Author's Notes: Chapter Nine is here, as you can see. I must warn you, its suckishly written, and one of the worst chapters in a while, but it's important. Oh, and by the way THREE DAYS GRACE 4EVA!! Dey rock!
Deds: Unique Art, CGOF, and Avatar Airis, even though I didnt see her last chapter. /
Disclaimer: I do not own "Avatar: The Last Airbender," but I do own the pajama's Im wearing at 1:20 on Thursday afternoon. :D
I ran into his room, and didn't even chase after him when I found he wasn't there. I simply slid down in a corner, held my knees to my chest, and tried to stop thinking; feeling anything at all.
I knew from experience it wasn't easy to do.
That image played over and over in my mind. -I think I can help with that...-
It just wasn't right! Anyone could see that. Couldn't they? Or was I just over-analyzing again? It was just a kiss. A kiss from someone like Rontu.
I groaned. My head ached. I wanted to simply move on from this. Truth of the matter was I couldn't. With me, it was impossible. I hate that about me.
The current question: What am I feeling? I should know that, me being the one feeling all of these things.
It doesn't matter. Move on. And so I did. With much effort, I shut out all emotions. I stared blankly, eyes out of focus. I didn't know how long I sat like that, my mind empty as was my stare.
"Er... Can I come in?" Zuko's sultry, imperfect voice poured in through the crack in the door.
"Mhm," I agreed through pursed lips. As soon as his my eyes fell upon his face, I felt again. Don't ask me what.
"What's going on?" he asked, his voice hinted with concern.
I stood up and snapped back into my right mind. "How could you fire Rontu?"
"Who?"
"That poor guy that you just fired! He hated his job, and he only took it to keep his family from starving! I was the one who got into trouble, not him! Did you ever consider that?" I was suddenly furious as I spoke the question that had just popped into my head. Why did I just say that? Don't I have at least one more important thing to argue with Moody about?
"I had to," he said firmly.
"I just don't want to talk to you right now, Ok?" I gave up, just like that. I didn't have the energy to converse right now. With haste, I walked over to the other side of the room.
"Sure, Ok." We just looked around the room, an awkward silence present.
At that moment, the door came open and the old man appeared in the doorway. "Uncle?" Wait that old guy was the Fire Lord's brother? Ok then... It's been a strange day, a very strange day. "What do you want?" Zuko seemed slightly annoyed.
"Zuko! Who is this?" I saw the twinkle in his eye as Zuko's uncle questioned his nephew, a smile on his face.
"Um... Er..." Zuko was at a loss for words. I didn't know why, so I just put on a puzzled expression. Zuko shot me an eager glance. Out of the corner of his mouth, he muttered: "What's your name?" In all this time, Moody had never bothered to ask me my name? What a jerk!
"I'm Mika," I said to the old guy. I didn't have the energy for being sarcastic either.
"Oh, and who are you?" As I searched my mind for an answer, Zuko spoke up.
"A prisoner." He choked at the words. I just realized that I wasn't an honored guest here, yet I was sitting next to the guy who I had once hated more than anything.
I had once hated.
It didn't seem to me that Zuko was someone to hate! He could be kind, sometimes! I tried not to dwell on that thought, for fear of having another internal war between "love" and "hate."
Before Zuko could chase me out, I ran to somewhere else.
-An hour before-
(Third Person POV)
Zuko changed his course toward the crew's quarters to walk over to the other end of the room. From the corner of his eye, red flashed from the window. A sound of flames and yelling was there to support his mental theory. He knew that sound only too well. Now all he needed to find out was who.
Out the window was the horrible image of two people fighting, both of them Firebenders. Agni Kai. Of course. He vaguely remembered the identity of one of the dueling silhouettes: It was one of those guards, Rontu. He was on his way to reconsider firing him, but not anymore.
The other he knew quite well: That oh, so familiar girl. Familiar, nameless girl. He just stood and looked out the window, studying her jet-black hair thrashing madly in the wind. He wanted to stop it, stop the fighting. A girl shouldn't be dueling in an Agni Kai, especially when she's only 15 or so. At a first thought he rushed toward the door, but a wizened hand held him back. "Prince Zuko, I don't think that she would like her fight to be interrupted." Zuko looked into his uncle's eyes, confused. But he trusted his uncle, no matter how much he disagreed. He just turned his back, and closed his eyes, the yells and shouts of anger ringing in his ears.
Halfway through a step I stopped. I was tired, though I had only run around a corner or two. I wasn't tired of running, I was tired of running away. Whenever it was hard, I ran, like I was doing now. I always ran, and when I couldn't stand what I had done, I ran some more. I wasn't brave enough to stand up to troubles, only to escape them. It wasn't the first time I had run away, either.
I take the note I had written for a sign of good-bye. I reread it, and read it again. 'No.' I can't take life anymore, not with out Haka. He was my life. I rip the letter into two, then four and eight. I run away from my home, only looking back once.
No.
I run again, the remains of the letter following behind me.
My thoughts were interrupted by Zuko coming to a halt next to me, immediately leaning against the wall. "I-,"
"I'm sorry," I stopped him before he could say anything. "I- I shouldn't have questioned you; it was your choice," I admitted. He just stood there across from me, mouth agape. I had to say it; it just seemed the right thing to do.
"A- Alright," Zuko said simply. "I- I was just going to ask where you were going." There was a look of innocence on his face as he spoke that I had never seen before.
"I don't know," I confessed softly, and I wasn't lying.
I stop in my tracks. It has been a month since I have left my home, and strayed away from all civilization. I spent every moment searching for my brother, but with no avail. I look behind my shoulder, to even more barren land. I feel starved and tired, and try to resist the temptation to head back home. Try and fail.
Zuko didn't say anything. "But there's someplace I want to show you." I beckoned Zuko toward me. I led him around winding corridors and through a few secret passageways. There was this place I found on one of my explorations of this place, yet it never seemed to me like anywhere important until now.
I crouched low under a declined ceiling; Zuko however, didn't. "Er..." Zuko rubbed his forehead; I covered a giggle.
Zuko clumsily stumbled on after me. "C'mon, we're almost there," I encouraged. Finally, the ceiling elevated, and led to a well lit room, the only thing in it a single window and window-seat. Actually, the window took up nearly the whole far wall, letting orange sunlight generously pour through it. "I found this place a couple weeks ago," I said, "and I thought you might like it.
Zuko shaded his eyes in the twilight sun. "It's... bright." I threw him a look. "B- But I still like it." We exchanged awkward smiles.
"Here." I patted the red cushion on the seat next to me. "Sit." Cautiously, Zuko sat on the far end of the seat, turning his head to look at the desert of blue.
"This is beautiful," I said, breathless.
"Yeah," Zuko agreed. The sun was about to make a graceful departure into the deep blue sea, making room for the moon...
"Land."
"What?"
"Over there," Zuko said, pointing to a green country, actually really close by. I strained to see it, but I could only see the tip. "Here," Zuko said. "Sit here; you can see better." Zuko laid a hand on a spot next to his lap.
I scooted to the spot, but didn't see the ocean, even though I could see it perfectly. Zuko was sitting so near me, his warm body brushed me gently. I could smell something like Jasmine on his clothes and in the raven-black hair that touched my face.
I looked again out the window. "It- It's beautiful," I said, as the sun sank into the ocean, a prince's scar the only thing visible.
Zuko's head rested on mine as we looked out the window, stars as our only audience.
I awoke that next morning, a shadow of a grin still on my face. I remembered falling asleep that evening, warm in that particularly cold night. I opened my eyes, ready for whatever today threw at me.
I sat up in bed, a thought immediately hitting me. I hadn't contacted her for at least a month...
I took out a piece of parchment from the drawer and a quill and, after some good thinking time, wrote down the words:
"Katara,
I know I haven't contacted you in so long, and I'm dying to hear from you. We are nearing Zijan Island now, and should be landing very soon.
It's not exactly a five-star cruise here, but I can pass the time. Zuko can be a pain every now and then, though.
I miss you terribly, Katara, you're my only friend, and I'm lost without you.
Mika."
I grabbed my cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders. I took the letter I had written hastily in my hand and headed to the kitchen. There had to be a glass bottle somewhere, right? I didn't really care what the chances were of a message in a bottle finding it's way right to Katara. All I could do was hope. And do a little bit of dreaming.
I finally slowed my pace as the door to the kitchen came into sight. But the closed door wasn't the only thing stopping me.
"State your business." This was a kitchen, for heaven's sake!
"I am on orders to retrieve an item for the prince," I said in a mock important voice.
"And what shall that item be...Miss?"
"A, um, glass- glass bottle, Sir." My important voice sounded less convincing. The guard nodded and proceeded into the door of which he was guarding and soon came out with exactly what I needed: a small glass bottle; a cork fitted squarely in the opening and handed it to me.
"Thanks," I called as I rushed off toward the deck.
As I reached the final steps, I fell backward. The ship had given a terrible lurch. I fell to my knees, keeled over on all fours.
I expected the ship to trudge on through the water, waves rocking it to and fro, but it did not. I gathered myself to go through the door that led out onto the deck, ready to see what we had hit.
My hand loosened on the bottle, it slipping from my grip and shattering on the ground.
Land.
I ran back into the ship, stumbling a few times on the hems of my cloak. "Moody!" I yelled. No answer, but I didn't exactly expect one. I groaned. "Zuko! We're here!" I pushed my way into his room where he was stirring uncomfortably. "We're here!" I grabbed his hand and pulled him up. I dragged him behind me as I ran to get out, out of this metal box.
"Slow... down..." Zuko mumbled as I sprinted toward the deck. I finally got there and admired it: No more ship. No more containment. I was free.
For a moment I expected myself to run into the trees, not a care in the world. But, then again, how could I? I was still under the control of Zuko and his crew, and it wasn't exactly easy to get away from them, at least when they didn't disappear somewhere into a big hunk of metal ship.
The bow lowered onto the dirt and sand, and I pulled Zuko along with me to savor together the first time we'd touched land in what felt like forever.
"Before you fight back, I order you to cooperate." The iciest, most evil voice he had ever heard threatens him. It was a girl, threatening him. "Now, tell me where she is."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Breathing loudly through his nose, he tries to speak.
"Really? Maybe it's the cold." The girl holds the blue flame closer to his neck, the fire growing.
"Please! I don't know what you mean!"
"From what I know, you know a girl named Mika. And I am never wrong. Are you suggesting I am a fool?" She speaks in the calmest voice.
He chokes at the name. "No."
"Then where is she?" she demands.
"I don't know."
"Are you sure?" She holds the flame so close to him, that the flame licks his chin. He forces himself not to wince.
"I told you I don't know!"
The girl relieves the flame of his throat. "Fine. Leave here, I don't want to see your face again." The girl stands up and walks away. Stumbling once or twice, he does the same.
On a second thought, he reaches for a broadsword, and throws it at the girl's turned back. It zooms through the air, straight toward her. But she catches the grip in her hand and throws it on the ground. "I don't have time for you."
With defiance, he takes his sword back after the girl is gone, and turns away. Mika is in danger, and he will stop it. But in the back of his mind, he knows that if he hasn't saved her in years, he will never again.
