Finding a Mother
Chapter Four
Everyone woke up suddenly the next morning as Zuko entered their rooms slamming two pots together.
"Rise and shine!" Zuko said with an unusual goofy smile on his face. He dropped both the pans to the floor as Katara rose to glare at him. "We should get going." Zuko's smile faded.
About a half an hour later, Aang and Zuko had gotten all the supplies on Appa. Everyone except Toph was sitting in the saddle. Toph came around the corner a couple seconds later, looking somewhat worried.
"Guys?" she asked.
"Toph!" Zuko slid down Appa's tail and grabbed her by the wrist. "We're leaving, now."
With everyone on the bison, Aang grabbed the reins, shouted "yip-yip", and they flew off, unaware of what was waiting for them.
A cloaked figure walked through the woods, when it spotted the bison soaring up above. Out of impulse, the figure pulled out a bow and arrow and fired it…
Zuko sighed as he watched the clouds go by. This was so boring.
"What is that?" Sokka asked, causing Zuko to look at the warrior.
"What is what?"
"I see something coming towards us." Sokka told Zuko, as he and his father looked down.
"You're seeing things, Sokka." Zuko told him. "You must be hitting the cactus juice again, because there is absolutely…" Zuko stopped as the arrow whizzed past his face.
"How did you know about that?" Sokka demanded, causing Toph to laugh. "I can't believe you Toph!"
"Umm, guys, can we do this later?!" Aang shouted. "Like when we're not under attack!" he gripped the reins and yanked them left, causing Appa to go left.
Below, the cloaked figure growled to itself as it pulled out another arrow and fired it…
…This time, Appa was not as lucky. The arrow planted itself in Appa's foot, causing the bison to roar in pain as it swerved, forcing Aang off the side and causing him to plummet to the ground below.
"Aang!" Katara shouted, as the pained bison swerved upside down, causing Sokka, Toph, Hakoda and Suki to fall as well. Katara and Zuko hung onto the saddle for dear life as Appa swerved again, hitting a tree. Katara and Zuko hit the ground hard; Zuko felt a searing pain in his head before the world went black.
Katara groaned as she came back to the world of reality. Damn, her head hurt. She tried to put a hand up to her head, but found that she couldn't. Her eyes snapped open and by looking down could tell that she was bound tightly with rope. Squirming, she looked frantically for her friends. She soon found them. Toph, Aang, Sokka, Suki and Hakoda were lying on the ground, all bound in the same way.
Zuko! Katara growled as she struggled. I knew no good could come with him with us! Now look what's happened; we're prisoners! However, she soon saw Zuko lying on the ground, tied in the same way as well. Katara wasn't convinced.
Oh, he's good!
Her eyes shot up and Zuko's eyes shot open as they sensed their captor approaching…
"You people have explaining to do." It spoke in a female voice.
"What about you?" Zuko shot back. "You attack us; you capture us; what gives you the right!"
"How do I know you're not assassins sent here to kill me?" she yelled.
"You're off you rocker lady!" Zuko replied. "Who would want to kill an old hag like you?"
Enraged, the cloaked figure grabbed Zuko by the collar of his shirt and pinned him against a tree.
"I don't like your tone, boy." She growled. She suddenly felt something in his shirt. "What is this you've got?" she pulled out a piece of paper and started to unfold it.
"Hey, give that back!" Zuko struggled against the ropes holding him. "That's a picture of my mother!"
A gasp came from the woman's mouth as she saw what was on the paper. A couple seconds later, she reached up and pulled off her hood, revealing an aged, grey haired Ursa.
"Zuko?" she asked, putting a hand up to his scar. "My god, what did your father do to you?"
She quickly spun Zuko around and pulled out a dagger, cutting the ropes binding her son. The ropes soon fell away and Ursa fell to her knees, weeping.
Katara watched, somewhat jealous as Zuko got to his knees and hugged her. A couple seconds later, she returned the hug.
END CHAPTER
A/N- I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I would like to take this time to say Happy 20th Birthday to Mae Whitman, Katara's voice actress. Please review.
