Suki's eyes blinked open, and the sound of a sliding door closing shut pulled her out of a strange dream that quickly faded from memory. Two pairs of footsteps slowly got further and further away from the house: her parents. They were leaving for the day's work; her father was fishing out on the sea, and her mother, an ex-Kyoshi Warrior herself, was a baker. Staring up at the thatched-roof ceiling, she grinned. They were ecstatic when she nearly pulled the door off its rail. For a couple of hours, she wasn't the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, the captain of Zuko's personal guard or anything else but an eighteen year old girl spending time with her family.

She sat up, stretched, let out a big yawn, and parted the curtains above her bed. She just caught sight of her parents as they turned down different paths, giving a small wave to each other as they parted. Normally, she would be up before them, in the early hours of the morning, but one of the girls called and told them they were to a rest after their travels. She certainly wasn't going to complain. She put her arms on the windowsill, and rested her head on them, staring out at her village. It had changed somewhat since she was away. There were a few new buildings, most of which circled the statue of Kyoshi. From what she could see, some of them were stone, rather than the regular wood and thatch they used. Kyoshi shone brightly a few meters above the buildings. It always comforted her. Kyoshi herself watched over the village at all times. It was the oldest statue of her on the island, and her village contained the main collection of Kyoshi's instruments. It was, in her humble and unbiased opinion, the best village.

With a deep satisfied sigh, Suki laid back down and closed her eyes. A flash of her dream came back to her mind that disturbed her. The statue of Kyoshi was gone, and in its place sat a simple stone building with some sort Earth Kingdom symbol; possibly a family crest she may have glanced at during her travels. It had no connection to the island. There were more buildings around the centre one, and yet none acknowledged Kyoshi. It was still a village, but it didn't feel like her village, as if she were the stranger there.

The image was gone as soon as it had appeared. She ignored it. Such a thing would never happen. There will always be Kyoshi Warriors, and Kyoshi Island will always be their home. She let out a slow breath. She could feel sleep begin to take her again. She'd forgotten how comfortable her bed was. She could sleep for an entire day under these covers.

Did Kyoshi huddle under blankets and stay warm? Were the Kyoshi Warriors created to do the same?

Suki groaned, but heaved herself out of bed. So many lessons and sayings had been hammered into her mind as a child during her training. That specific one was always the most helpful, but also the most annoying. Once she was dressed and her war-mask applied, she walked downstairs and, after eating the breakfast that was left for her, headed out. As she strolled up the slope the people in the village waved and called out to her. A range of "Welcome back, Suki!" had her smiling wider with each step. None of them stopped her to talk, understanding she had morning training to attend.

Nearing the beginning of the small path that led to the village's dojo she spotted the small, old two-story house tucked in the corner of the village. It sat just beside the path. Suki glanced around, made sure no one was watching, and darted towards the house. A grin sprang to her face once she reached the door. She gingerly slid the door open and poked her head inside. The ground floor was open, except for a long counter that separated the kitchen from the living room, and a set of stairs at the very back of the house. It was dark in the house, and a few specks of dust were visible from light now coming into the room from the open door. The last few embers of the fire the previous night remained in the fireplace. Suki leaned further in.

"Aunt Eiko?" she called out. She tried again, a bit louder. "Aunt Eiko, it's Suki!" A few seconds passed and she was about to leave when she heard footsteps right above her. They headed towards the stairs and eventually made the descent. The woman froze halfway down. She blinked a couple times, adjusting to the light before smiling widely. "Suki?" Her hands went to fix the slightly messy long brown as she hurried down the rest of the stairs. "I had heard all of you were meant to be visiting. Come in!" Suki did as told, opening the door fully to leave in the light. The woman quickly moved towards Suki and embraced her strongly.

"It's so good to see you again, Ume." Suki returned the hug, tightly squeezing back . Ume certainly hadn't lost any strength since she was away; very few ex-Kyoshi Warriors would. They broke, and Suki looked her up and down. She seemed more weathered since the last time she saw her; there were long streaks of silver down the length of her hair and her face was lined. Middle age had began to catch up to her.

"So, tell me, how many times did you or one of the other girls have to save that Fire Lord's life?" Ume said, leaning on the counter.

Suki grinned, then pursed her lips and looked to the side. "Hmm, I wasn't exactly keeping count, but let's just say he's definitely indebted to me—us at this point." Suki cleared her throat. "And...his name's Zuko, by the way."

"Good to know," Ume said, lifting herself to sit on the counter. "Sounds like you've been giving the Kyoshi Warriors a good name."

Suki cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "Of course I have been! You surely didn't doubt me, did you?"

"Well...the last time you went off with a group of warriors, you all got captured." Ume winked when Suki's eyes widened and her mouth opened in disbelief.

"Touché." Suki said, rolling her eyes and grinning before glancing upstairs. "Is Aunt Eiko home?"

Ume seemed stunned by the question. She stared at Suki, at first her eyes slowly blinking, which became rapid as she stammered out her words. "I...Didn't you hear..." She stopped, inhaled and released a slow breath. She pushed herself off the counter and stood. One hand was clenched into a fist, and the other was tightly wrapped around it. "Did you not receive my letter? I sent it...probably three months ago?"

Suki shook her head ever so slightly and clenched her fist to stop a slight shake in her hand. There was a drop in her stomach "I don't think so. I mean, I get a lot of letters, so it's likely it was in there somewhere, but..." She trailed off and stared at the floor. She closed her eyes and her body tensed as she braced herself.

Ume nodded, sighed, and there was a noticeable sadness in her eyes. Her voice was uneven as she spoke. "My mother passed away...not ten weeks ago. I had hoped my letter would reach you in time but..." Suki brought her hand to her mouth, and her eyes welled up. She blinked away the tears and met Ume's gaze. "She caught a cold," Ume explained, seemingly reading the question on her face. "Something you or I could shrug off with ease, but she was old."

Suki brought the hand covering her mouth to her eyes, which had spilled over and began wetting her cheeks, and wiped her eyes. Having composed herself, she shifted forward towards Ume, who embraced her again. However this time the hug was gentle and comforting. Ume guided Suki's head onto her shoulder. Just barely, she heard a muffled "I'm so sorry." She didn't respond, simply content with patting the younger girl's back.

After a few moments, Suki stepped back and wiped her eyes one last time. "I'll...I'll let the other girls know." Ume gave her an apologetic smile.

A moment of silence passed. Suki looked away and down towards the ground. "Did...did she mention any of us?" She scratched the back of her neck.

A quiet chuckle escaped Ume's lips. "When I told her I sent the letter, she may have told me off."

Suki looked back up, a tilt to her head and a bemused expression across her face. Ume smiled softly, and wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye. "She told me to stop bothering you. That you were off saving the world and helping to keep the peace between the nations."

Suki's eyebrows shot up and she smiled sadly. Gently squeezing her fingers together on one hand with the other, she let out a sigh. "Thank you for telling me that. I'm sorry for your loss, Ume." She half-turned, glancing at the door. "I should—"

Ume raised a finger, halting Suki, and kept it raised as she went around the counter into the kitchen. There was a gleam in her eye as she searched through a cupboard and pulled out two small glasses. She reached under the counter and retrieved a bottle half-filled with a dark brown liquid. "Here," she said, pouring out two drinks. "A toast." Another sad smile came to Suki's face. She had shared a drink with both Ume and Eiko before leaving for the Fire Nation, which felt so long ago. She picked up the glass, and Eiko already had hers held towards her.

Clink

Immediately, once the drink passed her lips, there was a strong burning sensation on her tongue which only got worse as she forced it the rest of the way down. She held a clenched fist against her mouth while she coughed and gagged for a couple of seconds. There were tears in her eyes and as the stinging subsided, the lower part of her face and her throat were numb. Suki spotted, through watery and blurred vision, Ume, her face scrunched up. Her face slowly relaxed. She moved her jaw around, grinning from the numbness.

"What...in Agni...is that?" Suki said breathlessly, and with a slight slur. Ume cast a curious eye over her before giving a shrug.

"I'm not entirely sure. I think it's some Southern Water Tribe concoction." She chuckled when Suki gently touched and pressed the tips of her fingers in her jaw. Ume picked up the bottle, gazed at it for, almost getting lost in thought, and placed it back in the cupboard.

Suki spent a few moments trying to say something without slurring but her tongue felt too heavy. Ume cracked up watching Suki became more frustrated. "Where did you even find that?" she finally managed to get out.

"I found it hidden underneath Eiko's bed, under the floor!"

The slack-jawed girl was speechless, which was probably a good thing, and a moment later her head was in her hand, giggling. She stopped and moved her jaw side to side. She raised an eyebrow and gave Ume a look. "I hope I'm not going to be like this for training."

Ume waved off her worry. "It wears off after a few minutes, unless you would like another?"

"No!" Ume cracked up again. Suki crossed her arms but couldn't help smirking. "I should get going, the girls will be wondering where I am." Ume, still giggling, nodded. Suki turned to walk out.

"Oh, Suki?" She looked back over her shoulder. Ume had a knowing look on her face. "You should pay a visit to her. You have...it's important."

Her eyes widen before nodding quickly. "Sure, I'll make sure to head there later today!"

"In your own time!" Ume called after the Kyoshi Warrior as she jogged up the path leading to the dojo, where her sisters were waiting. Thankfully, the numbness had worn off once she reached the end of the path.

Even though she was simply going through the motions with this training session, her mind elsewhere, it still felt great to be back in the training hall. For the past few hours, she had drilled the girls in wrestling, both standing and ground-work, katana and shield, and most importantly, their favoured fans. Suki allowed Ty Lee to take control for a while to give them a refresher on the various chi-blocking points in the body.

After the session finished Ty Lee and another girl prepared their meals. Each Kyoshi Warrior sat in a circle around a large pot of chankonabe. Some of them were leaning forwards eagerly, others' fingers twitched. They eyed the pot ravenously.

Suki coughed, drawing their attention. She sat up straight and her gaze met everyone. With a sigh, she began to explain to the girls who had been in the Fire Nation about Eiko. Those who had stayed lowered their heads, and the others followed suit as she spoke. Ty Lee placed a hand on the shoulder of Kasumi, who gently padded her tears away with a sleeve. A sombre silence fell among the circle.

A minute passed, and Suki raised her head. "I doubt Aunt Eiko would want us to waste such good food." There was a slight laugh among the group, and with that, they tucked into their food and chatting resumed. Much of the conversations based around stories of Eiko. Ty Lee enjoyed listening to the tales of a woman she had grown fond of in a short period of time.

For Suki, the rest of her day was filled with her regular duties on the island, almost as if she never left. The Kyoshi Warriors of the village split into groups of two; Suki paired up with Kasumi. They patrolled through the village and along the southern coast of the island. People called out to them, and they even received a few hugs once people recognised them.

"Just let your hair down," Suki muttered, agitated at Kasumi's continuous messing and adjusting of a band that didn't do its job of keeping her hair in a ponytail very well.

"You're not going to try to cut it, right?" Kasumi said. She held her hair to the opposite side that Suki was walking on, and watched Suki's hand, resting on the hilt of her katana, very carefully. Her captain raised an eyebrow, lifting the blade out of its sheath a couple inches. Suki rolled her eyes, smirked, and let the sword slide back into place. "Try to sleep with an eye open."

Despite the warning, Kasumi had a bounce in her step for the rest of their walk. Other than dealing with a small dispute between a man and a woman over a fishing spot, most of the day was uneventful. However, Suki still enjoyed herself. Kasumi had a similar bubbly personality to that of Ty Lee, even if she was more of an airhead, and it helped keep her thoughts from wandering much.

After another few hours, once each pair had finished their patrols, they met back at the dojo. Suki led them in a slow pattern of movements with her fans. At the end, she thanked each her sisters for their service to Kyoshi Island. Some of them began to change in the dojo, getting into more comfortable clothing, and cleaning off their war-masks. Suki, however, remained in her uniform. Most of the group headed down the path back to the village, chatting about their plans for the day. Suki stayed behind for a bit, tidying up the hall.

"Are you going to spend the night locked up in here?" came a voice from behind her. Ty Lee, already dressed for the beach, her gear slung over a shoulder, stood at the entrance.

"Just making sure everything is in order," she told her, following the girl in the white bikini top and thigh length skirt. They began following after the others down the path. "Busy day?"

Ty Lee shrugged. "It was fine. Didn't have to paralyse anyone, at the least."

"That's...good, I guess."

"Actually, that reminds me," Ty Lee said, shifting the uniform to the other shoulder, "Do I still get to teach the new trainees how to chi-block?" Suki didn't respond immediately, and instead massaged her temples. Ty Lee grinned. "You said I could."

"I know," Suki muttered. The side-eye she gave only made Ty Lee smile even more smugly. "Just...please be careful with them."

"Don't worry. It'll be fun!"

"That's what I'm worried about."

As the two made their way to the village they spotted, standing out among the greens and blues, a red-robed figure at the base of the statue of Kyoshi, looking up at her. Suki felt a slight push from behind, and after catching herself, turned to find Ty Lee walking away from her.

"What was that for?"

Ty Lee kept walking. "I only got a few hours of proper sunlight left. I have to get to the beach quickly." She glanced over her shoulder. "Have fun with Zuko!" A wink, and with surprising speed for someone carrying a piece of heavy armour, she set off in a jog.

The temples were once again massaged, followed by a slow exhale. She just got a glimpse of the fleeing girl before she disappeared. Suki rolled her eyes and slipped off the metal headdress as she walked towards the Fire Lord. 'Have fun with Zuko.' She grinded her teeth together. She fixed her hair, somewhat messy from the headdress. Her little inputs are getting on my nerves.

Zuko looked up at Kyoshi. The last time he had seen her much of the wood was blackened and fire had disfigured at least half of her face. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes as scenes of his attack on the island came to mind.

"Zuko, hey!" His eyes opened and Suki strolled up to him, her bright smile pushing the thoughts of the attack far from his mind.

"Good afternoon to you, Suki."

"And a good day to you as well, Fire Lord Zuko," Suki told him, doing her best imitation of him and giving an exaggerated bow. "I was going to enquire, if I may, as to how the present day has—"

"Leave me alone," he said but was unable to hide the grin. He lightly pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sorry. Hi." He rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times. "Apologies, I'm a bit burned out from the discussions and still somewhat in diplomacy mode."

"You're grand, don't worry about it." Suki giggled, and nudged him in the side. "Not a bad impression, huh? I picked up a bit of the technique from listening to those advisors of yours babbling away for an hour without ever actually making a point."

"Lucky for you all you mostly have to do is listen; I have to actually talk with them."

"Poor Zuko," Suki said with a shake of her head. "Who knew being Fire Lord would be so difficult." They shared a quiet laugh while some of the people watched them from afar. Suki glanced up at Kyoshi and bit her lip. "Would you mind accompanying me for something?"

"Is everything okay?" Zuko asked as he leaned in a bit closer to her.

"I'm fine," she said with an assuring nod. "I have something important to do...and would like for someone to be with me. I have to head to my house first though."

He raised an eyebrow but gave a bow of his head. "Of course, I'd be happy to."

The pair made the quick walk to Suki's house, just to the left of the elder's house at the top of the slope.

"I'll be just a minute," Suki told him and slid open the door, rushed in and almost ran right into her mother. "Oh, sorry!" Her mother gave her a puzzled look, glanced over her shoulder and cocked an eyebrow. Suki took a step back and her eyes darted between the two. She cleared her throat and motioned towards Zuko. "Mom, this is—"

"Zuko, the Fire Lord," her mother said as she moved to stand underneath the door frame, looking him up and down, lingering on the scarred face. Behind her, Suki silently stepped backwards and up the stairs.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Zuko said, bowing.

"Likewise. I am Miyuki," she said returning his bow. "Suki..." She was nowhere to be seen. Miyuki rolled her eyes, which to Zuko was exactly the way Suki alway rolled hers. It was her mother who Suki took after, not just in looks, but some of her mannerisms as well. The only major difference were the green eyes instead of the blue he was used to. And that influence of Suki's eyes now leaned into view above Miyuki's head. A muscular and lean man stepped out behind his wife. He had the same piercing eyes as Suki, but his were even more so, contrasted against his tanned skin. He was a few shades lighter than a Water tribesman, his colour a result of a lifetime out on the ocean.

"So, you're the Fire Lord?"

Zuko stood a bit straighter, lifting his chin. "I am. However, I'd prefer if you just called me Zuko." He felt awkward, and not just the usual awkwardness of meeting people he attacked, which he had, unfortunately, grown accustomed to.

The husband scratched his light beard. "Hmm, Fire Lord, eh? Come here." He stepped out, placing a hand on Zuko's back and ushering him inside. "Might as well make you useful while you're here."

"Leave the young man alone, Eishun!" Miyuki told him, only getting a grin in response.

Upstairs, Suki found what she was searching for. She slipped them into her kimono and hurried downstairs. She froze when she neared the last steps. Her father stood next to Zuko, arms crossed, while her mother stood to the side, smirking with a shake of the head. Zuko pointed at the fireplace and a small fireball ignited the wood.

"Oh, Suki, dear. Hello." Eishun said when he spotted her after she placed her head into her palms and slowly exhaled.

"Zuko, would you mind heating up the kettle too?" Miyuki said, placing the kettle on its stand.

Zuko laughed "Of course." With another flick of his wrist the bottom of the stand flamed. Just as the kettle boiled, the collar of his robe tightened around his neck and a tug from behind pulled him backwards. Suki's parents watched, amused as she dragged him out of the door.

"Nice meeting you!" Miyuki said through a giggle before he disappeared behind the door frame.

Suki quickly moved to slide the door closed; her father's voice was the last thing they heard. "He's a useful little spark rock, isn't he?" Suki groaned as they walked away.

"They seem nice," Zuko said, fixing his collar.

"Don't even start."

"I'm being serious!" He chuckled when she shot him a glare. "If your father isn't trying to bend the world to his will, then you should probably be happy." Suki's eyes widened and she stopped mid-step.

She stared at him. Zuko tilted his head, confused. He had that stupidly cute smirk on his face. She took a moment to collect herself and just before he said something, a big grin spread across her face. She stepped back up next to him and lightly shouldered into him. He had no idea how happy it made her to hear him say that.

Zuko became only more bewildered but she had already continued walking. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it, and with a small smile walked after her.

They strolled together quietly, along a path that past by the elder's house and wound down behind one of the mountains. The sky began to turn orange as the sun neared the horizon. Zuko pulled his robe tighter around himself as the evening air grew colder. A small cemetery came into view. His eyebrows shot up and he slowed his pace. The area was nicely maintained, and every headstone was a simple plain one. Some were much more worn than the others. There were flowers and other items of remembrance on some of the newer, brighter headstones. He matched Suki's slow walk. Her gaze methodically read over each headstone until she finally found the one she wanted: Eiko Akinori.

Suki took a deep breath, a fist held against her chest, knelt beside the grave and placed the other hand on the corner of the headstone. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, Aunt Eiko," Suki said softly. There was a shake to her voice which she barely controlled. Zuko furrowed his brow before looking away, towards the ground. Suki gripped the corner even tighter to stop the trembling of her fingers. "But I'm here—here now..." Her breath caught in her throat. Zuko raised his gaze just as tears now freely flowed down her cheeks. Zuko placed a hand over his mouth and sighed. Suki stayed where she was for a few minutes, neither saying anything. After some time, she stood and wiped away the tears with the sleeve of her kimono. She took a step back, returning to Zuko's side. She turned her head to him, and for a moment he looked away. His shoulders heaved up and down before he turned back.

"My condolences, Suki." She swallowed, nodded and looked back to the grave. Zuko bit his lip. "If I had known, I would have organised transportation as quickly as possible."

"I know you would have," Suki quietly said. A sniff, and she pressed her eyes tightly closed. A hand gently squeezed she shoulder.

"I...I know what it's like to lose someone you love," Zuko told her as her eyes opened and turned his way. "I was...lucky. I got her back. Not many get to say that." He glanced away and bit his lip again. Suki brought her hand across and laid it atop his. His eyes snapped back to hers. "Just know...that if you need to talk, I'm always here."

"Thank you." She lightly patted his hand and slowly slid hers off his, and he followed suit. "She wasn't my actual aunt, by the way," Suki said after a few seconds. Zuko's eyebrows shot up, and he gestured for her to explain. She smiled sadly and let out a small laugh. "She was..." She pursed her lips. "The matron of our village. One of the oldest surviving Kyoshi Warriors on the entire Island. If you wanted something done, you went to her. She...she also used to train me when I was a young girl."

"Clearly you were close to her."

Suki nodded and looked back to the headstone. "She had been the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors in her day. She was a big part of why I trained and fought so hard in the first place." Once more, she shut her eyes to fight back tears. "To think, so much has changed since I left...what else have I missed?"

Zuko simply stayed silent, instead looking out over some of the other graves. Some of the headstones caught his eye. Just under half of them had a pair of open fans, which overlapped, at the base of the headstone. Looking back at Eiko's stone, he tilted his head.

"Wondering where her fans are?" Suki asked. She half-smiled at him and reached into her kimono, pulling out a pair of unopened fans. Zuko recognised them; they were the same pair she had stared at on their night together during the Festival of the Setting Sun. Suki turned them around in her hands before staring around at the other graves. "Our war fans are placed by our resting place so that the Kyoshi Warrior can, either in the Spirit World or wherever it is we go, continue to protect Kyoshi Island even in death." Zuko stood a little straighter and gazed off into the orange-coloured sky. Suki's grip tightened on the weapons. "She gave them to me when I left to fight in the war." She glanced up at Zuko and smirked. "She wanted me to...smack a couple of Fire Nation heads together, and give her old weapons a bit of life again."

Zuko crossed his arms and grinned. "You certainly did more than just smack a couple heads together. So you've had them with you all this time."

"I only carried them if I had a feeling there would be a fight. Every day during that bloody war, for example, or when we were attacked by the New Ozai Society. I just felt wrong that day and it turned out I was right."

Zuko tilted his head to the side. "Then why did you have them during the festival? They were the pair you were holding, right?" Suki, surprised, gave Zuko an impressed look.

"Well, you were right when you saw them the first time. I...started carrying them around because I felt homesick." She ran her tongue along her lips. "A bit ironic." Zuko chuckled as she went to put them in place. She paused. Turning the fans in her hands so that the symbols engraved in the sides faced her. She lined one on top of the other, lengthways, and the symbols formed the full sentence. Love and Loyalty - Define my Identity. She stepped back and hugged herself. She let out a deep sigh, and felt Zuko's arm wrap around her shoulders, simply comforting her. For the first time since they had landed, she felt relaxed. There were worries, but those were for another time. Right now, she was content. She turned in towards Zuko, slipping her arms underneath his and resting the side of her head on his chest, and pulled him tightly against her. Zuko, somewhat taken aback, brought his other arm around her as well.

"Thank you for coming with me, Zuko."

He remained silent for a few moments. Suki's head gently rose and fell with each of Zuko's breaths. Through the small gap between their bodies, she gazed at Eiko's resting place. She turned her head into Zuko's chest, drying the tears that had started up again against his robe. Zuko finally spoke.

"Of course, anytime."

They stayed in each others arms for some time. Zuko found himself staring out into the still orange, but now darkening sky. It felt as if the Kyoshi Warriors of old were somewhere there, watching over the island; watching them. After another few minutes, Suki eventually realised she had grown far too comfortable in Zuko's arms, and she broke the hug."Thanks." She begins to say more, before her eyes widened. "I am so sorry."

Zuko simply grinned and looked down at his robe, which was now stained with bright red and white war-paint. He waved his hand. "It's fine. I have plenty of these."

Suki smiled and scratched the back of her neck. She looked back to the headstone and nodded to herself. She looked up at the almost dark sky, where just the last of the sun's light held back the night. "Let's head home. Don't want anyone worried that they lost the Fire Lord." The pair shared a laugh, and strolled back along the path they came, quietly talking as the light finally surrendered to the encroaching night.

An extra long chapter, following Suki on her first day back on her island. This story has continued to surprise me (yes that's possible!) and challenge me with writing types of scenes I've never tried before! I was delighted I was able to tie those fans from Unintentional Dating back into the story in what I hope was an interesting way with some world-building.

With my first year of college starting in just a couple of days, writing is likely going to take a backseat for a while until I settle myself. I'm not really able to give an idea on when chapter 4 will be out. However, if you want to ask, or have any other questions, feel free to PM me!

Guest reviewers - Check profile for responses.

A big thanks to Ness Frost for being my beta for this chapter.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!