Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

(Now I'm listening to Linkin Park) It never goes away, and now you've become apart of me...

Author's note: CONTEST: I need a world! As in some kind of planet. Think up a world that you'd like the Avatar to go to. (E. g.: A world where everyone has the power to read minds, but they can't hear people speak.) Or think of a country, and make up a world based on that theme. It cannot be anything disturbing or disgusting though (as in perverted). Then, make up a character from that world (min: 1, max: 10). Give me full description. My email is on my bio. I will only be picking one! So get them into me before the twelfth chapter (I might extend it) PLEASE!

Blackened-fire: How did you review so fast? My computer hasn't even posted the chapter up yet! Oh well, thank you for so far being my only reviewer. And my tenth!

Oh well. On with the fic!

Chapter ten: Their escape

'-'

"There they are!" Hiashi shouted.

"Oh dear," Katara muttered. Before anyone could say another word, guards were attacking them.

Tsuchi took on a few guards, careful as to which element she used. Her choice: none other than earth. Sokka took on a few, while his sister took on some, now her waterbending skills sharper than ever. Aang, now catching the hang of all four elements, was having fun taking on his share, mixing and matching the different elements. But another unknown factor was that Zuko was right behind him. With all of the power he had, he forced a fire ball at Aang's back. "You may have all of the elements, Avatar," he snarled at him, "but you sure as hell ain't good at any of them!"

"I think I've done pretty good!" Aang chimed, using some of the water off of the floor as a whip.

"You think you've done pretty well, you amateurish sprite!" Hiashi snapped form a distance.

"No one cares about English you wench!" Zuko said candidly. She shook her head, but allowed him to continue with his job.

"How about taking on someone of equal powers?" someone yelled in back of her. Before she could turn around, she was nearly struck by a whip made of sand.

"HYA!" She struck her sister in the shoulder with her foot. "You have to think fast on your feet, imouto. That's what I've learned." Tsuchi shook the pain off.

"Guess it's time to play hard, now is it?" she smiled.

"Guess so, baby sister!"

'Playing hard' wasn't exactly a description. Hiashi still had the advantage over her sister, not only because she had more experience, but she more dexterous and quicker on her feet. It was the competition between Hiashi and Zuko if he wasn't so good.

Zuko, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky either. It was tough at first, but now that Aang had all four elements on his side, it was more difficult than before. "Dammit!" he growled midway of the fight.

"Come on Zuko," Aang teased, "is that all you got?" Zuko seethed, but just continued trying to get the little brat off of his feet. The fight continued, it was worse that fighting Hiashi, he admitted that.

The sun began to rise, signaling Aang that they were probably running out of time. Think, think… But he wasn't paying any attention to his new competitor.

"Too much thinking, Avatar!" Hiashi laughed. With a flaming foot, she kicked him off his feet.

"HEY!" he frowned. "I wasn't ready!"

"Well, neither was I," she replied, forming a rope of fire, lashing it out at him, "but the world doesn't stop for one person!" Aang had no time to think. He sent a spiral of wind at her, hoping that would slow her down. "You foolish Avatar." A ball of fire came shooting through the eye of the funnel, causing Aang to lose his balance. "I've learned a lot!"

"So have I!" Aang added. Using his own form of fire, he shot a series of sparks at her. She stood there, but with an outside press kick, she swatted away the embers like flies.

"Ah, yes you might have, but I have experience!" She summoned sand, creating a dust cloud, sending it in his direction, along with a fire center. It almost hit him in the head, but he blew it off.

The fight was going on for more than three hours. Katara and Tsuchi both knew that that was too long. "Katara," Tsuchi whispered, pulling her away from a fight, "we need to end this and get away! I'd ask Aang for help, but he's busy. I just got away from Zuko. If we get our targets right, we can slip away."

"But how could I help?" Katara asked.

"Just follow my lead."

'-'

"Damn! Where'd she go?" Zuko muttered to himself. Tsuchi had slipped out of his grasp. All who were left was the Avatar and his dorky friend with the boomerang. But there was something wrong. Something irregular was going on…

The boat stopped abruptly, causing everyone standing to fall over, the boat swaying violently. "What was that?" Sokka cried.

Zuko had taken off to see what had caused the unexpected stop. Hiashi jumped to her feet, not waiting to stop. "Aang!" someone shouted from behind. "Hiashi turned around to see the bison up in the air.

"ZUKO!" she hollered. "GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE! DON'T LET THEM LEAVE!" Not waiting another second, she hurdled a fire ball at the overgrown animal. The others followed.

"What the heck happened?" Zuko yell at her, running to join the rest in taking down Appa.

"I don't know!" she glared. "Just shut up and fire!" More than twenty people were attacking them, but to no avail; they were too far now.

Zuko's arms fell to his side, and he turned to Hiashi. "Thanks a lot, you stupid wench! Now they're gone, and it's your fault!"

"My fault?" Hiashi repeated.

"Yes! You let them slip out of your sight! Some vigilance you have!"

"I let them slip out of my sight?"

"Yeah, see, if you're going to repeat everything I say, this conversation's going to take twice as long."

"No one gives two shits if it does!" she snapped. "This was equally both our liability!"

"I had nothing to do with this!" he spat. The crew started to back away, fearful that if could get out of hand.

"Yes you did! If you didn't mosey off to see what instigated the boat to veer off course, then we wouldn't be in this predicament!"

"It was your fault, not mine! You were right there!"

"If you kept an eye on my sister, then that wouldn't have transpired!"

"So what, I'm a baby-sitter now?"

"I never said that you arrogant dimwit!"

"How many mistakes will it take you to figure out when to shut your mouth, you filthy blooded wench?" He knew that he said something extremely offensive.

"Is that your game, Zuko?" she said quietly. "If that is, you royal trash, them I'm no coward."

"Don't you dare…"

"I'll instigate the fight. I don't care. You keep talking and you'll be surprised at how much I know."

"You get away from me-."

"And what?" she questioned. "Oh, you'll kill me? If I had a Fire Navy officer for every time you told me that, I could take over this planet faster than your father. Now I suggest that you keep your foul mouth shut before I-."

"Ha, you can't kill me!" he simpered. "This is my ship. I'll toss you overboard. Ask anyone. I don't do well with threats."

"I should know," she smiled wryly, "you never carry out yours." She turned around and left a fuming Zuko standing alone.

'-'

"That was seriously close!" Aang sighed, direction Appa in a different direction.

"I'll say," Katara smiled, "but at least we got away."

"Well, we can't celebrate now," Sokka frowned. "We need to get as far away from here as possible."

Tsuchi, who hadn't said anything since the boat, was sitting far away from everyone.

"That was some great waterbending back there, Katara," Aang praised.

"Thanks," she smiled, "but it was Tsuchi's idea. She was the one who created the rock to stop the ship in the first place." Tsuchi shut everything out, still brooding over yesterday.

"The world detests you, Tsuchi! There's nothing you can do about it! You're just a grubby, ignominious, reprehensible human! No one wants us! Get used to it, bitch! You're an unwelcomed alien." She turned around to leave, leaving the dumbstruck Tsuchi in confusion. But she stopped, turned to her sister, and cried, "Welcome to reality, ass hole! And don't give me that 'You're so cruel!' bullshit!"

Maybe she's right, she thought. But she has such a negative look on like. I can't remember that far back; I don't even know my own sister's name! Argh! This is so confusing! She sighed deeply.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked her.

"Huh, oh, nothing," she smiled. Katara eyed her, but didn't ask any further.

She can only fool herself for so long… she can only fool herself for so long…

'-'

Hiashi and Zuko's argument had reached Iroh at about noon. "This so stupid," he sighed. "Two teenagers arguing over whose fault it is that the Avatar got away. Despicable!" Both Hiashi and Zuko were sitting on opposite sides of Iroh, none of them looking at each other. "And to add to it by calling each other names? That's even worse! I expected better from you two."

"Well, if that damn bitch didn't let him get away, then we wouldn't be in this argument," Zuko muttered.

"Well, if he wasn't so thick and narrow, we wouldn't be having to dispute about something as brainless as this," Hiashi mumbled. "That stupid child."

"I am not a child!" Zuko jumped up.

"Well, I wouldn't articulate it if it wasn't factual!" she snapped back, up on her feet as well.

"Both of you!" Iroh shouted at the two of them. "You both sit down! I didn't ask you to speak!"

"Well, he spoke first!" Hiashi shouted defensively.

"I wouldn't have said anything if I was trying to clarify my innocence!" Zuko retorted.

"Both of you SIT!" he yelled again, yanking both of them down into their chair by their hair. The chairs moved with a clank, both of them rubbing their heads.

"Ai, sorry," she mumbled.

"What was that for?" Zuko grumbled, scratching his head.

"You both are children!" he finally said. Both Zuko and Hiashi looked at him in shock, and then traded glances. "We all know that we have something to complete, but we can't finish it if both of you are not working cooperatively with each other. You'll be in the same spot forever if you don't both put what little differences you have behind you! Now why do you hate each other so much?"

"Who died and gave you the position of the Fire Lord? It certainly wasn't him!"

"Why the hell are you still here? Don't you have a life to attend to?"

"It' complicated," Zuko murmured, "you wouldn't understand."

"It's just stupid," Hiashi said under her breath.

"If it's stupid, then why are you still arguing? This fight has gone from bad to worse since you've met! Just forget about it! I'm sure you both didn't mean whatever you said. It probably was just a mistaken accident!" It was true. In reality, it was a mistaken accident. He looked at the two, and was sure he made a point. "Why don't you two apologize?" he asked calmly.

"Sorry," both muttered in unison, their eyes didn't move from the floor.

"See?" he asked cheerfully. "That wasn't so hard now."

"He's still a jerk," Hiashi mumbled.

"She's still a wench," Zuko muttered.

"I'll pretend that I didn't hear that," Iroh said. "Now, shake hands." That was a little too much, but whatever it took to let them leave, they were almost reluctant to do it. The two stood up, and grudgingly held out a hand. They grasped each other's hand tight, as if to break the others. After no more than a few seconds, the two let go, their arms shooting down to their sides, wiping their hands on their clothes. "I'm glad you two cooperated long enough to listen. I hope we don't have this problem again."

'-'

Is this the end of their arguments? Heck no! I have too much fun watching and typing Zuko fighting with someone with a temper equivalent to his! It fun stuff there! Well, until next time, Signing Off! PLEASE enter the contest people! Look at what chapter is coming next?