Wooh! Another chapter…. If you're wondering why I've got so many chapters up so quickly it basically because I'm on holidays and I'm staying at my dad's and well he doesn't have internet so the only interesting stuff to do is write and draw… I'm just going to update when I go back home so yeah…. That's why…
ShellyMay
Avatar the Last Airbender: Sesi's Journey
Chapter Four: Kyoshi Island
When we were boarding his ship again I noticed some scrapes on his back from when he went flying through the dirt.
"Zuko, you're bleeding. Let me heal you." I said quickly as he stalked towards his room.
"Thank you Sesi that would be much appreciated." He told me and continued walking to his room. Iroh tagged along simply to see my healing ability and left very quickly afterwards. I bended the water I had been using back into its bowl and was about to leave when Zuko spoke again. "Don't go just yet. I want to show you something."
"Alright." I waited while he quickly put a robe on the cover his bare chest. He led me down a few hallways before stopping to open a door. At my confused look he gestured for me to go into the room. It was sparsely furnished with only a mattress, a straw matt and a trunk. The metal walls were bare except for a window looking out over the ocean.
"This is your room now Sesi. You're clearly not going anywhere and you haven't been causing trouble. You'll find all the belongings we took from you in the trunk." He told me still hovering in the doorway.
"Thank you Zuko, this is really nice of you. It means a lot that you trust enough to give me my own room and my weapons back." I told him as he walked away. We fell back into our routine over the next few days. One morning on my way to the deck I overheard Iroh and Zuko talking about Aang. I know it's wrong but I stayed to listen.
"The only reason you should be interrupting me is if you have news about the Avatar." Zuko's voice was silky almost and very threatening.
"Well, there is news, Prince Zuko, but you might not like it. Don't get too upset."
"Uncle, you taught me that keeping a level head is a sign of a great leader. Now whatever you have to say, I'm sure that I can take it."
"Okay, then... we have no idea where he is."
"WHAT?!" Zuko bellowed.
"You really should open a window in here." Iroh said ignoring his nephew's outburst.
"Give me the map!"
"There have been multiple sightings of the Avatar, but he is impossible to track down."
"How am I gonna find him, Uncle?" Zuko asked as I leaned in the doorway. "He is clearly a master of evasive manoeuvring. Sesi, do you have any idea where the Avatar and your family are heading?"
"No." I said looking down so I didn't have to look at Zuko's disappointment.
I went to practice with my weapons for the first time since I'd left the village and soon lost track of time. Iroh later found me at dinner time covered in sweat and making various attacks at the air with my knife. "Anything you want to tell me before we go and meat Zuko for dinner?"
I turned to face him and put away my knife. "What do you mean Iroh?"
"You know where the Avatar will be going don't you?" He predicted.
I looked at him stunned for a few seconds before replying. "Yeah, I know he and Katara want to go to the North Pole to learn Waterbending but I have no idea when they will actually go there."
"It's okay Sesi, this will stay between you and me." Iroh told me before offering me his arm. "Now chef has been to the market today and bought fresh fish for dinner."
"Okay." I said accepting his arm and walking up to the bridge with him.
We were sitting at a low table waiting to be served by the cook. He bought out three dishes of food and when he placed the last one murmured something to Zuko that I couldn't hear. Zuko immediately stood and fumed. "The Avatar's on Kyoshi Island?" He started walking to the door. "Uncle, ready the rhinos. He's not getting away from me this time."
Iroh pointed at the fish curiously and asked "Are you going to finish that?"
Angrily Zuko stalked back to the table and snatched his food roughly, the ridiculousness of the conversation made me smile. "I was going to save it for later!"
I looked at Iroh who had crossed his arms and was pouting. His plate was cleared of anything edible. "Here Iroh, I'm not that hungry tonight."
I passed him my plate and left before I changed my mind, one thing my brother and I had in common was our love of food, especially meat.
"Please Zuko! I won't cause any trouble or help them escape! I just need to see my family again." I pleaded desperately. We were going to arrive at Kyoshi Island later today and I was hoping to join him on the island. I'd rushed to his room as soon as I found out that we'd be at Kyoshi in a matter of hours.
"I don't know Sesi. Whilst you have been very well behaved in your time here and what you said about destiny may be true I don't know if I can take the risk. You've already helped the Avatar escape me once." He told me wearily.
"Please Zuko." I collapsed to my knees and looked at the floor as tears welled up in my eyes. "They are all that I have left in the way of family. The Fire Nation took our parents from us and well. We have never been apart for more than a matter of hours in our lives."
"You're not going to help them escape or try to stop us when we capture them?" He asked kneeling. He gently brought my chin up and forced me to look him in the eyes.
"I won't, but don't expect me to help catch them either." I whispered my voice thick with emotion.
"Stay with me at all times and you may come." He said taking his hand away from my face. He stood slowly and extended his hand to me. I ignored it and flung my arms around his shoulders in a quick hug before I realised exactly what I was doing and let go before fleeing to my room.
To keep busy and to keep the new and confusing feelings I was experiencing I got all my weapons out of the trunk in my room and started polishing them. It didn't distract me enough though and I started to daydream.
"Do not fear your emotions Sesi." Lady Ursa's voice rang in my ears. "They are your destiny."
"What do you mean; I don't even know what these feelings are?" I pondered.
"You are destined to show Zuko love and kindness." Her voice faded again.
Someone shook my shoulder and I sprang into a defensive stance. "Whoa, Sesi. It's just me." Iroh said remarked, surprised by my actions. "Zuko wanted me to tell you that they are ready to leave."
"Right yeah sorry." I said dropping my stance.
"You were pretty out of it Sesi. What were you thinking about?" Iroh asked as I grabbed my knife and my favourite whale bone sword.
"I wasn't thinking about anything Iroh, Lady Ursa was talking to me again." I told him as we walked out of my room.
"And what was she saying?" He asked curiously.
"I'd rather not get into that but she did tell me it was my destiny to show Zuko kindness and love…" I told him quietly.
"I know you do not know how you are going to achieve your destiny but I must tell you. In the short time you have been here you have already changed Zuko a lot. I haven't seen him treat any one the way he treats you before and we have been together for a long time." Iroh told me kindly.
"Thank you Iroh." I said before walking to where Zuko was waiting for me in the saddle of a rhino.. I blushed when he offered me hand and pulled me up to sit behind him.
When the ship opened to let us out he murmured to me. "You might want to hold onto my waist so you don't fall off."
"Right." I mumbled, glad he couldn't see my blush deepen.
I lightly placed my hands on either side of his waste and swallowed the apprehension building in my throat. The rhino started walking and I tightened my grip on Zuko's waist in fear of falling.
"I want the Avatar alive." He told his men after we excited the ship. We started riding into a small village only to find it deserted. "Come out, Avatar! You can't hide from me forever!" He called out. "Find him."
The rest of the men broke away from us and started to search throughout the village. A girl in a green dress rushed us and was about to land on the rhino when Zuko turned it and the rhino swatted her away with its tail. She hit to ground hard and Zuko shot at her when another fighter in green stood in front of her and blocked the fire. Zuko fell off the rhino in surprise and took me with him. I rolled into a crouch as the new comer said. "I guess training's over."
"Sokka!" I exclaimed excitedly. "What are you wearing?!"
He helped the girl up and they were joined by a new comer who started advancing on Zuko. In retaliation Zuko span on his hands and kicked fire balls in a large circle with his feet. To avoid the blasts I bended water from my water skins into a wall blocking the fire. The others weren't so lucky and fall to the ground. Zuko quickly stood and leaps to the middle of the street.
"Try not to hit me the next time you decide to send fire spinning out like crazy would you?!" I exclaimed sarcastically when he was next to me. I bended my remaining water back into the water skin at my waste as he shrugged at me.
"Nice try, Avatar! But these little girls can't save you." He yelled.
"Hey! Over here!" Aang said from the other end of the street.
"Finally!" Zuko muttered and turned to face off with him.
Someone grabbed my arm and pulled me between to houses. I struggled and yelled "Hey, let go of me!"
"Sesi, calm down it's me." Sokka told me once we were out of the way.
"Sokka." I said as he let me go. I turned around to look at him and flung myself at him in a bear hug. "Sokka! I've missed you so much!"
"Yeah I've missed you to but Sesi. I don't understand. Why are you still with Zuko?" He said also hugging me.
"He's my destiny Sokka. A lot of bad things have happened to him and he's lost his way. I'm meant to show him his good. I meant to show him love and kindness." I told him. "Look I don't understand why but he needs me and maybe I'll be able to make him change. I convinced him to let me come here today so I could talk to either you or Katara. All I wanted to say is that I'll be okay. They're taking care of me and Iroh is even teaching me waterbending. I love you guys and I miss you like crazy but this is something I need to do."
He didn't look happy but Sokka knew he wouldn't be able to change my mind and wouldn't be able to force me to go with him. I'd always been able to beat him in fights when I wanted to. "I don't like leaving you with him. Sesi I don't trust him, he burned you."
"Do you trust me?" I asked softly.
"Yes, of course." Sokka said as I lifted my sleeve to show him my scar. "What? It wasn't that long ago."
"I'm a healer apparently." I told him. "Look I've got to go find Zuko. I might be able to keep him from completely destroying this town."
"Okay Sesi. Just take care of yourself." He said muttered.
I ran back to the main street just as Aang flew away. Before joining Zuko I turned around and shouted, "Hey Sokka, nice dress!"
Zuko looked ready the burn the rest of the village down when I walked up to him. "Where were you?!"
I winced at his temper somewhat afraid that he'd take his anger out on me. "My brother grabbed me and dragged me away from your fight. He was afraid you'd hurt me. He still is afraid you'll hurt me but he let me return after I explained thing to him Zuko. I told you I'm not leaving you."
"Come on he's still in the village. Maybe we can catch him." Zuko told me hopefully as he climbed back onto the rhino and helped me up again. We made our way further into the village only to be stopped again by the girls in green. They attacked quickly and as Zuko retaliated I saw Appa take to the sky.
"Zuko." I said quickly but he ignored me and kept attacking. "Zuko he's leaving!"
I watched as someone jumped off of Appa and into the water. Moments later a huge eel reared out of the ocean and started spewing water over the village putting out all of the fires that had been started. Zuko finally stopped fighting as we were drenched in water.
"Back to the ship! Don't lose sight of them!" He yelled to him men whilst turning our rhino around.Back at the ship Zuko jumped down from the rhino and raced off as quickly as he could. Dejectedly I hoped down and went to the bridge where I found Iroh playing a strange board game. Zuko was outside with binoculars trained on Appa.
"Sesi, glad to see you made it back safely. Why are you in wet clothes? You'll get sick." Iroh said looking up at me.
"I don't exactly have anything to change into while this dries and I've gotten as much of the water as I can out with bending." I told him wearily.
"That won't do. I'll see if I can find you a change of clothes. They won't be water tribe and I can't promise that they'll be for a girl but I'll see what I can do." He told me before he got up and left. I went to my room, uncomfortable with the way the crew were looking at me. A few minutes after I got there a knock sounded on my door. I opened it to see Zuko standing there with a small pile of clothes folded in his hands.
"Uncle said you didn't have any dry clothes." He said awkwardly. "He suggested some I give you some of the clothes I've grown out of."
"Oh yes, thank you Zuko." I said taking the clothes from him. We stood there uncomfortably for a few more seconds not knowing what to say.
"Well I'd better get back to looking for the Avatar." He said before turning and walking away.
I shut the door and placed the clothes on top of the trunk before stripping out of my wet clothes. He'd given me a pair of deep red pants with a cloth belt to hold them up and a robe type of top. The pants fit perfectly but the top was a little bit big and kept falling open to reveal my wrappings. I put my normal belt on as well as the gold one it came with to help secure it shut before leaving to find the others.
They were out on the deck drilling firebending sets when I found them. Self-consciously I wrapped my arms around my waist and walked over to Iroh. "I see that Zuko brought you some clothes like I asked him to. That's good even if the tops a little bit big."
"I just don't understand how you got him to do anything besides watch for Appa." I told him.
"We lost sight of your friends about an hour ago. There isn't much we can do except for head in the same direction that they were flying in. I told Zuko he had better things to do then brought up your need for clothes." Iroh told me as Zuko finished his set.
I fell back into my routine of practicing my fighting skills, both with weapons and with out in the mornings before training with Iroh in the afternoons. Something had changed between Zuko and I and all of our interactions were tense and awkward. I would often see Iroh looking at us with a knowing look in his eyes or a small smile. I lost track of the days until we arrived at a metal rig in the middle of the ocean.
It was ruined with piles of coal strewn about and many Fire Nation soldiers injured or trying to clean up. It was clear that there had been a serious fight here but I still didn't understand what this place was. I saw Zuko lean over and pick something up off the ground from between the rubble. He looked out over the ocean as the sunset and I felt my breath catch with how powerful he looked out lined in the fiery red light of the setting sun.
Okay so there you go, as you may have noticed there are a lot of time jumps and scenes from different episodes in this chapter… That will probably happen a lot as it is hard to write what they do in the interim without repeating myself…