Hey! So I know this chapter is a long time coming, especially with my evil little cliffie at the end of the last one. I got ten sentences into it, and I lost all inspiration and worked on my other stories, and then there was school, and piano, and horse, and all this other stuff. But I made it extra-long(ish) to make up for it. So here goes!
Disclaimer: I don't Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any of its characters. I just supply King Bumi with lettuce leaves.
Aiko's POV
I can feel myself waking up, but don't open my eyes. I'm so comfortable. The bed is soft, the scent of wood smoke fills the air, the person next to me is so warm…wait. The person next to me?! My eyes pop open and dart around. I'm in Zuko's room, in Zuko's bed, in Zuko's arms. What! My mind races, trying to remember last night. Let's see, storm, crying, memories, and…Zuko…hugging me? Then I fell asleep. Well, there's no way to get out of this one. I'll just have to wait until he wakes up. Just then Zuko stirs. I freeze.
"Aiko. Would you like to tell me why you were crying last night?" he asks softly, sounding half-asleep. I stare straight ahead, and then sigh.
"I'm afraid of lightning. I have been ever since lightning struck my house, setting it on fire, and killing my mom," I say, biting my lip. No more tears.
"I'm sorry," Zuko says. There's a lull, and I think he's gone back to sleep. "My mom left when I was eleven," he says so quietly I can barely hear him. "I have no idea what happened to her."
"I'm sorry," I tell him. I know we're only being this caring because we're both still tired. We lay there, and I'm drifting back to dreamland when the door bursts open. I yelp, and Zuko and I jump apart. It's Iroh.
"Well doesn't someone look cozy?" Iroh chuckles.
"Ew, no!" I shout before racing out of the room. I don't stop running until I reach my own room and shut the door. I lean against the door and slide down the floor, thinking about what just happened. It's kind of frustrating, actually. I'm able to label Zuko as "bad," but then something like this happens, and he seems human again. So his father basically hates him, and his mother left him for some reason or the other. Well, no wonder he's so messed up.
I stay in my room until I can stop blushing every time I think about what happened. After what seems like forever, but is probably more along the lines of twenty minutes, I walk back out, only to notice that the hum of the engine is gone. I frown. We've stopped again? I don't want Zuko to capture Aang, but he's never going to catch up if we keep stopping. I head up to the deck where I see the sun nearly setting. Wow, I was asleep much longer than I thought. Looking over, I spot Iroh waving at a small skiff that's rowing to shore.
"Ah, you've finally recovered, have you?" he asks with a mischievous grin. I blush. Darn, I'd thought I was over that!
"Why have we stopped?" I say, avoiding his question.
"Zuko wanted to go look for news of the Avatar on land for a little bit," Iroh replies. Shading my eyes with my hand, I can just barely make out a lone figure in the boat.
"By himself?"
"Yes, he insisted," Iroh says with a frown.
"Where are we anyway?"
"Somewhere in the northern Earth Kingdom." I grin, peering at the smudge of shore in the distance.
"Wow, I've never been this far north before!" Iroh laughs at my reaction, and I stick my tongue out at him.
As our laughter dies down, Iroh's face turns solemn. "Aiko, what happened last night?" he asks gently. I frown and turn away.
"Don't' wanna talk about it," I mutter before walking off, heading below deck again. After two seconds of wandering (again), I realize my mistake. Iroh may be prying, but it's better than this. I'm so bored! I haven't been off the ship since my grand escape, and I'm going a little stir crazy. Walking past a door I hear loud cursing. I jump and look around. I realize I'm in the part of the ship that houses the crew. Tentatively, I knock on the door. A few moments later a man sticks his head out. He's very young, only about five years older than me. He has the typical black hair of the Fire Nation pulled into a topknot, and his amber eyes are clouded with frustration.
"What?" he snaps.
"Oh, um, hey. Ning right? I just wondering why you sounded so upset," I babble, trying to clear the tension in the air. Ning's face softens slightly.
"I'm trying to fix a tear in my uniform, but it always comes out sloppy looking," he says, looking down. My face lights up.
"I'll do it!" Ning looks at me strangely. "I know how to sew really well, and I'm really bored. Please?" I beg. He mulls it over for a few seconds, then grins.
"Yeah, sure. Let me just grab my uniform." He ducks back into his room, then reappears holding on of the red shirts everyone wears underneath their armor. "Here you go!" he says cheerfully, much happier now that he doesn't have to fix it himself. "And here's the needle and thread too." I take everything from his hands with a smile, and nearly sprint back to my room. Leaving the door open, I sit down against the wall and get to work. The tear is long, running across the front, and I wonder how in the world Ning managed to tear this. Threading the needle, I start making small, even stitches, focusing more on quality than speed. I'm about halfway done when someone knocks on the doorframe. Looking up, I see another soldier, Qiang I think. He's middle-aged, tall and strong, and I know he has a wife and three children back home.
"Yes?" I ask with a smile.
"Ning mentioned you were fixing his shirt, and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind darning my pants," Qiang replies, holding out the article of clothing.
"Sure, it's not like I have anything better to do," I say with a shrug and a smile. I take the pants from him and sit back down. This pattern continues until I go to sleep; everyone from the helmsman Hai to even Iroh visiting me with something they want sewn.
The next morning I wake up bright and early with the sun. Looks like Fire Nation traditions are finally rubbing off on me. I pull my hair up and tuck it underneath a gray scarf that happened to be in my pocket when I was captured, preparing for a hard day's work. I grab my next repair job and gag, my eyes watering. Apparently a boatful of men can't be bothered to do their own laundry. Sighing, I gather all of the clothes into one giant bundle and head to the deck. I take a detour to the galley. Freeing one hand, I rummage around the shelves until I find a large pot. I set it in the sink and turn the nozzle for water. I move to grab the pot, but my bundle slips. Readjusting, I grab the pot and place it on my head so I can use both hands to carry the clothes.
I carefully continue to the deck, shifting my head every few seconds as the pot swayed from side to side. By the time I make it to the stairs my neck is sore. When I get to the top I set everything down with a sigh, rubbing my neck. I dash back down to the galley and grab some whetstones from a drawer. On my way to the deck, I grab Ning and drag him with me. When he protests, I give him a look.
We make it back up to my pile of clothes. "Here," I say, handing him the stones. "Heat these up them drop them in the pot. I need to go grab some soap!" I shout as I head below deck again. I really need to plan these things out more. After conducting yet another supply raid on the galley, I find Ning heating up the last stone. "Thanks," I say with a breathless grin as he finishes. He quickly walks off before I can get him to do anything else. I grab something from the top of the pile, which happens to be one of Iroh's robes. Just then I slap my hand against my forehead.
"Oh, icicle!" I exclaim.
"Looking for this?" a voice says. I glance up, startled. It's Zuko, holding out a washboard.
"Thanks," I say as I cautiously take it from him. I have no idea how he's going to react to what he told me yesterday morning.
"Why are you doing all of this?" he asks, gesturing at what I've laid out on the deck. I shrug.
"Well Ning needed help mending his shirt, and then everybody else had something to fix, and a lot of it stank, so I decided to wash everything," I explain. He nods. We sit there (or in his case stand) in awkward silence for a bit before he nods again.
"I have to go check with the helmsman, so…" he trails off, gesturing over his shoulder.
"Bye," I say with a forced smile. He wanders off and I get back to work, dunking the clothes in the water heated by the stones, soaping them up, scrubbing them, then rinsing and laying them out to dry. Several hours pass, and I'm almost done when a huge Fire Nation ship pulls up besides ours. Standing, I wipe the sweat from my forehead, and check to make my hair is all underneath my scarf. Three men board our ship.
I bow to them in the traditional Fire Nation way, my right hand extended upward over my left fist. "May I help you sirs?" I ask in a neutral tone.
"Where is Prince Zuko?" the one that seems to be in charge asks.
"I believe he is up with the helmsman," I reply, pointing the way. The soldier nods his thanks and heads in the direction my finger is pointing. I start mending Lieutenant Jee's pants. A few minutes later the soldiers get back on their ship and sail away, and Zuko storms past, trampling some of the drying clothes.
"Hey!" I shout. "Watch it!" He turns and growls at me. "Fine, be that way," I mutter. I rescrub the clothes Zuko got dirty, and seeing the stormy clouds, bend away the water so I can take them in. It's strange, we've stayed in the same spot ever since the Fire Nation ship stopped us. I fold everything neatly and carry it over so I'm underneath the helmsman's tower. I should go in because of the rain, but I'm enjoying the fresh air too much. Zuko comes back out, having changed out of his armor and into his training clothes. He starts throwing punches and kicks, sending bursts of flame through the air. Iroh steps out from below, frowning as he spots Zuko. They exchange words, Zuko's face flashing with hurt and defeat for a moment. He turns to the rail and Iroh sighs and walks off.
I put my mending aside and walk over to Zuko. I stare out over the water, mist rising up. Just then an idea hits me. I playfully bump Zuko with my shoulder.
"Hey, want to train with me?" I ask.
"Why would I do that?" he replies, frowning.
I scoff. "The only people you train against are firebenders. I happen to be not only a waterbender, but a highly skilled warrior with fans. Do you know how rare it is to train with a fan-user?" Zuko shrugs, but steps away from the rail. I grin and follow. We square off on opposite sides of the deck, me pulling out my fans. Zuko takes the first move, shooting three quick bursts of flame at me. I weave between them; then pull water over the side of the ship, sending a huge wave crashing towards him. He retaliates by sending a wall of flame to meet it, creating clouds of steam. I dash through them, bending the water droplets towards me so I can be seen. I sneak around behind Zuko, and put a fan to his neck.
"I win," I whisper in his ear. He jumps and turns around, shock spread across his face.
"Wha-? How did you-? But-?" he stutters. I laugh.
"See, when our two elements clash, yours disappears. Mine simply takes on another form. Steam," I explain, waving my hand through the air. He frowns.
"Again," Zuko says. I grin and take my spot. We spar all afternoon (me winning most of them), and don't stop until the sun is setting. When we finish, we're both panting and covered in sweat.
"You're better than I thought," Zuko comments.
"Gee, thanks," I say drily.
"Well, it was just really easy to take you out on Kyoshi, and then I've never really fought you until now," he rambles, realizing his mistake. I grin, then bend a ball of water over his head and drop it. He's soon soaking wet.
"What was that for?" he shouts, indignant. I giggle.
"You insulted me." Zuko starts running towards me, and I shriek and run in the opposite direction. Still laughing, I slam into someone. It's Qiang. "Oh sorry," I say. My smile fades as I notice his serious face. "Is something wrong?"
Zuko jogs up as Qiang speaks. "Admiral Zhao has captured the Avatar." My heart falls. In the background I can hear Zuko's raging. But what I hear most is my heartbeat, blood rushing through my ears. I can't believe this has happened. The Avatar, our last hope, is as good as gone. I'm snapped out of it when Zuko rushes past me, jostling my shoulder. I snap out of it. No matter what happens, even without the Avatar, the Fire Nation's reign will end. And I plan on helping. Zuko comes back on deck, carrying a rough burlap bag in one hand. He climbs down the ladder to where the men have just put the skiff he used yesterday into the water. I scramble down after him.
"Where are you going?" I ask him. Zuko ignores me, rowing towards land. "Fine. But you're going to take forever just rowing. Let me give you a boost." Balancing carefully, I take both hands of the rungs and move them forward, bending the water into a wave that carries the skiff towards shore. I repeat the motion until I can't make it out anymore; then climb back up the ladder. A few raindrops hit my skin, and I rush to grab the clothes and bet below before the sky falls out. I make it just in time, the deluge starting as soon as I'm done the stairs. I go to my room and start sewing again. I finish everything right as Iroh walks in.
"Aiko, we're having music night. Would you care to join us?" he asks kindly. I grin and nod. We walk together towards the deck, Iroh carrying his tsungi horn. "So, do you play any instruments?"
"No."
"Sing?" I snort.
"If by singing you mean wailing like a dying puma-cat, then yes."
"What do you do then?" he asks, curious.
"I dance," I reply with a smile. Iroh claps in delight.
"Oh, this is just perfect!" When we reach the deck, everyone is sitting around a fire, holding instruments, or warming up their voices. Some of them stare at me out of the corner of their eye, but most ignore me. As soon as Iroh sits down, they begin playing a fast and lively tune. I close my eyes and listen to the beat for a bit, then start dancing. I begin with a sped up training dance, then move on the creating my own dance, one with lots of leaps and twirls, which are my favorites. As the song ends I jump into a split, and land on my feet, head bowed, panting. There's silence, then clapping. I look up to see everyone's eyes directed at me as they applaud. I blush, embarrassed at the attention. Lieutenant Jee stands up as they start playing a slow song. I stand on the balls of my feet and take tiny steps, slowly moving my arms. Jee starts to sing.
"Winter, spring,
Summer and fall.
Winter, spring,
Summer and fall.
Four seasons,
Four loves.
Four seasons
For love."
He repeats the lyrics over and over again as I twirl hypnotically, spotting to keep my balance. At the end of the song I get down on one knee, arms extended gracefully behind me. I stay like that for a moment, then get up and excuse myself to bed.
ooooooo
The next morning a loud rapping wakes me up. I open the door and see Zuko. He casually tosses the bag from yesterday into my room. Black material spills out of the top.
"Wash that," he orders. "I'm going to bed." I frown as he walks away, but get out the laundry supplies from the day before. I use my bending to heat the water this time, since I don't need the water hot for a long time. I quickly scrub the clothes, which consists of a black shirt, pants and hood, then draw the water out with my bending. I notice a few small tears, so I fix them. When I'm done, I fold everything neatly and head to Zuko's room.
I hesitate at the door, remembering him mentioning going to bed. Well he woke me up, so it's only fair if I return the favor. I knock lightly on the door. After a few seconds of no answer, I knock again, this time louder. Still now answer. Sighing, I lightly push open the door. Zuko is asleep, facing me. His face is surprisingly calm, almost happy. I gently set the clothes down on a small table. I head towards the door, but stop when the metal underneath my foot creaks loudly. I wince, and glance over my shoulder at Zuko. He stirs, propping himself on one forearm.
"Aiko? What are you doing here?" he asks, sitting up more. I blush and look away when I realize he's shirtless.
"Just delivering the clothes," I reply pointing to the table.
"Oh." He says softly. I stay there for a long time, but he doesn't say anything else. I start to walk to the door again, but Zuko's voice stops me. "Aiko?"
"Yes?"
"I can't go back to sleep. Come tell me a story." I overcome my embarrassment for a moment and stare at him, shocked. He scoots over and pats the spot on the bed next to him. I hesitantly sit down.
"Ummm…once upon a time, there was a man called Chin. He was known as Chin the Conqueror. His dream was to take over the entire Earth Kingdom. He was successful until he reached the Southern Peninsula. There, he met with Avatar Kyoshi, who lived on the peninsula. She refused to let him pass, saying that if he turned back, she wouldn't destroy him. Chin refused. Avatar Kyoshi used her earthbending to separate the Southern Peninsula from the main continent. Chin fell off the cliff, and died. Kyoshi formed a new island, named in honor of her. She founded the Kyoshi Warriors, and we continue on the traditions of her ideals: honor, heritage, and justice." When I finish I look down. Zuko is fast asleep. I smile gently. Hesitantly, I lightly run my fingers over his scar. The skin is tight, and smooth, but soft. Standing, I walk out of the room to go find Iroh.
Soooo…whatd'ya think? Personally, I like it a lot. But I kind of have to since I'm the writer and all. Tell me what YOU think in a review!