I find myself on the front deck of the ship training with Zuko, Iroh as our teacher. I was a better bender than Zuko and it was a known fact across the ship, but it was only because Zuko didn't know how to draw his fire from anything other than anger. "Again," Iroh told Zuko instructing him to go through the basic form he'd been drilling all morning. Iroh was a stickler for the basics, so when Zuko's form came from his strength pushing out his flame instead of using his breath control to enrich it, I knew we'd be drilling it again.
"No, power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscle. The breath becomes energy in the body, energy extends itself past your limbs and becomes fire!" Iroh as saying this lets out a blast of his own going up to Zuko but not singing a hair on his head. "Get it right this time," Iroh instructs Zuko, but instead of Zuko doing as told he has a rebuttal, of course. "Enough. I've been drilling this sequence for days. Teach me the next set, I'm more than ready." Zuko tells his uncle, fist clenched with irritation "No, you're impatient, and you have yet to master your basics. Drill it again!" he tells Zuko causing Zuko to snarl.
I can see what is about to unfold, out of anger Zuko kicks flames at one of the guards we train with knocking him backward."The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last Airbender. He must be over 100 years old by now, he's had a century to master the four elements I will need more than basic Fire bending to defeat him. You will teach me the advanced set!" he shouts in Iroh's face, for someone who got banished for speaking out of turn, you'd think he'd be better at controlling his tongue.
"Very well, but first I must finish my roast duck," Iroh says throwing us all off guard and grabbing his bowl chowing down on its content. I drill my own set while I wait for Iroh to finish, so we can resume Zuko's training. The guards took little time to take down as I propel myself up and shoot from my advantage point, they have little time to react and block me. I take them by surprise by landing on one hand and spinning creating a whirlpool of fire around me.
"How do you know how to do that?" Zuko asks me shocked "I spent a lot of time with Tai Lee back in the Fire Nation, she may not have been a bender but the girl has tricks to spare," I say with a smirk. After another hour of training I go in, to shower and leave the prince to his usual devices stalking on the front deck looking for a sign of the Avatar. After my shower I am disappointed to find out we are raiding a helpless Water Tribe village.
I missed the typical Fire Nation bloodthrist, and showing off to the other nations. I just felt bad going into their homes invading for a person we weren't even sure if was alive or not. "Zuko, is it nesscicary for me to come down to the tribe with you?" I asked knowing the answer as a guard helped fasten my armor, as if this village would be any type of threat. "Absolutely! How could you say that? You're my betrothed a Fire Nation Princess, my Princess you will stand by me," he basically ordered, and I could help but roll my eyes. His Princess? What a laugh as if he thought of me as such.