Scars are only Skin Deep
Disclaimer: Seriously still wishing that I owned the show then things would be totally different! But I don't own it so I'm still not even remotely ready to buy it out or anything.
A/N: I am totally psyched for absolutely no reason whatsoever! Oh yeah, that's right I'm updating! Yippee!!
Chapter 6: Anger
Ayame's POV…
I ran for a while, not caring where I was or when I would stop running. I wanted to be away, anywhere but where I always am. Everything I learn, everything I think, believe and follow, they all conflict with each other. I am taught one thing, yet I think and believe a completely opposite teaching. What is wrong with me?! I think too much that's always the problem! I felt so angry, that I stomped my foot and a wall of flames jumped up from the ground. I felt the annoying ache to firebend that I always had, so I blasted a nearby tree; it went up in flames. It soon fizzled out and I felt the flames gather at my hands, I felt my suppressed anger surface. I shot flames all around me, the trees were all ablaze. The smoke rose above the tops of the trees; I watched them with newfound delight. I shot more and more flames and soon flames surrounded me, I could hear voices of my past, whisperings. All the insults, the lies, the rumors, the memories of torment. I saw the faces of those that I hated in the flames. I wanted them to burn, to die to suffer the torment that they made me go through, I felt the utter contempt that I have always hidden well up and be released through my furious fire blasts. I saw that Princes face in the flames, why am I seeing him in my fire sight? I turned away from it, then I went back to releasing all my pent up anger and rage on the already blazing trees. The faces of the ones I hated kept appearing and disappearing in the flames. I saw my father, my Mother, my god forsaken sister. Then the Prince's face appeared once again in the flames, usually what I see in fire is supposed to mean something but this was getting ridiculous. Then I could feel the smoke that had started to hang stagnant in the air, hey, it was getting a little hard to breathe out here; but I suddenly stopped caring about that too. Then my father's words came back to me. 'Look towards your great destiny!' I felt myself go weak at the knees. The fire in my hands subsided, then the smoke got thicker and I started coughing and struggling for breath. I then felt a pair of hands go around my neck, then they started squeezing.
"I told you that I would come for you." Tamor hissed with his sickly grin, I gasped for a breath but he squeezed it out and my chest began to hurt. "I just want you to know you little insect that you'll never see your Mother in the spirit world, you are condemned to live in your Father's hell of a prison and you'll rot there for all eternity!" I struggled against his hands in vain attempt to escape.
"Let go…" I whispered as I felt my lids drop and my consciousness started to slip away. I felt a wave of heat then I felt the pressure on my neck lessen, I took a large gasp, then coughed because of the smoke that hung heavily in the air. I got up and saw the Prince Zuko standing only two feet away from me. I could barely see him through all the smoke, but I think he already spotted me. Then I was tackled from behind by Tamor, he dug his now clawed-hands into my shoulder before I kicked him off. Then I dashed forward and started to run, when I heard him shout.
"Run while you can little Phoenix, I will always be around the corner waiting to strike when you least expect it." Then his form seemed to fade away into the flames as I kept running. Then I slammed into someone else, is fell backwards due to the fact that I'm so light weight. I looked up a little dazed, it was Prince Zuko…
Zuko's POV…
(Rewind everything back to the beginning of the top of that passage up there)
Ayame had the meanest punch that I've ever felt, it was an hour later and it still hurt like new. Dang that annoying girl! Girls are crazy! I decided to listen to that annoying conscience this time and went looking for her after she ran off. I eventually saw the smoke at little ways off in the forest and by the time I got there, well it was a full blown forest fire. The smoke was heavy and it was hard to see and breathe. Then I heard a malicious voice somewhere.
"-You'll never see your Mother in the spirit world," I dashed forward and saw the same man who had attacked Ayame in the last harbor we were in. "you are condemned to live in you Father's hell of a prison and you'll rot there for all of eternity!" I could see Ayame's face through the smoke now, she was pinned against a tree and she was being strangled. I then gave a firebending kick and the guy landed ten feet away. Ayame got up and stared in my direction. Some times like now I don't know why I bother.
"Come on!" I yelled to her, I turned around and dodged the falling tree. I ran to escape the flames. Then I looked behind me for some reason as I stopped running, Ayame then slammed into me and bounced off onto the ground. She looked up at me with a dazed look in the eye that wasn't covered by her mask. I don't know why I came to her rescue if she was going to be this incompetent about it. She got up instantly and ran ahead of me, I ran too. Once we were out of the flaming forest we stopped and I panted, she was pretty hard to keep up with! (At a running pace anyways)
"Why'd you follow me?" Ayame whispered with her sad but indifferent tone.
"'Cause of my annoying conscience and Uncle would make me go anyways." I mumbled quietly.
"What?" She asked as she looked at the ground silently.
"Nothing," I said rolling my eyes, "Let's go back to the ship, quit standing there like an idiot already." She nodded her had and followed. On the way the silence was almost deafening, then I spoke up.
"Why the heck did you set another forest on fire?" I said sarcastically as we walked on.
"Heck you should know, you saw the crazy guy tryin' to strangle me." Her voice trailed off as she shrugged her shoulders.
"What makes a person mad enough to burn down a whole forest?" I mumbled in a barely audible voice that I didn't think she would hear.
"None of your beeswax, now butt out." She stated coldly, she then stared blankly at the sky, seemingly lost in her thoughts. "By the way thanks for saving me…" She then walked ahead towards the ship and went to the infirmary in silence; she stopped abruptly to scan the sky for something that wasn't there. She then went in; I tried to go to sleep in my room but couldn't. So I went out on the deck and stared at the ocean, I thought of nothing but capturing the Avatar and restoring my honor. Then my thoughts were invaded by Ayame's cold dispositioned words, 'None of your beeswax now butt out. By the way thanks for saving me…' Wait, why was I thinking about her when I should be thinking about the capturing the Avatar? I grumbled and went straight to bed, and after much turning and tossing I fell asleep…
Ayame's POV…
Prince Zuko saved me from Tamor last night, actually he saved me twice. Great your starting to pay attention to what's happening again Ayame. I don't know why I care, but I just wish that I could fade away into the darkness and be forgotten by all. I woke up and the memories of last night came to my mind. I got up and joined the general and his nephew for breakfast.
"Hello and how are you this fine morning? Would you like some ginseng tea?" General Iroh said with a warm smile as I sat down.
"No thank you. But thank you for the offer General Iroh." I murmured as I took and tentative bite from a small bread roll from my plate.
"Oh please, I'm retired. I would prefer to be called Uncle Iroh. After all I am retired." The jolly general laughed. I shook my head vigorously. "So what were you doing trying to burn down the forest last night?" Obviously The Prince had already told him of my little outburst of fiery rage.
"Self defense?" Oh geez that sounds more like a question than an answer. Stupid, stupid, stupid… Why can't I just die a get it over with? Oh yeah cause I am stuck here and I can't just kill myself… Aaaauuuggg!!
"Against what?" Iroh asked cheerfully while taking another sip of tea. Crap, why don't I just keep my mouth shut and then live a normal life. Oh yeah that right I can't live a normal life. I still stuck with a crappy destiny to fulfill! Right now I want to go burn something 'til it's nothing but ashes. Then I'll burn the ashes and see if they burn. The I thought of home. Home… My thoughts trailed off as I spaced out completely, I missed home. Though it was the most terrible place for me I think it was the only place I'd ever had. Strangely I wanted to go back…
A/N: Awww… So sad! I'm tring to fix Zuko's OOCness 'kay? Ayame isn't so focused on agnst and I trying to balance her out so there! I know this chap is short but I'm writing at midnight so sue me! School just let out for the summer so whoopee!! YAY!! See I updated! PLEASE REVIEW!!
