Sokka had stayed huddled next to the dying fire while Aang and Katara went around the dark camp, preparing for the night's flight. He knew that they were angry with him and that they were ignoring him. He sighed inwardly, maybe he could just apologize to Natasha and make everyone happy. A far away voice let out a scream, it sounded like a girl. "What was that?" Katara asked, concern showing on her face. "I think it was Natasha." Aang answered, gripping his staff harder. "We should help her!" Katara said, "We'll split up, Aang try and go through the forest to find her, I'll go to the beach and follow her footprints if the tide hasn't washed over them yet. Also send Momo to fly on ahead." "You can't." Sokka said solemnly. "And why not, oh great brother of mine?" Katara asked sarcastically. "Is it because she can make music, or has strange food? Or maybe is it because she's different. She lives different, or...wears odd outfits. Or, my personal favorite, because she's a girl. Which one of your lame excuses do you have for us, Sokka?" Sokka's guilt showed on his face, but Katara's anger with him didn't falter. Sokka gulped, "Momo's gone." Aang gasped and began looking around frantically for his lemur.
"MOMO!" Aang called, Appa joined him in the calling, roaring and moaning with all his might. An answering screech came not far above them. They all looked up to see a blur of black and white fur heading straight for them. He collided with Aang's head and was crawling around on Aang, trying to get his attention. "Momo! What is it!" Aang cried, trying to catch the wild lemur. Momo sprang to the air and began to circle the camp, chirping and screeching madly. Appa moaned, shaking his head, he then began to take off. "Appa wait!" Aang cried, hauling a few more bags on to the huge saddle. Sokka grabbed a bag and threw it to Aang and then ran to get on the departing bison. Katara was right behind him, her canteen in hand. Appa grunted with the extra weight, but then righted himself and followed the tiny Momo.
"Where are we going!" Katara cried, hanging on to the loose luggage and tying it down as Appa turned to show them the coast, with a black ship rammed into the sandy shore. "Zuko." Aang breathed, his face drained of its usual cheerful smile. They looked closer and saw four small figures coming from different directions on the beach. "Why is Momo taking us to a fire nation ship?" Katara yelled above the wind. Sokka's heart sunk. "He has Natasha." He said quietly. "But why would he want her?" Aang asked from his place on Appa's head. "What element does she control?" Sokka asked looking at his sister. "Fire..." Katara said her eyes wide in astonishment. "She really was a spy." Katara whispered. Momo veered and came and landed by the two siblings. He rubbed his head against Katara's hand and then pointed in the ship's direction. "What should we do Katara!" Aang said sympathetically from his perch. Katara couldn't hide the hurt from her face. "We should keep going. We're already behind schedule, let's just fly to the next island." "What about Natasha?" Aang asked. Katara shut her eyes and curled into a ball. "Keep flying Aang." She said into her knees.
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The healer knelt and put a wet cloth to Natasha's bloody feet. She held in a scream as he rubbed the scratchy cloth against her sensitive feet. "Maybe if we put her feet in a basin of water? The water will clean just as well in a bowl as on a cloth." Iroh suggested from beside the bed that Natasha was sitting on. She nodded her head vigorously, biting her lip in pain. The healer nodded and quickly got the water and set it near Natasha's feet. He helped her dip her feet in gently, one at a time. A blanket of relief wrapped around her as the cool water made the pain in her feet go away. She closed her eyes in happiness. She heard the healer gasp, and Iroh grunt. She opened her eyes, to have a soft blue glow around her feet. She screamed and lifted her feet from the water. The glow disappeared, but the surprised expressions of the healer and Iroh did not. "You are a water bender." Iroh stated, his face stern but his eyes merry. Natasha sat with her mouth open, her feet still in the air. She started to cough, snapping everyone from the silence. Iroh nodded to the healer, who quickly went to her feet and examined them closely. "They're fine. Completely healed." He murmured. Iroh put his hand on the Natasha's shoulder. "Well, we will want to keep it that way, won't we? Measure her feet and get her some soft shoes." He said kindly. The healer nodded and put his hand to her foot. "One hand, and...a thumb.." He mumbled, then left the room.
Natasha stared at the floor, waiting in misery for him to say something. "Have I done something to offend you, miss?" Iroh asked nicely. She stole a glance at his face. "I...I'm not a waterbender..." She began. Just then the healer returned with a pair of dark red shoes. He knelt and slipped the shoes onto her feet easily. The shoes were simple to Iroh, but to Natasha they seemed to be a treasure. "It feels like silk!" She said wiggling her toes, her eyes wide in amazement. Iroh laughed. "Come, my dear." He said standing up and holding out his hand. "Zuko will be expecting you in the intogerration room." "Did I do something wrong?" She asked worriedly, taking his hand. He smiled. "Like I said, it's just a few questions, then you can go home." She didn't look convinced, but she followed him willingly into the labyrinth of halls.
When they arrived to the intogerration room, Zuko was already there. He glared at his uncle. "I said to take her straight here, Uncle." He stated angrily. "Nephew, so good to see you too." Iroh said pleasantly. Natasha entered the room, her face one of bewilderment. All that was in the room was a small table, built low to the ground, and two flat pillows on opposite sides. "When I say, take her to the intogerration room, I wish for you to take her there immediately." He said in a threatening tone. Natasha tried to cover a cough, but failed. Zuko glanced at her and seemed to notice her for the first time.
A great shudder went through all of the ship. It creaked and wailed as it began to lurch beneath their feet. "What's happening?" Natasha cried, supporting herself in the door way. "Our ship is departing from the island." Zuko said turning back to his Uncle. "Uncle, leave us." Iroh nodded to his nephew, then bowed to Natasha. "I will have a room made up for you, miss. Zuko will take you to it when he is done with his questions." Zuko glared at his uncle. "Won't you Zuko?" Iroh said happily. Zuko bit his tongue and nodded his head slowly. "Good! I will see you at breakfast tomorrow! Zuko will come and wake you." Zuko clenched his fists, but before he could say anything, Iroh had bowed to Natasha and left.
Natasha stared at Zuko. He still had his armor on, and she noticed his face for the first time. Zuko caught her staring and quickly sat down on a pillow. "Sit, girl." He said curtly. She sat. He closed his eyes to gather himself. 'She can control water. She can control air. She says she can control fire. I have to work with that some how.' He thought to himself. He opened his eyes to find the girl staring at him with her green, green eyes. He blinked, "What is your name?" He asked at last. "I already told you." She said quietly. Zuko wrinkled his nose, he had forgotten that. "Where do you come from?" He tried again. She hesitated. "Earth." She answered. Zuko frowned. "What element do you control?" He asked trying to keep his voice even. "I already told you." She said again. Zuko clenched his fists making steam rise from them. There was a small silence. "Why are you mad at me?" She asked quietly. The question surprised Zuko, he cleared his throat and went on. "Where you ever with the Avatar?" "Yes." She said somberly. Zuko straightened his back. "Why were you with him?" "He said he'd take me home." She answered sadly. "Where is he going now?" He asked. "Are you going to take me home?" She asked. Zuko flinched. "Katara said that the Avatar could take me home. When they stopped at the next island, we were going to find a place to take me back home." Zuko's face brightened. "Which island were they going to?" He asked eagerly. She looked at him. "Your not angry anymore." She stated, looking down at her new shoes and fingering the silk. 'Is she playing a game with me?' Zuko asked himself. "Do you know which island they were going to or not?" He replied testily. It was her turn to flinch. She then started to cough. "No." She said. Zuko sighed inwardly. "What...color are my eyes?" She asked shyly. 'She is playing with me!' He yelled in his head. "Green." Zuko replied as calmly as he could. Natasha looked down disappointed, then something occurred to her. "What about my stuff? Where has it gone?" She asked worriedly. Zuko looked puzzled. "My things, the luggage that was at the fruit tree that you found me at." She said clutching her knees. "They were left there. We needed to ship off as soon as possible." He replied, recalling the heaps of luggage that made up most of her campsite.
"YOU WHAT!" She cried slamming her palms onto the table. "Those were MY things! We need to go back now!" She said angrily, standing up and glaring at the still sitting Zuko. "We are not going back for meaningless items!" Zuko cried back standing up and glaring at her. "We have too! That's all I have left! Those 'meaningless items' mean the Fucking world to me!" She screamed, walking to the door. Zuko, stunned by her use of foul language, reached out for the nearest thing. It happened to be her wrist. "Let go of me!" Natasha screeched yanking her arm as hard as she could. Zuko held firm, growling at the effort it took to restrain her. "LET GO!" She roared, grimacing in pain at Zuko. "We've already left the island, and there's no way you can swim back, especially in the dark. You..." His voice was muted, as another sound filled her minds ear. It wasn't the Voice of the Waterfall that had come to her on the island, but a sort of calming, rippling hum.
Zuko tugged harder on her wrist, when she just gave up all resistance and came crashing into him. He caught her and stood there not knowing what was going on. He pushed her out of his arms blushing, then looked at her face. Her green, green eyes looked dreamish and distant. "What the..?" Zuko said as she didn't seem to notice herself falling. He grabbed her and righted her. Her eyes focused and she froze as she felt his arms on her. Zuko blushed and put his arms at his side. They stood staring at each other until finally: "We're done for tonight." Zuko said as he opened the door and walked out. "Wait!" She cried. Zuko stopped, but did not turn around. "Your Uncle, Iroh, right? He said that you would take me to a room." She said softly, still embarrassed about her black out.
He grunted, and turned into another direction, beckoning her to follow. She walked hastily out of the iron room tripping slightly on her new shoes. They went by many doors, each one melting into the next. Their foot steps echoed through the halls with hisses and creaks every now and then, the sounds went muted as they turned another corner and the calming rippling hum returned, she hadn't realized that she had blacked out again, until Zuko stopped and she didn't. "What are you doing!" Zuko snarled at turning and pushing his face close. The sound of the hum faded and Zuko's question sounded like thunder as the noise of the ship, and him, came back. Natasha blushed and quickly looked at her surroundings. Zuko was standing at a door that looked like the rest she had past. He snorted and opened the door, revealing a room of a small cot, a round window, a desk with two lit candles, and a stool. She walked in and coughed. "There are extra blankets and clothes in the privy." Zuko mentioned nodding to a thin door that was opened and showed a long, deep tub, and a seat with a hole in it. "Thank you." Natasha murmured, turning to face the armored Zuko. Zuko caught her staring at his face again and glared. "It is not polite to stare." He said mockingly. She blinked. "Your eyes are gold." She breathed. Zuko tensed. 'My eyes? Is she blind? I thought she was looking at my scar...' He winced at the thought of his scar. "And yours are green, I will wake you as my uncle said. Goodnight..." He hesitated. "Natasha. My name is Natasha." She said kindly. With that he walked out and closed the door.