Hey all! I figured it was time for a longer Zutara story and this one has been laying around for a while. This is rated T just to be safe. As far as I have mapped out, there is nothing super weird. The cut part will be under a different title in which I will put up as soon as I can. And just for a time reference, this all happens between the end of Season 1 and the point in which everyone reaches Ba Sing Se. Hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
Lost at Sea
Sozin's comet was nearly a month away. Me and my friends were on our way to Ba Sing Se and had stopped near a marketplace for the night. I was out for a walk not far from the market when I saw a group of men talking in loud voices just outside a tavern. I crept closer to them and hid behind some crates to hear what they were discussing. But I accidentally leaned to much on one of the crates and it fell off the stack with a crash. All the men fell silent and turned their eyes to me. Fear washed over me. I turned and ran down the street as fast as I could. Little did I know, I would most likely never see my friends and family again and that those poor choices I just made would take me on the most unexpected path.
Katara Pov
My foot suddenly caught in a crevice. I fell to my knees and then scrambled back onto my feet. I continued down the street at my fastest pace. I wouldn't stop no matter how much my feet ached. My hands flew to my hip when I noticed a small but important weight had been taken off of it. My water canteen! The strap must have come undone and fallen off when I tripped!
I zipped off of the street and skidded to a stop when I found myself at a bit of a dead end. The docks were just ahead of me, but they were all blocked off with ships. But before I could make a decision on what to do next, I felt a hand grab me roughly by the arm.
"Hey! Let me go!"
Sozin's comet was getting closer and closer. My Uncle had informed me of this about a week ago. I had to do something. We had been traveling to Ba Sing Se together with hopes of starting over. I told my Uncle that I needed to help the Avatar and his friends defeat my father and end his rule. He told me that that was a very honorable thing to do, more so than hiding in Ba Sing Se. So I left my Uncle and began to backtrack in hopes of bumping in the Avatar. I wasn't really sure how I was going to get them to trust me, but I knew I had to try. Stopping at that marketplace was one of the biggest mistakes I had ever made, because I would probably never see my Uncle or anything I knew ever again. But, when I heard those little footsteps, I still believe I made the best choice when I followed them. Why? Because I ended up following them and keeping up with them for the rest of my life.
Zuko Pov
I was laying peacefully on a rooftop enjoying the coolness of the night, when I heard hard panting and swift footsteps jet pass me. I sat up and grabbed my blue and white mask from where it had been resting on my crossed legs. I quickly tied the black ribbons of the mask around my head and then pulled my black hood over my short hair. Then, after securing my dual swords onto my back, I climbed down off the roof and jumped onto the ground as quietly and stealthily as a fox.
I was just about to run after the person who had passed me, when I heard angry shouting and a whole mess of sloppy footsteps coming my way. Quickly, I pressed my back to the wall of the building I had just been napping on, hoping I would blend into the wall with the darkness to cover me. It worked. The group of men ran right past me. I took off after them, with the knowledge of why the runner had been running as fast as they were. He, or she, was being chased by pirates.
Katara Pov
I was roughly yanked against the person who was holding me.
"Ouch! That hurts!" I yelled as the man twisted my arm painfully behind my back.
"If you shut up, maybe it won't hurt so much," the man growled in my ear.
I moaned pitifully. "What do you want with me?"
To my suprise, the man laughed. "It ain't what I want, sweetheart. It's what he wants!"
I looked up to see a tall, stocky man standing in front of me in with the glowing moonlight shining in behind him. He had gray hair and misty blue eyes. He wore a brown cloak and a crimson tunic underneath that and light brown pants which were tucked into brown boots. The two things though that turned my memories back in time and made me gawk in disbelief was a maroon pirate hat sitting atop his head and an iguna parrot perched on his shoulder. I couldn't believe it. It was the pirate I had stolen that waterbending scroll from less than a month ago.
Zuko Pov
I swiftly and quietly followed after the pirates. When I saw that they were coming up to the end of the street, I veered off to the side and climbed up onto one of the small market buildings. I dropped and pressed my body against the structure so that I was laying flat against the roof.
As soon as I was down, I spotted a girl in a watertribe dress standing at the end of the enclosed street, looking frantically left and right for a way out. But before she could go anywhere, the group of pirates caught up with her. One of them came up behind her and grabbed her arm. She turned around to yell at him and yell at him she did.
But I was hardly listening to what she was saying. I was to busy gawking at her face, which was now revealed to me by the moonlight. I knew this girl.
Katara Pov
The pirate captain approached me and stood so tall that the moonlight made the shadow of his figure loom over me. He glared at me with gleaming eyes that felt like ice daggers piercing me as he questioned in a low and intimidating voice, "Where is it?"
I swallowed and put on the most innocent face I could conjure. "Where's what?"
The pirate captain grabbed my chin and yanked my head up so I was forced to look into his eyes. "You know perfectly well what I am talking about."
"Such pretty words for such a disgusting man."
He sneered. "Where is it?"
I sneered back. "Enlighten me."
The pirate captain released my chin and then, to my utter shock, slapped me across the face with the back of his hand. "Tell me where it is, you wench!"
"Why should I?" I yelled at him as I tried to ignore the new burning sensation in my cheek. "You stole it from my people! Why should I return something that belongs to my culture?"
The pirate captain's face contorted into a nasty scowl. "Because it belongs to me!"
Then suddenly, his face relaxed and he took a step backwards. "You know what? I'll give you some time to think it over."
I frowned, unsure of what he meant exactly. "What do you mean by that?"
"I'm sure you'll come to your senses after you've spent a couple of days in a cage at the bottom of my ship," the pirate Captain responded with a sinister laugh. "Tie her up, boys. We sail away tonight!"
With that, he turned on me as my eyes filled with tears of fear. No...
Zuko Pov
I watched silently as the girl yelled at the captain of the pirates. I could see his face too and sneered when I remembered how I had agreed to help him get his scroll back if he assisted in the capture of the Avatar. I wonder if that's why he's chased her down. All this trouble for just a stupid little scroll?
I couldn't help but admire the girl's strength and courage though. I could not ever forget that these pirates had also blown up my ship in an attempt to kill me. I still wasn't entirely sure if this was really about the scroll or not, but I had a gut feeling that it was. What could possibily make them need it so bad? The only thing I could think of was that it had a really high paying buyer. How inhuman to chase and attack a girl just for a bucket of money. Pirates sure did love their money.
I was jerked from my thoughts when I heard the girl cry out and then aburptly silent. I squinted my eyes so I could see what was happening, but the only source of light was the pale moonbeams. I needed to get closer.
I quietly and descretly climbed down off the building I had glued myself to and darted over to some nearby crates closer to where the girl was being held captive. I jumped a little when one of the pirates said, "Hold her down! Heh, she quite the fighter, but she'll learn her lesson while she's locked up at the bottom of the ship!"
My heart skipped a beat. Did I hear that right?
I had to do something. This Watertribe girl was by no means my friend and she most likely wanted nothing to do with me, but she was still a person and this kind of treatment was something no one, especially her, deserved.
Katara Pov
I kicked and squirmed as much as I could as three of the burly pirates held me firmly down. Two more men, which I think I might have given a good amount of well deserved bruises and scrapes, tied my hands behind my back. Then deciding that I was still dangerous, tied my ankles together after they got a good hold on them. They wiped their hands in satisfaction as they felt they had gotten me to the point where I could not kick or scratch them anymore. Then, the first pirate who grabbed me, picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder like a sack of rice and began walking toward the ship.
I continued to squirm. I started to yell, but as soon as that first cry for help left my mouth, a nasty smelling piece of cloth was stuffed into my mouth.
"Shut up, wench! And even try any of your bending tricks! That cloth has a herb in it that will keep ya from bending," warned my captor.
I sneered and tried to shove the cloth out of my mouth with my tongue, but it was so fowl tasting that I resolved to keeping my tongue in the back of my mouth where the cloth couldn't touch it.
How in the name of La am I going to get out of this mess?
Zuko Pov
I followed the pack of pirates and the girl as quietly as I could. I kept to the market buildings and stalls that skirted the docks so I could blend in with the darkness.
My heart sunk down into my stomach when I heard the girl cry out for help. I stood frozen for a moment, waiting for her to call out again, but she never did.
They must have gagged her. I was even more determined now to help the poor girl.
As I continued to follow them to their ship, my thoughts wandered and I began to ask myself a question that I felt ashamed of not knowing the answer to.
What was that girl's name?
I knew for a fact that I had heard it multiple times, but had never considered to take the time to remember it or any of her other friend's names. I'm pretty sure the Avatar's name is Aang. Other than that, I didn't think I knew any of the others name's.
I also was unsure why my desire to help the watertribe girl was so deep. There was the fact that she was a close friend of the Avatar's, not to mention his waterbending teacher, but it was more than that. I just felt like something was telling me that she really needed my help. I couldn't explain it, I just... knew.
Katara Pov
I was practically panicking as the pirate carried me aboard.
I don't even have the stupid scroll anymore! I wanted to yell, even though I knew it would be in vain. I had lost it when we were running away from a group of Fire Nation soldiers one day. I was still a bit puzzled on how the pirates had been able to follow me and my friends this far. Who knew if they were even following us! The whole thing may as well be a very bad coincidence. It felt almost like yesterday that I had told my brother that it was ok to steal if it was from pirates. How wrong it felt now!
"Ok boys. Let's get this ship movin so we catch up with our buyer. He's growing impaitent." The captain paused and looked at me with distasteful eyes. "And even if she doesn't tell us where that scroll is, I'm sure will get the same amount or more if we sell him the girl instead. You!" The captain pointed at one of the of pirates. "Take her below deck and lock her up."
"Aye, sir," the pirate responded. My captor tossed me into the hands of another pirate. "Alright wench. Be good or else you'll get whats comin to ya," the pirate growled.
I was way to scared to even try and conjure up an escape route. I was quite certain by now though that I would never see my brother or friends ever again.
Zuko Pov
I waited as patiently as I could in the darkness of the night while the pirates loaded up. During the time I was forced to wait, I did my best to spark my memory.
What in the name of Agni was that girl's name? Kalani? No. Natera? No! Ugh. It's probably something long and... water tribey. I'll never remember it. ...I'm pretty sure it started with a k though. At least thats a bit of a start. Hmm... Kanara? No wait... Kat... Katara? Yes! Thats it! Katara.
I was actually kind of surprised at how pretty a Water Tribe name could be. To me, they usually sounded goofy or were to hard to even pronounce.
But then again, so are Fire Nation names.
When the pirates finally pulled their boarding plank in and the deck was clear, I darted forward from my hiding place and jumped off the docks. I flew in the air for a moment and then landed quietly on the lower part of the deck.
I was still for a moment as I checked sights and sounds, before I darted off behind a barrel for cover. I was just in time, for a tall slinky pirate walked right past me. He had something drapped over one of his shoulders, that I first mistook for a sack.
The moon had gone behind a cloud, so the light was a bit bad, but it didn't take me long to figure out that that pirate had Katara draped over one of his broad shoulder's. I slinked slowly from barrel to barrel to get a better look.
The pirate trudged all the way across the deck and then opened a hatch that led below deck. He jerked the tied up girl off his shoulder and dropped her into the hole. My breathed hitched.
"Hey Zahan! Lock her up in that cage we got last week," he called down into the hole.
I froze. I needed to get down there.
I crept away from my cover and snuck up behind the pirate who had just dropped Katara. Inhaling quickly, I fisted my hand and punched the pirate across the back of the head, temporarily knocking him out. I breathed a sigh of relief and then hastily dragged the pirate behind the same barrels I had just been hiding behind.
I went back to the hatch and jumped inside. It was dark except for the small amount of moonlight shining in through the hatch. With the small portion of light, I saw Katara for a moment and then I quickly shut the hatch door so the darkness could conceal me.
Katara Pov
My heartbeat was going a mile a mintue as that pirate lifted me and then dropped me into the darkness of that hatch. I braced myself for a hard landing against the floor of the boat, but to my suprise, I was caught by two large and rather thick arms. Just as I was breathing a sigh of relief, I rolled out of his grip and fell on my back with a thud. I moaned in pain, but luckily nothing felt broken and my oxygen stayed in my lungs. I continued to hold back my tears as my new captor took hold of the ropes binding my ankles and began dragging me away from the moonlight streaming through the hatch.
However, before I was dragged away from the moonlight beaming in from the open hatch, I heard a faint thwack noise. Then there was a thump. A split second later, I found myself gazing through misty eyes at a figure clad in black clothing. The only real distinction I could make out was a blue and white mask covering his face.
But as soon as he was there, there was another thump as the hatch door came down and he vanished into the darkness. I felt a small pain in one of my shoulders and assumed that it had been bruised from my fall.
I couldn't get over the little voice in my head telling me that that person I had just seen, was here to help me. There was only one thing that was on my mind as I slipped into a state of unconciousness. He was not a pirate.
Zuko Pov
I stood as still as stone as soon as the darkness had covered me. I listened for a moment, hoping to pick up on a noise that would guide me to Katara. I had seen Katara lying on the floor and a pirate beside her before it went dark, but I needed to wait to figure out which direction they were going. I crept forward a little when I heard heavy footsteps and then stopped when there was a sound I couldn't quite place. A small scratching sound.
Realization hit me and I swiftly ducked for cover as a match was lit and was fed to the wick of a pathetic candle. The room was illuminated now, destroying my dark cloak.
I need to be extra careful...
I peeked over a wooden crate full of mangos, when I heard the footsteps again. I was just in time to see the rather bulky pirate rattling a door handle and then pushing open the big wooden door. He dragged Katara inside the room lit only by moonlight from an open window. I expepcted the door to shut on its own since it looked so heavy, but it remained open. I stayed behind my cover and listened.
The first thing I heard was a stiff jingle. I realized that he must have a ring of keys.
I wanted to see what he was doing, so I crept out from behind my hiding spot and darted behind some barrels, anterior to the room. I could now see him as he selected a key and stuck it inside a big padlock looped around the bars of a large metal cage. I could also see a variety of animals that were caged up in the dank room. There were toad parrots, peacock mice, fancy deer rats, and other small animals.
As much as I hated to watch it, I waited until the pirate had shoved Katara inside the cage and relocked it. He got to his feet again and reatched the ring of keys to his belt. He exited the room and shut the door behind him. He turned to lock it up, but before he could, I leapt over the barrels and repeated the move I had pulled on the other pirate earlier. This pirate however didn't fall like the other one.
His back went strait and he turned slowly to look at me. He towered over me by at least a foot, leaving me frozen for a second as I tried to sketch out my next mover. I didn't want to make a mess and I needed to stay quiet.
Thinking quickly, I pulled my swords from their sheath and together, I landed the ends of the hand grips on top of his head. He stared at me for a second and then lifted his fists.
I backed up until I was up against the barrels. When I did, I felt something slosh inside them. I dared to look down at them.
Blasting jelly, huh. That might come in handy.
The pirate then advanced on me. Thinking quickly, I dropped my swords and pulled my mask off my face. The pirate stopped when he saw my face.
"No... no it can-"
"Sweet dreams," I whispered, swiftly grabbing his head and clunking mine against his. He staggered backwards and fell to the ground unconcious.
"Oww," I moaned rubbing my forehead. I hadn't considered how much that would hurt. That would probably leave a lovely bruise.
I grabbed my mask of the floor and resheathed my swords before approaching the pirate and slipping his keys from the loop on his belt. "Thanks."
Before going into the other room, I shoved the large pirate behind the blasting jelly barrels so if anyone came down here they wouldn't suspect anything. Or least I hoped.
I took a good look at those barrels again. I slowly formed an idea of how to put these pirates out of business for good. It was risky though. I needed to get Katara out of here first.
I opened the big wooden door with some difficulty and stumbled inside the room. Moonlight streamed into the room from a small barred window just below the ceiling. I approached the cage and knelt down beside it to look at Katara.
She was lying on her side with her hands bound behind her back. Some of her chocolate hair had been tugged from it's tight braid and hung across her face. Her sky blue dress had a rip at the bottom of the skirt and one of her sleeves was slipping off her shoulder. Her eyes were still closed, but she didn't look peaceful like one does when their sleeping. This proved that even in her most vurnable state, she still knew that she was in trouble. The last thing I noticed was a dark spot blooming on her almost exposed shoulder. I scowled.
They did hurt her.
Setting my mask aside, I took up the ring of keys and began to try each of them in the big lock. I was unaware though, that the amount of rattling the keys were making was arousing the dramatized girl.
Katara Pov
I closed my eyes tightly as a clinking sound, like metal against metal, sounded unwanted in my ears. I moaned and tried to get my arms under me so I could push myself up, but they stubbornly refused to respond.
Instead, I leaned back and forth to create a little momentum that gave enough movement to roll onto my back. My eyes shot open when I heard a small gasp. I looked to where the sound had come from and saw before me the person whom I had seen before I blacked out. I could tell it was him because of his distinct mask and dark clothing. But the mask was not fastened to his face. I looked up into his frozen face through the metal bars and noticed a very large scar on the left side of his face. No... no it couldn't be.
"Juko?" I said through the waded cloth in my mouth.
His eyes widdened a bit when he realized that I couldn't speak clearly. Hesitantly, he reached a hand through the bars of the cage and pulled the cloth from my mouth.
I coughed as saliva moistened my mouth again. He only watched me with big, uncertain golden eyes. "Thank you... Zuko."
He only blinked uncertainly at me.
I stared at him for a moment and then shifted my gaze to where the ring of keys were hanging from the big padlock that had me trapped in this cage. My eyes flickered back to his. "Are you... helping me?"
He blinked again and then nodded slowly.
"Why? Last I checked, we're enemies."
His eyes froze onto her and she figured he was thinking about something very seriously.
It just doesn't make any sense? Of all people, why would Zuko choose to help me? The Zuko who chased us, the Zuko who belongs to the Fire Nation, the Zuko whom I hate for everything his stupid, war-loving nation has done to me and my friends and my family. He should be punished for everything he has done and I know one day he will! ...Wait a second. It's not... his fault his nation did all those things. Is it? Those are their actions, not his. His ancestors don't define him. It's not right to judge him. Argh! That still doesn't answer why he's helping me!
"I... don't know," he said quietly. "I guess I just felt that them taking you like that, was an injustice. I don't know what I was thinking, I just..."
I waited for him to finish. I could plainly tell he was feeling a little awkward and uncertain about his actions. "Unfortunately, your wrong. They kind of have the right to do this." I sighed. "Remember that scroll you almost burned about a month ago?"
Zuko Pov
My mind shot back in time to that night when I had tied this same girl to a tree and threatened the lives of her friends. A feeling of guilt bloomed inside of me. "Yeah," I responded quietly as I glanced sideways to avoid making eye contact with her.
"I stole that scroll from the pirates when I figured out that they had probably stolen it from a waterbender. They may have even killed him just to get their hands on it. I felt so angry that it had been taken from my own people, no matter if they came from the North or the South." She paused here and an air of guilt entered her voice. "It was also my only chance to learn real waterbending."
I looked at her, unsure of what to say in response. Was this all really about justice? "Do you still have it?"
The waterbender shivered as a chilly ocean breeze blew in from the window. "No it's gone," she replied despairingly, with a small shake of her head. "I lost it last week when we were being chased by Fire Nation soldiers."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I bet even if you had given it to them you would still be down here."
Katara nodded as she tried to sit up a bit. I saw her flinch once when she moved her bruised shoulder. "I admit I went to far by stealing that dumb scroll." She slipped and fell back onto her side. She winched and then said, "I... I think they want more than just that scroll back after all the problems I caused them." She paused as a shadow fell over her face. "I think they want me dead."
Her dark words sent chills up and down my spine. Dead? That's going a little to far. I glanced back down at the big lock. I frowned with a new determination and set my hands back to work. I have to get her out of here. Even if it's the last thing I do.
I felt Katara's eyes on me. "Zuko you should get out of here. Leave before they find you. They'll only kill you too," she prompted, trying to get up again.
I kept my eyes on lock and key. "Since when do you care if I die?"
Katara grinned a little as she managed to sit up. "True. Fine. Stay and die."
I smiled without looking up. "As you wish. Besides, I've got a plan that will put these pirates out of buisness permanetley."
"Oh? What would that be?" she asked scooting a little closer to the cage door.
"Once I get you out of here and you'll find out." Just then, I turned the sixth key in the lock and it open with a click. I tossed the keys aside and slipped the lock off the bars. I opened the door and Katara slipped out of the cage. She stood up a bit wobbly.
"Ready?"
Katara nodded and took a small step forward. She tripped though and my arms went out instinctively to catch her. I pushed her back onto her feet. "Are you ok?"
She nodded with a small smile. "Yeah, I'm good."
"Well that sure is a relief to hear. Means you'll look nice and pretty for your funeral at dawn."
The teens whipped their heads around toward the doorway to face the figure of the looming pirate Captain.
Katara Pov
"Hey! Get your hands off me, you slime balls!" I screamed as two pirates grabbed me and tied my hands behind my back.
Zuko pulled his twin broad swords from behind him and pointed them at the Captain. "Let her go!"
The Captain glared at Zuko. "Pest. I should have know you'd interfer with my plans sooner or later."
"I said, let her go," Zuko growled behind clenched teeth.
"Not until she gives me back my scroll!"
"I told you!" I said as I struggled against the pirates holding me. "I don't have it!"
The Captain turned to me and slapped me across the face again to shut me up. I felt my cheek starting to burn all over again. "You lost it wench, your gonna die for it."
"What about your stupid reward? You need me to get your money, remember."
The Capatain stood straight. "I've had enough of you. I want you gone and out of my way. Plus, with your attitude, no one will ever want you as a servent."
Just then, a growl escaped Zuko's throat and he leapt forward at the treacherous pirate. But the Captain turned around just in time to catch the banished Fire Prince by the throat. Zuko's swords fell from his hands. He instantly began to grip at the Captain's tight hand around his neck.
"Zuko!" I cried as I watched him struggle.
The Captain's eyes widden with realization and then narrowed as a new smirk came across his lips. "Well pretty boy, what are you doing here anyways? Trying to save the life of this little water tribe brat? A little low for a prince, don't you think?" the Captain said in a low, curdling voice.
I made another vain effort to get away from the other pirates. "Please, let him go!" I cried as Zuko fought hard for air. "He doesn't have anything to do with this! It's me you want, so hurt me and just let him go!"
Zuko was clawing desperately at the hand wrapped around his throat now as he tried to receive oxygen into his lungs again.
"As you wish missy! Looks like we'll have a funeral tonight, boys!" the pirate said, releasing Zuko. He fell to the ground and rolled onto his back as his burning lungs filled with air. The Captain sneered and turned towards me. "Hurting you instead of him won't save his life, only save him from suffering. Replacing his suffering with your suffering won't be to difficult." He looked at the pirates holding me. "Take her to my chambers."
I gasped and then forced myself to swallow. Please... no...
Zuko was still lying on the floor gasping for air. He forced himself to roll over onto his stomach. "Katara..." he groaned reaching a hand toward me. "I... I will-" he coughed and tried again to get up. "I will... come after you... always."
I blinked back tears as his words sunk heavily into my heart. "Zuko..."
"Ha! So your a hero now?" the Captain jeered. "Cute. Tie him up outside my room. You both die at dawn."
I cast one more forlorn look at Zuko, before one of the pirates roughly dragged me out of the room.
(A/N: This part of the story has been cut out. It is not irrelevant to the story and the happenings do cause issues and things to happen in the future. Here is a clean summary if you wish to know. ~ So basically the Captain has brief unwanted relations with a freaked out Katara, after he makes two large cuts in each of Katara's thighs with a dagger. As written before, Zuko is tied up outside the room. He hears her cries for help and burns through the rope. He bursts into the room and tackles the Captain. They fight while Katara collects herself. Zuko accidentaly kills the Captain as Katara manages to get her wrappings and dress back on. Before she can grab her pants or shoes, Zuko picks her up and sets his escape plan into action.~ If you wish to read this part I will be putting it up in a separate section as soon as I can.)
Katara Pov
Zuko ran down a short hallway that led up to the deck. When we reached the end of it, we discovered a door that had been left partly open.
Zuko stopped before the cracked door and gently set me down on my feet. "You still ok?"
I was still clutching onto his shirt for dear life. "It's just my legs. I'll be ok though. A few healing sessions and they'll be as good as new."
"Good." He glanced through the crack in the door and then looked at me with sparkling, but worried eyes. "Katara, remember how I said I have a way out of here along with a way to get rid of these pirates for good?"
I looked up at him and nodded.
"We can do this and be out of here quickly. The only thing I need, is for you to trust me."
I gazed into his earnest eyes. "A few days ago I would have never considered trusting you. But... with everything you've done for me... Zuko, you saved me. I trust you with my life."
He blinked. "Really?" he asked in a genuinely suprised voice.
I smiled and wrapped my arms up and around his back. "Yes. I trust you."
He froze for a moment at my sudden show of trust, but eventually hugged me back. He then breifly explained his plan to me. "Got it?"
I scratched my nose. "I think so. ...Are you still sure this will work?"
Zuko sighed heavily. "For our sake Katara, I hope it does."
The plan was good, but prehaps a little to... elaborate and risky for me. Zuko told me about the barrels of blasting jelly he found outside the room I had been locked up in. He explained how he could easily ignite the contents with a strong blast of fire. The jelly would blow up the ship and it would go down. I winced at the thought of more people dying, but who knows how many other lives these pirates have wrecked and how many we could save if we at least put them out of buisness. They might even turn over a new leaf when they found out they had lost their Captain and were going to very soon lose their ship.
My part in this slightly insane plan was to ride piggy-back on Zuko, put my upmost confidence in his judgement, and waterbend an iceberg for us once we were off the ship.
"But Zuko, the rag that I had stuffed in my mouth had a herb in it that blocks my bending."
Zuko checked the door again to sure no one was coming. "How do you know that?"
I looked over my shoulder and down the hall from which we had come from. "One of the pirates told me," I replied with a shiver.
"You'll find a way around it. It may have worn off by now."
I was silent for a moment. "Ok. I'll do what I can."
Zuko looked away from. I saw flames dancing in his eyes. Flames that sent a message of regret to me. "What's wrong?"
He sighed and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Katara, I'm so sorry I didn't get in there sooner."
I looked away and shook my head. "Don't worry about it. You've done enough for me already."
Zuko nodded and checked the door again. A pirate came up out of a door and walked to the middle of the deck. Zuko instantly recognized the black sheath strapped over the pirates shoulder.
"He's got my swords," he growled. "Ready to go, Katara?"
I hesitated and then nodded. "I guess so. Can you judge where the barrels are from on the deck?"
Zuko turned his back to me and squatted down. "I'll do my best. I may have to guess a few times," he replied with a smug grin.
I climbed onto his back and he tucked his hands under my legs before standing up. I winced as the pressure against my wounds.
"Sorry. You ok?" Zuko asked worriedly.
I stabled myself by holding onto his shoulder's. "I'll be ok."
"Alright. Just hold on and let me do the talking. And if you get scared... just close your eyes, hold tight, and try not to choke me. Got it?" Zuko instructed.
I swallowed and lay my head on the back of his neck. "Yeah."
Zuko Pov
I opened the door and locked my gaze on the pirate with my swords. "Hey! I think you've got something of mine there. Mind giving it back," I asked in carefree tone.
The pirate looked over at us. A look of suprise crossed his face before he sneered at me and began shouting to the other pirates that we had escaped. I charged and snatched my swords away from him. I quickly slung it over my shoulder as the rest of the crew surrounded us. Their swords were out and their faces were angry. They wanted a fight.
I felt Katara squeeze me closer to her as she buried her face into the back of my shirt.
"Whatcha gonna do now, pretty boy?" one of the pirates sneered.
"Give us the girl and surrender or your really gonna regret crossing paths with us."
I tightened my hold on Katara, but not so much as to possibly cause her any more pain. "I already do."
The first pirate to speak growled and raised his sword to us. The point of it gleamed sharply in the beams of moonlight. "Last chance, you sad excuse for a prince. Surrender."
I clicked my tongue, a signal to Katara that she needed to hold on to me by herself. She slowly wrapped her legs all the way around my torso.
"Your times up, boy," the pirate said in a sinister tone with a toothy smile. He raised his sword in the air and prepared to strike.
I ripped my arms away from Katara and quickly summoned every ounce of chi inside of me as I could. I guided it to my hands and then plunged my fists into the deck.
Fire erupted all around us. The pirates were thrown backwards by the blast and a few of them were even cast overboard. The pirates that hadn't been flung off the ship, instantly sought for higher ground as my flames began to tear the deck apart.
I kept pouring out fire into the ship, all the while praying to Agni that it would find it's way to the blasting jelly.
Then, in the midst of the action, I felt Katara's warm breath on my ear. "Zuko... I'm scared..." she whispered in my ear.
I swallowed. "It's ok, Katara. I've almost got it. Just hold on and remember what I told you. Close your eyes and concentrate on my heat."
I felt her nod and then place her cheek against the back of my neck. "Ok."
She jerked a little in suprise as boards began to fly up from the deck as I continued to press fire into the ship. Then there was loud crack. I ceased my fire.
"Hold on Katara!" I shouted as I stood up again. She tightened her hold me. Once I felt she had a good grip on me, I spread my palms face downward and poured more flames from them. It took a couple seconds, but we eventually became airborn and I was able to jet us up into the sky using firepower from my feet too.
Below us, two more cracks were heard and then with a bright explosion, the whole ship exploded into a blaze of flames, splinters, and smoke.
Katara Pov
I stared down at the ship. The image of flames and sparks danced in my crystal eyes as I clung to Zuko. If there was anyone still aboard that ship when it exploded, they were now dead. At least the Captain went down with it.
"Katara, my flames can't hold us up here much longer," Zuko said. "I'm gonna try to lower us into the ocean. Get ready to make that iceberg."
I nodded, but kept the fear of my temporary inability to waterbend to myself. You can do this, Katara. You have to do this.
Suddenly, Zuko jerked and his flames sputtered.
"Zuko! Uh- Are you ok? What's wrong?" I cried.
"We might be falling a little bit. Just hang on," Zuko grunted as he desperately tried to keep his balance. But the effort was in vain.
His flames sputtered again and his feet lost their fuel. A few seconds later, the flames from his hands went out. We floated for half a second and then we began to plummet to the ocean. As the seconds went by, we fell faster and faster. Zuko quickly manuvered me off his back and brought me in front of him. He held me against him and whispered, "It's up to you now."
We hit the water and went under. I blanked for a moment as the cold water engulfed us, startling my mind. Zuko still had me crushed to him. After I blinked a few times to get my brain back in action, I pried myself out of his hold and took his cold hand in mine. Then, with low hopes, I lifted my hand above me and ordered the water to freeze into a block. To my suprise and delight, the water did exactly what I wanted.
With Zuko's hand still grasped tightly in mine, I waterbended us up to the surface. I instantly turned to Zuko to make sure he was ok. "Zuko! Zuko, are you ok?"
As soon as he came above the water, he opened his eyes and sucked in a large breath. "Yeah, I'm-" he stopped and coughed up some water. "I'm ok."
We were both shivering violently as we climbed up onto the iceberg.
"Good job, Katara. I knew you could do it," Zuko said in an exhausted voice.
I sat up and bent the water out of my hair and clothes. "Thank you."
"Just a matter of belief," he said as he sat up too.
I shook my head and then bent the frigid water from him too. "No, thank you."
"For what?" he asked as he cocked his head.
"For coming after me, getting me out of the cage, sticking up for me, saving me from the Captain, and getting me away from the other pirates. Zuko, you saved my life many times tonight. I am..." tears leaked from my eyes. Tears I hadn't realized I had been holdidng back. "I forgive you."
Zuko Pov
She... forgives me? "Katara... I am not worthy of forgiveness. Not after everything I did to you and your friends."
She shook her head again and scooted up next to me. "Everyone is worthy of forgivness."
It took me a moment, but the thought that anyone could be forgiven filled me with a strong hope. I smiled softly and slipped an arm around her shivering shoulders. "Thank you. I'm glad someone else besides Uncle understands me."
She smiled too and curled up against me for warmth. "I'm glad Zuko."
Within a matter of minutes the little waterbender had fallen asleep on me. Shortly, I followed her.
The next morning...
I awoke with a start to Katara roughly shaking me and calling my name. I opened my eyes and then shut them again as sunlight pierced my vision. I rubbed my eyes as Katara started talking to me.
"Oh good, your awake," she breathed. "I thought you might have been dead for a moment."
I rapidly blinked my eyes so they could adjust to the light. "Don't worry. I'm alive."
Katara looked behind her and groaned. She lifted her hands with her fingers splayed and then moved them in unison upward. Water rose up from the ocean and froze onto the iceberg that we were floating on. Wait a second? Iceberg?!
I got to my feet and looked around.
There was nothing but water. Blue, crystal, salty water and not a speck of land to be seen. The remins of the pirate ship from last night were nowhere to be found and the dock it had come from had completely vanished. "Crap," I muttered, running my fingers through my hair.
Katara glanced at me and opened her mouth to say something, but noticed another melting spot and quickly moved her hands to fix it. "The iceberg was really small this morning. It was lucky we fell asleep in the middle of it," she said quietly. "I've been refreezing parts of it all morning."
I turned to her. "I'm sorry. I should have found a way back last night. We're completely lost," I replied. "And it's all my fault."
Katara refroze one more spot and then turned to me. "Hey," she said softly, resting her hand on my tense shoulder. "This is not your fault. We are in this together. We'll figure something out. It will be ok."
Her words were comforting, but I couldn't still help but feel at fault for being stuck in the middle of the ocean. I turned my face from her so she couldn't see the angry tears forming in my eyes.
"I trust that this will all end with us alive," she said in a comforting tone as she patted my arm.
I sniffed and then placed a hand on her head. Her tangled hair felt somehow soft under my hand and I noticed for the first time how much more grown up and mature she looked with her wavy chocolate hair cascading over her shoulders and down her back. "Alright... your right." I looked down at her face and smiled as confidently as I could. "I trust too."
She brightly smiled back and then returned to refreezing parts of the iceberg with were thawing repeatedly under the hot sun.
That night...
I glanced up at the sky as the thin clouds began fade, revealing the full night sky with it's glowing stars. I had kind of learned how to read thd stars and navigate by them from Uncle during the three years I spent searching for the Avatar at sea. I hadn't been especially interested in his lessons at the time because I knew I would never need them and that I was just wasting my time. However, Uncle insisted that I learn, so I amused him and sat through the boring lessons hardly listening. Now I was relieved that I had bothered to pay some attention. The stars could not only tells us where we were but also which way to go to get back. I just needed to remember how it worked.
"Well I think the iceberg will be ok until morning," Katara announced as she sat down next to me.
I kept my eyes on the sky. "That's good."
She leaned on me a little for warmth as the night chilly began to blow through our clothing. The poor thing had been working all day to maintain the state of our raft. Literally every two minutes she was onto the next spot.
"I'm glad your not the bad guy anymore. Your actually... really nice. And I never realized you had feelings," Katara said absentmindedly.
At this, I turned to look at her. "Oh thanks. I guess I'm just relieved your not a total jerk."
She sat up and gave me an annoyed look. "Hey!"
"You kinda came off that way when I fought you," I replied with a shrug.
Katara rolled her eyes. "Your the jerk." She sighed and leaned backwards, supporting herself with her arms. "So. Figured out where we are yet?"
I looked back up at the sky and sighed. "Not yet. My Uncle taught me how the read the stars, but it's been a while since I've practiced. I'm still a little fuzzy."
She patted my arm. "You'll figure it out. I know you will."
After a few minutes of staring at the stars, I decided that we were somewhere off the coast of the Earth Kingdom. As for the direction in which we should be heading, I was drawing a blank. Begrudgingly, I told Katara what I had found.
She was quiet for a moment before she said anything. "Well, I guess there's not much else we can do."
I sighed. All day she had been holding back her stress and frustration. She knew she needed to stay calm and appear so, so I could concentrate. "Katara..."
She blinked and scooted closer to me. I looked into her eyes for a moment and then pulled her into a hug. "You can let it out now."
She was still for second and then she started to shake. She wrapped her arms around me and buried her face into my salt scented shirt. Her sobbs were loud and real. I knew her pain very well. The pain of losing everything you've known without you even realizing it and then it's gone before you can say goodbye.
I rubbed circles into her back. "It's ok. Just let it out."
She cried until she lost her breath and was forced to stop. She sucked in a big breath and hiccuped. "Do you think we'll be stuck out here forever?" she asked triedly.
She shivered and I gently pulled her closer to me. The cold was getting to us and it didn't help that we were suck on an iceberg. "I hope not Katara."
She curled in on herself and nestled her head against my chest. Her breathing evened out and she eventually fell asleep.
I moved her to the middle of the iceberg so when it melted in the morning, we wouldn't end up in the cold water. I sighed despairingly as I lay down with Katara curled up against me. We were lost at sea and I was helpless to do anything but watch and wait. Patience had never been one of my strong points. I didn't know what was coming next and I didn't know if I would ever get Katara back to her friends. I was even having doubts that I would ever seen my Uncle again. All I knew was that I was going to protect Katara and take care for her until we found them again.
End of Part I~
There you have the first part! Thanks so much for reading, I would love to hear what you think. Please no nasty flames. I love correction as to how I can better my writing, but I do not need your hate. I will work on fixing up the extra section that I cut out so guys can read it.
