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Chapter 9: Family Matters

The tear streaming down Toshiro's face stayed in his mind, reminding him of the pain she endured. The blood from her neck seeped through his clothes, from being in contact with her dead body. He felt the cold blood press against his skin; it sent a shiver down his spine, and a shock in his mind. "No," he said under his breath, of which seemed to be leaving him. He tried to catch his breath, but the shock of his dead comrade, no; his dead friend was too much. He fell to his knees, his hand to his chest. Toshiro's words began to fill his head again.

I'm Captain Toshiro! They're not dead, except for that one. I only trust some people, not even everyone of my crew. I was 'brave' and that's why I'm captain. You're the one that wants me dead. Zuko's eyes flew open as her final words rang in his head. His body was cover in a cold sweat. He averted his eyes from the sun as is broke through the cracks of the side of the ship. He took a deep breath when he realized his current situation. He quickly looked at his hands to find them clean. He was in his hammock. He moved from his hammock to Toshiro's quarters, faster than he had moved since he joined Toshiro's crew.

Toshiro's head perked up from some books and paper work spread out on her desk when the door swung open. "Zuko!" she said surprised as he tried to catch his breath. "What the hell are you doing, trying to kill me?"

"No!" he yelled. He sat down on her bed by the wall, his forehead resting on his hand.

She looked at him very confused. "What happened?" She finally asked.

"I thought you were dead," he explained. He told her about his dream. It was odd, he hadn't dreamed in days, weeks, and the first dream he had was about death, the death of the only one keeping him alive. He wiped some sweat from his forehead, and Toshiro poured him a glass of rum. He turned it down, saying that he was fine. He stood up and started out. She watched him leave, and he turned towards her. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he said, and with that, he left her staring at the back of her door.

Zuko went back below deck to put on his shoes, and then start the day on a brighter note. He went above deck and looked up to the bright morning sun. He was going to have to get used to this ship, because he was going to be there for a while.

Toshiro continued to stare at the back of her door, trying to comprehend what had just happened. She blinked repeatedly, and then rose from her seat, to go out into the sun. What? She thought. It was odd behavior of her temporary new crewmember. She watched him walked away, towards the other end of the ship, no doubt looking for Akira or someone.

"You know," a voice said from behind her, "He's not the only one acting different."

She looked to see Saburo smiling down at her. Before she could ask what he had meant, he was gone. What the hell is going on? She kept asking herself, but she was unable to answer.

They hadn't deported yet from the isle, they were too tired to even think of heading out. She quickly regained composure, and began commanding her crew, just as she always did.

By high noon, they were off again, but just their luck, weather had different plans for them. Rain fell hard on the ship, and the wind made it nearly impossible to steer the Black Swan to safety. "Hold strong, men!" Toshiro continued to yell, hoping to encourage the men. She slipped and fell to the floor of the ship, again, then tried harder to steer the ship away from trouble. Just lovely, she thought t her self, If this keeps up; we may be even deeper into the Fire Nation. She tried to free a hand to she could wipe rain from her eyes.

Zuko was thinking along the same lines. He was trying harder to help the men from giving up, and just trying to keep the ship in one piece. He wanted to get out of the Fire Nation as soon as possible.

"Oof!" a female voice came from behind him. He turned to see Jasmine on the floor of the ship; she had slipped, like so many others. He had been trying to take down the sails, hoping less wind would mean less pushing into the Fire Nation, but he let go of his rope to help Jasmine. He helped her up, but her ankle was twisted. He pulled her arm over the back of his neck, and led her to the infirmary. The doctor was helping them, but she could stay there until he returned.

Zuko went back on deck, now keeping an eye out for Hana; she and Jasmine were always together, or close by any way. Sure enough, he found Hana, but he didn't worry, she was with someone else: Akira. He went back to his post.

Toshiro began to smile; she could tell that the weather was letting up. She could see the skies turning slightly bluer. Over time, she was right. Around five hours later, the sky was clear, and the ship was out of harms way, except for the small factor that they were now deeper into the Fire Nation. It was going to take longer to get out, not to mention it was too dangerous to get money in the Fire Nation. The chances of getting caught were too risky. Toshiro called everyone to the main deck, the doctor and Jasmine were excused, but they were going to have to find a way out, and a way to get money for food and supplies lost in the storm.

"I suggest we first search the ship for anything that even resembles food. Ling, you'll be finding us a way out of here, because I'll be planning of ways to get us money in my quarters. I have an idea in mind, but it will only work if we encounter it by chance.

The thought of a by chance plan didn't fill much trust in the captain, Zuko and everyone else felt it. His eye followed her as she went to her quarters. Smirking as she walked into her comfortable quarters, she walked over to her desk, and began to move things around until she found what she was looking for, a wanted poster for the banished prince of the Fire Nation: Prince Zuko. She closed up the poster and put it in a small bag, which she then put over her head, making it hang off her left shoulder and rest on her right hip.

They continued sailing until noon the next day, where light seemed to smile upon Toshiro as her chance plan fell into place. On horizon came a Fire Nation navy vessel. "Someone down there knows that I like him," she said with an evil smirk to Ling as the ship came closer. Her attire was that of her male self, anyone could tell that she was planning something. She asked Ling for his spyglass, and looked closer at the approaching ship. "And everything I get from him is sugar coated."

She told Ling to have the sailors slow down their ship, and raise their colors. Ling looked at her as if she was insane, and for raising their flag in the Fire Nation, she was. Ling sighed, she was captain, and he had to do as he was told. He completed his orders, then joined her up at the helm. Their look out alerted them of the on coming ship, and Toshiro only smiled. The ship came up next to the Black Swan, and a woman, only a few years older than Toshiro herself, stepped forth to talk to her.

"You have to be very bold to fly your flag here," the girl said in a melancholy cruel tone. Her eyes were of a gold shade, but less shine than Zuko, less kind. Two strands of hair hung against the sides of her face, and her lips were of a light red. Her posture, her speech, it was obvious she was of high stature.

"What would a group of pirates be doing here any how? That just shows how truly stupid you outcasts are." She said to them with a cold glare. The men on board fought against the urge to over take the ship, and dispose of the rude female on board, but Toshiro just stared at her. Once again, Toshiro's mind was on the prize. "Who are you?" The girl asked, sternly.

"Judging by your appearance and such," Toshiro started, "I'm going to guess that you are the daughter of the current Fire Lord, Ozai, Princess Azula."

The crew onboard let out silent mutters at Toshiro's bold move. She was out of her mind to approach the princess.

"I see you have heard of me, now who are you?" She urged her question again.

"You've heard of me as well, I am Captain Toshiro," Toshiro explained to her.

Shock momentarily overcame the princess's face, but it was quickly changed into a despiteful grin. "That explains your bravery, but none the less you are a pirate, an expensive one at that, coming here was a mistake."

"Or was it," Toshiro said in her mysterious tone, "I was brought here by mere coincidence, and luck. You see, the storm pushed us this way, but I have something onboard, that you may want, even more than me."

Azula was listening to Toshiro's proposition, when the sound of resistance came from an obscure space under the helm where Toshiro stood. Prior to Azula's arrival, Toshiro told Ling to seek Zuko, and he was now bringing him to her.

"Little brother," Azula said in her venomous voice, "I see your intentions, Toshiro."

"Excellent, Zuko will go on your ship, in exchange for letting us out of the Fire Nation, unharmed, and the bounty on his head," she explained, and looked over to Ling, who was also followed by Akira, Hana, and a Jasmine on crutches. Ling forced Zuko over to the hands of a soldier on Azula's ship.

"General," Azula ordered another soldier, "Retrieve Mr. Toshiro's bounty for my brother. Of course, Toshiro, you'll only have to take half of the bounty; after all, the reward is for both my brother, and my Uncle Iroh, the 'Great Dragon of the West' as he was called."

"Understandable, Princess," Toshiro agreed to the terms with a nod.

"You planed this from the beginning, Toshiro, you bastard!" Zuko yelled. Toshiro merely looked away. The soldier returned with her money, and she gave the money to Ling and he ships began to separate.

"Captain!" Akira exclaimed, "How could you do that?!"

Toshiro kept silent. The ship was filled with sorrowed men, all secretly mad at the choice their captain made. All except for a group of men who tried to avoid the captain and her close comrades.

"Why, Toshiro," Jasmine asked, "Why did you_"

But Ling stopped her in mid sentence, "The captain has her reasons for everything," he told her.

"That's right, Ling," Toshiro said, still facing where she and Azula had made their arrangement. "I do everything for a reason. Now if you don't mind Ling, I'd like to make a turn around."

She looked back at him with a large sinful smile. Ling was surprised, and yet happy, with a smile across his face, Ling commanded the ship follow after Azula.

"What's going on?" Hana asked, standing close to Akira and grabbing his hand. Jasmine shook her head as the teens fell over from a sudden stop of the Black Swan. They looked up to ask Toshiro what her intentions were, but she was gone. She was next seen holding onto a rope on the side of the helm.

They watched her swing from the Black Swan to the navy ship, and land onboard, now wielding her sword at hand. She ran up to a soldier forcing Zuko away to down below deck.

That bitch, Toshiro, I knew I couldn't trust her, he thought. He looked behind him when he heard his guard let out a slight moan of impact. He was now unconscious on the ground, and in his spot stood Toshiro.

"You didn't think I'd give you up that easily, did you?" She asked with her classic smirk.

Zuko didn't know how to respond, and once again, he didn't have time to. "Get him!" They heard Azula screech an order to other soldiers.

"Ooh, so close," Toshiro said and she got into her battle stance. The guards came after them, and they were cut in a matter of minutes, because joining Toshiro was Saburo, Ling, and Takumi. The four surrounded Zuko, and fought off the mob of Fire Nation soldiers. Azula stood before them, "Toshiro, what are you doing?!"

Toshiro grabbed Zuko's wrist. "I said, 'Zuko will go on your ship,' at no time did I promise that he would stay here."

The five ran back towards the Black Swan, and swung on ropes back to their home ship. "Go!" Toshiro commanded the crew. In minutes, Azula's ship was out of sight, but Toshiro knew that it wouldn't last long. She knew that Azula would come after them as soon as she could. She walked up to Zuko with a hand full of gold coins. She put it in his hand, and said, "You don't have to pay me now."

With that, she left and commanded them to head southwest. "If she thinks I'll be over her betrayal with some gold, she has another thing_"

"That's a first," Saburo said, cutting off Zuko's complaint, "She's never done that before."

"Done what?" Akira asked, just joining the conversation.

Saburo looked down at the boy; "She's never risked her life like that for someone who wasn't a close, trusted crewmember, not to mention someone with a bounty on their head."

Saburo left the boys, and began towards below deck.

"Wow," Akira said, "I thought that she was gonna leave ye there."

"Yeah," Zuko said, looking down, "I did too"

"Well that goes to show ye, Toshiro always has somethin' up 'er sleeves!"

Akira went to join Hana and Jasmine, and left Zuko to think about his "hero."


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