I don't own A:TLA.
Trigger warning: Attempted assault
The cool wisps of air that permeated her cell indicated it was early morning, the moisture in the air hinting at fog lingering around the ship. Ame repositioned her body on the makeshift bed she had formed from the blanket. Her breathing managed to keep her body warm, despite the chill of the cell. Her hands were folded on her stomach as she lay on her back, as her eyes tried to pierce through the darkness.
She didn't know how long she had been in the cell. She estimated it had been three days, assuming the meals of gruel that were passed through the bars of the door were given twice a day. Six meals would mean three days of confinement.
The first day or so was the worst. Wracked with guilt and anger at herself, her emotions had been an uncontrollable whirlwind. Her time was interspersed with frantic pacing and lashing out at the walls, and being paralyzed by the crushing self-hate, when she was not sleeping. Slowly she had managed to control herself, channeling her frustrations by practicing different bending forms. It was too dangerous to bend, she always lost track of how much time would pass before her next meal and she couldn't risk being caught.
Now though, by the third day. She was too wrapped up in her emotional fog to do much of anything. Without people around to perform for, to act normal around, she didn't want to do anything. She couldn't do anything. Instinctively she would eat, leaving the bowl by the door to return when her next feeding was, and then lie back down. Somewhere behind the dullness, she wondered if this would be how she acted if she were caught as an Avatar. Would she fight then? Or would she just resign herself to her fate?
She supposed it didn't really matter, She was an utter waste of space, useless as an Avatar and with no purpose otherwise. Aang was the Dominant Avatar after all. All of her worrying about her role in the world was meaningless. She could never have a normal life, but she didn't have an important role to fulfill either. It didn't matter where she was or what she did.
Her whole life just seemed a dull throbbing ache. Occasionally she would wake up from a dream and be forced to face the reality of her current situation. It was a jarring experience, realizing the friends she dreamed of were long dead. In those instances, she would toss restlessly on the blanket, disturbing the scent of its owner and surrounding her with it. The smell of Prince Zuko had haunted her since she was locked up, reminding her of the boy who managed to make her feel something.
Sometime during her fruitless study of the darkness, she dozed off. The sound of footsteps roused her as they grew louder. Dutifully she stood up, retrieving her empty bowl from the corner and holding it by the window in anticipation. The change in elevation made her head swim, but she pushed it aside. The footsteps paused outside her door, the sound lingering in echoes through the room. She anticipated the window to slide open, to see the silhouette of a helmet against the light as the exchange of bowls was made.
Instead, the key grated in the lock, the door squealed as it slowly opened, and she was blinded by the light. There was a pause, a heavy silence falling as she stepped back and shielded her eyes. Ame wondered if she should be afraid as her back pressed against the wall, serving to steady her. Already over stimulated by the new turn of events, she would be useless in her current state. Against her will, her heart pounded as the thought of Prince Zuko entered her mind. He had been so angry, so determined to punish her. Surely it was time now? Her traitorous heart fluttered as the hope sprang up that he was here to free her.
The door was pulled open the rest of the way, and Ame fell down onto the mound of blanket that was her bed. She blinked rapidly, trying to bring the silhouette in the door into focus against the blinding light.
"Ame, it's me." Yukio said quietly, as he stepped into the small room and placed an arm around her. "Well, I mean, of course you would know it's me, but, I mean, you don't have to be afraid." He put a hand under her arm. "C'mon, stand up. We are leaving." He pulled her up, steadying them both as she struggled to follow his quick movements.
"Yu... Yuk..." Ame tried to say, trying to ask where they were going, but she could hardly utter a sound. She had gone too long without using her voice. Unaware she had tried to speak, he pulled her out of the room, keeping an arm around her waist.
Ame's head swam from standing up too fast, spots floating before her eyes, and her unsteady legs gave out from underneath her as she was tugged forward. She fell forward, vision black.
"Ame!" Yukio cried out as she fell. He caught her before she could hit the floor, wrapping both arms around her torso. Gently he cradled her as he sunk to the floor, sitting cross-legged and cradled her in his lap. One arm supported her back, and the other he had across her body, holding her. "I'm sorry. I should have..." He said quietly before trailing off. Still supporting her, with his other arm he pulled off a water pouch from around his body. He also reached into a pouch at his belt and retrieved a roll from it.
He handed both items to her. After having devoured the roll and depleted the pouch of water, Ame felt better. She had underestimated just how weak she had gotten, but food served to revive her. Yukio had just waited, cradling her, until she was done. Feeling uncomfortable, she struggled to stop sitting in his lap and stand up. It was difficult with her atrophied muscles and the painful lines of his armor. Feeling the frail movements and misinterpreting them, Yukio tucked an arm under her knee and lifted her up.
"Yukio! Let me down!" Ame cried, her feeble thrashing renewed.
He started moving, despite her protests. "Shh, Ame, quiet." He responded, still walking forward. "I don't want anyone to hear us. And you don't have the strength to walk fast enough. We need to get off the ship before anyone finds us."
Anger pushed at her emotional cloud, but she was too deeply inundated within it. "Don't tell me what I can't do." She declared, but he didn't respond. She stopped fighting him, the movements leaving her fatigued, and instead looked at his face. He was looking forward with a determined expression. There was a wild, almost crazed look in his eye as his gaze darted up and down the hallway. "Tell me what is going on!" Ame demanded, but he ignored her.
Starting to get angry, she pushed away from him, using Airbending to propel herself up and away to land on her feet. Yukio looked startled, but quickly brushed it off and pushed her forward. "OK, so you can walk fine. Now, let's go!" She was still too weak to force him to stop, and stumbled forward. It took all her concentration to keep upright, so she was surprised when he suddenly halted his forward march.
Ame stumbled and looked up to see they were in the front room below deck. The ramp was down, and they were at port. She turned to Yukio, to figure out why he stopped. He was staring at her, and for once she couldn't read his face. "Ame, I-" He started, then hesitated.
Before the silence became too lengthy, she spoke. "Yukio, please explain... I'm confused." She admitted, hoping to encourage him. He took a deep breath, then continued, stronger.
"Ame, I have seen you do amazing things. " Lost, Ame looked bewildered at him, wondering what he was thinking. "I was impressed by this, and knew that... well, that I liked you." Her breathing stopped as an overwhelming feeling of dread consumed her.
"Anyways, Ame," Yukio continued, "I didn't realize how much I cared about you until you were imprisoned. It drove me insane to know you were in a cell, that it was my fault. I desperately wanted to get you out." Ame's thought process turned to things along the lines of, oh crap, what now, as he continued. "I want to take you away from here. You don't belong here, on this ship. You belong somewhere safe, with someone who will protect you. I want to protect you." He came closer, his eyes softening. Ame had to control the urge to run, feeling the situation was getting out of control. She hoped he would stop talking soon, but he kept babbling.
"Let's run away together. We could become refugees in the Earth Kingdom, settling into a quiet village. Or, we could settle in a Fire Nation colony! Just us, together. Say yes so we can go Ame, please." Yukio looked up at her expectantly, and Ame was close to panicking.
"Yukio, I..." She stuttered, and he quickly perked up and interrupted her.
"Great! Now, we should go before someone comes back." He grasped her hand and started to pull her towards the ramp. She planted her feet and he stopped when he noticed she was resisting. "Ame?" He asked, looking into her eyes. The hope she saw in them was almost heartbreaking. She had to take a deep breath to emotionally brace herself, before she responded.
"I am not deserting with you Yukio." She said firmly. Yanking her hand away from him, she proceeded. "You know this isn't right. I can't leave with you. I have to stay here, on this ship. I can't explain it. I'm sorry."
She turned to leave, but stopped when he started yelling. "You're sorry!" She slowly turned around, but couldn't look at his face, her eyes glued to the floor. Each word he said penetrated her emotional fog. She didn't try to resist the effect his emotional outburst had on her. "You don't let me help you when all I am trying to do is give you a better life. I put my life on the line for you, and you throw it in my face! Instead of coming with me, you would rather stay on a ship locked up with a lot of men. I shouldn't have expected anything else from you, you...you... selfish bitch!"
That last word pierced her heart, and she looked up into his face. It was apparent that he was shocked at what he had just said, and he started stumbling over his words. "I mean, I didn't mean, it just slipped, I don't think, I mean, just..." She shook her head, and turned around. Yukio didn't follow her as she left the room. She quickly debated if she was actually going back to her cell, but decided it would be best if she pretended the whole ordeal never happened. She tried to prevent herself from replaying what had just occurred in her mind as she walked back to her cell. She knew it would just make her feel worse.
Without hesitating, Ame entered her cell and tried her best to close the door. She had to settle with leaving it cracked open, since there was nothing on the inside of the door to pull it closed. She settled in her corner, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. She didn't know what she would say to the next person who came to visit her about the open door, but it seemed like a better idea to stay. Ame had almost succeeded her goal of achieving a numb state of mind when the sound of running footsteps disturbed her.
She looked up as they came closer, and something crashed into the door. It slammed shut, and the room went black. The sound echoed loudly in her small room. Through the ringing in her ears, Ame could hear the heavy bolt sliding shut as the door was locked. There was a pause, and, as the ringing started to fade, she could hear footsteps slowly walking away.
As silence fell upon her again, the weight of what had just occurred settled on Ame's emotional fog. It crumbled, and she broke down. She curled into a ball and started sobbing into her knees. The thought that, by refusing to go with Yukio, she had managed to destroy her chance at freedom, and her friendship with him, was hard for her to accept. He was one of the only friends she had ever had. She started to feel she should have just went with Yukio, made him happy. She did feel selfish for choosing to stay on the ship with all the men, instead of settling down like any normal girl. Immediately after she started crying again, the shame overwhelming her.
The sudden movement of the ship rattled her. Steadying herself as the ship reversed, then turned around, she felt her last chance of freedom disappear. She wondered if they had found out where the Avatar was, and the unbidden image of Prince Zuko standing on the helm balcony rose in her mind's eye. Ame scrubbed her face to rid herself of the image.
It was easily another day before anything else happened. The darkness wasn't even punctuated by the delivering of food. Ame was trying to sleep when the sound of footsteps echoing down the hall became louder. The sound set her nerves on edge, afraid it was Yukio again, and that he was going to try to convince her to run away with him. She summoned up her emotional fog, knowing she would have to endure the torrent of his emotions without wavering.
The door opened, flooding the room with light. Determined to face Yukio this time, instead of behaving passively, she turned her face upwards. She didn't trust her legs to stand, and didn't want to risk any signs of weakness. Quickly she realized by the silhouette that it wasn't Yukio. As her eyes adjusted to the light, it became clear that it was Prince Zuko. He spoke strongly, in one breath. "I have decided that you won't be kept in prison. But I am not letting you go. You know too much, and I can't risk you telling anyone. You will be kept on the ship, and a guard will escort you when we are at port. Understood?"
Ame looked down at his boots, trying to process his statement. Prince Zuko became impatient and stepped into the room. "I asked, if you understood." He said. He towered over her, and she started to feel intimidated by his presence. She nodded, but he burst out with, "Answer me!"
Ame looked up at him again, and unsteadily replied, "Yes sir." His anger overwhelmed her, and she couldn't bring herself to hold his gaze, letting her eyes drop to the floor.
"Good." Prince Zuko slowly said. "Now, stand up. Uncle told me to make sure you aren't too weak to walk."
Internally, Ame was cursing Iroh for suggesting the Prince stay and witness her clumsy attempts to stand. It would have been better if she had time to gather her wits and strength. She slowly placed her hands on the floor, and started to push herself up. She could already feel her legs were weak, and she paused, considering if they would be able to support her weight. Prince Zuko watched her, scowling, then he growled. "You are taking too long." Bending down, he grasped her left arm with one hand and took her right hand with the other, and hauled her to her feet.
Ame's heart instantly started beating faster at his touch, and she mentally scolded herself. Her legs were shaky, knees used to being bent, and they threatened to give out from underneath her. He moved his hand from hers to her upper arm, to give more support. Her body was threatening to fall forward, into Prince Zuko, but she forced herself backward. The wall was right behind her, and she fell against it for support.
Zuko's scowl disappeared during this, and as her head stopped swimming she noticed he was thinly veiled concern on his face. She decided it was her imagination, and shook her head. "Thanks." She uneasily muttered.
He nodded, his scowl quickly returning. He released his grip on her upper arms, and stepped back. "If you aren't out within ten minutes I will send a guard to assist you." He merely said, before he turned and left.
It took a few minutes for Ame to properly compose herself, and her emotional fog, before she could leave the room also. It took a few more for her to decide where she wanted to go. She determined she needed to ensure her paste was still covering her tattoos, and traveled to her room first. Her walking was unsteady, and she had to support herself with the walls, but she managed to arrive without incident. Within her room, she peeled off the soiled underclothes she had spent her time imprisoned wearing.
As she shivered in the cold of her metal room, Ame looked down her nose at the discarded underclothes, crumbled on the ground haphazardly. It seemed inappropriate to continue wearing the armor, especially when Prince Zuko had snapped at her about it being stolen. And there was no way she was going to let herself be exposed by wearing the thin gray underclothes.
Hesitantly her eyes settled on her pack abandoned in the corner. It had her Fire Nation outfit in it, from when she worked at the tea stall. Before she got herself into this mess. She pulled out the pieces slowly, feeling like they were from another lifetime. The first piece were the black pants, folded and rolled neatly. They were shin length, baggy now but they had been form fitting once. The dark red top came next. It was long, ending right above the knees, with buttons down the middle and a brighter red trim. A sash tied at the waist, causing the top to billow slightly above it. She had improvised the outfit a little, as it was supposed to be worn sleeveless. Ame had a skintight bright red shirt she was able to wear underneath, that came down to her mid-forearms. At the bottom of the bag was a pair of red slippers.
Wearing this required she use more paste, to cover the arrows that snaked from the top of her feet up to her knee at least, and her hands up to her elbows. It helped that the collar of her shirt reached the hairline on the back of her neck, but that was inconsequential compared to the other work she had to put in. Still, she carefully dressed in the outfit and meticulously covered her tattoos, gaining a sense of security in the actions.
Properly dressed, Ame paused at her hair. It wasn't quite appropriate to wear it in the top knot, but she didn't want it loose either. That would feel too much like embracing her femininity. Like asking for attention. She settled for tying it up in a loose bun, thankful that her hair was long enough that she didn't have any stray strands dangling.
Having refreshed herself, she went to the nearby kitchen for some food and water. After having a little of both, Ame started to feel revived. After she had attended to her basic needs, she realized that what she really wanted to do was be in the fresh air. As she made her way up to the deck, unwavering this time, it puzzled her that she had not encountered anyone else. Surely by now, she should have seen someone.
A slight tremor shook her. Before her imprisonment, the men had been overly friendly. Now that she actually looked female, she wasn't sure how they would react. As she looked down at herself, she reconsidered the choice of outfit. The lighter clothing allowed her to move easier, but at the cost of protection. Every overeager hand, lingering look, she would feel unhampered.
Her expectation to find people on deck was wrong. There was no one there, either. She was grateful, as it was a bright, sunny day out, much too inviting for her to hide somewhere else. She leaned on the railing, enjoying the fresh air and watching the water break against the ship.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ame noticed Yukio approaching, and he leaned on the railing next to her. She ignored him, and finally, he quietly said, "Hey, I am sorry. I got carried away. Just, the thought of you imprisoned, of me putting you there, it drove me crazy. I felt I had to do something about it. And when you refused my help, I got angry. I didn't understand why you didn't want to go." Ame glanced at him, seeing he was staring at the water too, cheeks red and a general look of shame on his face.
"It's alright, Yukio. I understand." And in a way, she did. Gods knew she had enough guilt of her own, and she could attribute many of her mistakes to it. But mostly, she didn't want to dwell on the subject anymore. "Just forget about it and tell me where we are going." He was one of the last buffers she had between the rest of the men. Losing his friendship, and thus his protection, would make it unbearable, she was certain of it.
Yukio seemed relieved, and answered, much more lively, "We found out that the Avatar's girlfriend was arrested for Earthbending, of all things!"
Ame looked up at him, and repeated, "Earthbending? I thought she was a Waterbender."
Yukio nodded and said, "Yup. See, Iroh wanted to stop for more tealeaves, and we stopped at a mining town. Prince Zuko asked about the Avatar, of course, and an old woman who owned a shop told us the girl went to rescue her son. We found out she was taken to a prison ship, so we are trying to find it."
Ame made a noise in her throat as she processed the information, but she could sense Yukio kept glancing over at her. "What?" She drawled, pushing back the feelings of self-consciousness.
"I, uh… Like your outfit." He meekly replied, turning his head away from her. The words brought a heat to her face, and she ducked her head.
An awkward silence fell, and they both turned back to watch the water. Even purposefully ignoring him, she could feel his sideways glances. Ame felt pressured to say something. "Where is everyone?" She blurted out.
Yukio sighed before he replied, "Iroh asked the men to give you your space. They are obliging him. Doesn't mean they aren't around." Ame looked over her shoulder to see a small group of the men peering up from the stairwell. When she met their gaze, the three of them hastily ducked out of site.
"Ah…" was all Ame said, before turning back to the water.
Another awkward silence engulfed them, and Ame tried to come up with something to do or say. Her emotional fog had failed her, and she was uncomfortable now that she knew the men were secretly watching her. Where was the sense of family? All she felt like now was a piece of meat.
"Don't worry, they'll get over it. I'll make sure of it." Yukio told her, nudging into her with his shoulder. The movement caught her by surprise, mostly because every time he'd done something similar she had been wearing armor. This time she could feel his body and the sharp edges of his armor pressing into her.
"So, Ame. It seems Prince Zuko hasn't thrown you overboard yet." Shino drawled from behind them, making her tense. He leaned on the other side of her, leaving just millimeters between them, trying to meet her gaze with a smirk. "There is just something about a woman who sneaks onto a ship, I can't describe it." He smoothly said. "It's fascinating."
Ame stood up straight, trying to muster some courage, and replied, "Leave me alone Shino."
Shino stood up also and held up his hands. "Hey, hey, I'm just trying to get to know you better. Maybe you would be more comfortable without an eavesdropper nearby? I'm hoping I can get you to really open up." He winked at her, and she felt her skin crawl. Throughout her life, Ame had always managed to remain unnoticed, and if someone did take a particular interest in her, she would pack up overnight and relocate. That clearly wasn't an option now, and she wasn't sure how to confront this.
Yukio stepped around her, planting himself between her and Shino. "She's not interested. Why don't you leave now, Shino." The two men glowered at each other, daring the other to break eye contact first.
"Ame, is he bothering you?" Shino asked, his eyes never leaving Yukio.
She crossed her arms and glared at both of them. "You both are."
Yukio raised a hand, gesturing vaguely at Ame. "Don't worry, I got this Ame. I'll protect you."
"Like you're man enough to." Shino shot back.
Ame could see the back of Yukio's neck flush. "What, and you are?" His clenched hand raised in front of him in anger.
"I don't need either of your protecting me." She surprised them by stepping in between them and shoving them roughly away from each other. "You can both stop this ridiculous behavior. I can take care of myself."
Shino swiftly responded, staring down at her in amusement. "I never said you couldn't. But you never know what will happen on a ship in the middle of the ocean. You never know, maybe one of the men won't be able to control themselves." He gave her body a lecherous look, waggling his eyebrows.
Ame glared up at him, and angrily said, "Is that a threat?"
He laughed and responded with, "Oh, no, of course not. I just thought-"
"Knock it off Shino. You are going to scare her." Yukio cut in. Some of the men approached the three, unable to resist watching the scene unfold.
Ame whipped around to Yukio and retorted, "Do you really think I scare so easily?"
Shino turned to the men behind them and chuckled. "Man, women are so easy to rile up!"
She snapped her gaze back to him. "Only when there is an asshole around."
Yukio gasped in shock. "Ame! You shouldn't be using language like that!"
Shino burst out laughing. "Yeah Ame, you will never find yourself a nice boy using language like that!"
"I don't need a nice boy!"
The men around her were chuckling, adding to her embarrassment and anger. She broke her attention away from Yukio and Shino, noticing that the group around them had grown exponentially. She was just a spectacle to them now. Her face burned with the indecency of it all.
"Ame, a young lady like yourself would never be on a ship like this. And if she were for whatever reason, she would need an escort at all times. It's for her safety. That's all Shino is trying to get at." Lieutenant Jee broke in, trying to placate her.
Ame didn't want to be tied down by an escort, to have someone watching her and disturbing her air at all times. Speaking of air… she realized she had been separated from Yukio. She was surrounded by men she didn't recognize. Their words became a buzzing in her ears as their heat pressed up against her, feeding off of each other's energy, causing her breath to catch in her lungs. She was about to lash out when something broke through the oppressive crowd.
"Back to your stations! What do you think you are doing? Move!"
The shifting men opened, revealing Prince Zuko and Iroh approaching. Ame gave a relieved smile over the widening berth around her. The men had dispersed, scattering into the depths of the ship. Ame took a shaky breath as the breeze swirled around her once again, and Iroh placed an arm over her shoulders. Prince Zuko did not stay, instead stalking after those men that were too slow to find shelter.
"Give them time to adjust. They will regain their senses soon enough and the novelty of this will wear off." He turned back to her, his words of comfort falling on deaf ears. She was too busy juggling the feelings of despair and anxiety over her current situation. Being vulnerable was something new to her, she had always managed to push the feeling behind her emotional fog or taken steps to mitigate the feeling. But now in the clothes of her true gender and in the middle of the ocean on a hunk of metal with no escaping the thirty or so men aboard, she couldn't avoid the feeling.
She nodded her head shakily, taking another breath. Prince Zuko, having effectively scared the men off, stomped back to them, his face twisted in anger. Her face burned hotter at being found in such a vulnerable position.
Prince Zuko growled. "Useless, all of them. Ignoring their orders for this…" He leveled his glare at her, and she cringed. "Uncle, make sure they don't get distracted again." The young prince didn't look at her again as he stormed off, disappearing into the helm.
Ame bit her lip and looked out to the sinking sun, disturbed at how much trouble she had caused already. Iroh let his arm fall from her shoulders, heaving a sigh as he did so. "He means it for your protection."
Moving to the railing again, she blinked against the prickling in her eyes. The whole point of being on this ship was to learn fire bending, and now things had gotten twisted. Ever since Aang came back, learning the skill didn't seem important anymore. So why was she still here? She had the chance to escape and foolishly she had let it slip through her fingers. It all seemed so obvious now. She could have let Yukio help her escape, and then slipped away at the first chance, leaving him to find her brother. There was nothing to keep her here.
"This does not need to change anything." Iroh broke into her thoughts, joining her next to the railing. He did not look at her, instead gazing out to the sun as well. "We can still practice your fire bending, and this means you will not have to join us during those dangerous missions." It was like he could read her mind, and she looked at him warily.
It made him chuckle. "I am well versed in the ways of moody teenagers." This elicited a chuckle from her as well, but it was short lived.
"Uncle! We are approaching the rig. I need you in the helm to direct the helmsman where we can board." Prince Zuko shouted at them from the doorway to the tower. By the time they turned around, he had already disappeared back into the ship.
Iroh sighed and shook his head. "I do believe that means my presence is required. Or that he needs assistance with tying his boots, these things can be difficult to translate sometimes." Ame laughed at this, the joke releasing some tension in her shoulders. Iroh grinned naughtily at her before he started making his way across the deck. "Well, we can't keep him waiting."
Ame hesitated. "Maybe I should stay here. I don't seem to be his favorite person right now."
"My nephew simply does not know what to do with a girl his age. It will be good for him to learn." Iroh responded, turning back to place an arm around her. He steered her toward the helm, and she was too embarrassed to respond.
By the time they reached the helm, it was sunset. Prince Zuko ignored her as they approached, instead snapping at his uncle, "It's about time!" The good natured man did not acknowledge this, instead addressing the helmsman about where to steer the ship. Ame pressed into a corner, thinking she should have just gone to her room.
"Interesting." Iroh mused. "By now, they should have spot lights illuminating us."
Prince Zuko stared up at the rig as it loomed above them. "Something's wrong."
An out of breath Yukio burst into the helm. "General Iroh… Prince Zuko…" He gasped. "There are men… in the water… calling for help…" He bent over, hands on his knees as he caught his breath.
Prince Zuko's face turned paler. "What are you standing there for? Begin rescuing them!"
Snapping to attention, Yukio let out a few more gasps. "Yes sir." He spun on his heel and began the journey down the tower again. Ame was grateful he didn't seem to notice her.
"Uncle, stay here and make sure the helmsman docks the ship properly." Prince Zuko ordered as he followed the soldier out of the helm. "I'll go interview the survivors."
Once he was out of earshot, the helmsman nervously asked Iroh, "What do you think the Avatar did to this place?" The words brought chills to Ame. The helmsman was obviously spooked. And Prince Zuko had turned so pale when he was told there were men in the water. Were they so afraid of the Avatar?
"Shall we head down?" Iroh asked her, stepping into her gaze. She nodded thoughtlessly, following him out of the helm. "Ame, I think it wise if you wait in my room for this ordeal to be over. I do not wish to subject you to strangers quite yet." He explained as they made their way down. He stopped outside of his door, gesturing for her to enter and closing the door once she had. She was grateful for his foresight. It would look odd if any of the men from the prison rig saw her, and the last thing she wanted was more attention.
She settled on one of the cushions on the floor. This was the first moment she had to herself since being released, and she never thought she would miss the solitude of her cell so much. Taking advantage of this, she took the time to meditate and calm her thoughts.
By the time Iroh returned for her, she had settled her mind and formed some pressing questions for the retired general. "How did it go?" She started, needing to set the stage for her queries.
Iroh gave a tight smile. "According to the warden, we managed to save all of his men. He made sure to express his gratitude for our timely arrival." There was a hint of mockery in his tone, and she was sure it meant he was anything but.
"Will we be taking them back to shore?"
Iroh seated himself tiredly. "No. The warden was very clear that he wanted him and his men to remain on the prison rig."
She stared down at the table, tracing its edge with a finger. "He didn't want to travel on the ship of a banished prince, did he." It wasn't a question. She already knew the answer.
"No. He did not. He stated he would rather face the wrath of the Fire Lord for letting the prisoners escape. He thought it more dishonorable to be rescued by our humble ship."
Pity forced a sigh from her lips. It would be a blow to Prince Zuko's pride, and she could see the deepening lines on Iroh's face. "So Aang was here?"
"Yes, it seems he was the one to inspire the break out." He pulled at his goatee. "I am glad." He finally spoke, the words quiet. "That prison was not designed to hold the amount of people they held."
"They are scared of Aang, aren't they?" The question stopped the old man in his tracks, and he turned to survey her gloomily.
"Yes." The blunt reply made her head spin. "It's been over a hundred years since the world has known an Avatar. That has left a lot of time for rumors and propaganda to spread. Everything the men have seen so far has done nothing to dissuade those fears." He stated calmly. "No one expected to actually find the Avatar when they agreed to this mission."
Ame couldn't help her outburst. "Aang isn't dangerous!"
Iroh was unable to reply before Prince Zuko entered the room without notice. The surprise on his face at seeing her made it evident that he did not hear her. His face twisted for a moment, before he decided to ignore her and he turned to his uncle.
He held up a hand, revealing a bright blue stone dangling from a velvet strip. "The Avatar was there."
Iroh took an imperceptible breath. "Yes, Prince Zuko, we know. The testimonials from the prison rig is proof of that." Ame studied him from the corner of her eye. The old man seemed to have aged 10 years since she last saw him.
Zuko's fingers curled around the necklace. "This necklace belongs to the water tribe peasant he travels with." Prince Zuko said, trying to make Iroh understand its significance.
"It is a simple piece of jewelry, nephew. It won't help you track down the Avatar."
Zuko growled, and answered, "It must be important to her. Maybe I can bargain with her for the Avatar."
Iroh shook his head. "Nephew, it is a betrothal necklace. She probably got it from the Avatar himself, and if that is the case, then he can easily make her another! It won't help you."
Prince Zuko looked angrily puzzled. "A betrothal necklace?"
Iroh sighed again, and Ame interjected. "In the Water Tribe, the man carves the necklace for his fiancée. It's to symbolize his willingness to provide for her, and that he can walk the balance between fierce hunter and sensitive husband." They both turned to her, and she flushed. She forgot that Prince Zuko was ignoring her.
Iroh looked stunned, but he grinned. "That's right! It's refreshing to see someone with some knowledge of other cultures." Ame smiled, but regretted her mistake of speaking.
"That doesn't matter. What does matter is that we have something important to them!" Prince Zuko insisted, returning to the previous argument.
There was a knock on the door. Iroh, heartened by the interruption, cheerily called out for the knocker to come in. Prince Zuko scowled at his uncle as the cook entered, carrying a tray of steaming dinner. The scent of cooked meat made her stomach turn.
"Ame, will you join us for dinner?" Iroh invited, rubbing his hands together at the prospect of a hot meal.
Shaking her head, Ame stood up. "I think I need a good night's sleep in my own bed." She bowed her goodbye. Prince Zuko's mouth quirked downward as she straightened, but he said nothing to keep her from exiting the room.
Ame practiced taking deep breaths on her way to her room. The sun had just set, leaving wisps of deep purples and pinks floating in the sky. She took a moment to admire it, but could feel her emotional fog wearing thin. It had been a flurry of activity since she was released, and she needed time to process it and figure out her next steps. Especially since Prince Zuko was doing nothing to make her feel welcome on the ship.
It was eerily quiet once she got below deck, and a shiver of unease traveled up her spine, making her hair stand on end. She started hurrying down the hall to her room, when one of the soldiers stepped out from a doorway right in front of her. He was in full armor, face mask and all.
She stepped back, having almost ran into him. His voice, deepened by the helmet, made her skin crawl. "Hey, you going to your room? Mind if I go with you?" She took a step back, one hand instinctively rising in front of her. "No? That's ok, we can use this room..." He gestured to his hiding spot, a deep and dark supply room.
Ame glared into the black holes of the mask, and answered, "No. Leave me alone."
He reached forward, quicker than she could anticipate, to grab her arm, and said menacingly, "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. It's your choice." She stepped back away from him, trying to pull her arm away, but he lunged forward.
His grip broken from the action, Ame ducked under him, and he tripped over her. He fell to the floor, but swiftly he turned over to catch one of her legs between his as she tried to run down the hall. She fell forward, and he clawed his way up her body, pinning her to the ground. As he loomed over her, he pressed her face into the floor and growled, "It won't be as much fun if you are struggling. Why don't you try to enjoy this? I know I will." Ame tried in vain to twist away as he pried her legs apart with one of his legs. A desperate noise escaped her, not quite a shriek but not a sob either.
One hand clamped over her mouth. With one leg between hers and the rest of his body keeping her pinned to the floor, he hissed through the facemask at her. "Just cooperate, won't you? It won't hurt as much!" He demanded. Still attempting to fight her way to freedom, she could feel hardness pressing against her in a painful way. Tears came to her eyes as his other hand started to move over her body, worming its way between her and the floor, trying to find its way past the clothing and to her skin.
She started struggling anew when his fingers shoved their way to the skin just below her waistband. A sob broke from her, and suddenly she was free. She took the opportunity to scamper backwards until she hit a wall, back away from him.
"Hey!" The man growled, but someone else growled back. The man, after seeing there was someone complicating things, summoned fire to blind them in the dark hallway. By the time the spots had faded from before her eyes, he was gone. She had one hand pressed firmly to her mouth, trying to stifle the sobs, and the other one clamped to her side where he had touched her skin. Ame tried to tell herself the danger was over, she tried to stop the tears streaming down her face, but fear is a curious thing. She couldn't. She couldn't even move.
Once flames died out, her rescuer looked down the hall, as if debating whether to chase after him or not, before turning to her. Barely had she recognized Prince Zuko through the adrenaline and tears. He crouched down in front of her, and tried to meet her eyes. She looked away, at the floor, ashamed.
Abruptly he stood up. "Let's go. You aren't spending the night in your own room after what just happened." Ame looked up at his face, to see it was twisted with rage and something else she couldn't recognize.
She slowly stood up, uneasy. Prince Zuko lightly pushed her in front of him, saying, "I think you should spend the night in my Uncle's room. You will be safe there. Go ahead, I'll follow." She nodded, and timidly went forward. She wrapped her arms around herself, her tears finally stopping as they went. His footsteps behind her comforted her, and she grew more sure as they reached the deck, then crossed it to the tower.
She waited at the top of ladders for him to follow, glancing warily around her as she did so. The whole ship was full of shadows, trying to reach out and consume her. It took far too long for them to reach Iroh's room.
Prince Zuko knocked before opening the door. Silence and darkness met them. He lit a small flame in his hand, to illuminate the room, revealing it was empty. Prince Zuko growled before closing the door. Her eyebrows knitted together as she watched him extinguish the flame, and seemed to be contemplating something.
Finally he spoke, thinking aloud. "I don't know when my Uncle will be back, and I don't want to leave you in his room alone. I don't trust anyone else to spend the night with you." He paused, before finally stating, "You will just have to spend tonight in my room. It's the only way."
Ame's heart nervously skipped a few beats. Prince Zuko unwaveringly led the way to his room. Along the way, she was trying to calm herself down and consider what she should do. The events that just transpired fell away once she was confronted with this dilemma.
Prince Zuko opened the door, and led the way in. He surveyed the room, as Ame anxiously stood in the doorway. Finally he declared, "You aren't allowed to touch any of my things. And I expect…" He trailed off as he turned to her, a scowl settling on his face once he saw her in the doorway. "Are you spending the night or not?"
Ame tried to gather her wits, but it was difficult with Prince Zuko staring at her. His bluntness was unsettling, and making a decision was harder under the pressure. She tried to reclaim her emotional fog, but it had disappeared when she had been attacked, and wouldn't come back with Prince Zuko around. She struggled to decide what she was going to do, looking everywhere but him.
"Where… would I sleep?" She finally muttered, stepping fully into the room. Her trepidations aside, she didn't want to spend the night in her own room, surrounded by other men and other dangers.
Prince Zuko had stepped past her to close the door, and its metal clang seemed to accentuate just how small the room really was. He paused by the door as she turned her body towards him, watching as he surveyed the room.
"One of us will sleep on the bed, and the other one on the floor." He said decisively. Perhaps he saw her thoughts on her face, because he quickly amended, "Whoever sleeps on the floor can have the blanket and pillow." He was so close to her, his eyes searching her face.
She broke eye contact, staring at the cold floor and squeezing herself tighter. It didn't seem fair to take his bed, and make him sleep on the metal floor. Not after everything he did for her.
"I guess I will sleep on the floor." She mumbled, gaze still directed down. She was unable to speak to him directly.
She looked up when he demanded, "Why? You should have the bed."
Ame shook her head, and replied, "No, it wouldn't be right for me to take it." His growing scowl prompted her to look down again. Slowly she added, "Besides, I slept on the floor when I was imprisoned. It won't be much different here…" Considering it further, she shrugged and met his gaze again. "It would actually be better, since I would get a pillow." She thought she identified shame flash across his face, but it was replaced with annoyance before she could be certain.
"That is why you will sleep in the bed. I will take the floor." He insisted, moving away from her to strip the bed. Instead of relenting, put her hands on her hips. Everything else was fading away as she spoke to him.
"Prince Zuko, I am not taking your bed." He spun towards her, determination hard on his face.
"I am not letting you sleep on the floor."
Ame's eyes flicked across the room, as her mind searched for another solution. "You could just let me sleep in my own room." She countered, pleased she had found a way to win the argument.
He crossed his arms, and irately replied, "Did you really want to sleep down there, after what just happened?"
Her arms fell to her side as she remembered. A shudder involuntarily went through her body, and he took a small step towards her. She had to admit, "No, not really." Triumph appeared on his face, but faded when she retorted with, "Well, I will go sleep in Iroh's room then." She stepped towards him, challenging him.
His scowl came back, and he replied, "Stop being difficult. Just take my bed."
They stared at each other, and she noticed how golden his eyes were. Looking away from him, forcing herself to focus, Ame sighed, deciding it was best if she relented. "Fine, I will take the bed. But I don't feel right taking your bed and making you sleep on the floor." Her cheeks flushed, but she refused to break eye contact. Prince Zuko, however, averted his eyes from her, and she guessed he was embarrassed too. "You know, you don't have to sleep on the floor…" Ame started, but trailed off, biting the inside of her lip. It was inappropriate for her to suggest the share the bed, as much as she wanted his reassuring presence and warmth.
Prince Zuko spoke quickly after she paused. "I know. And I won't." She lifted her face to him, heart beating faster.
"You aren't?"
He shook his head, and responded, "I'll spend the night in your room. That way, if anyone comes to… pay you a visit, I can find out who and deal with them accordingly. I won't have that kind of behavior on my ship." His voice filled with resolve as he ended his sentence.
Ame was disappointed, but didn't let herself show it. It wasn't appropriate. She nodded, and he bowed his head. "No one will bother you in here. Now, good night." He walked around her and left the room. Alone, she looked around the room, suddenly aware of Prince Zuko's smell. It surrounded her, and it seemed that spending the night in his room would drive her mad. His scent alone made her heart race.
Exhaustion tugged at her though, and she tried to disregard the fact that she was in Prince Zuko's room, and started to prepare for bed. Mechanically she went through the motions, tying her hair up, pulling off her boots. She fingers froze as they moved to untie the knots to her clothing. She could feel the ghost of someone else's fingers on her skin. Taking off clothing would make her too vulnerable. Sighing, she let her fingers drop, and stared at the bed in front of her. She felt awkward thinking about how she was about to crawl into Prince Zuko's bed. She stared at it for a few moments, noting how it was neatly made, how it seemed so inviting, yet foreboding at the same time.
Eventually, her need to sleep overcame her apprehension. She couldn't convince herself to pull back the neat covers, to soil his clean bed. She felt so dirty, wearing her day clothes and with everything that had happened while she was wearing them…
Ame compromised by carefully settling on the bed, on top of the covers. She lay back on the pillows, resting her hands on her stomach. His essence seemed to drift up to her from below her. She felt like a trespasser. Despite this, her body was exhausted now that the adrenaline had worn off. His firm mattress cradled her body and she fell asleep quickly.
I hope that didn't get too heavy for anyone. Thanks for reading and please leave a review!
