Life is filled with connections and separations. Our peace is effected by how we deal with our separations. The wise live preparing to have no regrets.
-Faye Jones
Iroh and Zuko's greeting at camp was not so welcome. Aang had no problem with it he actually invited the idea, but Sokka's opinion was the opposite, and if you were to ask him about it he would just swear he hated all firenation people.
Katara eventually convinced him to calm down, or you could say she threatened him…she simply told him, "If you don't calm down, you won't have dinner."
"That's low Katara, threatening me with food," Sokka sucked his teeth and folded his skinny brown arms.
"Okay," Katara picked up Sokka's bowl of soup and began to dump it in the dirt, very, very slowly, to build tension, of course. Sokka stared at the food falling to the ground with his mouth wide open. Slobber slowly started to drizzle from the corners of his mouth. He'd rather Keep his mouth shut, than go hungry.
"Okay, just gimme that food!" Sokka pounced onto the ground and snatched the bowl out of Katara's skinny fingers and hurriedly began to sip the soup.
They sat around the campfire on small brown logs. If there was one thing Zuko came in handy for was making a fire, Katara had to admit.
Once Katara had finished making the extra soup for their guest she handed out the bowls. The soup was brown, with small chunks in it. It didn't look very good at all. She passed the bowl to Zuko and he eyeballed suspiciously with his amber eyes. Katara watched him and chuckled.
"I'm not going to poison you, if that's what you're wondering," Katara held out the bowl further and he hesitantly took it. He peered over at his uncle who was stuffing the warm soup down like he hadn't had a warm meal in months, which was partially true.
Zuko placed the rim of the bowl to his small pink lips. He slowly sipped it barely making a sound and as the soup slipped past his tongue and down his throat he was shocked that it wasn't bad, it was actually quite good. He pushed the bowl further in his mouth and sipped the warm vegetable soup. He gazed above the edge of his bowl which was now firmly in his mouth, Sokka was sitting across from Zuko and glared daggers at him with a look of disgust, Zuko had no problem returning the "favor". Zuko removed the bowl from in between his lips, and glared at Sokka with a slight scowl. The whole dinner was in cold silence. When they were all finished eating the warm soup Katara collected the red china bowls.
"Aang your turn for dishes," Katara shoved the dishes on his lap and averted her gaze to Iroh. He was sitting on a red wool blanket and it appeared he was in deep thought the way he stroked his white beard. She called his name to get his attention, he looked at her and she pointed to her sleeping bag, "I wanna show you the book…it looks firenation." Katara walked to her blue sleeping bag and dug inside. Under the fur of the trim was the burgundy and gold book. She skimmed through the pages until she reached the page of the writing. She wallowed back to Iroh rereading the characters written on the pages, they were the same. Katara thought that if the Chinese characters could change once they could change again.
"Here it is," Katara handed the book to Iroh and he silently read the words to himself. He stroked his beard.
He called to Zuko, "Come see this, nephew" Zuko sauntered over from the fire and knelt beside him with Katara standing over him. As his eyes looked at the characters they started to morph again, into a phrase.
Katara gasped in surprise, "The only other time I've seen that happen was when I looked at it…" Iroh chuckled, "I told you, Miss. Katara and my nephew are destined friends." Iroh called over to Toph who was lying on her sleeping bag she smiled in response. Sokka and Aang overheard.
Sokka was carving a piece of wood into a snail monkey with his boomerang and cut of his head when he heard that, and his ears literally started to let of white steamy puffs of smoke and his face turned into a crimson red. Aang felt something within himself, and it wasn't a feeling he was used to…he decided having Zuko around was going to take some getting used to.
Katara read the characters aloud, "In the night you will see, the deserted place you're meant to be, a long forgotten rode, on the Island of Chen Bo,"
"Great we're solving a riddle…what are we scavenger hunters?!" Zuko threw his hands up in frustration, and let them down so his head could rest on them.
"Actually the characters are pretty straight forward…it's not a riddle, its saying that during the night we need to find a place that is deserted on Chen Bo Island." Katara knelt down beside Zuko, "see its simple." She finished
"She is right nephew, I think that we should start tonight, the island can't be far. We are in Chen Pow, so it's along the Chen islands." Iroh commented. His fat fingers closed the book and handed it to Katara and stood up. Zuko stood up with him and the grass parted with his step.
"We need a map, uncle," Zuko opened their burlap sack and opened a brown and blue map. The brown represented land and the blue represented water.
Zuko pointed his thick pale finger at the island labeled Chen Pow, "We are here," he let his finger drop south to a smaller island that read Chen Bo. The words were almost completely scratched off. "Here is where we need to go it'll only be about a 5 minute ride on that white beast."
"It'll seem like 5 hours with firenation scum!" Sokka yelled angrily across the camp to Zuko and he stood up, to make himself seem like more of a threat.
"You know what, I'm not going to put up with your insolence! You will shut up or I'll make you shut up, you incompetent vagabond!"
"You can't make me shut up!" Sokka stuck his slender pink tongue between his lips as if to taunt Zuko with his childish behavior.
Zuko approached him and reached out his hands and grabbed for his throat. Katara quickly stood in front of Zuko. Iroh cleared his throat and Zuko glanced at him, Iroh was shaking his head and the firebender reluctantly backed down.
"And, Its appa," Katara corrected, Zuko gave her a questioning look, "The white beast is Appa," he nodded in acknowledgement. She then jogged over to Aang causing small dirt particles to fall onto the back of her shoe, "You up for the ride, Aang? It is your choice." Aang looked up at her, he was sitting with his back rested on a brown and green moss covered tree. Katara held out a hand to help him up.
"Sure, we can solve the mystery! And Iroh can start on my firebending lessons tomorrow!" Aangs face lit up like a light bulb.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, this is just the first step," Katara laughed at his eagerness
Aang reached up to grab her hand and she lifted him up.
Like Zuko estimated it only took 5minutes. There was a small dirt path with blue and red stones placed on it. Katara and Zuko took lead the path was small and the trees grew up and over branching together with opposite trees making a makeshift canopy. It blocked out the moon light. The road was pitch dark. Zuko snapped his finger and blew the fire at his fingertips to give it fuel.
"I guess this is the road…" Aang looked around Zuko's light barely reached where he was walking so he trotted closer.
Katara looked to the ground and studied the stones. They were embedded into the dirt floor like someone purposely placed them there and the pattern was consistent. A red stone in the middle and four blue stones surrounding it, to Katara it seemed it had deeper meaning, but Katara said nothing the colors were too coincidental to their situation. A night ocean breeze flowed through the trees like honey flows through milk. Katara's skirt tugged along her legs and slightly rolled up from the breeze. Zuko's baggy green pants defined his masculine legs as the wind temporarily eliminated the excess pants.
Up ahead there was a green sign with gold letters the green was worn and the golden letters were almost impossible to read. Zuko got closer to the sign and placed a hand on it, he wiped off the dust and his gold eyes squinted to read it, 'Chen Bo.'
"We're here," he looked up at the deserted city. It was dim and small lanterns illuminated part of the city. The buildings looked old and the green paint was faint and dirty. The streets had small cracks in them giving it a deserted look. And to make things look even more deserted, an uncanny fog filled the whole city, but even stranger it didn't reach the path they were on.
"Who's going first?" Katara asked as she studied the isolated city. Zuko walked past the green sign and off of the dirt and stone road. He stepped onto the street of Chen Bo and felt a chill run down his spine. Katara timidly followed.
Aang and Iroh, Sokka and Toph followed behind them. As the group passed the green sign and tried to step onto the city streets the found that they were unable to. They approached the street and it seemed as if a force field were blocking their path, they felt along the the force field, it felt like a invisible wall. Behind the "wall" they could see Katara and Zuko on the other side.
"Katara!" Aang shouted from the other side of the city and his fist banged onto the wall.
"We can't get through!"
Katara turned around after she stepped pass the sign and onto the street of Chen Bo. Aang and the Gang were gone.
She quickly walked back, "Aang! C'mon guys this isn't funny!" She looked onward to the dirt and stone path no one was there.
Zuko turned around after he heard her calling, "Uncle?!" he jogged to the green sign and looked onto the dirt road not a soul was there. It was quiet and all they could hear was silence.
Katara turned around to Zuko, she looked frantic, "Maybe we should go back…" Katara whispered to Zuko, she didn't know why she was whispering, but she felt a need to. Zuko shook his head.
"Even if we do go back, if they left us how are we going to get across the ocean?" Zuko talked in a hushed to as if someone was listening.
"Maybe their hiding in the trees or something, they couldn't have left us!" Katara began to yell at Zuko like he was doing something wrong. Katara's bottom lip began to tremble, and she started to figit with her caramel fingers.
"Do you really think your friends and my uncle would play hide and seek at a time like this?! You can go back!," he pointed a finger in the distance, "But I'm going to solve this mystery and rid myself of having this irritating dream!"
Katara looked down to the floor she knew he was right, "Well, they wouldn't just leave me!"
Sokka could see Katara and Zuko arguing in the distance, but couldn't hear them, "That's right you tell that firenation scum!" Sokka yelled to his sister while his brown hand clutched the wall.
He saw Katara approach them, and the gang yelled to her to try to get her attention,"Katara! We're right here!" From the other side Katara felt the force field and her face fell. She mouthed something to Zuko and walked back to him.
"No, Katara! We're here!" Aang shouted as Iroh shouted to his nephew
"What do you mean we're stuck here!?" Zuko shouted as Katara slummed over to him.
"Its like an invisible wall, we're not going anywhere," Katara looked around at the abandoned place it was creepy. Katara's tan eyelids slightly dropped covering half of her eye, she was tired.
On the front a building was a bench, it was made of oak and was tattered. The bench was long and it had two large white mildewed pillows on it for comfort. Even though it looked as if it would break on contact Katara was so tired she couldn't resist. She sauntered over to it and sat on it she stretched her legs onto the end of it and laid her head on the arm handle.
Zuko furrowed his eyebrows, "What are you doing!?"
"I'm resting, that's what people do when they get tired!" Katara snuggled her small tan head into her palm, and used her wide palm as a pillow.
"We need to get moving! The sooner we solve this mystery the sooner we can get out of here!"
Katara's eyes slowly closed, "but I'm so tired…" her words were slurred he could tell she was falling asleep.
"Well let's find an inn, or something…I refuse to sleep on a old rotting bench." Zuko stuck his nose in the air and crossed his masculine arms.
"An inn? This looks like a house I'm sure there's a bed or two inside…" her words were slightly above a mumble.
"Lets see…" Zuko walked over to the door, Katara slowly stood up with him. Zuko wiggled the door knob, it was locked.
"Well, maybe the inn isn't far from here…." Katara let out a long asperated sigh and stepped off the porch of the house and was starting to walk off until she heard a loud thud in the distance.When she turned around she saw that Zuko had knocked the door down and was exploring inside. Katara quickly ran back in.
Inside was a table in the middle of the floor, and a turned over small chair. On the right side wall was a study table with three drawers in it. There was a candle placed in the corner of the table and a small feather with ink for writing. Katara watched as Zuko thrased around in the drawers looking for items. He found more candles, stationary, and empty folders.
"This feels wrong," Katara clutched her betrothal necklace with her small caramel fingers
Zuko opened a draw and picked up an envelope he wiped of the dust and began to open it, "These people are probably dead or something, where ever they are I don't think they care about the things here if they left in here."
Katara peaked over his masculine shoulder in attempt to read the letter. She read the first line, 'Dear, Daddy I don't see you that much anymore...' Zuko turned away from the letter and crumbled it.
"What did it say?" Katara reached for the letter instinctively. Zuko stuffed the letter in his shoe and walked away. He reached a maple door in the middle of the room, he peered inside. It was a dirty, malodorous, bathroom. He quickly closed the door with a swift motion. He looked to the only other door in the house and opened it inside was a bed and a dresser…it was simple.
Katara followed him into the room. He stopped her at the entrance of the room, "There's only one bed." He began to close the door. Katara looked dumfounded and placed her tiny foot in between the door and the door frame, "I'm not sleeping on this floor…who knows what sickness I could catch." Zuko opened the door so he could see her facial expression, he smirked, "You were about to sleep on the bench outside…so…" he began to close the door again. Katara's face turned beet red, "I'm not sleeping outside!" Zuko closed the door completely. Katara placed her willowy hands on the door and began to pound furiously on the door.
Zuko ignored the pounds at first but they were making it impossible to sleep which he needed. He reluctantly stomped to the door and squeesed the door knob tight and his knuckles started to turn white, he forced the door open. Katara almost fell in; she regained her balance and rushed in before he could close it again. There was a candle burning on the dresser showing only one queen size bed and a dresser.
"There's not enough room for you. So can you go away!" Zuko groggily walked over to the bed and lay down, his voice was irritated. The sheets were yellow and the thin comforter was green.
"It's a queen size bed…it's practically made for two people!" Katara jumped onto the bed and slid under the blankets. Zuko sat up and his eyes grew in surprise. He placed his pale, thick hands on her back and scooted her further to the edge of the bed and lay back down.
"I wouldn't sleep with you if there was another choice," Katara closed her eyes lay her head on her hands that were placed together to create a makeshift pillow.
"Right, there are about 20 houses in this city which I'm sure have beds and you slept here." Zuko turned his muscular body to face the wall.
Katara's wide blue eyes opened and she stumbled over her words a bit, "I'm not sleeping by myself…" was all she could mumble out
"I know that now." Zuko smirked on the other side of the green and yellow bed, he whispered to himself, "coward..."
Katara rolled her eyes, "Don't flatter yourself,"
"Don't flatter yourself," he repeated and nodded off to sleep.
Katara grumbled under her breath and soon nodded off to sleep as well.
"You should respect your elders, Zhy," The dragon moved closer to her, "You should respect me." He lunged for the girl.
Another ear piercing scream rang through the gardens…
White powdery smoke rose, and clouded the sky, and when it cleared up, the girl was gone along with the chilling wind and the gold eyed red dragon. The garden was dead. A woman dressed in red and gold garbs ran into the garden on small gold heals. Her face was over powered by shadows and concealed she looked frantically around the garden calling the girls name. She then looked to the sky, "Zhy…I'm sorry, I will send for you!"
A small man dressed in red clothing and a gold headband approached the young woman.
"Mrs. Shale, we are preparing a search party as we speak," the man bowed and turned on the ball of his white heel to leave.
"Don't bother, I will find another way…a search party is inadequate…she was carried to the skies…"
Zuko awoke holding his thick hand to his insipid forehead. There was a warm feeling on his chest and he rapidly arose to get rid of it. He looked down onto his lap and there on his thighs was the head of Katara. She was sound asleep and not stirred by his sudden jolt of movement. He stared down at her and stared at her chocolate hair. It looked so soft and feathery. It was tempting to touch. Zuko slowly reached his pale hand from his forehead to her hair, just to feel it. He rested his hand on her hair and his hand soaked into it like it would soak into water. And just like water her hair filled in the cracks of his fingers. The firebender slowly began to stroke her hair like a little child would stroke a kitten. Katara began to stir and a small smile graced her lips in her sleep. Zuko recoiled his hand and held it with the other.
What was he doing! His face snarled into a face of repulsion. It wasn't Katara that was repulsive, but what he just did was. He slowly tipped her head back of his legs and stepped off of the bed careful not to wake her up. He thrashed at his torso and pants to get rid of invisible dust. He strode over to the burning candle his fingers to put it out.
He glanced over at Katara to see if she was wake, she was sound asleep. He looked out of the large window. It was dusty and dirty, he reached down into his shoe and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. It was the letter he found in the drawer, he read it.
A/n: How did you like it? Ohh, Shale know's Zhy!!! And what does the letter say? Questions? Anyway, I got no review for the first chapter but i did get a few alerts and favorites thanks guys, but like i said before reviews are nice.
