A/N Sup' it's Zutara247lova, thank you you guys for reading and favoriting you guys keep me going! So this chapter my seem a little confusing but you'll find out all the secrets later. Okay hope you enjoy!
….Boom! "What was that?" Katara asked Zuko.
"I don't know." The ship began shaking again. "Stay here Katara I'll go check it out."Zuko told her.
Katara ran up behind him, "I didn't come to sit back and watch." Zuko just smiled at her.
They went to the top deck of the ship and asked the captain what just happened. "I have no idea. I think we hit something."
"Or something hit us." Katara said. Then it happened again, "Sir! We are being attacked!" the lookout yelled. "What?!" the captain shouted back, the lookout pointed at the ships coming toward them, pretty fast too. More soldiers started to come back up and ask questions on what to do. Then they got hit again, "Where the hell are they hitting us?" The captain asked in frustration, it was evident that the ships were coming close, but not to attack yet.
"Wait!" Katara felt the ground. "They most have more ships underwater!" Then repetitive slams came unto the ships, and then it was pure silence. They waited and watch as the ship slowly came up to them, "Men get into your stations don't fire until I say." The other ship stopped right in front of them, everyone was dead quite, and in a fighting stance ready to fire when told, all you could hear was the creaking of the ships, and the water drifting.
Soon the silence broke when some on yelled from the other ship, "Fire lord Zuko, for 4 years the fire nation has sit back and watched you demolished your grandfather's work, for the fire nation to conquer all nations!" They then put out a board for the man to walk across to the other side; guards stopped him before he could touch Zuko's ship.
"We have supported all your ancestors, and I would appreciate if you put your father, back in control. And before you speak, oh great firelord, we knew you won't do that, and you keep refusing our offers, so I sent a letter saying we know where your precious mother is we have been waiting for the moment to attack." Zuko balled up his fists "Lies, I knew it would be too good to be true."
"I can see you're angry, Firelord. Well let's say I do know where you mother is and I'll tell you only if you step down as Firelord. And if not we will kill you, your crew, but we may keep the dainty little girl though…"
Zuko sneered and slowly walked up to the guy and moved the guards away from him. Zuko came face to face with the defiant, smart man. Zuko smiled at him and looked him in the eye with so much intensity that the man gulped.
"You think you've won me over, and have won the fire nation back, but you see there's a fault in your plan, kill me and someone is bound to come looking for me. Even if it takes a year or 2 they will find you. As for my mother I have lived without her for longer than 8 years, and even though I would go through hell and back to find her, I haven't, and I will not put my nation in jeopardy because of some bluff."
The man smiled, "I may not like your title as king, but admire the passion you have for your nation, but sadly your wrong."
Zuko was confused. "You see we have at least 200 of my men at your palace ready to free firelord Ozai and start a chaos, but at my say. And what I say goes, but I think it will save you much pain if you just put Ozai back in command, plus you get your mom how's that?"The man smiled.
"You can't bribe me with my mother, and how do I know for sure you know where she is?"
The man grinned again, "You see I did think about my plan, look I have this."
Out of his pocket was a necklace Zuko's mother used to wear. Zuko remembered once when his mom was getting ready for an important meeting she had to attend to.
*Flashback* She was looking for that very necklace around her room when a cute little fire bender boy came running around the corner.
"Mama!" little Zuko cried as he ran into the room. "What's wrong Zuko?" She asked her son.
"Azula's not playing fair again, and now she's saying that there's a monster out coming for me, and now I can't sleep!" Ursa shook her head."I'll talk to her tomorrow you can stay in here for now, but can you help me find a golden necklace of mine? I have seemed to have lost it."
Zuko nodded and helped her look for the necklace. Once he had found it, under the bed, he gave it back to his mother who smiled proudly at him. "I knew you could find it."She cheered. "Now would you do me the honor of putting it on me?" She smiled at him. Zuko got up on the chair and put the necklace on her, and she kissed his cheek. She looked into his eyes and started to cry. "Mama, what's wrong?" Zuko asked now worried. "I'm fine, you should go to bed I have to go." She ruffled up his hair, and kissed his cheek one more time before he left to bed. 2 days later Zuko's grandfather died, and his mother was gone. *Flashback over*
"Where did you get that!" Zuko asked now pissed.
"You see Zuko your not the only one who wanted to find your mother, I just was successful, but let me tell you it is hard. She gave me this necklace to help me pay for my journey" Zuko shook his head he was so confused, "So this map was all a lie?" Zuko took the map out of his pocket.
"Not entirely, but only I can decipher what the map says, and more."
Zuko started huffing smoke. "Why the hell do you want to do this?"Zuko asked.
"For power Zuko, I was raised an orphan and I've always wanted power over everything, because everyone else was weak." He told him.
"My father is not going to offer you power do you not get it."
The man shook he's head, "Guess we'll just have to wait and see. So what's it going to be firelord?" Zuko thought and thought and right now all he wanted to do was kill this man. "I don't know who you are, or the story behind your stupid plan, but you are not going to win." After Zuko said that, that was it the guy nodded.
"So be it Firelord, by the way my name is Ij-eo , it means the forgotten." Then the man walked away, "Alright boys attack!"
"HOORAHHHH!" the men cheered.
"Fire!" the captain yelled.
Zuko started to fight with the men on deck, throwing fireballs with punches. While Katara surmereged every man she could see into water. It was obivious that they were outnumbered and over powered, they would last through the fight just not for long. When the captain realized this he cut off an escape boat and tied to the railing holding it still for now, then he ran over to Zuko, while battling along the way.
"Firelord!" he yelled as he punched another soldier and broke his neck. "We can't win!" he yelled at him, Zuko shook his head as he threw fireball after fireball. "My lord we are outnumbered!" The captain yelled again trying to see what to do, then he ran all the way up to Zuko and helped him fight. "You need to leave." He told Zuko, Zuko looked at him crazy.
"It's okay get on one of the emergency escape boats, and take Katara with you." Zuko bit his lip and looked around as he saw men who were his most trusted crew die instantly. "No. I can't leave my ship behind." Zuko stated firmly. "You leave those problems to me, Firelord, now go."
Zuko shook his head and the captain sighed, "I'm sorry my lord." He pushed Zuko over the rim of the ship into the boat, then he ran and grabbed Katara and threw her down too, "What, what the hell?" Katara yelled at the captain. "I hope you know that it has been an honor serving you firelord." Then the captain cut the rope and of the boat drifted away.
"No!" Zuko pulled on the rope, but it was too late it had been cut. "Damn it!" Zuko screamed.
Katara still rubbed he head from the fall down. "What the hell just happened, I was fighting then the captain out of nowhere throws me over board." Katara asked.
"We were outnumbered; everyone on that ship will die unless they take prisoners, which doesn't seem likely." Zuko said now sitting there all depressed. Katara didn't know what to say, she was happy the captain had saved her life, but still sad that he sacrificed his.
"Oh, I'm sorry Zuko- Zuko!" She gasped.
"What?"He asked.
"You're bleeding!" Zuko looked down and saw blood on his shirt. "Oh." Zuko said, then he just shook it off as if it was nothing and looked back at his ship which now was just the size of a pea.
"Okay, Zuko I know your sad, but you should be proud that your captain is a great captain and loyal." Katara suggested trying to cheer him up.
"That is my ship I'm supposed to go down with it." Zuko said still looking back.
"But isn't that what that man wanted to kill you? You'er free and I think it is our destiny to go and warn everyone now."
Zuko shook his head."You sound like my uncle."
Katara laughed, "And your Uncle is wise, so I think you should take my advice and let's go on an adventure together. To be honest I've been so bored."
Zuko chuckled, "Okay."
"Now take off your shirt and let me heal your wound." She asked him. Zuko shook his head, "It's just a flesh wound." Katara rolled her eyes and lifted up his shirt, then he took it off. "Katara bended water and wrapped it around her hands and put them on the wound. Zuko hisses as he felt a small pain then it slowly drifted away.
"There it shouldn't scar…" Katara stared at his chest and saw his scar from the day he saved her life from Azula. She couldn't stop herself from touching it. She traced the wound with her finger tips. Zuko bit his lips "What is she doing?" He grabbed her hand, "Katara?" She shook her head and started to blush.
"Sorry, it just reminds me of the day I almost lost you because of me, and now you have to live with a scar because of it." Zuko lifted her chin. "What are you talking about? I'm happy to have this scar it reminds me everyday how special I must be to have a friend, who saved my life and defeated my sister."
Katara rolled her eyes, "Still, it happened because of me."
"S,o I don't think it would've made a difference if you were there or not, if anything you were the biggest help that day, being a healer and all. Not to mention you're a kick-ass fighter."
Katara laughed and began to touch the wound again, but this time got a little carried away and traced the muscles on his chest. "Beautiful…" She mumbled as she stared at him.
"Katara?" Zuko asked again, trying to restrain himself from kissing her. Katara balled up her fist and shook the thoughts she was thinking out of her head. "Ah-Okay you can put your shirt back on." Zuko put his shirt on, and then reached into his pocket.
"What's that?" Katara asked him. "It's a map to find my mother I just don't know how to read it." Katara looked at it.
"So whoever that guy was knows where your mom is and mad a map to attack us and find your mom, I'm confused."
Zuko shrugged, "I guess there's a hidden map I just can't find it."
Katara studied it, then she held it up to the sun and the compass changed directions, Katara looked at it confusedly, "I think we need to go that way." She pointed towards west.
"Sure, go wherever you want I have nothing else to loose, except you, so be safe." Katara rolled her eyes and started to waterbend to move the boat faster. Zuko drifted asleep after a while.
When he woke up it was supper late and Katara was still waterbending. "Katara don't you think you want to get some rest?" He yawned.
"No, because do you see that?" Way,way farther out was an island. Zuko got up and looked out.
"That's great, but I still think you need to sleep."
"Yeah probably, but we need someone up to look out and paddle."
"It's okay Katara I got the rest of this, thank you now go to sleep." Katara nodded as she grabbed one of the blankets in the emergency kit, and fell asleep. Zuko smiled at her, she was beautiful, Agni how he wanted her when she touched him. He ran his hand through her hair. "I don't care if Aang loves her; I need her, her body, her heart, and her soul." Then he shook his head, "Aang's my friend I can't do this to him, but I'll wait for you Katara." He took a deep breath and looked towards the island and watched the water move.
A/N Finally Zutara is alone you know what that means, somewhere in between they're going to have to spill their feelings. And did Katara find the island where Zuko's mom is or is it another hoax? We'll see next chapter thank you for reading stay awesome and PLEASE REVIEW! Haven't had one in a while so yeah... love you guys! n_n