"My instincts tell me to walk and since I'm the leader we should walk", Sokka said as Katara and Aang looked at him confused.
"Who made you the leader", Katara asked to him as she crossed her arms.
"I think it'd be fun to walk", Aang said cheerfully hanging on Appa.
An Hour Later
"Walking stinks, I don't know have travelers get around without flying bison", Aang complained trudging behind Sokka who led the way.
"Why don't you ask Sokka's instinct to hold your pack", Katara smiled to Aang.
"You're right, hey Sokka's instincts, can you hold my pack", Aang asked to Sokka.
"Ok I get it, but trust me it'll all pay off", Sokka said walking through some brushes as then he stopped making Katara and Aang bump into his back.
There laying before them was a fire nation camp with everyone looking over at them.
"Run", Sokka yelled when the bush behind them lit on fire from being lit up by a fire nation soldier.
"Don't make us hurt you", Sokka bluffed big time standing in ready position to attack.
"You hurt us", the fire nation said to them when he then fell to his knees.
"Way to go Sokka's instincts", Aang said to Sokka when they all looked up as there coming down from the trees were people as they started to attack the soldiers.
Joining the fight, the three started to fight the soldiers as Katara saw a glimpse of a very good looking and fighting guy as he turned someone over with his hooked swords. A good five minutes passed when the last person was taken down as the guy who Katara was attracted to stopped right in front of her.
"Hi", she said up to him blushing.
"Hi yourself", he said down to her.
"Jet we have blasting Jelly", Smeller-bee called over to him as he said good job.
"Who are you guys", Katara asked up to him?
"We're the freedom fighters", he said down to her making her blush even more.
They all greeted each other as they started to head back to the hide out.
"Yeah we're a bunch of refugees who are fighting back against the fire nation", Jet said down to Katara as they walked on a bridge in the trees as they had walked on.
"Oh well we're a bunch of refugees too, we're heading to the north to get the avatar a water bending master", Katara explained as she walked right next to Jet with the others ahead of them.
They then all stopped as they heard some yelling below for them to see two boys yelling at each other and about to start fighting.
"Oh no, not again", Jet said as he was about to jump over the rope on the bridge when something shot past him with a black and red color.
The boys had raised their fists when the fast moving objects stopped right there in between both the guys holding both their fists. They then all saw a girl with long flowing, black hair with long streaks of blood red in her hair. She had on a short shirt that went up about six inches from him belly button. She had on a short skirt that had a slit in the front making so that she could move all around and she had bandages going a few inches above her knees as she had the same exact kind of hooked weapons like Jet's.
"Who's that", Aang asked to Jet as she lowered both the guy's fist as she gave both the guys a stern look and then turned back around as she looked directly back up at Jet and the others.
"She was our founding leader, her name is Kiri", Jet explained as she then jumped to the tree and swung herself up the branches as she landed straight on the bridge right next to Sokka making him flinch.
"You came back already", Jet asked to her?
"How could I leave baby Jet here all alone", she smiled getting everyone to giggle.
"Don't call me that", he said to her getting angry.
"Wow we have the avatar in our presence, an air bender", she said smiling to look at Aang.
"Kiri don't", Jet said, but too late as she grabbed her swords and swung them at Aang making him jump off the bridge just to dodge.
"Come on air boy, let's see some moves", she demanded as she jumped off the bridge and torpedoed at Aang as they soared down to the ground.
"I don't want to fight you", he yelled up to her as he landed on the ground nicely of bending air.
"It's not your choice", she said as she grabbed a branch and landed sweetly on the forest floor.
Kiri smiled happily to him as he stood in a ready position breathing a little hard. Kiri jumped up to the tree behind Aang and attacked him with trying to hit him with her swords.
"You can't run forever", Kiri said to him as he slipped under her feet.
"I hate these weapons", she said as she then threw them to the side as they stuck straight in two trees.
"Why are you attacking", Aang yelled at her?
"Why are you running", she asked back cocking her head when she then smirked and crouched low to the ground.
Kiri jumped up into the air as she came straight down on Aang when she grabbed his shirt before he could try to run away. Taking it she threw him straight at a tree as he soared and was about to hit it but surprisingly he felt himself stop as he looked behind her to see an air bubble between him and the tree. There was one problem; he wasn't making the air bubble. She smirked to him and put her finger to her lip as she meant for him to be quiet.
Right then through the trees came an arrow as she caught it before it hit her sleeve and there she tossed it behind her as she said, "You were off by a hair, Long-shot."
"Kiri stop attacking him", Jet said to her as he jumped through the trees and stood in between Aang and her.
"You can have your little friend", Kiri waved to him as she walked on and ripped her weapons out of the tree and put them back up in her holster as she then saw Katara come down from the trees.
Katara ran to Jet's side saying, "Oh that was so brave Jet."
Kiri tried to hold in her laughter when she couldn't hold it anymore and started to bust out laughing holding her knees after a while.
"Oh that's rich, 'oh Jet you are so brave'", she reenacted as she wiped a few tears from her eyes when she then stopped too suddenly as her head pointed straight over to the right.
"What's wrong", Smeller-bee asked her.
"We have company", she said as she then took around her hands not being too bold with it and whipped it straight at a bush as there falling out of it was a fire nation spy.
"I didn't know that you could whip wind", Katara said to Aang.
"Yeah me either", Kiri said as she went to a tree and kicked a rock over as then a rope appeared and Kiri grabbed it flying up into the trees.
"Sorry about her, she can be a little much at times", Jet said as he walked on and knelt down to the knocked out spy.
Aang looked to Jet a little bit worried since he just found out that he was not the last air bender.
The day went on as they all messed around and hung out in the trees where Kiri had yet to be spotted since she disappeared earlier on. As Sokka walked around the hide out with still being jealous and mad at Jet he trudged around the tree house when he stopped as he then saw Kiri leaning against the ropes on the side so they couldn't fall off.
"Um, hi", Sokka said to her walking up closer to her as she peered out over the whole houses with everyone playing around.
"Sokka what do you see in Jet that you hate", she asked him surprising him?
"Uh… well I hate how he always has that piece of wheat in his mouth and I hate how he has no mercy I mean he beat an old man", Sokka said holding onto the railing ropes tightly.
"Everyone has their own problems Sokka, just make sure that someone else's problem doesn't affect you… Jet is a genuine guy, why do you think I let him be the leader? People look up to him but that's not why I backed down, it was because if I didn't then he would be so lost into himself that no one could get him back to semi normal", Kiri said looking down at Katara flirting with Jet as they walked on a bridge alone.
"You backed down so that someone else wouldn't hurt, I don't understand", Sokka said to her.
"I guess you wouldn't understand until you experience it first hand", Kiri said standing up straight and walking away when she stopped.
"Watch your back Sokka, and stand up for what you believe in because maybe you could save an entire village. Oh and in the future, just find some fire nation traps and that'll do the job", Kiri said and she walked on as he was left there confused.
Kiri walked on as she then watched as Katara and Smeller-bee walked around the corner talking to each other.
"Hi Katara, Smeller-bee', Kiri said to them stopping in front of them.
"Hey how's it going", Smeller-bee said to Kiri.
"Fine, actually I was wondering if you girls want to come to a disserted natural hot spring", Kiri asked to them making their faces light up.
Kiri smiled at this and gestured for them to follow her. Walking to one of those loops to get down to the ground, Kiri handed them both one as she nose dived toward the ground landing nicely after twirling herself up right.
"Where do you think you're going", a voice yelled from behind the group of girls who had started to run off.
It was the Duke looking down at them from a tree limb.
As Katara and Smeller-bee looked helpless Kiri said, "Jet asked us to go and see if any of the fire nation traps are full", Kiri smiled up at him.
"Oh ok", the Duke said as they all turned around and started to run off.
Kiri led the way when she came to a complete stop where right there were many round hot spring holes as steam arose from them.
"Last one in is a monkey pig", Kiri said as they all started to hurry and take off their clothes and ran to the holes as they all shared one big one.
"Oh this feels good", Katara said as she started to bubble the water more with water bending lazily.
"You can say that again", Smeller-bee said.
A few minutes passed of pure silence when a stick snapped making Kiri's head turn to the side as she jumped out of the water, her weapons at hand. Through the bushes came someone known as 'Zuko' as Katara mumbled. Both of them rushed out of the hot spring standing next to Kiri in a ready position to fight as then some of Zuko's crew appeared from all around them with the old man, Iroh, behind Zuko shaking his head.
"I want you guys to tell Jet that everything will be alright, I'll take care of these guys", Kiri said as she spun her weapons around.
"We can't leave you", Smeller-bee said to her.
"It doesn't matter, now go now", Kiri said as she jumped to the side and hit a man in the jaw as she cut someone thinly on the stomach with her weapons.
Katara and Smeller-bee took this time to run away through the gap as Kiri already was dealing with a lot of them. She jumped into the air and hit a tree as she pelted from that dodging a fire ball. Hopping to the ground, she swiped a man shallow on the arm as he fell back. Hitting the ground she was low, breathing hard as she looked up to the boy with the big scar on his eye to his ear. Taking a deep breathe she then cart wheeled behind someone's shoulder and hit another man in the gut when she then dodged another fire ball but then missing by millimeters, another one shot at her. Falling to the ground she saw that she was burnt somewhat on her upper leg. Her short skirt was partially burnt along with her bandages that she wrapped around her legs. Knocking someone over, they fell hard to the ground and she then grabbed a fist thrown at her and pulled him to her as she elbowed him in the face.
To the side she heard from the old man, "Impressive."
Just then she shot back as she felt her sensitive skin burnt by fire as she hit a tree hard and everything started to become blurry as she would not forget the searing pain in her side knowing that she had a broken rib or something. Before she totally blocked out, she saw a figure walk up to her. From then on, everything became dark and black as she then opened her eyes as it seemed like a million years before she opened up her eyes. Kiri shut her eyes tight as she felt pain throb through her body. She then realized that against her face and her open skin, she felt a cold metal floor. Around her wrists and ankles she then tugged to see that she was actually chained to the floor. Opening her eyes quickly she then realized that she had been caught by the young guy from the fire nation. All around her she saw an eerie metal wall or cell bars as there were stairs going up into a lighted area. The room was lighted up by some torches and now she then saw a fire nation guard standing right by the stairs as he shifted his feet.
"Oh shit", she whispered to herself as she achingly started to sit up with the chains getting tighter and cutting into her skin.
Looking down at her injured leg, she saw bandages wrapped around her leg along with her old ones and around her waist she ached the most of where she remembered of breaking some ribs when blasted at a tree. The guard looked down at her as he then walked up the stairs probably going to tell the captain that she had awoken. Not only was she aching because of her ribs but also the hunger for food. Right then she heard loud stomping coming down the stairs as she glanced over to the entrance to watch a very aggressive guy who had injured her, come stomping up to the cage where she sat up and looked down at the metal in front of her legs.
"You finally woke up", he almost growled down at Kiri.
She smirked unable to help it as all the fear that radiated from everyone else in the room was because of this guy.
"Tell me where the avatar is", he commanded to her.
"Oh ok and while I'm at it I think I'll tell you the weaknesses that all of your enemies have or better yet why you still hope to get the avatar", Kiri smiled to herself with her hair covering her face.
"Don't give me back mouth peasant", he yelled at her.
"Oh already lost his temperature, I'll admit that I like to mess with you guys the most because you can be bothered by something that as low as a peasant has said", Kiri said her hands in her lap.
"Shut your mouth peasant", he yelled at her steaming now with steam actually coming off him.
"Man do you use that word on everyone but in the royal palace. You're no different from us peasants", Kiri said to him when everyone took a step back as Zuko hit his last point and shot a fire blast straight at her where smoke raised from the ground that he hit.
Everyone then took a breath as they saw her unhurt where he hit a fireball all around her.
"Wow I wonder how they deal with all of your stupid arrogance", Kiri said when there through the cell slammed open the door as he walked straight up to her and kicked her down pressing his foot hard against her cracked ribs.
She had some pain on her face as she squinted when he pressed down harder just seeming in a really bad mood today along with her on top of it.
"I will restore my honor and I'll make sure when I become king to wipe out all of you peasants", he growled down to her as she tried to pry his foot off her ribs that were radiating pain now.
She coughed hard as she gasped for breathe as he walked out of her cell and slammed it again stomping up the steps. Kiri rolled over on her stomach as she was already bleeding on her wrists for pulling on the metal cuffs so hard. Laying her head down softly onto the cold metal floor, she zoned out as she couldn't sleep because of the pain. It seemed a day or so had passed as she just lay emotionless on the floor looking at the cell bars that seemed to cast a shadow on her. As another morning past with some loud racket above she heard someone start to walk down the steps lightly. Kiri moved her gaze over to the entrance and then saw that same old man as she knew was a retired well known General Iroh. He walked to the cell door as the guard unlocked it for him and in he came holding a tray of something.
"What do I hold of this honor", she asked up to him with a strand of hair falling over her face.
"Ha ha well I just came here to bring some tea and apologize for the damage that my nephew has caused to you", Iroh said as he sat down across from her.
"It's ok all he did was break my ribs and cause lack of breath but nothing serious", she said up to him making him rub the back of his head.
"My nephew can be hard at times but when you get to know him, well he can be a good guy", Iroh said as she saw that on the tray was a tea pot and two tea cups.
"Wow, I'm honored to be able to drink tea with the legendary General Iroh", she said to him as he smiled down to her pouring tea in a cup.
"I've tried to bribe Zuko into letting you come free but it seems that the first impression wasn't the best", Iroh said sliding the tea cup to her.
She smirked to him and said, "I understand where he's at and why he has done what he has done. Though I must say that I'm so glad that you were by his side, he wouldn't of made it without you", Kiri said as she slid her chained hand to the tea cup when she squinted as she didn't reach out for the cup as the wounds around her wrists hurt too much.
Iroh didn't say anything as he sipped his tea peacefully.
"You're a very well trained fighter, where have you learned", Iroh said to her.
"Thanks… I learned after my village was burnt down by the fire nation and my loved ones were taken away from me. I started a group called the Freedom Fighters and there I learned what I know today", Kiri explained having to take a small break before telling him her past.
"I'm sorry to hear that, but please do understand that not all fire nation are bad", Iroh said to her standing up and sliding her tea cup closer to her hand.
"I know, I mean there's you", Kiri said smiling to him.
"Yeah", he smiled to her as he walked out of the cell leaving her there to lie on the cold metal floor.
As sleep finally took her away she scrunched up into a ball and unknowing tears started to trail down her face as a small puddle was created below her face. The guard tried looking away as he could not bear to see the sight. Kiri scrunched up as much as she could as she reopened her wounds on her wrist letting them bleed freely. The guard glanced at her as he couldn't take it and walked up the stairs quickly as she then looked up to see the room empty. Right then she sat up and with one huge tug she snapped the chains from the wall as she had planned this for so long. Jumping up to her feet, she squeezed right through the bars with the thing of not eating. Slipping up the stairs quietly she wrapped the long chains that wouldn't come off her wrists, wrapped around her arm as she could use them as a weapon until she got her other weapons. Stopping at an empty hallway, she ran left as she bust onto the deck but what made her stop in her tracks was that she saw that there was no land around but the open ocean. Her heart dropped as she realized that she had no hope now. Just then she heard from the door that she bust through some yelling and footsteps heading straight for her. She took the few seconds that she had to get away from the door to run to the end of the boat unwrapping the metal chains around her arm. Kiri watched as many of the guards came up and surrounded her with a grumpy Zuko walking up slowly to her.
"Do you really think that you could escape from my boat you stupid peasant", he growled at her?
"I think I'll die with some pride which I have and you say you don't", Kiri said to him as she started to spin the chain around herself.
He glared at her for this as his fists lit up with fire. Kiri stood still when she swung the chain at him where he hit it away but was hit to the ground by her fist as she made contact with his stomach making him soar into the lined up guards.
"Move fools", Zuko yelled at the people trying to help him up as then Kiri swung the chain down to his feet and grabbed his foot with the chain as she pulled it and there as he soared to her, she stepped out of the way, as she grabbed his collar before hitting the wall. Just then as he swung his fire blasted arm behind him, she ducked and cart wheeled away when she found a guard pin down her chains with a sword making her able to move around about a seven foot radius. Zuko turned to her as he smirked seeing her try and escape from the cuffs. Her hands were now dripping blood from her injured wrists. As he came up to her she tried throwing a kick at him but found that she couldn't reach him yet.
"See just trapped again", he said to her when she glared up at him and shooting him back into the metal side wall she blew a huge wave of wind at him surprising them all.
She then fell to her knees as she held her bloody wrists which seemed to be cut to the bone almost.
"You're an air bender", someone said to the side.
Trying one more time with great force she ripped one the chains but only causing her to hurt more.
"That explains your open mind", said a voice walking over to her as she saw Iroh looking down to her with her eyes with fresh tears about to spill.
She tried standing up again as she held back her tears when she side stepped watching as Zuko was about to attack her again but instead actually fell off the ship into the wavy ocean in the middle of winter.
"Zuko", Iroh screamed as he ran to the side of the ship but before anyone could do anything, a blur ran past them and straight into the ocean as they saw that it was Kiri.
Kiri's head reappeared as not ten feet away Zuko started to sink as she dove under the water and grabbed Zuko as she struggled to keep him above water since he seemed to have lost conscious. Kiri gave all her strength up as she blasted herself and Zuko back onto the boat as they landed roughly and skidding to a stop a Zuko started to come to it again as Iroh set over his shoulders his over cloth as he stood back up shivering as Kiri stood back up now wet, bloody wrists and shivering uncontrollably as her teeth started to chatter. Her breathe was seen as she couldn't help but fall back down to her knees holding herself up with her hands as she was pure white looking almost sick as she had goose bumps everywhere.
Someone was about to set a blanket down on her shoulders when Zuko's commanding voice wrung out as he said, "Let her be cold, maybe she'll learn her lesson."
Many were hesitant on this as a guard came up and helped Kiri up and onto her feet as he led her back to her cell. She walked through her cell door as she went onto her knees and laid on her stomach shivering on the floor as she was in a new cell room as there were new chains and everything as the two guards grabbed the chains from the walls and locked them onto her feet and came to her wrists as they unlocked the chains that were already on her wrists as it showed cuts deeply carved into her flesh as they then locked the new locks on her wrists. Kurai was left in her cell as she sat there still soaking wet on the freezing metal floor.
Two days passed as she just sat there in her drenched clothes as she refused to eat her food and there was no appearances from anyone accept the usual guards watching her or giving her, her food that she never would touch.
As a new day started and Kurai's eyes were almost glazed over as her clothes seemed to have finally dried, coming down the stairs Kurai's eyes gazed to as she saw the old man Iroh. He looked down to her as he looked away saying down to her walking to the cell door waiting for it to be opened for him.
"I have bribed Zuko to let you come out of your cell, we can go have some tea while watching his morning training lessons", Iroh said down to her as he seemed to have to look somewhere else so that he wouldn't look at the pitiful state that she seemed to be in on the floor.
"Guards can you please unlock her cuffs", Iroh asked to them as they nodded and walked into her cell as they knelt down unlocking her feet chains and her wrists chains as she then laid there unmoving.
Iroh was for once questionable about what he'd do as then a movement came from her as he watched her struggle up to her knees as she tried standing up but fell to her side as she then tried again being successful as she stood up having a hand holding onto the cell bars to help her stay up.
"Why don't we head onto the deck where you can get some fresh air", Iroh said to her.
She still said nothing as some of her hair covered her face as he led the way out and up the stairs with her trailing somewhat behind not walking for many days.
"Kurai this way", Iroh said to her as she followed him up on more pair of stairs as she felt a gust of wind blow her hair up into the air as her pale white skin felt the sun rays hit her face.
In the middle of the deck was Zuko as he was sparring with a guard as he had only a sleeveless shirt with his regular pants. Kurai walked straight over to where there was a little table with chairs sat up as she saw tea already set out for three people. Sitting down so she was looking to the ocean yet still could see Zuko in half her vision. Iroh sat nearest to the ocean as he watched Zuko sipping his tea.
"Tea is known to calming the mind, wouldn't you think so too", Iroh asked to Kurai who only looked to him and nodded.
"Zuko take a break from your training and come have some tea", Iroh called over to Zuko who looked over to him and started to walk over to them.
Kurai immediately tensed up as she felt him come close and then sit down next to her as he glanced over at her as she just looked into the ocean where she then lowered her head into her lap. Kurai reached for her tea as then all went quiet right there as everyone saw her wrists for being torn trying to heal flesh with dry and even new blood on it.
"You have improved much in your techniques lately", Iroh smiled to him.
Kurai sipped her tea as she glanced to see Zuko nodding his head as he glanced back over at her wrists where she set her cup back down and tried covering them up with her skirt.
Zuko saw this and said to her, "You're weak", since it's the only thing that could come to his mind that wasn't nice at all.
Kurai just lowered her head more and for the first time came out almost a whisper as she said, "You're right."
Zuko was taken back by this as Iroh just sipped his tea.
"But usually the weak are the ones who see and feel the real pain of true brutality thus making them stronger", Kurai explained.
"No the weak are just weak", Zuko said to her.
She turned straight to him having more force in her voice as she said, "And you know this because you're thrown in a cell strapped to the floor soaked to the bone in the middle of winter and below freezing with ribs that still haven't healed. Yes please tell me all about brutality Prince Zuko", Kurai asked to him?
He was silent at this as he growled looking down into his lap as his hands went into fists as he said, "I got this scar after believing in what was right from my own father and was soon banished from him."
"Wow that's really bad I mean you got banished from your whole nation and having this false hope to capture the avatar when he has already mastered most of the elements", Kurai said to Zuko.
"You know what, you don't even know. You probably lived with your family and had great memories and had loved ones that you could call yours", Zuko said to her.
Kurai was so outraged as she stood up so suddenly she almost hit the table as she almost yelled down to Zuko, "You have no clue what I have been through. My father was abusive and my mother was never home. The street was my home and when your fire nation attacked my home, I was raped constantly by many of your so called soldiers. I was abused and hurt so much that I can't bear to talk about it."
Kurai was still for a second as she shook her head and almost whispered saying, "You have no clue what brutality really means."
Kurai turned away from him as she couldn't help but run away and straight back through the door and disappeared from sight.
"I'm guessing you wish her to stay in her cell for another few days until she talks. Fear works but also kindness can even work", Iroh said to his nephew.
Zuko stood up as he walked away leaving his uncle there sipping his tea.
Noon soon fell upon them all as Zuko couldn't help but walk down to her cell with her hooked swords as he then walked down straight to her cell awaking the sleeping guard that was suppose to be watching her as he saw her lay there down on the ground looking the other way. The guard opened the door for him as he walked in with her weapons in his hands. As he stood over her he actually took a step back as he saw coming from her a shake as she still looked to the other wall.
"Hey get up", Zuko commanded down to her as he looked down at her pure white body.
Surprising him she actually started to get up and she just looked down at Zuko's feet.
He was speechless when he said, "Come up to the upper deck so you can show me how you use these things."
"No", she bluntly said as she still looked down to the ground.
"What did you say to me", Zuko said to her.
"I said no, there's not much worse you can do to me other then kill me and I've realized that I'm not needed anymore so please do us both the favor and end my life", Kurai asked to him.
"What", he almost stuttered.
"Come on you must have killed many by now trying to find the avatar so why don't you take another life", Kurai explained to him.
"I won't", he said almost like a rebellious child.
"Watch it Prince Zuko, your cover may be broken through", Kurai said to him.
"Shut up and get up we're going on deck", Zuko said to her.
"I'd love to but you see I can barely feel my hands so I can't fight", Kurai said to him.
"We'll get someone to heal your hands", he said to her.
"That doesn't seem like oh so terrifying Zuko actually helping someone to health to just soon throw them in a cell chained to the floor. That seems more like teasing for false hope wouldn't you say so", Kurai asked to him?
He didn't answer as he signaled the guard to come over and unlock her chains. The guard did so but Kurai still didn't stand up.
"Let's go, you need some exercise", Zuko said down to her.
"Great is it like a last request, well then I guess I can play along but I'm going to need bandages for my wrists before hand", Kurai said to him.
"Fine", he said turning his back to her and he turned away from her as he started to walk up the steps.
He paused as he didn't feel Kurai following him and he glanced behind him to see Kurai standing up but swaying back and forth somewhat as she seemed like she just started to walk.
"Let's go", Zuko repeated to her as she started to follow him.
He walked up the steps and onto the deck as Kurai trailed shortly behind him as he still held her two hooked weapons in his hands.
"Here come over here and sit down so someone can heal your wounds", Zuko instructed her as she looked up at the bright sun.
"What brilliant light", Kurai said looking up at the sun.
"It's just the sun", Zuko said back to her.
"I see it as the light source to all living things and the help to those who need it to grow", Kurai said to Zuko as she passed by him and sat down where he told her to against the side of the ship.
"Oh my well it's so nice to see you out", said a voice who they saw as Iroh.
A crew member came over to her as they had bandages and some type of ointment in the other hand. He kneeled in front of Kurai and took her left hand first as he set the bandages down and took the ointment that he spread over two fingers and started to rub it on her wound when Kurai shot back holding her hand with her other hand.
"I'm fine with just the bandages", Kurai said as she grabbed the roll of bandages and started to wrap her wrists as she winced every once and a while. Finishing she handed it back to the crewman after giving a small thanks as she then stood up straight.
"Ready to get your butt kicked", Kurai asked to Zuko.
"Like that would happen", he said as he threw her hooked weapons to her.
Kurai swung the two weapons in her hands as she brought them up to her eyes as she said, "My blades have dulled."
"I can get it-", Zuko started to say when she threw both her weapons up in the air and in a quick hand movement she brought one hand straight up with the other straight down.
Her weapons fell back into her hands as she took them back up to her eyes as she questioned it and took her finger as she slid it across the blade making Zuko be a little taken a back.
"I guess it will do", Kurai said to herself.
"So are you just going to use fire bending or will you be using those daggers of yours", Kurai asked to him?
"How did you know", Zuko asked to her shocked?
"Well first your body strength goes a lot to your arms and can not only be just fire bending. Also you move softly and quickly not taking a second to change your step. The main thing I noticed is that you don't have a sway as you stay standing in one spot for a while. That means that you are very careful with your blade and make sure that you do only what you mean to do and not have an accident", Kurai said to him.
"Great observations", Iroh chuckled to her.
"Why thank you general Iroh", Kurai smiled to him.
From behind Kurai came a few crew members as she turned to them questionable.
"We can't have you running off so I thought of putting you on a collar", Zuko said to her.
"What that's just not fair. It's like playing with your food before you kill it", Kurai said as she struggled to get out of the crew men's grip as they strapped around her neck a black collar.
"Zuko isn't this going a little over board", Iroh asked to the side.
"This way she can't fly away", Zuko said back to Iroh.
The crew men finally strapped the collar on tight as Kurai fell to her knees trying to get the collar off along with the long chain strapped to the collar being somewhat lose as the other end was strapped to the railing of the boat.
"Zuko stop this", Iroh yelled at Zuko when Kurai stood up shakily with her two weapons.
"No it's ok, I understand since these are probably my last time to see the day light so I'll make it fun for both of us", Kurai said standing up shakily with her two weapons.
She then ran straight at Zuko as she raised her weapons up hitting his daggers. Just then he was swept off his feet as she took the chain connected to her collar and swung it under his feet making him trip. Quickly she jumped from him and landed next to her chain as Zuko got up now running at her. She took her hooked weapons and set them in front of herself as she blocked his straight on attacks as she then jumped to the ground missing as she tried to kick him off his feet. Right then she felt her legs taken and thrown to the side as she flipped to the ground in time as she held onto her chain loosely so she couldn't choke herself.
"Already giving up", Zuko asked to her?
"No, I've just gotten started", she said as she stood up and there she dropped her weapons as she looked down to her hands.
"It seems I can't hold a weapon now so I'll just use my air bending", she said as she then jumped back as she threw what was blades of air at him.
He dodged it but noticed that it had nicked his pants.
"Oh you're good", Kiri said when she jumped up into the air and then slammed back down to the ground as she hit the ground making a roar of wind push Zuko off his feet.
Just then she made a fist and punched the air blocking fire balls aimed at herself. Hurriedly she then slipped to the side as she pulled quickly up to her feet kicking an air ball at Zuko coming straight at him with what was a torpedo hand that could cut through anything. He quickly blocked the air ball and he then did a spiral on his hand as well except with fire running at her. They were feet apart when she then realized what she was doing. She wouldn't kill someone or harm someone just because they forced her to. With all of her skill she took the spiral off of her hand as Zuko and her made contact. They stood facing each other as his hand was found logged deep into her stomach. Kurai's hand was set right over his heart as she started to become numb.
"Why did you stop, you could have killed me and escaped", Zuko said as they looked straight past each other's shoulders.
"I won't kill someone even if that means the death of myself", Kurai said when there a stream of blood streamed down her lip as he took his hand and pulled it straight out of her stomach seeing that he created a large terrible looking hole.
Kurai looked up into the sky as it was beautiful seeing a few seagulls fly above along with the soft sound of the waves. She then lost the feeling in her legs as she fell straight down to her knees going down to laying on her back.
"Oh it seems like I'm finally going to die today", Kurai said to no one in particular.
Her eyes slowly shut as she looked up to a blurry vision of Zuko's horrified face looking down upon her. Then it all went dark.