Kai and Zuko stood facing each other on the deck. They were both in fighting stances. Kai moved to side kick him, however Zuko was faster. He easily dodged her kick and spun around to roundhouse kick her back. Kai fell over on her face. She rolled over, furious. And kicked his legs out from under him, making him fall on his ass.
She crawled over to him and sat on his stomach, straddling him.
"I win!" Kai said, smiling. Zuko smirked and pushed her off and rolled over on top of her.
"Not anymore." Zuko said. Kai moved to push him off, but he pinned her arms down.
"Can't you just let me win? Once?" Kai, whined.
"Nope." Zuko said. Kai laid there, slightly out breath. She stared up at his golden eyes.
'He looks kind of...hot' Kai thought to herself. 'No! He's your friend! And a prince! ' Kai mentally scolded herself for having such thoughts, but she found her eyes lingering to his bare muscular chest. Her cheeks turned pink and she looked away.
Zuko stared down at his friend. Her hair was tousled and she was out of breath. He watched as her cheeks turned pink and she turned her head away from him. His eyes wandered down her body, but quickly averted his gaze. He got up off of her and he felt his face get hot. He looked across the deck to see a group of guards staring at him and Kai.
"What are you looking at?! Get back to work!" Zuko barked, angrily. He got up and stomped off, forgetting about his friend.
Kai got up from the floor awkwardly and walked after him. Zuko was standing by the railing looking out at the ocean. Kai stood next to him in silence.
"Zuk-" Kai started. She was cut off by Zuko covering her mouth with his hand. He peered through his telescope and saw a falling flare from one of the old ships. He shifted his view and saw a figure hopping down the ship and the ice which encases it to the ground below, a girl in his arms.
"The last airbender. Quite agile for his old age." Zuko says in a low voice. "Wake my uncle! Tell him I found the Avatar..." Zuko briefly looked away from the telescope to command the crew. Zuko looks back into his telescope to see the two running across the ice away from the ship. He scans the area a sees a nearby village.
"...as well as his hiding place." Zuko stated.
"The south pole..." Kai muttered under her breath. She walked away from Zuko and hurried to her room. She hadn't been to the South Pole since she was a child. Her mother was from the South Pole... And her daughter shows up helping the fire nation capture the avatar. Kai entered her room and shut the door behind her. She hoped that they wouldn't recognize her. Or that she wouldn't have to use her bending.
She rubbed the back of her neck and walked over to her drawer to change into some warmer clothes.
Zuko turned around to share his pride with his friend, but she was gone. He walked over to one of the nearby soldiers and spun them around to face him.
"Where did Kai go?" Zuko asked.
"I think she went to her room. She looked troubled sir." The soldier replied.
Zuko turned around and made his way towards her room.
'Of course she'd be troubled. She used to visit the South Pole...and now she'll be there again...with the fire nation...' Zuko thought to himself. When reached her room he immediately opened the door. She was lying on her bed staring up at the ceiling. She was dressed differently. She had on a gray long sleeve shirt and vest with brown pants. Her hair was pulled back into a bun and boots were sitting beside her bed.
Kai turned her head and saw Zuko standing there. She immediately sat up and smiled.
"Hey." Kai said.
"I know you're worried." Zuko announced. He sat on the edge of her bed and turned towards her.
"...Kind of." Kai replied. "I would prefer if I went unnoticed but I doubt that'll happen."
"It'll be fine." Zuko said. Kai looked at him and smiled.
"Yeah...you're right." Kai said, standing up. "I should stop being such a girl."
Zuko stood up and the two of then walked out onto the deck.
They were approaching the South Pole. The ship broke through an ice barrier and comes to a slow halt. Steam wafts up from where the bow has split the ice.
A group of villagers have emerged from their shelters and stare in horror and amazement at the ship. With a noise of metal on metal the bowsprit of the ship opens and folds out onto the village's floor. The bowsprit has become a huge gangplank. As the steam clears from the top of the bowsprit, Zuko, Kai, and a host of Fire Nation soldiers walk down the gangplank.
Kai looks around at the familiar setting and sees a boy with a wolf tail ponytail get up and charge at Zuko and her with an adolescent war cry. Kai steps out of the way and Zuko casually and expertly kicks his weapon out of his hand and kicks him in the face, sending him sprawling on the ice. The villagers draw back in fear as Zuko and Kai walk forward to address the village. Zuko looked over the crowd, then walked over to Katara and an elderly woman.
"Where are you hiding him?" Zuko shouts. He grabs the woman and shows her to the villagers. "He'd be about this age? Master of all elements"
After a brief pause, he throws the woman roughly back to the crowd. With a cry of frustration he launches a gout of flame over the villager's heads. The villagers cowered in fear.
"I know you're hiding him!" Zuko yelled.
"Zuko! It's obvious they don't know anything!" Kai whispered to him. Zuko was about to respond until he heard someone yell behind him.
Sokka is charging at Zuko with another cry. Zuko turned to him in annoyance on his face. He dodges Sokka's charges and flips him over his head. Zuko fires a blast of flame at Sokka, but Sokka rolls out of the way, throwing his boomerang at Zuko as he does. Zuko barely avoids the boomerang. He turns to look back in anger at Sokka over the near miss. A little boy in the crowd throws him a spear.
"Show no fear!" The little boy yelled.
Sokka catches the spear and charges this time at Kai who steps out of the way. Sokka stumbles and almost falls but catches himself. Kai draws water from the ground and water whips Sokka, causing him to fall. He sits up, eyes wide.
"You're a waterbender!" Sokka announces.
The villagers stare at Kai in shock and whisper among themselves. Sokka stands up and throws the spear at Kai. Zuko catches the spear before it could impale her. He walks towards Sokka, breaking the spear into pieces. Once he reaches Sokka he bonks him with the remainder of the spear several times.
Sokka sinks to the ground, rubbing his head. Zuko standing sternly over him. In the sky in the the boomerang reappears and slams Zuko in the back of the head, knocking his helmet off. Furious, Zuko begins to spit fire out of his hands as he hovers menacingly over Sokka. Behind him, Aang skyrockets towards the village on a penguin, staff in hand. He flies right under Zuko, sweeping his legs out from under him. Zuko lands butt up and his helmet lands perfectly on his behind.
Kai covers her mouth in shock and begins to giggle. The children cheer as Aang reaches the villagers. The penguin slides to a halt and it pushes Aang off. The penguin gets up, looks at Aang, and then turns and waddles away.
"Hey Katara. Hey Sokka." Aang said.
"Hi...Aang. Thanks for comin'." Sokka says, dryly.
Zuko gets to his feet and assuming a firebending stance. Kai has moved to stand behind ready to serve as back up. Aang is at the ready with his staff, surrounded by Zuko and his men. They begin to close in, but Aang blows the men on either side of him backwards with blasts of air. He blasts Zuko as well, but he holds his ground, shielding his face from the wind.
"Looking for me?" Aang asks.
"You're the airbender? You're the Avatar?" Zuko asks incredulously. Even Kai is startled by the unusual turn of events.
"Aang?" Katara says.
"No way." Sokka whispers.
"I've spent years preparing for this encounter. Training. Meditating. You're just a child!" Zuko yells.
"Well, you're just a teenager." Aang replies. Zuko fires blast after blast. Aang cries out. He is hard pressed, fear showing on his face. Aang dissipates each blast as it strikes by twirling his staff in front of him like a helicopter blade. This doesn't block the fire from reaching the villagers, though, and they cry out. Aang looks behind to them, realizing he can't protect them all.
"If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?" Aang asks.
After a brief pauses Zuko straightens up and nods stiffly. One of the soldiers take his staff and leads him onto the ship.
"No, Aang! Don't do this!" Katara begged.
"Don't worry, Katara, it'll be okay." Aang said. "Take care of Appa for me until I get back." The soldiers pushed Aang forward roughly.
As they were about to board the ship a little boy in the crowd threw a snowball at Kai, hitting the back of he shirt.
"She's a traitor!" The little boy yelled.
Kai paused briefly, but then continued walking onto the ship.
"You look just like your mother you know." A voice said from the crowd.
Kai turned around slowly and meets a set of familiar eyes. It was the elderly woman who Zuko was throwing around earlier.
"It would break her heart seeing you right now." The elderly woman started. "You've become a traitor to this tribe. She'd be disappointed."
Kai looked away from the old woman and Zuko stepped forward. He threw a blast of fire at the old woman which she just barely dodged.
"Watch your tongue!" Zuko yelled at the woman. "Head a course to the Fire Nation. We're going home."
They board the ship and the bowsprit rises back up. Aang, hands bound behind him, faces Zuko, Iroh and a bunch of guards.
"This staff will make an excellent gift for my father. I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks." Zuko said. "Take the Avatar to the prison hold. And take this to my quarters." Zuko shoved the staff in his uncle's direction and Iroh takes the staff.
"Come with me." Zuko says, grabbing Kai's arm and dragging her with him.
"Where are we going?!" Kai asked as they walk down the hall.
Zuko goes to an isolated corner and turns to face her.
"Are you alright? Zuko asked.
"Zuko, I'm fine." Kai sighed. "It's not like I didn't expect this t-" Kai was cut off by then sounds of fighting. "Let's continue this talk later."
Zuko thought for a second then nodded. Kai turned and walked back down the hall to the deck.
Zuko is waiting in his room behind his door for the avatar. He heard that he escaped and he would no doubt be looking for his staff.
"My staff!" Aang yelled from outside the door. As he enters Zuko shuts the door behind him.
"Looks like I underestimated you." Zuko said as he came out from the shadows. After a brief pause, Zuko begins blasting fire at Aang. He is terrified and can barely dodge his blasts. Aang rolls underneath Zuko to get behind him. Zuko turns around to face Aang and shoots blasts of fire continuously. Aang extinguishes each fireball with his airbending. He rides around the walls and ceiling of the room on an air scooter, all the time getting licked by the gouts of flame Zuko unleashes at him. Aang grabs a tapestry off the wall and wraps Zuko up in it as he passes. While Zuko struggles against the tapestry, Aang is able to grab his staff. Zuko breaks his bonds and they once again square off against each other. After a few seconds of maneuvering, Aang airbends a mattress up off the floor and slams it into Zuko. The mattress propels Zuko into the opposite wall. He is smashed into it and he falls to the ground, onto the mattress. When Zuko regains his composure Aang is gone.
Kai is on the deck meditating when she hears the deck hatch open. She immediately stands up and sees Aang airbend himself on to the bridge from below. Aang rushes forward out on to the observation deck. Kai chases after him as he opens his glider and begins to soar. Kai creates a water arm and wraps around Aang's leg and pulls. Behind her is Zuko, ready to square of with Aang yet again. Aang's look of fear is tempered as he turns over his shoulder to see Appa up in the sky gaining on Zuko's ship.
"What is that?" Kai asks.
"Appa!" Aang yells excitedly. Aang turns back just in time to use his staff to block a fire blast from Zuko. He uses his staff as a helicopter to escape the blasts and comes back down on the edge of the deck, almost falling overboard. Zuko throws several fire blasts until Aang's staff is knocked out of his hand and he falls overboard.
"Aang! No!" Katara yelled hysterically. "Aang! Aang! AANG!"
Kai watches in shock as the water begins to glow white and the young boy rises out of the water. His tattoos were the source of the glow. Around him, a mighty whirlpool of water began to form. Aang was at the center of a now monstrous, inverted tornado of water is propelled toward the surface at amazing speed. He broke the surface in front of the ship, towering high over the bridge atop his swirling maelstrom of water.
Kai and Zuko look up at the swirling column of water.
"Holy Sh-" Kai is cut of by a giant shockwave of water sending the whole crew overboard.
Kai searches around in the water for Zuko. Once she finds him she she swims over to him.
"This kid means business." Kai said, out of breath. Zuko climbed up the side of the boat with Kai close behind.
Zuko grabbed onto one end of Aang's staff, Sokka was holding the other. Sokka hits Zuko in the head with the staff three times and Zuko lets go and begins to fall to the water below. However he grabs the anchor chain in time, hanging on with one hand.
"Well that could've gone better." Kai said, sarcastically. Zuko scowls at her in response. Kai sticks out her tongue and splashes a small wave water in his face using her waterbending. Zuko glares at her, furious and shoots a blast of fire at her. Kai dodges the flame, but she loses her grip and falls in the water below.
"Kai!" Zuko calls out to her. "Are you alright?" Kai's head pops out of the water and she nods.
Iroh's head sticks out over the railing and his face lights up when he sees us. He helps Zuko back up onto the ship while Kai uses her waterbending.
"Shoot them down!" Zuko yells. Kai looks up in the sky and see a flying bison soar through the sky at a rapid speed with 3 kids on its back. Zuko and Iroh launch a massive bolt of fire at Appa in unison. Aang airbends a gale that sends the fireball at away from Appa and into a nearby ice cliff. The fireball explodes, releasing a huge amount of ice from the cliff wall which falls into the narrow channel that Zuko's ship is navigating. Zuko gasps in horror as the bow of the ship and the entire channel is blocked up under an avalanche of ice.
"Good news for the Fire Lord. The nation's greatest threat is just a little kid." Iroh states.
"That kid, Uncle, just did this." Zuko yells, motioning to the avalanche of ice the ship is buried in. "I won't underestimate him again. Dig this ship out and follow them!" Zuko stomps away from the deck down the hallway, disappointed with his defeat. Kai hesitantly runs after him.
"Zuko!" Kai called out. Zuko keeps walking and ignores her. "Zuko?" Zuko turned around swiftly and fire shoots from his fists.
"What?!" He shouted. His face was twisted in anger and annoyance. Kai stood frozen in place from shock and fear.
"I...Uhm...Never mind..." She stammered. Kai quickly turned on her heels and bolted away.
"Kai! Wait!" Zuko called out. He didn't mean to scare her. He sighed heavily and slid down the side of the wall. He buried his face in his hands.
"I messed up..."
SORRY! NOT MUCH HAPPENING IN THIS ONE EXCEPT TOWARDS THE END. THE FILE ACCIDENTALLY DELETED! TWICE! SO I HAD TO RESTART! I'LL TRY TO BE QUICK WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER!
ZUKY Thanks! I figured he wouldn't be as rude to his friend :
Guest Sorry! My bad! :P I forgot