Chapter: 6 paradise
It's been over a week since the incident with Azula, we've been hiding on a cave that is not far from a village and it was pretty close to a river too. We all changed into more earth kingdom style clothes and Zukos hair was staying to grow. I teaches them basic survival tricks like how to make a bonfire and a spear for fishing, showed them which plants where edible and which where poisonous. But of course Prince pride thought he could take care of himself by himself and didn't paid me much attention. We where currently tracking a porkyboard for a much deserved dinner. I really didn't liked to kill animals but I wanted uncle to have a nice meal after all that had happened.
Zuko was with me, spear in hand and a stern look on his face. We where on a tree branch and below us what a simple string trap. Porkyboard shave very sharp quills on the back but his underbelly was soft and vulnerable. We waited till the porkyboard stepped on the string and pulled it, lifting the animal off the ground and it made a bloodcurdling scream that made my heart ache. We dropped and I gave Zuko a nod of satisfaction. "You wanna do the honors?" I asked not really wanting to do it but is emotionless face and the hint of guilt in his eyes was a clear response. Alright then.
"I'm sorry I have to do this, but know that you will become a spirit but your body will stay here and help us survive, you saved our lives today and I'm eternally grateful for you. You're now one with the world of the spirits, be at peace and thank you" I finished my prayers and the deed was done. We headed back to the cave where Iroh was waiting for us and his face lit up when he saw the medium size porkyboard on my back. "Wonderful haunt Ulani! This will be plenty for three days!" Iroh cheered and it made me smile. I saw a tiny smile on Zuko's face too, probably of relief of knowing we had plenty of food and we didn't needed to go fishing for a while. "Would you mind preparing it? I'll like to have some tea so I'll go to the village and get some" Iroh said and I gave him a smile and a nod. "Great! Won't you mind staying with her?" He asked Zuko and I looked to the silent boy who just gave me a glance. "No is ok! I can stay alone, besides it will take me a while to prepare the meat and I wouldn't like for Prince Zuko to just sit and watch me get all messy" I said and he gave me an understanding nod and they both walked away, I took my knife and started cutting away the skin and the quills, they are awesome for many things so I saved some for different uses.
Time flew by and Iroh returned alone "where's Zuko?" He sat down besides me and started to boil the water for the tea. "He need to use the bathroom" he said and I did an ohh sound and stood up. "Would you mind cooking now uncle, I'll like to clean up before eating" I said and he waved and me "go right ahead dear" he said and I gave him a quick kiss on the head before going inside the cave and picking my things and heading to the river.
-Zuko's p.o.v-
I went back to the camp where I saw uncle making tea and cooking the meat on the fire but Ulani was no where in site. I sat down besides uncle and contemplated the fire and the smell of the meat cooking in it. It's been a while since he ate meat other than fish, in his ship to be more specific, was the last time he ate meat. The ship Zhao tried to kill me in, the ship I considered "home" on the three years I've been on the sea. It was the last thing I had from my home land, and is now all on the bottom of the sea. I don't want this, this is not how my life is supposed to be, I should be in the palace, eating delicacy with my mother.
"Prince Zuko, is there something bothering you?" Uncle brought me out off my thoughts but I didn't answered. "Maybe a nice soak on the river will clear out your mind" he suggested. Why not, I do smell like sweat, I need to clean up. I stood up and headed to the river but as I got closer I could hear a voice. It was barely there and it was singing. I hid behind some bushes and peeked out to see Ulani at the edge of the river. Her profile was towards me with her hair covering her bare breast and she was humming a tune I didn't recognized.
When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach so
She ran away in her sleep
(She sang as she extended her hand to the sky and I noticed the scar in it, in fact I noticed her whole scarred arm, shoulder, neck and side on her torso. I though only her face was scarred but since she always wears long sleeves and gloves it would be hard to notice.)
And dreamed of
Para-para-paradise, Para-para-paradise, Para-para-paradise
Every time she closed her eyes
(She sang louder and stood up from where she was. She walked deeper into the river till the water was at her hips)
When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
And the bullets catch in her teeth
Life goes on, it gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly
Every tear a waterfall
In the night the stormy night she'll close her eyes
In the night the stormy night away she'd fly
(She swayed her arms around dancing, it was really mesmerizing watching her dance and make the water dance with her. Her hips moved from side to side almost sensually. My pants are getting tight)
And dreams of
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
She'd dream of
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh-oh
Lalalalalalalalalalala
(She started to twirl and make the water splash all around and her breast where momentarily exposed. I shouldn't be doing this! I shouldn't be peeking at her! And yet I can't look away)
And so lying underneath those stormy skies
She'd say, "oh, ohohohoh I know the sun must set to rise"
This could be
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
This could be
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
This could be
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
( she stopped singing, my moment to leave before she notices I'm here. She looks over her shoulder and smiles)
- Ulani p.o.v-
I knew he was there, I saw him when I was twirling, it didn't bothered me though. "I'm sure uncle already finished to cook, you should hurry up and clean up. Don't worry I won't look at you Prince" I mocked him lightly and after a little while he came out of the bushes, looking down at his feet and lightly blushing. "I…" he cleans his throat "I apologize… for peeking at you" he mumbles but I still heard him. I lower myself in the water and start to wash my long hair. "Apologies accepted. You can come in, I still need to wash my hair and my clothes" I inform and he shyly nods and gives me a look that says "don't look" so I turn away. After a few minutes I hear the water splash and I continue to wash my hair. "Here" I extend my hand over my shoulder, signaling him to take the soap and he does.
A few minutes of silence passed and it was gradually getting more awkward. "I'm sorry if this question is out of place but, have you seen a naked girl before?" I ask and I heard him gulp. "I already apologized for peeking!" He said defensively, that alone answered my question and also put our situation more awkward but I had to try and make a conversation. "I know. It's just that the way you looked at me…" I turned around to see him and I was pleased to see that he was sitting a reasonable distance away. He looked at me with wide ashamed eyes. "Is not in the same way other mans look at me." I finished to say and his gaze softened. "They look at me as if I was hippocow meatballs but you looked at me with curiosity and awed. Have you had a girlfriend before?" I asked again and he looked into the water in thoughts and a little sadness. I looked away not expecting him to answer and started washing the only clothes we had left.
"I did. And you, have you had a boyfriend?" He asked with the same curiosity I had. "No, I've only been with girls because mans are not always kind to teenage refugee girls" I answered honestly. "So, that means… you've never kissed a guy" he asked looking away and blushing. I smiled at him, at least his opening up to me and talking more. "I've never kissed a guy before or… seen them naked" it was my turn to blush. I washed our clothes more vigorously, the atmosphere was once again awkward, then I felt a light touch in my arm and gasped. Zuko touched lightly my scarred arm. "It was in a place like this. The mercenaries had a camp near a river when they railed up the village. A little boy walked to their camp to stand up again them and take their belongings back. I heard the commission and walked up just in time to try to talk them down but. He attacked the kid and I was an undercover refugee so I took the blow" I mimicked the movement of covering my head with my arm, showing how the scar was done. He's face held a mixture of sadness and anger, I realized how much different our scars stories where. "If I bended I'm sure they would have fought back and I wouldn't have won. The kid was safe and he's family took care of my wounds" I finished my story.
"Don't you regret it? You could had flawless skin" he said both to himself and to me. "I don't, I wouldn't be at ease with myself knowing the kid grew up with a scar that made him hate the fire nation even more, the war will continue on as long as the nations don't realize that we are branches of the same tree. Hate will kill the world slowly but kindness will heal it" I said touching his scar lightly making droplets of water fall off his cheeks. "This scar does not signify that you are the vanished prince that is bound to forever roam the world to capture the avatar, it signifies that you where brave and spoke up for what was right, the scar doesn't have to haunt you" I finished and I didn't noticed the proximity of our faces until our lips where inches of touching.
I pulled back blushing heavily and continued to wash the clothes and hang them in the branches to dry.
I cleaned my throat. "So, have you kissed a girl before?" Of course he have, he had a girlfriend. I slapped myself in my mind immediately after asking. He simply nodded. " how does it feel?" I slapped myself again. He shrugged. "I'm not sure, it's a feeling that it's hard to explain with words" he rambled and I only said oh. Damn it I should have washed my clothes, or at least bring something like a blanket, now we have to stay naked till the clothes dry. "I'm an idiot, should have brought something else. Now we need to wait thill the clothes dry to be able to go back" he looked at me with wide eyes and I looked away embarrassed.
I decided to go for a swim in the deeper part instead of just staying awkwardly besides Zuko, but it was getting kinda boring and tiring to just go in circles. "Do you know how to swim?" I asked Zuko ho was boringly throwing pebbles around. "I prefer not to" he answered and threw another pebble that made a plop sound. I swam to shore again. "Then do you know how to make fire figures?" I asked hoping he did since it was really fun. "Fire figures?" Oh, well at least is just as fun to teach it. I made sure there was no one around. "Yes, it's simple just visualize in your mind something, let's say a butterfly, and create it with fire" I explained as a small flame in the shape of a butterfly fluttered around my hand. Zuko watched in awed as the small flame vanished with the wind. "My mom taught me how to do it. Now you do it" I said and he extended his hand out as a small flame dragon snaked through the air. I clapped and the dragon vanished. "That was very good!" We continue like that for a few more minutes and our clothes where dry enogh to put on, it would dry completely with our fire bender heat.
As we walked back to the camp Zuko held my wrist and I looked at him, he was looking away blushing. "No words of this to uncle" was his only words before walking ahead. We finally made it to the camp and we sat around the fire to eat our porkyboar kebabs. "Ulani dear" Iroh called and I looked at him, his grin told me that he knew something happened, I blushed and looked away. "I heard you singing, what's the name of the lovely song" he asked and I could see in his eyes that he was dying to ask what happened but didn't pry on the subject. "It's from a band called Coldplay from Ba Sin Se. The song is called paradise" i informed and he grinned at me. "Oh I've heard of them, they are very popular on the earth kingdom. You've been in Ba Sin Se before?" He asked once again "yes, once" I straighten my back and crossed my arms with my right hand in my chin. "Not to brag but I worked with them and that song, they wrote it for me" I said feeling very proud of my accomplishments, Zuko sighed and Uncle laughed.
We kept talking until uncle decided it was time to sleep, but I stayed stargazing. I was so deep in thoughts I didn't noticed Zuko laying down besides me. "So, now we have to go around doing performances on the streets for living?" He asked and his tone held annoyance and mockery. "It's what I've been doing for three years, you will see, it's not so bad" I said back and he snickered. "Sure thing" he said and I looked at him frowning, he looked at me grinning. Well, at least he's smiling. "Good night Prince hot head" I grinned and closed my eyes. I felt warm lips pressed against mines and a little zap of electricity and opened my eyes to find Zuko's face dangerously close. "Goodnight street girl" he said and went to sleep but my mind was bombarded by questions that will surely keep me up all night.