This chapter is pretty cute. It took a while and I really enjoy it. I don't own Avatar.
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She woke up with her pillow made of spare blankets in her mouth. Sitting upright, Koori looked around at the sleeping men and she found Shika next to her. Koori rubbed her eyes and yawned, getting up from her sleeping bag and walking over to the end of the tent, barefoot. Her shirt was loose and she figured that nobody would be awake to see her, so she walked outside into the cool morning air, sniffing at the fresh smell of dead worms because it had rained during the night.
Looking around, Koori could see that the giant fire was only a smolder. "Good morning," a whisper sounded in her ear. Koori turned around and saw Jeong Jeong, relaxed although alert. Koori bowed slightly to him and turned away. "I want to talk to you Koori," he said. "If you're not busy."
Koori stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the ground. It had been this way for days, Jeong Jeong would ignore her and teach her how to firebend by leaving her on top of a mountain and then the next day, he would be nice and want information about Zhao, something that she hated to remember.
"I'm not busy," Koori sighed. Jeong Jeong seemed to smile a bit and ushered her into his tent. Koori sat down around the outside of the candles and he sat down on the inside. Giving out a sigh, Jeong Jeong lit the candles without touching them.
"I've been trying to figure this out for a while now without asking you," Jeong Jeong started. Koori listened intently while staring at her feet. "What were you to him?"
Koori gulped. This was not a question she wanted to answer. She had gained a few pounds while with Jeong Jeong's gang, but she didn't know if that was from the pregnancy or from the sudden realization that there was food around her. She might not of had her bony figure, but she looked healthier and a little more muscled as she trained with Jeong Jeong.
He was watching her. "I…" Koori was stuttering. "I was…a…"
He realized that she didn't want to talk about it and it clicked in his head. "You were a concubine, weren't you?" he asked.
Koori started to get small tears on the outsides of her eyes. She nodded her head while biting her lip, trying to hold in small sobs. "Forced?" he asked.
She nodded again.
He was silent for a moment. "I think that I remember seeing you as a little girl. Zhao was a Captain then and he took you out once. You were in the Fire Lord's palace, do you remember?" Koori again, nodded. She remembered that day clearly once she saw Zuko again.
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"Tag Zuzu, you're it!" a girl around 6 shouted to her eight-year-old brother. There were two more girls around the courtyard as Zhao and a little eight-and-a-half year old Koori walked toward the Fire Lord's chambers. Zhao watched them and smirked while he turned around to look at Koori staring.
"You'll never be able to play," he said. "You'll always be busy."
"Yes Master," Koori sighed, looking to the ground.
"Hey!" the little Zuko shouted to Zhao. "Can she play with us?"
Zhao shook his head and Zuko seemed disappointed. "Sorry Prince Zuko, but she cannot play with you," Zhao sighed.
"Aww, come on Captain, let her play," Zuko seemed to beg. Zhao seemed shocked and turned to Koori.
"Do you want to play with the Prince and his sister?" he asked. Koori turned white and tried to speak but could only nod her head. "All right, I'll be back to get you in two hours," Zhao stated nicely, unable to abuse Koori in front of royalty. He walked away and Koori bowed to Zuko immediately as Zhao's back turned.
Zuko gave a small bow and smiled. "Hi, my name is Prince Zuko, this is my sister Azula and her friends Mai and Ty Lee," he said, pointing at the people.
"She's a common slave Zuko," Azula sighed. "There are plenty to pick from here, why didn't you leave the Captian alone?"
"She seemed interested in what we were playing," Zuko laughed. "Oh! I can be rude, what is your name?"
Koori wanted to melt. His voice was adorable, his looks were amazing and he was interested in her, only for a short while, but he was still interested. "Koori," she managed to get out.
"That's a pretty name," a voice from behind said.
A beautiful young woman showed up near a pond that was squeaking with turtle-ducks. "Princess Ursa is my name Koori, you don't have to be afraid," she giggled as Koori blushed and looked down quickly. "How old are you?"
Koori looked up in a confident way and opened her mouth. "I'm eight years old," she said. Ursa smiled.
"That's the same age as my oldest, Zuko. Play nicely okay?" she said, walking off.
"Yes mom," both Azula and Zuko said. Ursa walked away, her slimming red trained dress sliding away from the courtyard.
"Tag!" Zuko shouted, hitting Koori and running off. Koori had watched them before, so she chased Mai, catching her instantly and shouting "Tag!"
Men rounded the corner two hours later and they were still playing. This time, they were playing duck-duck-goose as Zhao stood at an open doorway and waited calmly. Jeong Jeong walked up to him and started to talk.
Jeong Jeong looked different. He was still pale, but his eye didn't have a red trail over it. He didn't look as tired or as worried as he talked to Zhao.
Koori finally noticed Zhao standing there, calmly talking to Jeong Jeong, but still waiting for her. She stopped her 'ducking and goosing' and apologized to the Prince and Princess. "I'm sorry Prince Zuko, but I must leave. Master doesn't like to wait," Koori said to Zuko.
He nodded and smiled. "Maybe I'll see you sometime later then huh?" Zuko asked.
"Maybe," Koori sighed. "I had a really fun time, thank you."
Zuko smiled even bigger and reached up to touch Koori's face. "Good bye." Zuko's lips brushed against Koori's cheek and she was encased in red. She ran off, out of the courtyard and behind Zhao. Zuko watched, a sudden flaring hate for Zhao springing up inside his body ass Zhao looked at him and glared.
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Koori had remembered seeing Jeong Jeong as she left. He had turned toward her and grinned.
A sudden cringe overcame Koori's face. "I wasn't that then," she said.
"So, you've been with him how long again?"
"Thirteen years."
Jeong Jeong sighed. "Since you were four then…"
"Yes."
"This isn't what I expected. You need to get out of here."
"Why?" Koori asked, afraid that she was being kicked out of someplace that she enjoyed to be around.
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So, I'm bored, writing. Yes, this chapter was sweet. A cute little Zuko kissed Koori. Teehee. Please Review!
