"Where is the avatar headed now?" Zuko asked right when you woke up. He was already dressed and standing over you with a business-like expression. You tried to hide your smile; that was very adorable.
Ignoring your thoughts, you replied simply groggily, "What time is it?"
"What?"
"What time is it?"
"What does that matter?"
You stretched lazily, sitting up. It felt good sleeping here for some reason. Relaxing. No dizziness from the ship's motions. Nice, still ground. And you loved your night garments you bought from the port. It was very comfortable. Nice thing about the avatar world was that people always wore clothing that showed a little bit of skin—and with this hot and stuffy tent, that was actually kind of nice. It wasn't hot, like in desert hot, but it was hot enough to make you sweat.
"Time," You said matter-of-factly, "is everything."
"It's early in the morning." Zuko said heavily, giving up on being annoyed. He knew that it was only futile. You couldn't help but grin, knowing that you won.
"Good." You stood up, looking around for your clothes. "Then we need to get back to the ship, pronto."
"Why get back to the ship?" Zuko demanded, narrowing his eyes. "The avatar hasn't probably left the land yet—we haven't seen the flying bison. Are you trying to steer us away from the avatar?" You saw his cheeks redden in anger. "You are working with him! I should have—"
"—hey, keep getting this angry all this time has to be unhealthy." You didn't even think about it before your hand was on his shoulder in what was a comforting matter. Zuko seemed just as surprised as you were, and you quickly withdrew, muttering, "I'm not with the avatar. I had a perfectly good chance to ditch you on Kyoshi Island but I…chose to stay."
"Why?" Zuko asked, still guarded. "Who are you? Are you a thief who's here just to steal things from my ship?"
You found your clothes. They were next to where you were sleeping in a light bag that Iroh gave you to put them in.
"You, Prince," You sneered sarcastically, "jump to conclusion way too easily."
"This isn't a joke. I know you're an airbender and all and airbenders are laid-back, but where I grew up," Zuko looked away from you with a hard expression, "things are much different. This isn't a joke. This is the avatar we're talking about, who hasn't been seen for a hundred years. I found him; I discovered him when my relatives couldn't even site him, even after destroying the air nomads." You narrowed your eyes when he mentioned the air nomads, and something heavy weighed at your chest. He better just stop talking, you thought to yourself, your hands trembling, an unknown feeling coursing through it. It was a mixture of hurt, grief, and fury; all blended together. "I have found the avatar, and my mission isn't impossible. All my life I thought that I would be stuck out at sea, looking for someone that doesn't exist. But now he does…" Zuko trailed off.
You tried to hold back the emotions you felt. Your black eye just healed; you didn't want another one. "I love how you casually talk about someone destroying an entire civilization."
Zuko didn't seem much worried. He just mumbled, "This is so far important that you wouldn't understand. How could you understand?"
"If you think about this," You said, "how would capturing the avatar be a completed goal?"
"I would complete my mission for my father and finally return home."
You were a little shocked Zuko was sharing such personal information. However, you felt like you deserved it. You were, after all, giving him all the info he needed on the avatar, his prize.
You decided to let the subject drop. You didn't feel angry anymore; just indifferent. Zuko was too ignorant to know anything about peace yet. You would just have to be patient and play your cards right.
"The avatar is going to a fire temple to talk to avatar Roku." You said.
Zuko looked like the world fell apart. Crushed, he said miserably, "That's in fire nation waters."
"And?" You grinned. "Whatever stopped you before? Remember, this is the avatar."
You decided that for now, like Iroh was doing, you would support Zuko. You didn't know why, you just wanted to. Of course you were against what he was doing, but knowing that he wanted to do it for a right reason made it almost tolerable.
Zuko looked up. You swore for a split second—a tiny fraction of a second—the prince's lips curved into a smile.
But then he was gone.
You sighed and decided to get dressed.
"Should I be prepared to fight when we get there?" Zuko asked, meditating in his room for awhile. You were lounging around on his cot. Surprisingly, he said nothing about it. He seemed not to even have noticed. He was probably focusing on the task at hand.
When had you suddenly felt so laid-back and lazy? You were starting to become more like Aang lately; always procrastinating and looking at the present instead of the future—completely the opposite of Zuko. Here Zuko was, completely absorbed at the future, and you were relaxing. Talk about a typical airbender. Maybe you were more like Iroh…
"How should I know?" You said, staring up at the ceiling. "It's not like I'm a psychic."
That caught his attention. "I don't know, it's kind of strange how you know this much about the avatar, especially if you claim not to be on his side."
You shrugged, not finding his suspicion a problem. "Like I said, I just know things."
"How? Are you psychic? I never believed those kind of things, but I think I'm starting to see—"
"—I'm not psychic." You said, rolling your eyes. "It's a long story. Trust me."
"I know what you mean by that." You heard Zuko say quietly. You smiled to yourself.
Everyone has their stories.
"And I respect that." Zuko stood up. "How did you get into falling from the sky?"
"Huh?" You sat up a little.
"When you, you know, fell from the sky." Zuko said with a shrug, like it was an every day event. "How did you even get up there?"
You paused. You never really gave that a thought. All you remembered was this bright flash when you were watching the game. And the next thing you knew, you were in the sky falling.
Talk about a scare.
"I…don't know." You said.
"Maybe you were like the avatar. You froze yourself in the sky somehow and just freed yourself." Zuko suggested. You knew he was joking when you saw the look on his face. Wow. What… a different humor he had.
"Yeah." You said, chuckling. "I'll bet that's it."
You wondered why Zuko wasn't ordering you around, or flat out ignoring you. Now he was actually trying to talk to you, and even going as far as joking with you. What was the world coming to?
Who knew? Maybe you two could be friends.
"So," Zuko looked a little awkward, "what did you and the avatar talk about when you met?"
You shot him a look. Why would he even care? "Nothing really."
"Nothing?"
"Why are you asking me this?" You asked suspiciously. "Do you enjoy interrogating people?"
"No. I just can't figure you out." He seemed to remember something. "That's right. I'm not the one good at figuring people out; that's her advantage."
"Who?" You questioned.
"Nobody." Zuko said quickly, but you already knew who he was talking about. His little sister, Azula.
Your face paled. It hit you. Since you met Zuko, Katara, Sokka, and Aang already, you were bound to meet Azula. Just thinking about her made you paralyzed to the bed. Seeing her on the show wasn't scary, but seeing her in this point of view would be absolutely terrifying, especially on the enemy side. You certainly weren't looking forward to that day.
"What does pronto mean?" Zuko asked.
You replied, "It's another word for 'fast'."
"You do know that when I capture the avatar," Zuko said stiffly, "I will take you to my father, right?" You did take note that Zuko said when instead of if about capturing the avatar. He was a determined guy, that was for sure.
"Yes," You said quietly.
"So why do you stay willingly?"
"Like I said, I have nowhere to go." You said. "I'm pretty much stuck."
"But we were in earth nation woods. You could've easily escaped and fled to a town. I wouldn't have pursued you." Zuko said. "Why stay if your capture is already determined?"
"Stop questioning me about everything." You snapped, slightly irritated. "It gets kind of annoying."
You saw Zuko's eye glint, and you knew he was about to say something very insulting, but thankfully, a guard knocked on his door. "Prince Zuko, we are nearing fire nation waters."
Zuko shot one dangerous look at you and left the room.
You sighed in relief when the door closed.
You decided that since the door was unlocked it would be alright if you walked up to the deck. Besides, you wanted to see Zhao.
Right when you reached the deck you knew Iroh was lecturing Zuko.
"Have you completely forgotten," Iroh was saying in distress, "that the fire lord banished you? What if you get caught?"
Zuko replied, looking away from his spyglass for a moment, "I'm chasing the avatar. My father would understand why I'm returning home." He met your eyes for a second, but you looked away, pursing your lips. You knew what he was thinking. I'll also deliver you to my father.
I'd probably be killed you realized, trying to ignore the thought. Zuko would only take you there if he caught Aang, and he never did catch Aang in the show. You were completely safe.
Right?
"You give him too much credit. My brother is not the understanding type."
They went silent for a moment so you went to the railing of the ship and looked down. The water was a light blue and the waves were rough but not as bad as they were before. Maybe you were finally getting used to being at sea. That would be helpful if you were.
"There they are!" Zuko exclaimed suddenly. "Hensmen, full steam ahead!"
You looked to the skies to see Appa. He was right below the clouds, and you did realize how easy it was so spot him. It wasn't everyday you saw a flying bison.
While you were looking at Appa, Zuko already had the catapult ready for action. "On my mark, fire!" They shot the fire ball at Appa, and you cringed. Of course you knew Aang would survive, but it was still a little nerve-wrecking.
They dodged the fire ball. Good.
You looked back at Zuko, who looked a little panicked. Then, he said, "A blockade."
You turned to where he was looking to see a line of fire nation ships, blocking the ocean in front of you. Zhao.
"Technically," Iroh said thoughtfully, "you are still in Earth Kingdom waters. Turn back now and they cannot arrest you."
You decided to stay quiet at this. It wasn't your problem; it was theirs.
"Why are you on deck?" Zuko asked you. "You're my prisoner."
"Yeah," You scoffed, "a willing prisoner."
"Take her to the brig!" He ordered a guard. You knew he would normally let you out here, but Zhao would see you and definitely question that. If you did think about it, he was right. Why make more trouble for him?
"I can go myself!" You protested when two guards grabbed your arms. You made sure Zuko saw the angry look you gave him, but he only got back to taking to Iroh about the avatar while you were dragged below deck where Aang was held in the second episode.
They tied you up in a room with ropes, your hands held straight out so you weren't able to move. You didn't struggle. If you did you might have escaped. But right now it would actually be better if you were out of Zuko's way.
You sat there in silence for a few seconds until you heard some explosions right above you. Flinching, you knew those were the fire balls Zhao sent that "accidentally" hit Zuko's ship. Another one came and that made you nervous. What if it really hurt you? Maybe it wasn't safe down here. Maybe it would be better if you were a little off to the side—where the fire balls didn't hit.
"Is there anything wrong with planning ahead?" That woman—your mom—was saying in the room. You leaned closer to hear them better. "I'm just saying that if we do get attacked, it would work."
"How do you know? He lives at an isolated temple and rarely talks to anyone. I don't think he can be trusted." Dad.
They were your mom and dad.
Mom. Dad.
Not your parents from your world—two other individuals from the avatar world. You inched a little closer, their voices almost perfect for you to understand.
"The Guru is a smart man." Mom protested. "He knows many things and is very spiritual. Maybe…he can help her."
"How?" Dad said bitterly. "Let her somehow escape this violent world until it's magically peaceful again?"
"Please don't talk to me like that. I know this is a stressful time, but remember what the monks taught us." Mom said. "Just listen to me. Maybe he can, as a matter of fact, let her escape. Think about it."
"What would that do? The only hope we have is the avatar. He disappeared five years ago. Nobody has seen him since."
"He's out there. I know he is. The Guru can help us with this dilemma, I know he can."
"No he won't. What makes us so special? The Guru has no favorites. He'll turn us down on the spot, unless we're filthy rich with golden coins."
"Well, we'll just have to see about that."
You snapped back, your vision swaying a bit. Gosh. Why do you keep having these random visions? It was hard to distinguish reality from them now, really.
How much time has passed since then?
You struggled with the rope. You couldn't really struggle, since your arms were spread out as far as they could. Above the ship, it sounded silent. Maybe everyone was in the temple, fighting already.
So, the only thing to do was wait.
Some great time had passed before the door opened, revealing two guards, and they released you. You rubbed your wrists, wincing when you felt raw skin. Maybe you struggled too hard, even if you didn't mean to.
The guards led you to, surprise, Zuko's quarters. He was meditating, and did not look pleased.
"How'd it go?" You asked, falling onto the bed.
"Where is he heading now?" Zuko asked, ignoring your question.
"Don't worry, you'll get there." You said knowingly.
Zuko looked over his shoulder. "I will?"
"Yeah. Just wait and you will see."
"How do you know this?" Zuko stood up. "You have to be psychic. There's no way you can know this much without being associated with the avatar."
You didn't look him the eye and said, "I guess you can say I'm spiritually gifted."
Zuko must've took that answer for he said, "I'm going to spar."
"Can I spar with you?" You blurted, blushing madly when he looked at you. You quickly looked away.
"You don't even know how to fight."
"Yeah I do."
"You didn't even know you could airbend."
"Well I know how to fight." You squared your tiny shoulders, trying to look tough. "Are you…scared to spar me?" You could feel yourself grinning.
Zuko glared at you. "I'm not scared to spar against a girl."
"Well this girl can take you down." You teased, hoping he knew that. Not another black eye. Please.
Zuko glared at you. You knew how competitive he got and how he never backed down from a challenge, so you knew what he was going to say:
"Let's spar. Change into some more…fitting clothes." And then he was gone.
"I hope you're ready," You said confidently, feeling tougher in the long red skirt with the split on the side and shorts underneath and red tank top-looking shirt. "Because I don't like losing."
Zuko said nothing. He looked focused, and you tried to hide your expression when he took off his tunic, revealing him shirtless.
Am I drooling?
Stop it! Zuko is NOT good-looking! You're losing your mind. Hormones, remember?
You tried to shake away the thought, getting into what seemed like a battle stance. You really had no idea what you were doing, you were simply bluffing.
"Wait," You said, "are you using fire—"
You didn't finish. Zuko kicked out below you, knocking you on your back. Before you could blink, he had your arms pinned above your head and your legs trapped underneath him.
You both stared at each other. You could see your reflection in his honey golden eyes. Wow. You never noticed how…nice his eyes were. A soft gold. Almost..like they matched him. Darn. You could feel yourself melting underneath him as you shamelessly looked over his facial features, feeling yourself feel warmed up instantly.
"I win," Zuko whispered, getting off you. "I knew you didn't know how to fight. Any fighter would never bluff like that. It's dishonorable."
You were too busy in Zuko-land to even notice Zuko lecturing you.
"I guess the air monks were too laid-back to ever teach real discipline." Zuko continued. "Explaining the avatar. Where I grew up, discipline was part of everyday life."
You finally noticed he was gone and you were still on your back. Dazed, you sat up and looked for Zuko. "I lost?"
"Yes." Zuko said behind you. "That shouldn't even be counted as a spar."
You pouted. "Yeah? Well someday I will learn how to fight. And I will beat you."
"Yeah." Zuko said sarcastically. "Now get out of the way. I'm going to—"
The ship suddenly tilted, and you and Zuko went to the railing. Since you had no idea what was happening, you didn't even have time to hold out your hands and you tumbled over the railing, with only your hand to hold on.
You yelped, your hand starting to slip. "W-what?"
"Namiko!" You heard Zuko shout, and just as your hand gave way, you felt someone grab a hold of your wrist.
Zuko.
He tugged you back over the railing, setting you on your feet safely.
Your heart was still racing from the fright, but you were so happy that you were back on the ship that you nearly toppled Zuko over in a hug.
"Thanks," You said gratefully. You didn't see Zuko's reaction, but for once, you didn't care if you looked stupid. Zuko just saved you. "I owe you one."
Zuko didn't say anything. When you pulled away, you saw that he looked pissed off. Not a surprise.
"Someone's changing our course," He said darkly, storming into the control room. You sat against the railing, trying to calm your breathing. How would you have gotten back on the ship if you did fall over?
Heck, you didn't even know if you could swim in this world. And with salt water with waves, you knew it wouldn't be easy to swim in the first place.
A few minutes passed before Zuko stormed out of the control room, standing next to you, glaring across the ocean. You heard him mumble, "I hate the ocean. I swear, once I return home I will never go to the beach again."
"What happened?" You asked.
"My uncle is stopping at a port," Zuko seethed, "for a stupid lotus tile."
"Good."
"Good?" Zuko practically barked. You saw that Zuko was gripping the railing so hard that his hands were whiter than usual.
"That's where you'll find the avatar. Well, not find him, but find out where he's at."
Zuko went silent. Then he said quietly, "I will?"
"Yes. It's a good thing."
Zuko seemed to like that, and he finally got back to sparring with his men. You watched, and were impressed with Zuko's fighting skills.
If only the boys in your world could fight like that…
Of course Zuko didn't let you off the ship this time. You did hang around on the deck, and actually talked with a few of his guards. One of them had a birthday today.
"Today's your birthday?" You asked.
He nodded stiffly. "Yes."
"Happy birthday!"
He hesitated before saying, "Thanks. Prince Zuko doesn't even know it's my birthday."
Aw! Poor guy's all sad.
You tried to reassure him. "Want me to tell him?"
"No, no," He quickly disagreed, "he doesn't want to even know, probably."
"He's nicer than you think." You then added, "Well, sometimes."
Zuko and Iroh were returning. Iroh, like in the show, bought all kinds of other merchandise but still looked upset that nobody had his lotus tile. Zuko looked…like he was Zuko.
He immediately came to talk to you. "You were right. I know where the avatar is."
"You do?" You noticed the pirate captain coming up behind Zuko. Your face paled, and looking to your left, you saw a pirate ship. The bird looked at you with its beady eyes, and he BAWKED right in your face. You glared at him.
Zuko was glaring at him, too. Perhaps the bird did the same thing to him?
"The avatar stole his water bending scroll." Zuko explained something you already knew. "And we'll work together to get what we want."
The captain wasn't even listening to Zuko. He was talking to Iroh about something.
"Zuko?"
"Yes?" Zuko turned to look at you.
You didn't even know what you were doing, but you were leaning close to tell him thanks again for saving you, but some soldier who was carrying a bucket full of merchandise bumped into you, and you slammed roughly into Zuko, catching his balance off guard. With a yelp, both of you fell to the ground, with you tumbling on top.
And when you opened your eyes, you found yourself, tightly lip-locked with the banished prince of the Fire Nation.