I don't believe I'm writing an Avatar fanfic. I actually thought the entire thing up in a day though it will take me a much longer time to write.
The title means 'Hot Water,' well according to my English-Japanese dictionary it does. And no, this is not a Zuko-Katara fic. Every chapter will have a Japanese title with the English translation in that drop down box (but this first one is 'Black Smoke' because there isn't any box to begin with). I'm sorry in advance if any character is OOC but, eh, it could happen. If you're wondering, this takes place about a month after the Winter Solstice which would be in the middle of January in my mind.
Well, basically please read and review and any flames please direct them to the secretary (if I could afford one). I really don't care though.
Disclaimer: If I owned Avatar why in the world would I be wasting my time writing this for a fanfiction site? I don't own it, but I wish I did…
Chapter One – Kokuen
A deep sigh left the young man as he stared off the side of the large ship, gazing down into the clear water. He could see himself in the water, even from this high up. Inhaling softly, he frowned at the large scar adorning his features. He glared at his miniscule reflection before lifting his head up to meet the clear sky. There wasn't a cloud for miles around and it had a slight calming effect on him.
"Ah, it is a wonderful day for sailing, is it not, Prince Zuko?"
The young prince turned to glare at his uncle who had just interrupted his thoughts. "It is a good day to capture the Avatar, if that is what you mean, Uncle," he responded in a stiff, almost cold manner. He then turned back, leaning on the rail of the ship.
Iroh smiled at his nephew and moved to stand next to him, leaning on the rail as well. "Prince Zuko, you should learn to consider doing other things on such a fine day. Like practicing your meditation. It will help you clear your mind."
Zuko snorted and proceeded to stare off the side of the ship. A cold wind blew past, bringing in the salty smell of the ocean and…
'Smoke?' Zuko thought, his posture turning rigid. "Uncle, did you," he began as he turned around and stopped short.
A large plume of smoke was visible on the horizon, floating lazily into the once clear sky. Zuko walked quickly to the other side of the Fire Navy ship, his boots clicking on the steel surface. Pulling out his spyglass, he squinted against the glare of the sun as he searched for where the smoke was coming from.
His efforts were successful as he managed to pick out the skeleton of a ship still floating while smoke billowed out of it. The wooden frame was mostly intact even as a support beam fell into the ocean. Frowning, he shoved his spyglass into his pocket and turned to the helm. "Helmsman! Change our course and head for the smoke!"
Obeying, the ship began to turn slowly until it faced the dark smoke still rising.
"What do you intend to do, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked, watching the young man's face as it turned to one of concentration.
"I want to see what happened," he said simply. His uncle nodded and watched as the smoke grew nearer.
"Helmsman! Slow the ship down!" Zuko commanded again as the warship approached the smoking, crumbling ship. He stood near the stern of his uncle's boat, watching the water as the ship cut through it. The teenager looked up at the skeleton, watching it as it floated lazily in the water, smoke still billowing out of its engine.
'A Water Tribe ship,' he thought, noticing the wooden framework and the engine design. Frowning, he turned his attention to the water again, wincing as a body drifted by, face down in the ocean.
The ocean surrounding the skeleton was littered with people, most of them women and children. Zuko squirmed slightly and then his face twisted to one of anger as a Fire soldier's helmet bobbed in the sea.
'Dammit,' he thought angrily. 'These people didn't deserve this.'
"It doesn't look like anyone survived, Prince Zuko," Iroh said softly, noticing his nephew's tense body and the expression in his face. He gazed sadly down as a pair of children floated by, their bodies' blue.
"Yes, it looks like that," the prince agreed through clenched teeth. He turned away from the stern, ready to give his next orders and escape this perfect example of human cruelty.
Something barked.
He whirled around, clutching the railing. Zuko searched the ocean, hell, he searched the crumbling ship that had just lost another piece of its support to find out what was still alive.
The barking continued, followed by loud, wailing howls that pierced the eerie silence like a knife.
"Helmsman!" Zuko called out. "Follow that noise!"
The ship turned slightly, heading towards the skeleton. Zuko searched the water as the howling grew louder while several of the men raced up on board, wondering what was going on. Several more bodies floated by the warship and another Fire Nation helmet drifted in the slow current.
"There, Prince Zuko!" Iroh called out, pointing down near where part of the skeleton made a small shelter from the wind.
The prince's eyes followed his uncle's arm and he found what was making the racket.
A piece of board was floating in the water, most likely having come from the boat itself. On it was a dog, keeping his balance with spread paws as he howled and barked. His gray on white coat was matted with water and blood as he begged and pleaded with anyone to help him.
Underneath him was a still figure, half in the freezing water and half out. He couldn't see much about the figure as the dog covered the body well, obviously protecting the person from anything that was passing.
"Bring me a rope ladder!" Zuko called out, watching as two of the soldiers carried out his orders. "Helmsman! Cut the engine and pull up next to that dog!"
The boat lurched as the engine shut off and the warship slowed to a snail's pace. The ladder appeared next to him, supported by two soldiers. Zuko tied the rope to the rail and threw it over the side, listening to it clatter and clank against the steel side. They were pulling up close to the board by now and the young man began to climb down the rope ladder.
When he reached the bottom, he noticed how awful the dog smelled and looked. He had stopped his infernal howling and now was growling at him with his fangs bared. The blue eyes showed a slight madness as he barked menacingly. The pricked ears laid close to his skull as Zuko drew closer to the board.
"Make up your mind," Zuko grumbled, reaching out to grab the dog by the scruff. The dog snapped out, nearly biting the teen's hand. Zuko let out his own growl, snapping his hand out and grabbing the dog's scruff. The dog yelped and Zuko lifted him easily off the board, finding out he had a harness on.
"Throw a rope down! The dog has a harness!"
A length of rope spiraled down to meet him. The prince grabbed the end, tying it around the back of the dog's harness as he dodged another bite. He tugged the rope twice and watched as the dog was slowly lifted onto the ship, struggling still as he barked and clawed the air.
With that out of the way, he turned his attention to what the dog had been protecting. He blinked in surprise when he found a girl about his age lying unconscious on the board. She was pale, shivering slightly against the cold air. He couldn't blame her really, it was the middle of January and the freezing water wasn't helping either. Shallow, slow breaths were forced between frozen, blue lips as he hesitated a moment.
Zuko finally reached out, pulling the board closer so he could grab a hold of her better. She started to slip off her makeshift raft and his hand gripped the back of her shirt, pulling her to him. With one arm holding onto the ladder, he managed to wrap the other around her waist tightly to hold her steady. Grunting, he pulled her up with him, feeling her weak shivering through his Fire Nation uniform.
Somehow, he had managed to climb the ladder with one hand while holding the girl in the other. Two soldiers reached down, taking the girl from the prince and laying her on the ship's deck while Zuko dragged himself over the railing.
"She is not in good shape, Prince Zuko," his uncle commented while he looked over the soaked girl. The dog that had accompanied her was now barking up a storm and being held back by one of his soldiers. "I suggest we move her to the infirmary so Yasuo can look at her."
He nodded, an almost automatic movement. Two soldiers took this as their cue and picked her up, taking her down the stairs to where the medic worked. The one holding the dog suddenly let go and the canine took off, following the men while he whined.
"That was very kind of you," his uncle said, smiling at the exiled prince.
"Yeah, well, none of them deserved that," he mumbled, turning on his heel. "Helmsman! Turn this ship and head north again! We still have to find the Avatar!" When he was certain the ship was heading in the right direction, he descended into the ship, heading towards the infirmary.
He passed several rooms and several soldiers milling around. The exiled prince grabbed one of the soldiers, ordering him to go watch for the Avatar. While he rushed off to obey the order, Zuko continued on his way to the medic's workplace.
He knocked, more in formality than in politeness, before he entered. The medic, a man around Iroh's age, was tending to a burn on the girl's arm. His weary eyes were concentrated on the wound as he cleaned and bandaged it.
Zuko waited patiently, well as patient as he could, while the medic finished the burn. He noticed the dog was sitting besides the girl, whimpering slightly each time the girl winced. When he looked towards the small window to have something to do, he found the girl's wet clothes drying in front of it.
"Prince Zuko," the medic said, giving the teen a smile. "I assume you want her status."
The young man narrowed his eyes slightly. "Yes, Yasuo. That would be helpful."
The older man smiled and adjusted the blanket wrapped around the shivering girl. "It's a basic case of hypothermia," he said, standing now and moving to the cabinets near the back of the room. "Along with a few cuts, bruises, and burns, most likely from a fight."
"With Fire benders?" Zuko asked, watching the medic as he poured an amber liquid into an old, chipped cup.
"Again, most likely." Yasuo brought the cup over to the girl, lifting her head and pouring the strong smelling ale down her throat. He laid her back down, smiling when her body jerked and color returned to her face, the blue fading from her lips. "Right now, though, she needs someplace warm to get her temperature back up. If you could, Prince Zuko, take her down to the furnace. It's plenty warm in there."
The young man frowned slightly, wondering if he was joking but the stern look in Yasuo's eyes told him otherwise. Zuko strode over to where she was sleeping, tucking his arms under her and lifting her easily. The dog growled slightly at him but said nothing else when the prince carried her out of the infirmary.
He did not like his job at the moment. The dog trotted beside him, glancing up at him with the ice blue eyes every now and then. The prince jogged lightly down another flight of stairs with the dog at his heels. The warmth of the furnace met him as he pushed open the door to the engine room and strode easily in. The machine gave off a reddish glow, engulfing everything in the steel room with it. Storage boxes reflected the glow on the prince as he moved towards the roaring heat.
Luckily, no one was waiting inside to laugh at him even though that would result in the offender earning a scar similar to his.
Zuko, in all basic sense of the word, dropped his package on the ground a safe distance from the furnace. The snarl behind him told him that the room's other occupant was not happy. He gave the canine a glare before backing off.
The dog glared back and took his place behind his human, turning her on her side to face the heat source. He lied down behind her, grunting as he stretched his joints.
Satisfied that the animal had fallen asleep, he moved closer, examining the girl he had picked up. She had to be from the Water Tribe as her skin was the same color as the Avatar's annoying friends. Black hair, though the color was most likely from the way the room was lit or from it being wet still, was plastered to her face and neck. The blanket covered the rest of her body and, even if he was a teenager, he was not going that far.
The sound of boots clicking against the metal woke the mutt as he rolled onto his stomach. Zuko turned to see who would be stupid enough to come down to the engine room at this particular time.
"Prince Zuko, that can't be very comfortable for her," Iroh said as he walked into the room. A soldier stood beside him which would explain the sounds of the boots.
Zuko glared at his uncle. His job had been to bring the girl to the engine room, not keep her comfortable. His uncle moved towards the unconscious Water Tribe member, bending over her as the dog watched him warily.
"She seems to be doing much better now," he commented, straightening back up with a groan. "Unlike me," he joked.
Once again, the prince said nothing and gave his uncle another glare.
"Go and fetch Yasuo," Iroh ordered the soldier, receiving a salute. He turned towards his nephew who was glaring at the world and all who inhabit it. Smiling, the retired general lowered himself onto one of the smaller boxes, sighing in relief. "You know, Prince Zuko, many of the sailors are talking about your heroic rescue!" On the last part, Iroh spread his arms wide with a large grin on his face.
A tic appeared right under Zuko's right eye as he fought to keep his emotions under control.
The grin still evident on Iroh's face, he leaned back and waited a moment until the twitching under the young man's eye went away. "I had a good laugh over that little joke myself."
His response was a snort but it pleased the older man nonetheless. It showed that at least the prince was listening.
The soldier returned with Yasuo at that moment. Zuko thanked whatever higher powers there were for the interruption.
"Let's see now," the medic mumbled, kneeling down beside the girl as her dog whined. Her shivering had calmed again, for better this time. He checked her temperature, finding it had risen since her visit to the infirmary. "She'll be all right now. All she needs is some rest."
"Wonderful!" Iroh exclaimed, smiling at his dear friend. "Thank you, Yasuo." The firebender turned to his nephew, smiling again. "Prince Zuko, why don't you take her up to the extra room? I am sure she will be more comfortable there than in this dreary engine room."
Once again, the tic appeared under his eye and the prince snorted. He glared at the soldier who gulped and went to the task of picking the girl up.
The dog, however, had other ideas.
The soldier backed off as the dog snapped at him, barking up a storm. A menacing snarl finished up his dialogue and he sat stiffly, glaring at the soldier.
"Prince Zuko," Iroh began, "obviously, this dog has learned to not trust Fire Nation soldiers." The old man gave the exiled prince a smirk. "He has grown to know you won't hurt her though."
The tic appeared again as a frustrated growl escaped the Firebender. With a scowl, Zuko grabbed the girl and, with as much dignity as he could, stormed out of the furnace room.
He grumbled as he strode through the ship. The soldiers and sailors caught several phrases when he passed, everything from "damn dog" to "why couldn't I have left her?" The dog himself was following the Firebender, having to trot to stay in stride with the agitated prince.
After the second flight of stairs, Zuko reached the hall where his, his uncle's, and the captain's rooms were. An extra room, one his uncle treasured and kept for his old war buddies when they visited, was situated right next to Zuko's room and across from his uncle's. He pushed the door open, strode quickly across the room, and, just because the damn dog was watching him with malice in the blue eyes, he laid her down on the bed. Zuko gave the dog a glare as he left, slamming the door in frustration.
"And I could have left her in the water where she wouldn't be my problem," he grumbled as he stormed down the hallway.
Dark eyes weakly opened, focusing on the retreating figure. She winced when the door slammed and managed to turn her head, finding a dark gray coat in her blurry vision. "Sunoo…"
The dog turned at the weak noise, lighting up immediately when he found his human awake.
"Here boy," she whispered.
With a happy bark, the canine leapt onto the bed. He draped his paws across her body, his head settling on top of them.
She smiled, feeling the familiar weight resting on her. Shivering slightly, she slipped back into the peaceful bliss.