By the time Jet and Zuko finally returned to the Lost Boys' village, the boys they'd been traveling with earlier that morning had already spread the word of their plight. When the two landed on the dining platform, Sneers rushed off to inform their would-be rescue party before they left.

Once more in the span of so many days, Zuko found himself surrounded by a gaggle of eager children begging him for the details of an adventure he hadn't meant to have.

Thankfully, the young pirate had some peace, for most of the attention went to the true hero of the hour: Tink.

The fire imp relaxed in an earthenware bowl while the younger boys complimented him, offering him nuts and lychee.

Jin served Jet and Zuko a lunch of rice and wild fowl.

The two boys devoured this in only a few moments and the young woman generously gave them a second helping. After eating, Jet reverted to his leadership role once more. He turned over his and Zuko's collections of purple shells, told the shell collectors where to take their various goods, and reassured the crowd of boys that he and Zuko would be happy to tell them all about the water dragon after they'd all finished their jobs for the day.

With the danger of death by dragon over and his hunger abated, Zuko was finally feeling just how sore he was. The thought of getting back to his daily routine of dish cleaning, lock-picking lessons, and sparring sessions made him feel slightly ill.

Jet turned from ordering off a group of boys. His eyes fell on Zuko and he frowned. "You okay?" He asked, "How's your back?"

Zuko grimaced. "Still broken."

Jet allowed a little smile. "Come to the infirmary with me," he said. "I have to take Tink to get checked up anyway."

Tink's head peeped over the top of his bowl.

"It's alright," Zuko said. "I can help Jin clean up first."

Jin looked up from collecting the boys' discarded bowls. "Oh go on! I think the heroes of the hour deserve a little rest."

"You sure?"

"Yes. Go. Rest." She smiled and piled bowls into her arms.

Jet lead Zuko into the Lost Boy's main treehouse and down the winding staircase. It was darker and cooler inside the tree, which only served to make Zuko feel sleepier.

They came to the infirmary, a large open room carved into one of the tree's branches. A row of cots lay on either side of the room, with a few windows letting in light, so Zuko could see the back wall was covered in square holes. The holes varied in size but each was filled with a perfectly sized square basket. It was a wall made entirely of makeshift drawers. An older boy sat on one of the cots, looking quite bored.

"Just you Yi-Sheng?" Jet asked.

"Hu-Shi is collecting shells from the kids," the boy answered.

"Mind checking Tink over for me? He had a rough day."

Yi-Sheng's face fell from one of boredom to one of intense displeasure. "Okay, just tell him not to burn me."

Jet laughed and it sounded a little strained. "I really don't think he does it on purpose."

Yi-Sheng did not seem reassured by this. He began opening and closing the drawers (or rather, pulling out the baskets).

From one of these drawers, he pulled a thin, stone slab. He set this on the floor before him and motioned Jet over. Jet carefully took Tink from his shoulder and put him on the slab.

"Please behave," Jet said. Tink chirped in reply and Jet's face split into a surprisingly bright grin. "He said he won't burn you."

Yi-Sheng gave him a withering look, but set to work anyway. He gently clasped one of Tink's tiny arms and began to bend it at the elbow.

"Ouch!" He snapped his hand back. "He bit me!" Yi-Sheng whirled to glare at Jet, but the Lost Boys' leader was not-so-nonchalantly walking along the drawers, his back turned to them. Yi-Sheng turned to Zuko, his lip set into a firm frown.

Zuko followed Jet's example, turning away and following Jet down the line of drawers. Behind him, he heard Yi-Sheng speaking to Tink in a harsh whisper. "Okay buddy," he said, "we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Jet walked along the drawers, finally stooping to open one. From it, he removed a small, greenish package.

"Here," Jet nodded towards one of the cots. Zuko down and crossed his legs. Jet took a seat behind him.

Zuko looked back and saw the parcel Jet had retrieved from the drawer. It was some lumpy object, wrapped in wide, damp leaves and carefully secured with grass-weed twine.

"Okay, take off your shirt for a second," Jet said as he began to carefully unwrap the parcel.

Zuko felt his face turn bright red. He was glad Jet was behind him and couldn't see. He glanced over towards Yi-Sheng, who was firmly distracted by Tink.

'Alright,' Zuko thought, 'no big deal.' He loosened his silk belt, feeling very self-conscious as he did so. He pulled off his vest, then his shirt.

"You know, we can probably throw those in with the wash," Jet said. "You've been wearing them for a few days now."

"I don't have anything else to wear." Zuko felt his ears heat up. He'd been nervous of adding his clothes to the wash. He'd surrendered his coat and cravat for cleaning days ago and had yet to see them again.

"I guarantee you, we'll have something that'll fit. If not, you can always borrow something of mine."

The thought of wearing Jet's clothes gave Zuko a peculiar giddy feeling - but not quite as strong a feeling as he got a moment later when he felt Jet's warm hand ghost over his back.

"Does that hurt?"

"N-no."

The fingers pressed harder and – Zuko gasped through his teeth. "Yeah! That hurts."

"Sorry," Jet said. "You got a big purple bruise from here to here."

Zuko shivered as terribly gentle fingers trailed from his shoulder blade to lower back.

Jet pulled his hand away. "Sorry." He turned his attention back to unwrapping the parcel, revealing a buttercup-yellow salve that smelled faintly of honey. He took some of this onto his fingers and pressed it to Zuko's back.

Zuko felt Jet's fingers, cool and sticky; there was some brief pain as the fingers dug into his back, followed by a pleasant, warm numbness.

"How's that feel?" Jet asked.

"Much better," Zuko replied. He blushed fiercely and stared down at his hands in his lap and tried not to think of how nice Jet's hands felt.

His mind wandered and he thought of how nice it'd be if Jet reached around, if those warm hands trailed over his chest, down his stomach towards –

Zuko's face felt hot at the thought and he desperately sought for something else to think of. His eyes roamed around, falling on various objects or aspects of the room, but none had a strong enough pull.

Suddenly, Jet's hand stilled at his shoulder and the Lost Boy leaned forward, his chest pressing onto Zuko's back. Zuko froze. Jet's breath tickled against his ear.

"You okay? You're really stiff."

For a second Zuko misunderstood and thought he'd die of embarrassment, but then he realized Jet was talking about his shoulders and he breathed a shaky sigh of relief. "I guess," he swallowed, "I'm just still a little tense from earlier."

Jet let out an easy – sincere – laugh. Zuko relaxed at the sound.

"Want me to rub your shoulders?" Jet asked.

Yes, but Zuko wouldn't say so. He could barely believe Jet had offered. Oh how he wished he'd grown up with more friends his own age! He had no idea if Jet was just being friendly or wanted something more. He thought of the fairy hollow once more and wished he could see Jet's face. He'd know Jet's intensions if only he could see his eyes.

Jet's head fell onto his shoulder, his brown bangs tickling Zuko's bare neck.

"Sorry," he said, "I'm tired."

Zuko thought the excuse sounded weak, but he didn't mind the contact. He let Jet lean against him, and as he felt the boy's breath gently ghost across his skin. It was strangely lulling and he felt himself calming down.

It was cool and pleasantly humid in the infirmary. The holes in the side of the branch let in golden beams of afternoon sunlight, illuminating thousands of dust motes that scattered every which way as gentle breezes drifted through, making a soft whistling noise.

"A nap sounds pretty nice actually." Zuko sighed.

Zuko opened his eyes slowly. As the fog cleared from his mind, he remembered laying down his head for a quick nap, and realized that he'd fallen asleep, and had been asleep for some time. The infirmary was dark; only one pale shaft of cool light was streaming in through the infirmary windows. He'd slept all day.

He felt a warm body shift behind him.

Oh. They'd slept all day.

Zuko blushed and stared straight ahead of himself. He could feel Jet's forehead pressed against the back of his neck. His breath tickled across Zuko's shoulder blades. One hand lay curled against Zuko's bare back. Someone had thrown a blanket over them. It was very warm and very, very comfortable. Zuko was sorely tempted to fall back asleep, or at least to just lay there for a few more hours.

However, he gradually became aware of the sound of birds chirping and the growing light streaming in through the window. It began to dawn on him. They'd slept all day and on through the night.

He felt a little guilty for shirking his duties. He knew he should get up and go help Sneers and Jin with breakfast but it felt so nice cuddled under the blankets with Jet sleeping soundly beside him. Five more minutes. He closed his eyes and snuggled back, smiling gently as Jet let out a sleepy sigh.

The sound of hurried footsteps seemed to echo like thunder in the hush of the sleeping village.

Zuko squeezed his eyes. No. He silently begged. Not now!

The footsteps drew closer and he heard panting.

"Jet!" Sneers shouted.

Jet jerked awake. "What's happening?" He said groggily, rubbing his eyes as he got up.

Behind him, Zuko sat up, feeling a mixture of resentment and worry. Sneers seemed quite panicked. Anticipating another adventure, Zuko reached for his shirt and vest and found them gone. Damn it. But at least whoever had taken them had left behind replacements. He pulled on a tan, long-sleeved shirt and a high-collared brown vest. They were a little shabby, but clean.

Meanwhile Sneers was bent over, catching his breath as he reported to Jet: "Smellerbee and Longshot didn't come back from their mission on Indian Island."

Jet sighed, "That's not-"

"And Jin went back to the Island last night and hasn't returned!"

"Oh." Jet frowned.

He put a hand on Sneers' shoulder. "Thanks for telling me. Go grab a few boys to help you with breakfast. Tell them that Jin couldn't come, but don't let on that there's anything to worry about. Act normal."

Sneers' face relaxed into calm determination. "Okay." He turned about and rushed off, heading further down the tree to gather his helpers.

Jet turned around. "Tink?"

Tink let out a chirp. Zuko turned to see the little imp sleepily raising his head from the flat slab where Yi-Sheng had tended to him the day before.

"Tink, we got some lost boys."

The fire imp darted off his bed and hopped, nimble as a cricket, out the infirmary window, disappearing into the early morning.

Zuko looked up as Jet turned to him. "How about some breakfast?"

Despite Sneers' rather exceptional performance of 'all is well' the Lost Boys had all noticed the disappearance of three of their most prominent members and were nervous for it.

Zuko sat with Jet and the other 'generals'. In between bites of breakfast, Jet gave quiet orders, all the while keeping a casual grin on his face. Zuko was slightly creeped out to see all the generals did the same, their bright faces not nearly matching their somber tones.

"Have you heard anything about what's going down on Indian Island?" Jet asked, sounding grim, but looking quite cheerful.

Pipsqueak smiled back, "Nope."

"Jin told Smellerbee that something had happened in one of the villages near hers," The Duke said through a mouthful of rice meal. "Smellerbee just told me that she and Longshot were going to go help out."

Jet's lip quivered, as though he was on the verge of frowning, but he caught himself. "So it was a village we're friendly with. Near Jin's. Perhaps with enough influence over Jin's village that they could stop her from leaving."

There was a chirping sound and Tink suddenly descended from the branches above. He hopped on Jet's armored shoulder and let out a string of tinkling chatter. Jet's face went blank as he listened.

"He found them. They've been captured by the Boar Tribe."

The generals all looked at each other in surprise. "Well, they have a lot of influence," The Duke said.

"Yeah, but I never thought they'd try to hurt us," said Pipsqueak.

Jet frowned down at his empty bowl and listened as Tink chattered in his ear. "The Boar Tribe's princess was kidnapped," he said, "and they think we're behind it."

"I didn't even know the Boar Tribe had a princess," Pipsqueak rumbled.

"I knew," Jet said, "but only because the merfolk know her. I think Katara might hate her."

The Duke made a face. "She must be horrible for Katara to hate her."

Jet slid him a dubious smirk that Zuko didn't understand. "Who's-" Zuko asked, but rethought his question. "Why would the Boar Tribe think we kidnapped their princess?"

"Cause they're stink heads," The Duke answered.

"The Boar Tribe have always thought of us as a bunch of wild animals," Jet said, "I'm surprised they haven't blamed us for anything bad before now." He looked thoughtful. "If anybody kidnapped her, it'd be another Indian tribe or pirates. Whatever happened, if the Boar Tribe is blaming us, we're in for trouble."

Pipsqueak and The Duke exchanged glances as Jet continued. "The Duke, I want you to double the sentry, but tell them to keep quiet. I don't want any panic. Pipsqueak, you're in charge until I get back. Zuko, you're with me."

Zuko wasn't quite used to flying yet, Jet had to hold his hand to guide him as they flew.

"The Boar Tribe is one of the Indian tribes we trade with," Jet explained over the whistle of the wind. "Maybe you've heard of them? They're one of the wealthiest tribes around - or so they've told us. They usually only want shells and shiny pebbles and flowers - useless stuff to make into jewelry."

The forest flew by beneath them. They broke over the line of trees and touched down soundlessly on a rocky ledge above a deep, blue cove. Between dark, jagged rocks, and towering willows, the cove was secluded and quiet. Even the opening to the cove, where the ocean water bled blue into the inlet, was nothing more than a narrow gap, barely large enough for a dingy to get through.

Jet walked slowly along the ledge and Zuko followed after, ducking to avoid low hanging branches.

"What is this place?" Zuko asked.

"We call it Mermaid Cove," Jet replied.

"Mermaids? Really?"

"Really. If anyone can tell us what's happened to the Boar Tribe's princess, it'll be them. The merfolk just know things." They reached the edge of the path, an unusually flat stone that reached out over the water's edge. Zuko looked into the depths of the water and saw a deep, dark cavern falling away from the bottom of the cove.

The sight unnerved him for some reason. "Why do we need to know where the Boar Tribe's princess is? Can't we just rescue Longshot and Smellerbee instead?"

"We could." Jet knelt and began sifting through the stones that littered the ground. "But the Boar Tribe would still blame us. They'd eventually retaliate in some way or another and we'd probably still have to go rescue their princess for them."

"But what about Longshot and Smellerbee? What if the Boar Tribe-"

"They're holding them hostage, they won't hurt them."

"What if they get away on their own?"

Jet let out a rueful laugh. "Unfortunately, that's not very likely. Neither of them can fly without pixie dust and the Indians can control the earth."

Zuko had heard that particular legend – that the Indians could make the ground move at their will. Supposedly many people of Omashu could do it, so he thought that he probably shouldn't let on that he'd never seen such a thing.

"Aha." Jet smiled as his hand found a perfectly round, white stone. He smiled up at Zuko. "Now, let's find our princess." He stood up and approached the waters, then tossed the white stone into the pool.

Ripples radiated out from where the stone dropped. Zuko stepped forward, nearer the edge, and watched as the little stone fell down through the clear waters until it was lost in the darkness.

He shivered as the wind picked up around him, clutching at his hair and clothes. The cove grew dim and the sky darkened as clouds rolled in to blot out the sun. The wind shook the trees so the branches groaned and the rustling of the leaves swelled into a roar.

Suddenly Zuko didn't feel well at all. He felt a sort of dizzy, itching fear that made him shift his weight anxiously.

"You alright?" Jet asked quietly.

"Something's out there," Zuko whispered back.

"Oh, I forgot you could feel that," Jet replied. "You ever seen a mermaid?"

"Yes, and it didn't feel like this."

"This is a special mermaid."

The wind died. Zuko felt even more anxious at the stillness.

He looked down at the cove once more and saw with surprise that the water, which had been clear as glass before, was now an eerie dark blue and completely opaque. Jet knelt down by the water's edge and trailed his fingers through the smooth surface.

Zuko had the strong impression of many eyes watching him. He remembered the days when he'd see merfolk from his ship and wished that he were high up, away from the water.

He looked down at Jet by the water's edge and jumped as a figure suddenly rose from the depths. She was stunning as all mermaids were, with dark skin and blue eyes, but her hair, strangely enough, was a pure white. Half was tied up in a neat bun; the rest flowed off her nape and swirled like a white cloud around her shoulders.

More merfolk rose from the water, their bodies concealed by the darkness. They watched the two boys on the shore with eyes blue as ice. Zuko felt their gaze on him keenly and he shivered as he realized that there very well could be a hundred of the 'folk hidden from sight in the dark waters.

Jet spoke with the white-haired mermaid, so softly that Zuko couldn't hear. He stood by awkwardly, feeling anxious and uncomfortable under the gaze of the merfolk tribe.

Still, he was curious. He glanced up, gazing around at the 'folk, his eyes trailing over them quickly.

Most of the merfolk stayed quite still, barely bobbing in the water. One swam forward slowly, coming towards where the boys perched on the shore.

She was dark skinned like most of the 'folk, with a mass of brown hair gentling swirling around her shoulders. Zuko's eyes traveled to her face and he thought for a moment that she was quite beautiful, until their eyes met.

Zuko may as well have been stabbed with two sapphire daggers for all the intensity of the mermaid's gaze. Those eyes seemed to strip the lies from him where he stood. He felt that she knew every wrong he'd ever done, every traitorous thought, every false intent. She knew of his lineage, his magic heritage. The lies he'd told to Jet and the Lost Boys. His hunger for his father's approval. What he felt for Jet – whatever it was – and the knot of confusion he'd buried at his core - a knot that had been growing in him since he'd first come to live with the Lost Boys. All was laid bare before her.

"Zuko?"

Zuko started as Jet took his hand.

Jet must have seen something in Zuko's face. He turned and glared at the mermaid, but she merely rolled her eyes at him and sank beneath the murky waters along with the rest of her kin.

Jet turned to Zuko once more. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Zuko said, his voice uneven. "I'm fine."

Jet took one last angry glance at the clearing waters, then turned back to Zuko. "Sorry," he said, "that was Katara - she's usually pretty nice, but sometimes she can be a little... uh, vicious?" He began to lead Zuko away from the water's edge. He was frowning slightly at some inner thought, but it cleared in a moment and Jet smiled apologetically. "Maybe she's still mad at me - we used to date."

"Date?" Zuko struggled to swallow down an unnerving amount of disappointment. "A mermaid?"

"Don't tell me you've never thought of getting with a mermaid."

Zuko swallowed, his face flushed. He'd never thought of it, no, but now he couldn't help but imagine Jet as a merman and that was just... embarrassing!

Jet was watching the blush spread on Zuko's face with a grin. He wrapped his arm around Zuko's waist. "Now," he said to Zuko's startled expression, "keep that happy thought in mind. We're heading to Skull Island."

Skull Island loomed over the water like a dark, bloated corpse. By some chance of fate or premonition of misfortune, the cliff face had slowly worn away into the shape of a long, gasping skull. White sea foam splashed up into the gaping maw, forming deep, crawling pools inside the maze of caverns at the skull's core.

The tide was down now, so Zuko and Jet could see the lines of jagged rocks that formed the broken teeth of the skull.

Zuko had never been so close to the island. His crew was superstitious enough that they gave the cliffs a wide berth. Now Jet led the way as the two of them flew into one of the skull's eyes.

They touched down on the cave floor. Zuko looked down at the damp, uneven ground and wondered at how there was no moss or other sign of life – not even cave crabs. The cave was filled with a stifling smell of wet rock. The only sound to be heard was the comforting rumble of ocean behind them and the eerie moan of wind ahead of them.

"Are you sure she'll be here?" Zuko asked, still holding Jet's hand.

"The mermaids said she's down in the mouth, but we can't approach from there," Jet said. "I know from experience, the mouth is the place to go if you want to set a trap for someone. You can always see someone coming into the mouth, but you can't see who's hiding in the back. Most people don't know you can get to the back through the tunnels, but even if they did, nobody knows how to get through the caves."

"Except you, right?"

"Yep." Jet smiled and squeezed Zuko's hand. "Stick close."

For once, Zuko was completely and totally thankful for Tink's presence. The little imp lit the way as they moved deep into the dark passages, heading down and inward. Jet pointed out markers indicating which path to take - a pale stone, a smear on the wall, a broken stalactite. It was easy going until they came to a fork with no marker. Looking back, Zuko couldn't see any light behind them and no indicator of the path ahead of them.

Jet didn't seem at all concerned. He took a pouch from his belt, and unwrapping it, revealed a small gourd.

For a moment Zuko thought it might have been a water bottle of some sort, but when Jet uncorked the top it was empty.

"Now," Jet said, "we'll have to hurry, so get your happy thought together."

"Wha - okay." Zuko watched as Tink hopped onto the gourd and squeezed through the narrow opening. Jet popped the cork back in and they were thrown into darkness – but not for long. An eerie green glow began to shine above them and Zuko looked up to see thousands of small, green crystals glowing brightly on the cave ceiling.

Jet squeezed his hand. "Ready?"

Zuko searched for a happy thought, but it was hard to do under pressure. His immediate reaction was to think of going home to his father, but try as he might he couldn't imagine his father greeting him in any loving, happy way. He groped for something, anything, then remembered his uncle teaching him how to use his hook swords on the deck of the ship, sipping tea and calling out advice. He felt himself grow light, his toes leaving the floor.

"Let's go." Jet gave a tug and the two flew off, following the glow of the crystals and moving at an alarming rate. Zuko hung close to Jet, afraid of smashing into the cave walls. A moment later, Zuko could see a dim light ahead of them. Above them, the light of the crystals faded away.

They slowed to a halt and immediately Jet opened the gourd.

Tink popped his head out. His once flaming mane was down to a tiny flicker that tickled the lip of the gourd like a candle. The fire imp crawled out and jumped onto Jet's shoulder. Almost immediately, his mane began to grow back into its normal, pint-sized torch strength.

"Did I scare you?" Jet asked, his eyes shining with the yellow light.

"No," Zuko answered honestly. "But I was a little worried that we'd hit a wall."

Jet laughed, "Sorry. I didn't want Tink to suffocate! This is the only way to get through with him without leaving a trail of clues for any pirates to follow."

"Right."

Jet turned to look down the tunnel. Zuko could see a dim glow and hear the faint sound of water.

Jet gestured for Zuko to keep quiet and they moved toward the light.

The tunnel let out at a narrow crack. Jet and Zuko had to squeeze through single-file. The crack let out on a short platform, where a tangle of stalactites let in only a few rays of light from the mouth of the skull.

Tink leapt ahead, clinging to the bright patches while Jet scurried from one shadow to another. Zuko followed after the Lost Boy and soon lost track of the fire imp.

The lap and drip of water echoed with enough sound to mask the occasional clap of stones as Jet and Zuko made their way toward a corner of the cave where they could see a flickering fire.

The two reached a high stone ledge. Crawling on their stomachs, they moved to the edge of the outcrop.

A sloping, gray beach lay across from them. High up on the sand, a fire had been made. It's light flickered against the maze of rock formations in what appeared to be a colossal cavern – the full size of which could not be discerned in the darkness.

Zuko leaned out and looked below where the ledge dripped moisture into a black pool. Only a few large stones rising up from the depths broke through the flat line of the water, waves lapping lazily against them.

Zuko's eyes widened to see old, decaying ropes tied around some of these rocks, fastening the arms and necks of limp, ocean-washed skeletons. There were many more ropes where no bodies hung, but might once have. His stomach turned at the thought.

His eyes fell on a tiny longboat, pushed up onto the bank, where two pirates sat. One picked his nails with a knife, the other ate nuts from a bag. Zuko thought he saw Tink until he realized the glimmer of light was only the glint of a belt buckle. There was a group of pirates on the edge of the firelight where the beach gave way to a flat, stony path that seemed to lead back towards the mouth – but, in the darkness, Zuko couldn't be sure.

There was a sudden violent motion in the water and the pool quivered. The ripples emanated from a jagged, rock, just near the edge of the stone path, where a girl was tied up to her shoulders in water, her arms bound tightly to her sides.

From what Zuko could see, she was about fourteen years old. Her clothes seemed plain, only a loose tunic with frayed patterns along short-sleeves. It didn't seem the sort of thing a princess from a particularly wealthy tribe would wear, but he didn't dwell on it. The princess's long, black hair fell in a mess before her face. He couldn't say for sure, but her groggy, slow movements made him think she was just coming out of unconsciousness.

"This may be the most boring job in all Neverland," said one of the pirates in the longboat.

His companion simply busied himself unwrapping a lychee nut. "Totally," he said around a mouthful of fruit.

The princess snapped out her grogginess suddenly. "Hey!"

"Woah!" They both jumped and turned to stare at her.

"She's awake!" Said one.

The princess began to struggle against her bonds, growling like an animal. "Who do you think you're dealing with?"

"Quiet." Snapped one of the pirates at the edge of the firelight.

"You think you're so tough!" Said the princess looking around wildly. "Why don't you come over here so I can wipe that smile off your face!"

"I'm not smiling." There was a chorus of jeers as the pirates laughed at the girl.

Their laughter died out suddenly, replaced by a simultaneous collective gasp. The pirates all hurried to stand, whipping their hats off, straightening their clothes and overall trying to look respectable. They looked terrified.

Zuko's eyes widened at the familiar behavior; there were only two people he knew that were capable of scaring a band of pirates into acting like respectable sailors. And one of them almost never left Pirate Island.

From out of the darkness she walked along the stone path into the light of the fire. Zuko had been expecting her, but still he felt his stomach twist into a knot of dread.

"Your highness!" The pirate captain rushed forward and bowed. "Welcome, Princess Azula."