Mai's eyes were disbelieving. Azula, down? Anger boiled deep inside her as she watched her brother stand over her lifeless body.
Mai charged.
Arrows flew out from her hands. Zuko, who had turned around just in time, sent up a wall of fire to block it immediately.
Mai. The one who graduated with First Class Honours in assassination.
Mai circled around him like an eagle circling around her helpless prey. Zuko twirled around too, always keeping Mai in sight
Like a flash, Zuko kicked out, sending fire into a spot where Mai had just been. Taking this chance, Mai retaliated, sending knives from left, right, and left again, moving so quickly that the two of them were a blur in the forest.
Zuko dodged down, leaped up high, and sent a blast of fire towards Mai. Mai jumped up high, and in between her fingers gleamed the shine of pure diamond knives.
Mai landed on ground, raising her arms and rushed at Zuko. Her black cape flew, like a she-devil, as she firstly kicked Zuko in the guts then let fly of the knives wedged between her fingers
Zuko, already weakened by the kick, twisted a sharp right to avoid the kill of the daggers. But he needn't have.
A wall of ice stood in front of him, and the knives landed on them, one by one, until the ice cracked down and the knives clattered onto the ground.
Katara looked at him and then at Mai. Her eyes settled on Mai. Katara smiled. "We have some unfinished business, I think."
Katara sent water out, moving deftly across the grassy ground. Water turned to ice once they left her, and Mai avoided every one of them gracefully.
Mai sent her knives flying from every angle, circling around Katara.
Katara sent a wave of water crashing down on Mai, and at the same time two more people entered the battle between the two courageous females.
Ty Lee leaped through the air, her braid flying behind her. Her curvaceous body turned into a graceful arc as she leaped through the air, a blur of whooshes.
Somersaulting, she moved around Katara, jabbing her chi points sharply. Katara winced with every one of her stabs, her bending stopped for the moment.
Ty Lee nodded at Mai. Mai took this advantage, and with the speed of light, turned 360 degrees and let all her knives fly straight at her opponent.
Mai's eyes were narrowed, and as if in slow motion, she watched all her knives with a keen intensity. She relished every moment, Katara's eyes growing wider, and trying to raise some water-bending, as the knives grew closer…and closer…..
Zuko stepped in front of Katara and a wall of fire engulfed the knives, melting them to the ground.
Ty Lee, who was watching every scene, leaped up, and joined Mai's side. Two against two.
This was going to get interesting. …
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Amidst the noise and chaos, a finger twitched.
Azula's eyes opened, and she was disgusted to find herself sprawled onto the ground. She tried to move her legs, but a searing pain shot up her spine and she groaned.
Looking around at her army, her mind assessed and analysed the situation. She tried to move her other hand. Nothing. It was numb.
Closing her eyes, she prayed desperately that this would work. Two of her fingers sparked with blue lightning and then it fizzled out.
Azula let out a snarl of anger and frustration. With great effort, she reached into her pocket. Grasping a small, ivory horn, she raised it to her lips.
The horn cried out, and far away, Fire Nation troops stopped what they were doing.
Katara's eyes fixed onto her opponents. "I saw you use my wave just now," she muttered softly to Zuko.
His eyes widened but he did not relax his stare at his opponents either.
"It was good."
Mai's eyes, at that moment, twitched. Ty Lee's mouth was beginning to curve into a smile.
"What?" Zuko said, and that was the last thing he remembered saying before a net from behind flew at the two of them.
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Katara woke up the next morning, her joints stiff. Propping herself up on her elbows, she opened her eyes to the surroundings around her.
Her eyes grew accustomed to the dark and she blinked twice. Oh no, she thought dismally, as she remembered yesterday's events.
She turned to look around her. Zuko was at the other side of the cell, still sleeping. Sighing, she spotted two plates of food. Picking one up, she ate her meal silently.
"Looks like it's going to be just me and him."
Katara rolled her eyes.
"This is so sad!"
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Zuko woke up the next day, ignoring the cracks in his bones made as he stiffly got up.
He glanced around. Stuck in a cell! He growled as he remembered the fight yesterday and the stupid net.
How could I have been so stupid not to see that? He thought to himself.
The girl interrupted his train of thoughts. "Oh, good. You're awake. I thought you'd never wake up", she muttered, passing Zuko a plate of food.
Zuko ignored that last comment and moved gingerly, helping himself to the food. He felt the girl's eyes on him. Ignoring it, he finished his food ( a pathetic bread of so little water )
He stood up, and winced slightly. Noticing his pain, the girl stood up.
"I've healed my own injuries, but I didn't check yours. I can heal you now if you want."
Zuko sat down. "I don't need a peasant to heal me," he muttered under his breath.
Unfortunately, Katara had heard him. She gave him a resounding slap across his cheeks. "Listen, you spoiled prince, I don't have to heal you, you know! I could just leave you here to fend for yourself!"
Zuko felt his face and body temperature heat up with anger. She had just called him a spoiled prince!
With a jolt, Zuko remembered the time during the storm when Lietenant Jee had called him a spoiled prince. Believe it or not, I actually miss the crew, he mused.
Putting on a blank face, he faced the girl. "Then don't heal me if you don't want to."
She looked at him, infuriated. "Argh!" she snarled.
Zuko got up once again, and looked at his surroundings. No windows. He sighed. Trapped.
Sitting down, he began to meditate calmly. His hands were placed on his knees and he breathed in and out methodically.
Katara stared. How can that guy meditate when we're stuck here? She thought. Sitting down herself, she settled into a sleeping position and tried to get herself to sleep.
Inside, Zuko's mind was a whirlwind of mass confusion. Initially, his plan was to travel with the Avatar and eventually capture him. Now, he was stuck with the girl. Plus, his injuries were no laughing matter.
Once again he sighed inwardly. Concentrate on meditation, he whispered to himself.
--
A guard came to give Zuko and Katara food the next day. Katara, who was awake at that moment, took that chance to talk to the guard.
"Where are we going?"
"We're traveling to Omashu. The Fire Nation governors will house us there."
Zuko had stopped meditating. "The Fire Nation has captured Omashu?" he asked.
"Yes." The soldier gave prince Zuko a look of respect. Unlike the others, he had been a spectator when Prince Zuko fought his father.
Quickly, he shoved the food under the prison cage and left.
Katara picked at her food and shot a glance at Prince Zuko.
"Are you going to meditate all day?" she asked.
Prince Zuko gave a mere nod. Katara sighed. "Today's going to be boring, I guess."
Prince Zuko gave her an inscrutable look and turned back to his meditating when she had finished.
"Don't you ever do anything other than eat , sleep and meditate?" Katara asked out of interest.
"Yes."
"Like what?"
"Back in the Fire Nation one had to endure many dinners and dances. I learned all of the dances. Thanks to my uncle."
"Your uncle is nice," Katara stated. "He seems really wise."
Zuko smiled. Though his back was turned from her, he said
"Oh, he is."
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End of chap everyone! Today a new Avatar epi will come out, Zuko Alone. I can't wait! (squeals) I love Zuko to bits, I'll admit. Haha I'm a crazy fangirl.
Though I don't reply to my reviews, I do read them, and I am glad you guys have reviewed. I'd like to thank Christine she gave me the name "Sunako" in chap5.
Also, don't forget to continue reviewing! Zutarainess may take a new spin, when I wrote things out it seemed better to go with the flow then to go with my planned plots.
I'll continue to write and don't forget to R and R!
Myheartsafeather.