake's heart was telling her to be a good person and to let the Avatar go. She wasn't needed back at home; she wasn't needed in the Fire Nation in general. 

"Miss Zi," Asake called out, looking around. The older lady walked out from around a corner, slightly startling her for a second. 

"Hello, Asake!" Zi said, pulling the younger girl into a tight hug. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," Asake whispered. She pulled away from the hug, but Zi held onto her arms. "I have to leave, though. I've messed up, and Zuko kicked me off the ship." That was a lie, but Asake didn't care. It was close enough. "I don't think I thanked you for the advice you gave me a while back."

When she looked up at Zi, she was surprised to see a confused look on her face. "You can't leave," Zi said, shaking her head. "This will ruin things." Suddenly, her mouth opened and closed quickly. "Never mind. Everything will work out."

"What are you talking about?" Asake asked her with a frown. Zi was acting very strange right now, and she was a little nervous about it.

The smile flashed back onto Zi's face as she shook her head. "It was nothing," she said, waving her hand through the air. "You did thank me, but I don't think it was a real thank you," Zi said, continuing onto what Asake had told her a minute ago. "Your presence has been good on this old heart of mine."

Asake gave Zi a smile even though she was very confused. She turned around and walked toward the main deck. Her pack was weighing her down even though there wasn't much in there. She finished her rounds, feeling weighed down by her emotions more so than the pack. Even though this was supposed to be a punishment for jumping in front of Zuko, she had loved her time on this ship. Well, besides being seasick. Everything else was such a blessing to her; these people had become her family, and she had traveled the world in the past three years.

She looked around as she walked through the ship. She wanted to make sure she wouldn't ever forget it. Even if she was sometimes seasick or was banished and was put on this ship doesn't mean she didn't have any good memories of it. Memories rushed through Asake's head. She shook it quickly, and slowly, they dissipated. She didn't want to be stuck in the past when she was leaving for her future.