I apologize for how long this took.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I do own Ame and the idea behind this story.
"C'mon, its easy!" Ame insisted, trying to rally her discouraged friends. "Its just a ball of air, and you have to balance on it as it spins. Like this!" She demonstrated the air scooter once again, trying to show her friends how it worked.
"Its not fair Ame! Everyone knows you are the best Airbender ever!" She slowed, and jumped off.
"Not ever..." She said, dismayed.
"You know you are better than us. Its not fun playing with you anymore Ame." They said, as the group of young Airbenders walked away from her.
"Guys, hey! Wait!" She called after them. They faded out of sight, and she tried to follow them. As she stepped forward, she heard them screaming. "Guys!" She called, trying to run after them now. Ice crept up and around her, encasing her in a bubble. "Hey!" She tried to say, but she was unable to move. The ice started melting, and instead she was trapped in a metal room. "Where am I?" She asked, but realized she was on the ship when Prince Zuko entered the room.
"What are those!" He yelled at her, and she looked down at herself. She was completely naked, and her tattoos were exposed. She tried to cover herself as the crew surrounded her, scared. Prince Zuko stalked towards her, and she had no where to go.
"Stop!" She cried, sitting up in bed. Gasping, she tried to back up, but hit a wall. Pain shot up her back as her bruises pressed against the wall. As she became more aware of her surroundings, she realized no one was coming after her. Snoring was the only sound present, save her heavy breathing. Ame realized it had just been a dream, a nightmare. Iroh's still form was on the other side of the room, and her tattoos were still covered. As her heart rate slowed, she kicked off the blankets and placed her feet on the floor. She placed her face in her hands, trying to forget the nightmare.
Iroh hiccuped in his sleep, and she looked up. Sighing, she pulled herself together, and pushed her emotions behind their fog. One strong feeling refused to go away, despite her best efforts. She wanted to be out of this room, residual feelings of being trapped still plaguing her. The rest of her emotions were pushed away, along with the dream, but she knew she would not be able to fall asleep. Standing up slowly, back stiff, she assured herself that she and Iroh were the only ones in the room, and he was sound asleep. She hurriedly pulled on her clothing, leaving the makeshift pajamas on the unmade bed. Picking up her boots, she crossed the room, and silently left the room.
Out in the hallway, she exhaled heavily. She was still on edge, but was unafraid of waking anybody up now. She sat on the floor to pull on her boots. The bruises from Prince Zuko's armor throbbed slightly, but movement helped loosen her back. It was strangely relaxing, and she rested her sore back against the cool wall across from Iroh's door. Silence filled the hallway, and she almost felt peaceful. She tried to relax, but could still feel her emotions pushing at her. The emotional fog kept things off her mind, but they still lurked outside the fog, waiting for her to be vulnerable. Willing herself to be strong against the mysterious emotions trying to bother her, Ame pushed herself up. The desire to be outside was intense, despite the cloud, and she obliged it. Silence followed her as she traveled through the tower, until she reached the deck. As she passed through the door, the sound of waves splashing against the ship greeted her. Without waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dark, Ame blindly took a few steps across the deck. As her eyes adjusted, she saw that it was not the middle of the night. It was close to sunrise, evident by the lack of stars and the faint pink glowing on the horizon. The cool air helped her relax, but anticipation filled her body as she realized the sun was about to rise. Able to see where she was going, she approached the railing and listened to the ocean. She watched the horizon as the ship continued northward, and the sun started to rise.
As minutes passed and the sky steadily grew lighter, a faint sense of pleasure lingered outside her emotional fog. She debated letting it in, but decided that would make her vulnerable to other emotions. She pushed it away, as the sun finally broke over the horizon. It reflected off the water, and the clouds above were tinged gold and purple. It was one of few sunrises she was able to see clearly, and it left her breathless. She admired the shifting colors of the sea and the clouds as the sun rose higher, and she felt her body being filled with the energy of the sun. She breathed the salty sea air in deeply, trying to capture the moment with every sense, in order to preserve it in her memory. It passed too quickly, and the sun broke free of the horizon. The day had officially started, and the enchantment was over. She sighed, briefly wishing that things of beauty were not so fleeting, and turned from the railing, disappointment replacing pleasure.
As Ame faced the tower, she found she was not alone. Prince Zuko was leaning against the tower, watching her. She stopped, and had to stem a surge of emotions that threatened to break her emotional fog. His arms were crossed, head turned towards her, wearing baggy black pants, black slippers, and no shirt. The angle of the sun drew her attention to his body, and she could not help but stare.
"You are up early." He broke the silence, and she looked away from him, realizing she was staring. She nodded, but did not speak. She wanted to offer an explanation, but stopped herself. He continued, after a few more moments of silence. "Why are you alone? I told you to stay with my Uncle at all times, for your own protection."
Sighing, she forced herself to look at him again. "I couldn't sleep. I came out here to clear my head, and I managed to catch the sunrise." Studying his face confused her, as she was unable to detect any emotions on it. "Why are you up?" She asked slowly.
Answering quickly, almost involuntarily, he answered, "I always watch the sunrise!" She could see he resumed control of himself before he continued. "I am always up this early. It is one of the few times I can be alone."
She nodded, understanding the desire to be away from everyone else. He finally stopped looking at her, stopped studying her, and looked past her, at the sun. "I will leave you alone then," She said softly, crossing the deck to the door of the tower.
"Where do you think you are going? Stay." He ordered, and she had to push away the desire to obey.
"I am going to wait for Iroh to wake up. I do not want to disturb you." She answered. Stopping when she was standing by him, he studied her face. A chill breeze picked up, and she failed to suppress a shudder.
"Fine, go in." He curtly said, and she obeyed without a second thought.
Inside the ship, she finally breathed. Emotions pressured her, leaving her restless. She did not want to wait for Iroh to wake up, but needed a safe place to meditate. Driven to desperation, Ame resolved she would go to her room. With a destination in mind, she hastened below deck, wary of any unusual sounds, until she was in her own room. It had not changed since she was last here, and she settled in the middle of the room in the lotus position. She pressed her fists together, and slowly allowed some of the emotions inside her protective barrier.
However, the rest broke through, and she was buried under her own repressed emotions. Turmoil controlled her mind, and she started to fight through it. She faced each emotion, asking why she felt that emotion and then trying to use logic to defeat it. She struggled with the confusion she felt towards Prince Zuko, and was unable to explain it away, along with the warm feelings she had towards him. But without her other emotions weighing on her, those were easier to lock away.
After she was done with mental maintenance, Ame confronted her physical hygiene. She stripped to her underclothes, laying the rest flat on the floor. Her water pouch and bowl of paste rested in the corner, and she utilized the water in the pouch. Pulling it out with her Waterbending, she first washed her hair, then her body. Once she was done, her arrow tattoos were exposed, but she was liberated of several layers of paste and dirt. There was enough dirt in the now dirty water for her to separate out, along with the paste mixed in, leaving her with clean water. She used this to clean her clothing, and she was slightly disturbed at the difference in color afterwords. Again, she separated dirt and water, and placed the water in the pouch.
Satisfied with the cleanliness of herself and her clothes, Ame reluctantly turned to her bowl of paste. Without the makeup covering her tattoos, her skin felt free to breathe. During the process, she had ignored the discomfort in her back. Now she took the opportunity to examine the extent of the damage. A large bruise covered most of her shoulder blades, and spread down to the middle of her back. It was purple and splotchy in the middle, and yellow around the edges.
Forcing away all thoughts, she mechanically reapplied the paste to cover up all of her tattoos. This complete, she pulled on her clothes again, enjoying her improved level of hygiene. She pulled her hair into a half ponytail, allowing the rest to flow down her back. She studied the effect in a mirror of ice, ensuring her tattoos were covered.
Melting the mirror, she sat on her heels and stared off into space. She was unsure what to do now. Her emotional fog was still strong, so she felt no desire to meditate. The thought that she was supposed to be around Iroh, that Prince Zuko had told her to, kept pushing at her emotional cloud. Sighing, she stood up. As she was about to leave the room, Ame remembered what Yukio had said to her, the last time they spoke. She paused, hand pressed against the door. This thought went through her emotional fog, and troubled her. She was going to obey Prince Zuko, even though she disagreed with his wishes. Disregarding it, and reminding herself she did not always obey Prince Zuko, she continued to the helm to look for Iroh.
The helmsman was the sole person in the helm. As she turned to leave, to look in Iroh's room, a breeze brushed against her skin. The door to the balcony was slightly open, and the breeze enticed her. Instead of searching for Iroh, she let the air slowly pull her outside. Before she slipped through the partially open door, she softly said to the helmsman, "Do you mind letting Iroh know I am out here, if he happens to come looking for me?" He stared at her and nodded, but she didn't see. She was already on the balcony, looking down at the deck.
The sun was fully up, and approaching the middle of the sky. The breeze that had beckoned her swirled around her, greeting her. Ame was filled with a desire to fly. Instead, she settled for sitting on the railing. She carefully climbed onto the railing, and over it. She sat on top of the railing, facing out towards the deck. Her feet rested on one of the rails below the one she sat on, and she rested her head in her hands. She was precariously balanced, but did nothing to stabilize herself. With the soft sounds of the ocean and the ship, she sunk into meditation. Her emotional fog was strengthened, and a sense of peace occupied her mind.
Shortly after she had settled, someone rested a hand cautiously on her shoulder. She sighed inwardly as she was brought back to this world, and opened her eyes to see Iroh. He was looking at her skeptically, but said "Hello Ame. I trust you slept well?" She didn't answer, but he was unfazed. After a short silence continued. "My nephew informed me that you spent last night in my room, but I am afraid that I was unaware of it at the time. I am also afraid we had breakfast without you. If you are hungry I am sure we can find you something to eat." She shook her head, and he nodded, seeming to understand she wanted to be alone. "I will be playing Pai Sho if you should need anything." His footsteps receded, and she resumed staring out at the deck.
Iroh was setting up his Pai Sho table, and she could dimly hear him humming as he worked. Ignoring it, she tried to resume meditating. She cursed the spirits for working against her when Prince Zuko walked onto the deck. He was wearing black clothing, with gold trim, that accentuated the muscles in his arms. Lieutenant Jee was following him.
Her mindset changed from calm to alert as they started to spar. She lifted her head from her hands in order to see better. Cursing the spirits again, she could not take her eyes off Prince Zuko, as he practiced his Firebending below. She faintly registered that Iroh let out a cry of distress, and crashing sounds arose. She reluctantly turned her head away, to see what Iroh was doing.
"Iroh, is everything alright?" She called, watching through the open door as he upended chairs and searched the floor.
"I've lost my Lotus Tile!" He cried out.
The mention of the Lotus tile caused a stab of something in her emotional fog. Ame couldn't help but wonder where her Lotus tile was. Iroh turned to the helmsman, interrupting her thoughts, and said sternly. "Where is the nearest port? Head there immediately." This was the closest thing to a demand she had ever heard Iroh say. He settled down to play against some of the crew without it as the helmsman changed course.
She had the grip the railing as the ship turned sharply, and she saw Prince Zuko and Jee stumbled to the railing. "Your nephew is going to be mad." She said to Iroh, seeing Prince Zuko's face turn up towards the helm. Sure enough, Prince Zuko started heading to the helm. She steadied her fog, painfully aware that he was going to be near her.
He climbed up in no time, and she could hear him inside the helm, demanding, "What's the meaning of this mutiny? No one told you to change course!" Ame kept her back to them, trying to regain her meditative state, as Iroh responded.
"Actually, someone did. I assure you it is a matter of utmost importance." She tried to prevent herself from imagining what was happening inside the helm.
"Is it something to do with the Avatar?" Prince Zuko asked, anger out of his voice.
Iroh calmly explained. "Even more urgent. It seems I've lost my lotus tile."
"Lotus tile?" Was all Prince Zuko could manage.
Iroh peacefully continued to explain. "For my Pai Sho game. Most people think the lotus tile insignificant, but it is essential for the unusual strategy that I employ."
Prince Zuko responded, anger returning to his voice, "You changed our course for a stupid lotus tile?"
Iroh still remained calm. "See, you, like most people, underestimate its value." He continued, even though Ame was sure Prince Zuko was angry. "Just give me ten minutes to check the merchants at this port of call. Hopefully they'll have the lotus tile and I can get on with my life!"
There was silence, but she smelled smoke drifting from the helm. Iroh declared, despite Prince Zuko's reaction, "I'm lucky to have such an understanding nephew."
Silence followed, and she was hoping that, without any distractions, she could meditate again. She was starting to get lost in thought as someone came to stand next to her, probably to get out of the smoke filled room. When they leaned on the railing next to her, she glanced over. It was Prince Zuko.
Her heart immediately started beating faster, and she scolded herself for her reaction. From the glance, she saw that his arms were covered in a light sheen of sweat, emphasizing the muscles. His smell drifted towards her, and she had to stop herself from analyzing what he smelt like. Feeling uncomfortable with the silence, she said the first thing that arose in her mind.
"At least you can ask about the Avatar." Ame said, referring to their detour to port. Prince Zuko snorted next to her.
"This is going to be a waste of time." He replied. She kept her eyes forward, looking at the deck, but could see his face turn towards her from the corner of her eye. He seemed to expect her to respond.
"Maybe not. Iroh really wants to go, to find a lotus tile, and if you played Pai Sho with him, then you realize how much he uses it." She was unsure of what possessed her to speak like this, and she shrugged, before continuing. "Besides, Iroh loves being spontaneous. I think mostly to see your reaction, Prince Zuko."
This is when she dared look at him. He looked exasperated. She cautiously removed her hand from the railing, and put it on his muscled shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. It was warm to her cold fingers, and a thrill traveled up her arm. She spoke quickly, trying to push the sensation behind her fog. "Iroh does care about you. He tries to make this more bearable for you. Maybe you should try to make it easier for him, too."
After she spoke, Ame was worried she crossed a line. She forced her hand to move, gripping the railing again. There was a silence, and she started to feel uncomfortable, despite her emotional fog. "Hmph..." He finally responded. Just as she was contemplating getting up and leaving, he faced her. "You are trying to get yourself killed, aren't you?" She looked at him, unable to read his face.
She tilted her head, in an unspoken question. "You keep putting yourself into trouble." He answered her. She realized he meant the way she was sitting, and shrugged.
"I don't see the danger in this."
He shook his head at her, then said, "Will you please come down from there? You are making people nervous." She didn't question who she was making nervous, but made no move to obey him. He growled, "You do make it a point to ignore me. You should know that is dangerous." She cocked an eyebrow at him, unafraid. He met his eyes, and she was sure he saw defiance in them, just as she saw determination in his. "You leave me no choice." He finally said, breaking eye contact.
He moved closer to her, and forced one arm under her knees, and the other against her back, and he picked her up off the railing. A sharp twinge of pain shot through her spine as he pressed against her bruise. She unwittingly clung to him, as he lifted her into the air. In the brief moment, she was consumed by his smell, and her skin grew warm where she was touching him. Her emotional cloud broke, and unwelcome thoughts and feelings flooded into her.
He set her feet on the deck and stepped back, almost like he was embarrassed. Her cheeks were hot, and she was unsure of what to do. She stepped toward him, overwhelmed, but realized what her intentions were. She hesitated, considering letting her emotions win, but instead she turned and walked back into the helm. Her heart was beating furiously, and she had to remind herself the attraction she felt to him would not lead anywhere.
It startled her to realize there was no one in the helm, and she left it to find Iroh. Ame didn't dare look back, but could feel Prince Zuko's eyes on her. As soon as she was out of his sight, she ran. Emotions coursed through her body, and she fought to regain her emotional cloud. She stopped in a hallway, breathing quickly, trying to pull herself together.
"Ame?" Someone spoke behind her. Startled, she thought for a moment Prince Zuko had followed her. It was merely Iroh though, stepping out of his room. "Is everything alright?" He asked, and she detected a gleam of mischief in his eyes. Realizing he had emptied the helm so Prince Zuko and herself could be alone, a spike of curiosity overshadowed her other emotions. It was obvious he had a motive for leaving them alone, and she wondered if he knew something she didn't.
"I nearly fell off the railing is all. I scared myself." She lied, but knew from his face he didn't believe her.
He didn't probe her though, instead asking, "Would you like some tea while we wait?" She nodded, forcing herself to calm down, and entered his room.
After they had finished their tea, Iroh and Ame went to wait in the helm. She had managed to regain her emotional fog while they had tea, and was composed. Iroh, on the other hand, seemed to grow more anxious as they drew closer to port. He shuffled through his tiles continuously, as though hoping his lotus tile would reappear. Every time she glanced at the balcony, she flushed with what had happened. She tried to keep it out of her emotional fog, but it was underneath her skin.
Iroh did not notice, even when he stood on the balcony to watch the port come closer. She waited inside the helm, unwilling to revisit the balcony where she had gotten so close to Prince Zuko. Every time she glanced at it, she flushed with what had happened. She tried to keep it out of her emotional fog, but it was underneath her skin. Iroh did not notice, even when he stood on the balcony to watch the port come closer, and she stayed in the helm.
As they docked, Prince Zuko entered the helm. "The sooner we go, the sooner we can finish. So let's go." He said harshly. There was no traced of the usual edge of anger contained in his voice, even though his words were said harsh.
"Yes, let us go! The sooner we find a lotus tile, the sooner I can play!" Iroh exclaimed, and led the way out of the helm. She followed him as he traveled down through the tower, with Prince Zuko's footsteps behind her. Something pushed at Ame's emotional cloud with his presence near, but she ignored it. Iroh paused on the ramp, observing the shops. Stopping behind him, Ame also looked around. Numerous people from each of the three nations were milling about, with a buzz of commotion and voices. She inwardly shrunk away, intimidated by so many people.
Iroh sighed, drawing her attention away from the market. "So many shops, I hardly know where to start. Oh, that place looks interesting!" He declared, and sped towards it, heading for a nearby stall. Ame heard Prince Zuko sigh behind her, before he passed her to follow his Uncle. She hesitated, unsure about spending the day with Prince Zuko and Iroh, but when she glanced around at the large group of people, she hurried to stick close to them. Annoyance pushed at her emotional fog as she realized the closer to Prince Zuko she was, the safer she felt.
Several soldiers had followed them out of the ship, and she wondered why. Normally they were allowed some freedom when they docked, and didn't have to follow Iroh or Prince Zuko. As they traveled from stall to shop to stall, she started to realize why. When Prince Zuko would leave his Uncle's side, to examine some piece of weaponry or armor, Iroh would take the opportunity to put merchandise in one of the soldiers arms. When Prince Zuko came back, he would frown at the items the soldiers were holding, but didn't seem sure if the piles were growing or not. Every now and then he would reprimand his uncle, claiming they didn't need any more stuff, but did not make an effort to stop Iroh.
After following Iroh around the merchants, Ame watched in amusement as they stood on the dock. Iroh had not found a Lotus tile, and Prince Zuko was grumpy, which was evident as he said, "It's good to know this trip was a complete waste of time for everyone!"
Iroh, who always looked on the bright side, disagreed. "The only thing better then finding what you are looking for, is finding something you aren't, at a great bargain!" Two soldiers were walking to the ship, carrying trays full of stuff. A last one, was carrying a Sungi horn.
"You bought a Sungi horn?" Prince Zuko asked.
"For music night on the ship!" Iroh explained, then quickly changed gears. "Oh! This place looks promising!" Iroh declared, pointing to a boat, with red sails. They entered, and Ame followed apprehensively. Iroh immediately spotted a monkey with red jewels for eyes and teeth. "Oh! That is handsome! Wouldn't it look magnificent in the galley?" He stated, amazed. Ame stayed near the doorway, feeling uneasy.
Two pirates were at the far end, and one was saying, "We lost the Water tribe girl, and the little bald monk she was traveling with." The other pirate was about was about to answer, but he was stopped.
"This monk," Prince Zuko interrupted, stalking up to them. "Did he have an arrow on his head?"
Behind him, Iroh faced her and held up the monkey statue before making the same face as it. Ame smiled at him, to show she appreciated his effort to set her at ease. She focused on the two pirates, to see them glance at each other, before the one behind the counter answered. "Yeah, he did. What's it matter?"
Prince Zuko leaned toward the man, and answered, "I think I can help you."
The old pirate raised his eyebrows, and said in a mocking tone, "Oh, I'm sure you can. I really need the help of a teenager."
Prince Zuko glared at him, before snapping. "You want to find the girl. I want to find the bald monk she's traveling with. If we work together, we will both get what we want." Ame fully entered the room to stand next to Iroh, who was still holding the statue.
The old pirate had a brief glaring match with Prince Zuko before relenting. "Fine. We'll work together."
Prince Zuko nodded and took charge. "Why are you looking for her?" He started.
"She stole a Waterbending scroll, which was going to be sold for a price she couldn't afford." The pirate explained. Ame, hoping that she and Iroh could leave quickly, tuned them out, as she took the statue from Iroh, and the bag of gold he had. She crossed the room to stand next to Prince Zuko, paying the other pirate for the monkey. It cost most of the gold in the bag.
Prince Zuko turned to her, looking in disgust at the sculpture, before saying to the pirate, "We'll take the mini-boat, and meet you back here" She followed Prince Zuko and Iroh back to the ship, carrying the statue. Prince Zuko started barking orders once he was on board, telling the men to prepare the mini-boat. She brought it to Iroh's room, pausing for a moment. She sighed heavily, feeling tense. Those pirates set her on edge, when she was already stressed because of Prince Zuko. She took a deep, relaxing breath, before going to the deck to find out what was going on.
She found Iroh there, waiting for her. "We are going to look for the Avatar with my nephew." He told her as she approached. She hesitated, slowing. Iroh noticed, and explained, "I am going to ensure Prince Zuko does not do anything rash. Those pirates would not hesitate to kill him if he is not careful. I would like you to come along with me, so I do not get bored on this little trip." His tone changed from stern to playfulness as he spoke. Ame sighed, still unsure why she had to go, but nodded to signal she would. Iroh smiled, and together they walked through the ship to the mini-boat.
Once Iroh and Ame had joined the group on the mini-boat, she saw that Prince Zuko had taken a few soldiers, including Yukio. He did not glance at her as they unloaded the mini-boat from the ship. Once in the ocean, they traveled the short distance to meet with the pirate ship. The pirate captain joined them on the mini-boat. He and Prince Zuko studied a map of the area, trying to determine which way they wanted to go. It was only a few minutes until both ships were heading upriver, where they thought the Avatar had fled to. Ame stayed out of the engine room, leaning against the wall on the deck, watching the sun sink closer to the horizon as they traveled uphill, against the flow of the river. Yukio and Prince Zuko were also on the deck, both staring forward. The pirate captain was on the mini-boat, to collaborate with Prince Zuko. Iroh was in the engine room, avoiding him.
Eventually the pirate captain broke the silence, when they river flattened out. "Shouldn't we stop to search the woods?"
Prince Zuko contained a snort that only Ame heard, before answering. "We don't need to stop. They stole a Waterbending scroll, right?"
The captain answered, "Uh huh."
Without looking at the old captain, he answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Then they'll be on the water." Silence fell again, as it grew darker out.
"Hey," one of the pirates said, trying to get her attention. She glanced over to see him leaning over the edge of the pirates' boat, staring at her. She stared at the deck of the mini-boat, trying to ignore him. "Why is such a pretty girl going on such a dangerous mission? It's a shame. You don't even have anyone to protect you! You know, if you ever get scared, I will protect you."
She didn't respond, hoping he would shut up. Some of his friends joined him, all staring down at her. She resisted the urge to squirm. The one who had spoken wasn't discouraged by her silence, and continued. "You look bored over there. Why don't you come join us on our ship? We will be sure to show you a good time!" They all snickered, and annoyance tried to enter her emotional fog. She looked straight ahead, and saw Prince Zuko and Yukio were both tense, with their hands in fists. One of the pirates startled her when he swung on a rope from their ship to land on the deck in front of her.
He spread one hand out against the wall next to her, holding onto the rope with his other hand, and leaned in close to her. "Why don't you join us? I am sure that the life of a pirate would be more fun instead of working here. And, let's face it; our ship could use something to make the place more attractive."
Ame slowly looked at him out of the corners of her eyes, and replied. "No thanks." She glanced towards his ship, to see the other pirates leaning on the railing, leering at her. Some winked at her, others made kissy-faces. She turned her eyes to the deck again, feeling uncomfortable.
The pirate in front of her persisted. "Oh, come on. You would get to see the world, meet strange people, and we would all entertain you…" He stopped leaning on his hand and lightly brushed his fingers against her skin. She jerked back, and he laughed.
"She said no. Now leave her alone." Prince Zuko had turned towards them, and was glaring at the pirate. The pirate glared back, before swinging back to his ship. With the man gone, and the other pirates no longer staring at her, Ame exhaled.
She tensed again when Yukio approached her. Since their fight, they had not spoken. He stood next to her, and started to speak softly. "Ame, I have been thinking about our fight. I am sorry. I was out of line and said some things I didn't mean. I hope you can forgive me, and that things will go back to the way they were." Surprised, Ame looked at him. His apology was abrupt, and she suspected it was spurred on by the pirates. It seemed awfully convenient he was apologizing now. He softly cleared his throat, trying to prompt an answer.
"I was never mad at you Yukio. I would like it if things returned to normal." She answered, voice low. She saw a smile flash across his face, before he nodded and sternness resumed his face.
As they traveled down the river, and as it grew dark, they talked about giving up the search, at least until morning. "No. If we stop now, they might get away." Prince Zuko insisted. Just then, they heard distant shouts echoing over the water. They quickly veered towards the shore, and someone managed to spot the girl. Yukio left her side to aid with her capture.
Prince Zuko and his guards snuck through the brush to position themselves behind her, as the pirates tried first to capture her. She managed to get away from one, by splashing water in his face, but as she turned around, she bumped into Prince Zuko. He caught her wrists, and said, "I'll save you from the pirates." As she watched this from the mini-boat, Ame decided there was something she didn't like about the girl.
Two guards grasped the girl's shoulders, and worked together to tie her to a tree as Iroh and Ame stepped on shore. When this was done, Ame, Iroh, Prince Zuko, his guards, and the pirates all formed a circle around the girl. "Tell me where The Avatar is, and I won't hurt you or your brother." Prince Zuko said.
The girl glared at him, before answering. "Go jump in the river!" Prince Zuko paused, before he started circling her tree. She wouldn't look at him, and Ame liked the girl even less.
"Try to understand. I need to capture him to restore something I've lost. My honor. Perhaps in exchange, I can restore something you've lost." He smoothly held the blue necklace in front of her neck. Ame had forgotten he even had it.
"My mother's necklace! Where did you get that?" She cried out. Prince Zuko walked away from her, the necklace trailing, taunting her.
"I didn't steal it, if that's what you are wondering." He turned back to her, and demanded. "Now, tell me where the Avatar is."
Her quick reply was, "Never!" Prince Zuko was about to continue, but the pirate captain cut in.
"Enough of this necklace garbage! We were promised the scroll!" Prince Zuko turned to the pirates, and pulled out the scroll. No one had seen him grab it, and it came as a surprise that he had it.
He lit a fire under it, and asked, "I wonder how much money this is worth?" The pirates cried out in alarm, and Prince Zuko continued. "A lot, apparently. Now, if you help me get what I want, I will give the scroll back. Search the woods for the boy, and meet back here."
The pirates reluctantly disappeared into the woods, leaving Prince Zuko and his crew together with the girl. Ame remembered then that the water tribe girl's name was Katara, and her brother was Sokka. Katara glared at all of them, but when her eyes reached Ame's face, she looked confused. "Nephew," Iroh started. "I caution you to think about how you act with these men."
Prince Zuko glanced at his uncle, before turning to see what Katara was looking at. Ame and Prince Zuko's eyes met, and she realized in that moment that she was jealous of how Prince Zuko was acting towards looked away first, and she stared at the ground, trying to control her feelings.
It took until morning, but the pirates came back, with the Avatar and the girl's brother. Both were tied up, and Prince Zuko congratulated the pirates. "Nice work." She stopped listening as she started to study Aang's face. They looked so much alike, except with a four year age difference. If they had been freed from their separate icebergs at the same time, they would have looked identical. But she was unfrozen four years ago now, whereas he was unfrozen this year.
Prince Zuko broke through her thoughts when he angrily said, "You'll regret breaking a deal with me!" He fired a blast at the group, who surrounded their new treasure. They threw down smoke bombs, and pulled the guards into the cloud.
Ame instinctively stepped forward to join the fight, but Iroh touched her arm. He whispered, so that only she could hear, "I think one Avatar in danger is enough for the day." She nodded eventually, and stepped back to watch with Iroh. Unsure of what had happened to start the fight, she forced herself to merely observe. She anxiously wanted to help, especially when Prince Zuko got into a fight with the Pirate Captain, but she stayed with Iroh. He stepped forward slightly, towards the battle, but did not join. Ame was focused on the fighting, and didn't realize a pirate sneaking up behind her.
He quickly placed a hand over her mouth, and another one around her waist, pulling her back. She didn't cry out, because she could feel something sharp against her side. He managed to push her onto the ground, and she could see it was the pirate that had tried to talk to her on the river. "Scream and I will kill you." He growled, and he towered over her menacingly.
She glared at him, before flipping backwards and stomping. A rock came out of the ground, and she sent it at him. It hit him square in the chest, sending him into a tree. He dropped, and didn't get up again. She slipped out of the forest, to stand next to Iroh. It puzzled her that he was passively watching the fight unfold, even letting the pirates steal the mini-boat, without doing anything to prevent it. Once the pirates had started the mini-boat, Iroh went to break up Prince Zuko's fight.
By pushing away the captain's sword, and pushing up on Prince Zuko's ponytail, he got their attention. "Are you so busy fighting you cannot see your own ship has set sail?" He asked them both.
Prince Zuko turned to his Uncle and angrily declared, "We have no time for your proverbs, Uncle!"
Iroh pointed to the mini-boat steaming down the river, and said, "It's no proverb!"
Prince Zuko laughed when he saw the Pirate Boat going downstream, and the captain yelled, "Bleeding Hog Monkeys!" Another laugh drew them to look and see his ship following.
Prince Zuko broke away from him, shouting, "My boat!" One of the pirates that stole it turned around and mooned the prince.
As Prince Zuko and the Captain ran after their boats, Iroh stroked his beard. "Maybe it should be a proverb." He mused.
Prince Zuko called after him, "Come on Uncle!"
Ame looked over at Iroh, and together they wandered towards the waterfall. They both stopped dead when they saw the stolen mini-boat ram into the pirate ship, which was turned sideways. Both ships toppled over the edge, and disappeared from sight. Prince Zuko reached the edge of the overhang, panting. Ame and Iroh were soon behind him, and Iroh took his dignified position, with his hands in his sleeves. He chuckled, and Ame looked over at him, curious.
"Hehe, Prince Zuko, you're really going to get a kick out of this. The missing lotus tile was in my sleeve the whole time!" He pulled it out and held it up in triumph. Prince Zuko swiped it, and threw it over the waterfall. He breathed hard in anger, and Iroh looked in shock at his now-empty extended hand. He lowered it, and declared, "Oh well, we can always look at other ports for a lotus tile!" Ame held back a chuckle and turned around to see the rest of their guards slinking over in shame.
Yukio stood near her, and forced a smile when he met her eyes. Another guard spoke up after Prince Zuko had stopped breathing heavily. "Sir, how do you propose we get back to the ship?"
Prince Zuko growled before speaking. "We could either travel the way we came, or we could jump off the cliff. Why don't you try jumping and tell us if it works?" He said coldly. Ame tilted her head, looking down the falls and the debris from the crash floating away, contemplating how secure her paste would be in water.
Forming a plan, Ame smiled. It would be possible to jump off the falls, land in the water below, and swim to shore. Based on the map of the area they had looked at earlier, going down the falls would lead to the ocean, and the ship, quickly. "Personally, I vote the second." She declared.
The men looked at her like she was crazy. "We could go down the waterfall, and land in the water below safely. It should be much quicker, and fun!" When no one reacted,Ame turned to Yukio. "I dare you to try it." She told him.
His face broke into a grin, and he said, "No way am I going to turn that down." He turned to the rest of the guards. "Anyone else going to accept her dare? Or are you men going to chicken out?" When no man stepped forward to accept the dare, he rallied them by saying, "Can you imagine walking all the way back around to the ship? This way will be much quicker!" Prince Zuko stared at her apprehensively, but Ame ignored him. The men jumped at the chance of making life easier for themselves, and started murmuring about the dangers.
Ame turned to Iroh, and told him quietly, "Iroh, we can jump down together, alright?" She gave him a look to convey she would use her Waterbending to ensure he was safe.
"I think I am a little too old to do something so dangerous." He replied. "I will walk the long way around." Iroh turned towards Prince Zuko. "Prince Zuko, are you going to join me?"
Prince Zuko looked conflicted, and finally said, "I think I will go with the crew." As he said this, Prince Zuko looked back at Ame, eyes challenging her.
Iroh started ambling along back the way they had come. Several of the guards too intimidated by the idea went along with him. Ame was excited by her idea. This was something that she would have done when she was younger, and carefree, with her friends. "I'll go down first." Yukio volunteered. "Judge me on my form!" He took a deep, calming breath, before taking a running start. He launched himself off the cliff toward the middle of the river. The others crowded nearby, to watch as he plummeted towards the water. They could see the splash he made, and as he surfaced and waved towards them. They all cheered when they saw he was safe.
Several guards all vied to be the next one over, their excitement growing. Some jumped by themselves, others in groups of twos and threes. Soon it was only Prince Zuko and Ame. Turning to Prince Zuko, she asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
His eyes burned into hers, and he answered, "You are. I will too." A smile slowly spread over her face. "Go ahead, go first." He urged. She nodded, and walked a few steps back. She ran past him and launched herself off the cliff into the open air. It was invigorating to zoom through the air, and she spun in the air. As she neared the water, she straightened her body and dove in, leaving barely a splash.
Being in the water afterward was refreshing, and she was energized. As she surfaced, she turned towards the falls to see Prince Zuko jumping. He soared through the air, and as he got closer she thought his face showed fright. He entered the water not far from her, and surfaced next to her. Together they started swimming to shore.
"Is everyone alright?" Ame called out as they swam to shore, knowing she would be responsible if anyone was hurt.
They all shook their heads yes, and Yukio even said, "Wow, when can we do that again?" She looked up at the falls, and saw how they looked bigger from the bottom. It thrilled her to think she had jumped off them. Prince Zuko and Ame clambered onto the shore, and without pausing Prince Zuko led the way back to the ship.
As they started following the river towards the sea, Yukio stepped next to her, and put his arm around Ame's neck. "I knew you were crazy, but not crazy enough to jump off a cliff!" Ame looked up at him, and replied, "You jumped first."
He and the rest of the crew roared with laughter. Yukio tried to give her a noogie, so she pushed him into the river next to them, and laughed. The adrenaline rush left her feeling freer and happier. He clambered out, and tried to give her a hug to share his water. She avoided him easily, and he gave up when she agreed to dry him off. By using a small flame, they were able to evaporate the water his clothing had absorbed. However, they had to stop walking in order to achieve this without burning him. At first, Prince Zuko was annoyed, but finally ordered the other guards. "Don't just stand there! Start drying yourselves off!" They mimicked Ame, using small flames on each other.
"Look at it this way, Prince Zuko." Ame told him as she worked. "At least half the men got a bath today."
"Hey!" Yukio tried to defend his fellow guards. "We can't all have the luxury of jumping off waterfalls every other day!" She let the fire get a little too close to his skin, and he recoiled from the heat. "Be careful!" He play-scolded her. "I think I have suffered enough trauma for the day, and I don't need any burns on top of it!" He dramatically putting the back of his hand to his forehead, and moaned.
"Oh shut up, or I will shove you back into the river." She warned him. Ame glanced at Prince Zuko to see an angry look on his face. It killed her enthusiasm, and she immediately sobered. As soon as everyone was dry again, they worked their way towards the ocean again. She tried to guess what was bothering him, but couldn't. The only reason she thought he might be angry was her suggesting they jump off the cliff.
They reached the market, and the ship, before sunset. The guards hurried onward, eager to spend some time in the market. Ame and Prince Zuko were left walking together in silence. "Prince Zuko, I am sorry for suggesting we all leap off a cliff. It was dangerous, and stupid of me to suggest it." Ame said, breaking the silence. The bitter look he was wearing earlier still haunted her, and she wanted to make him less upset by apologizing. Surprise crossed his face, and he walked slower. He seemed to choose his words carefully before replying.
"That isn't what's bothering me." He stopped walking, and she stopped with him. "I worry, about you, actually." He finally admitted. "You have no sense of self-preservation." She looked up into his golden eyes, surprised. The more she considered it, however, the more it seemed true.
She laughed, and he gave her a strange look. "You're right." She exclaimed, straightening her face. "I don't think about my safety ever. I am more likely to think of the safety of others than my own." As she looked into his eyes, she realized he was exactly the opposite. This insight seemed to reach him as well, and his face closed up. He turned away from her without another word, and continued to the ship. She watched him leave, before continuing on her own.
She reached the ship, and stayed on deck, waiting for Iroh. Leaning on the railing at the front of the ship and facing the market, she studied the many people. She started to think about what it felt like to jump off the waterfall, to soar through the air and land in the water below. It made her smile. Her mind unwittingly wandered to Prince Zuko, and his actions tonight. As she thought about it, Ame realized that Prince Zuko jumped off the waterfall, to prove he was just as tough as any of the crew members. She shook her head, sure he was not that petty. As she scanned the market for a sign of Iroh, realizing it was starting to grow dark, footsteps approached from behind.
"Has my uncle showed up yet?" Prince Zuko asked her. She shook her head, and he frowned.
"I doubt he got lost," Ame said, feeling the need to comfort him. "There were a few soldiers with him too, who would protect him." He nodded slightly, looking out at the market. Prince Zuko made a noise deep in his throat, due to something he saw. Following his gaze, Ame saw the crowd parting as a small group headed towards them. It was led by Iroh, and the soldiers that had went with him were carrying stuff. A lot of stuff.
As Iroh climbed up the ramp, he grinned up at them. "I found some shops we missed earlier, and got some stuff for a great bargain!" He looked proud of himself. "Not only that, but I found another lotus tile!" He held it out, displaying his new tile while carefully keeping out of Prince Zuko's reach. He led the guards on board, directing them to take the things below deck. Prince Zuko left to find his Uncle, and Ame decided it was time to sleep. She stretched, taking a deep breath of fresh air, before she retired to her room.
Tada! I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but keep checking back! And please Review!