I think this is the fastest I have updated... This chapter begged me to write it, so here it is. I was going to post it yesterday (I know, right? Fastest I have ever written a chapter!) But decided I wanted to give it a day so I could revise it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I own the idea for the story.
Iroh was telling her a story about the men believing the ship was haunted. "After having searched the rest of the ship, they decided the spirit resided in the storeroom. Not one of the men were brave enough to enter alone, and they kept trying to push the others in first. Finally, Jee decided to end the nonsense once and for all. He strode into the room, stood in the middle of it, and was just turning around when..."
Iroh trailed off, noticing she was staring listlessly at the floor. "Why, Ame, is everything all right?" He asked. She looked up at him, startled. "You do not seem yourself. Is anything hurting you?" He inquired, eyes studying her.
Shaking her head, she responded, "No, no... Everything is fine, nothing has hurt for a while now. I just..." She ended with a sigh, the mere thought of trying to explain her feelings depressed her further. There was a few moments of silence before Iroh spoke.
"It has been a trying time for you lately. I encourage you to stay strong and strive to accomplish your own goals. Maybe it is time for you to reevaluate what you want from life, in order to form goals suited for your current situation." She glanced at him, amazed at his insight. She stared at the floor when he finished, considering his words. Another sigh escaped her lips as she thought that she had had what she wanted, but only in her dreams.
Silence fell once again as Ame became wrapped in her own thoughts. Iroh broke through, saying gently. "We should change your bandages, and see how the healing process has come along." He stood up from his stool by the bed, in order to help her sit up. She tried to prevent herself from wincing as the bandages were unwound, taking dried blood with them. Once the bandages were off, Iroh sat back and studied them. She felt vulnerable, being in scanty clothing. Realizing her arrow tattoos were visible did not help her feel better, nor did the realization that the clothes given to her by Prince Zuko were no doubt ruined.
"We should allow your wounds to breathe. I think it would do them good to keep the bandages off. They could have a better opportunity to clot." Iroh said as he finished. She shifted her weight, nodding. She was still downcast, and did not have the will power to do anything but agree. Iroh seemed to notice this, and continued speaking. "You have improved much in the past few days. It is a lovely day out, and I think we should go out and enjoy it." She looked up at him, surprised. This was not something she expected.
"But... what about my tattoos?" She asked softly, fingering the bandage around her cranium, concealing her forehead.
He looked at them as though he was noticing the arrows for the first time. "I suppose we can cover those up... we should probably find you some new clothes anyway." Iroh looked thoughtfully around the room, eyes settling on a chest across the room. He opened it up, and took out some of Prince Zuko's underclothes. "These will be big on you, but they are the best we have." He explained as he handed them to her. She took them reluctantly, knowing she would never be free from thoughts of Zuko while wearing them.
"You will need your paste from your room. I will be right back." Iroh said as he left the room. She was still standing by the bed, and felt lost. Sighing, she started to peel off her current clothing, glad to be rid of the bloodstained articles. She pulled on Zuko's clothing, and a shiver went down her spine as her skin seemed to remember him embracing her. Her heart ached at the feeling, but she pushed through it and finished tying the pants on. The clothes were baggy on her, but comfortable. There was a knock on the door, before Iroh slowly opened the door.
He was holding the bowl with her paste, along with a pouch of water. Holding the bowl and pouch for her, Ame was able to use the water to moisten the paste and apply it to her exposed tattoos, using her memory to know where to place the paste. When she was finished, it occurred to her to ask, "Did anyone else see my tattoos?"
Iroh hesitated before answering, "No, you were too heavily bandaged." He looked at the paste thoughtfully, before changing the subject. "Are you a healer?" It caught her off guard, and she only understood what he had meant after he added, "I have heard that some Waterbenders have a healing ability. I was wondering if you were such a bender."
Realization dawning on her, she had to shake her head. "No. I have never been very good with controlling the elements, let alone special abilities associated with them." She explained, somewhat ashamed.
"I see..." Iroh murmured, still looking thoughtful. She watched him as he simply thought, until he pulled himself out of it. "Ah, now, do you think you are strong enough to make it to the helm? There is only one ladder to go up."
Ame tried to assess her strength, but was unsure of her capability of climbing the ladder. "I guess we will have to see."
Iroh nodded, but looked doubtful. "Very well." was his response, and he led the way out of the room.
Slowly, Ame willed her stiff body to move and follow him. Her tight muscles needed the stretch, but it took a lot of effort for her to walk. She hadn't even been on her feet for a few days. Iroh stayed by her side as they slowly progressed towards the ladder. Once at its base, he gestured for her to go ahead and try to climb up. Taking a deep breath, and ignoring the twinge in her side, she placed her good leg on the bottom rung. The other leg was not happy it had to support her weight, and she quickly grabbed onto the ladder. She tried to pull herself up, but it was too much for her. Unable to support herself, she had to give up and lean against the wall, exhausted.
Iroh had been watching her, and now looked at her concerned. "I was afraid of this. No matter, I have another plan!" He winked at her before he climbed up the ladder, leaving her against the wall. She took several deep breaths, trying to push aside the pain coursing through her body. Above her, she heard footsteps.
Iroh climbed down the ladder, and he stood next to her as the person he brought with him followed. She could only see their boots, she was too focused on studying the floor. "I brought someone to carry you up." Iroh explained as the other person reached the floor. Ame avoided looking at them, but suspected it was Zuko. She was correct, confirmed when he spoke.
"Climb on my back." He instructed as he crouched in front of her. Her face flushed, but she obliged. He supported her while she wrapped her arms and legs around him, hooking her feet together and holding her right wrist with her left hand. He carefully removed his arms when he thought she was secure. "Hold onto me best you can. If you think you are going to fall, say something." He ordered as he approached the ladder. As she settled on his back, she couldn't help but sigh wistfully. To be so close to him, to feel his warmth and remember his comforting presence, made her wish she could experience his embrace in real life. She sighed again, blushing harder.
If Zuko heard it, he ignored it. As she clung to his back, he was able to climb the ladder with little effort. She was jostled a bit, and it hurt to hold on tight, but she ignored the pain. At the top of the ladder, and safely on the floor, he did not release her. Instead, he supported her with his hands again, and carried her through the helm to the balcony. Iroh's stool had been placed near the railing, and he stood in front of it, then crouched until she was sitting on it. She liked to think he was reluctant to put her down, but was sure she imagined it. He seemed to linger for a few seconds too long before he finally released her.
Once she was settled, Zuko stepped away and went to enter the helm again. Iroh had followed them, and glanced meaningfully at Zuko as he passed by. "What? I helped you!" Prince Zuko burst out.
Iroh sighed, and said "I was hoping you would join us, and enjoy the day." Her attention was drawn away from them when a breeze played with her hair. Turning her face into the wind, Ame stopped listening and inhaled deeply. It was a warm, cloudy day with a slight breeze generated by the movement of the ship. The fresh air revived her, cooling her face and calming her breath. She focused on the clouds passing, watching the white billows slide by. A small smile spread across her face as she forgot her worldly troubles and relaxed.
Slowly she became aware that it was silent. Ame glanced over to see that Iroh and Zuko were both watching her. Iroh had a kind smile on his face, and she thought that Prince Zuko was smiling also, but it was quickly replaced with a scowl.
"How are you feeling Ame?" Iroh asked, meeting her gaze.
She looked away, and replied, "Better. Thank you." Looking at Zuko's face upset her calm, and she started to wonder if she would ever be able to forget the dreams. Her stool was against the wall, and she was able to lean back against it. For the first time since she was injured, Ame was able to meditate, closing her eyes and blocking out everything around her.
First she tried to restore her emotional fog. It was difficult, and her emotions kept interfering, preventing her from reestablishing it. A groan escaped her mouth as she struggled to push them away, but ultimately failed. They were buried too deeply for her to push them away. At a loss now, and stuck with her emotions, Ame tried to consider her options. She tried to sort through her feelings, and decided to start with Music Night.
Trying to remember, she realized that she was unsure what had really happened. She knew that she and Zuko had shared at least one dance, but wasn't positive if they had actually... kissed or not. It was something that she had privately entertained for quite a while, and it was something she could have merely fantasized about. Feeling conflicted about that also, she had to focus on something else. Realizing that they most pressing matters on her mind were things she couldn't deal with right now, she gave up.
Opening her eyes, she saw that Iroh had left. Prince Zuko was sitting on the floor, facing her. His eyes were closed, and she tore her gaze away from him. She stared at her feet, feeling conflicted. She decided to take a risk, and took a breath to encourage herself. "Prince Zuko?" She said hesitantly. His eyes snapped open, his steady gaze following her wavering one. Nervous, her eyes flicked from him, to the floor, to the sky.
"Call me Zuko." He said quietly. She met his gaze for a few seconds, and nodded.
"This may sound silly but..." She trailed off, unable to bring herself to continue.
"What is it?" He prompted, sounding impatient. Uncomfortable, she struggled to stand up so she could lean on the railing. Staring at the deck with the wind blowing around her, she gathered the courage to speak.
"I was wondering if, I need to ask, I mean... I hit my head, and I am not sure if... My memory is not... I just want to know... during Music Night, when we danced, while we did, or after, I guess..." She kept tripping over her tongue, sure her face was red, and had to stop to steady herself and gather her thoughts. The next words she tried to say as quickly as possible before she lost her nerve. "Well, did we... have an... intimate moment? I mean, did we... kiss?" Having finally brought herself to say it, she turned her head slightly and peeked under her eyelashes to see his response. He was blushing and staring at his hands. She heard him sigh, and he stood up.
Zuko stood next to her, looking at the deck also. She could feel heat radiating off of him, and it was tempting to lean closer but she resisted. "About Music night…" he started. Ame tensed, worried that he would tell her it never happened, or that she had stepped over a line. She was caught off guard when he continued. "I'm sorry. I was…out of line." Ame looked at him in surprise.
He turned his head away, and she burst out, "You, are apologizing, to me?" Considering his words further, she continued slower. "Does that mean we did... kiss?" A fresh wave of blood rushed to her face, but she started to feel hopeful.
Prince Zuko looked at her, ashamed. "I got carried away. It was... I didn't want to ruin... I shouldn't have kissed you..." He trailed off. Her head snapped over, looking at him surprised. Happiness started to take over as she realized she hadn't imagined the kiss.
"You have nothing to apologize for. Music night…" She trailed off, struggling to explain. "It wasn't bad. I had fun, especially the last part. It's just; I thought that I had imagined it, or that I had forced myself on you... I am sorry." She stared at the deck below, feeling uneasy. Ame could barely see Prince Zuko turn to face her.
"There is nothing to apologize for." He said, in a very gentle voice. Ame looked over, to see Prince Zuko's face very close to hers. He looked down at her apprehensively, when she hesitantly leaned closer, tilting her head up. Ame studied his face through hooded eyes, trying to predict how he would react. He looked apprehensive, but that soon faded into something else. Their lips met as he leaned towards her, closing the gap. Warmth flooded her body, and she found it hard to breath. One of his arms wrapped around her waist, to pull her close.
She gasped in pain and pushed away as he pressed against the wound on her side. He looked at her, concern plain on his face, as she leaned on the railing, knees buckling, clutching her side. "I'm sorry, I forgot!" He sputtered as she tried to control the pain.
"It's ok... I'm fine." She tried to reassure him. He hovered by her, unsure what to do. She straightened up, exhaling through her nose, before looking at him and grinning sheepishly. Prince Zuko uncertainly smiled back, and it seemed they were going to kiss again, but they heard footsteps. He stepped back, and she looked down at the railing, blushing for a different reason.
"I brought you some tea." Iroh said as he joined them on the balcony. He stopped between Zuko and Ame, resting a tray on the balcony. Ame gratefully took a cup. She rested on her elbows, and sipped at her tea, as Iroh continued speaking. "Since you have not eaten a solid meal in the past few days, I brought some rice also. I will leave it by your seat for when you want it."
Ame nodded, and had just turned away from the railing to sit, when she heard a bird call. Looking over, she saw a pigeon gull flying a small distance away from the balcony. She watched as it sailed next to the ship, dipping in the wind, before it fell behind and disappeared from her sight.
"Iroh, are we near land? It is unusual to see such a bird far out to sea..." Once she looked ahead, she saw it was a silly question. They were approaching land, and already she could see a harbor.
"How astute of you. Yes, we are going to stop at that port." Iroh said, and she turned back to look at him.
"Why? Is the Avatar there?" She asked slowly, glancing over at Prince Zuko. He had left while she was distracted, however, and she looked back at Iroh.
"No, actually. We have lost his trail. We are looking for someone here, but not the Avatar."
"Who else would we be looking for then?" She asked, confused.
Iroh chuckled at her baffled expression, and explained. "A healer."
Instead of alleviating her confusion, it deepened it. "A healer?" She repeated.
Iroh nodded, then elaborated. "My nephew suggested we look for a healer yesterday. We need to ensure you are not suffering internal bleeding, and a healer would be able to help you get better." The ship stopped, rocking them both. "Ah, it is about time then. We will take the mini boat, and bring the healer here. We will be back." He quickly explained as he left the balcony. She watched as he exited the tower, crossed the deck, then as he disappeared down the steps.
Alone, Ame sighed. She continued leaning on the railing, and watched as the mini boat passed the ship. She stopped watching before it reached shore. Instead, she unsteadily crossed the balcony and sat heavily on the stool. Taking the bowl of rice, she fiddled with her chopsticks, trying to decide if she wanted to eat. The thought of food was not appetizing, but she knew she had to nourish her body.
Tentatively she took a small bite, chewing it thoroughly. The first bite stimulated her appetite, and she wolfed down the small bowl of rice. Placing the bowl on the tray again, she immediately regretted how fast she had eaten. She relaxed, trying to help her stomach settle. The wind had stopped, and it was a calm day. While she waited for them to return, she watched the clouds roll by. Until now, she had tried to avoid thinking about Zuko. A soft smile and a blush rose to her face. It was comforting to know that she hadn't completely fabricated their encounters, and it was uplifting to know that he had some feelings for her. Her depression had vanished, replaced by joy. It troubled her that Zuko had left, but she convinced herself it was because he didn't want Iroh to suspect anything.
As she was reliving the kiss within her own mind, ignoring the part where he aggravated her wounds, the door to the helm opened. Embarrassed, she looked guilty up as Iroh entered, followed by a woman and Zuko. The woman was looking around nervously, and closely followed Iroh. Her eyes settled on Ame, and widened in shock.
Iroh gestured towards Ame, and said, "This is the woman we would like you to heal." The healer nodded, studying Ame.
"Um... could I get some privacy?" She asked anxiously. She had a soft voice, tight with fright. Iroh nodded, then pushed Zuko into the helm.
Once the door closed, the woman relaxed a little. Clearing her throat, she addressed Ame. "You are worse than I expected. I can understand their... eagerness... to find a healer better now." She took some water out of a pouch, but hesitated as she studied Ame.
"How... how bad am I?" Ame asked timidly. The woman shook her head, and froze a mirror instead of responding. Holding it up, she allowed Ame to study herself. It was shocking to see herself in the mirror. One of her eyes was black, there were several cuts on her face, and even a burn. Shaking her head, she sighed.
"Where... where should I start?" The healer asked, uncertain. "I mean, what bothers you the most?" Instantly Ame knew what the answer was. She stood up, then pulled the shirt up, stopping just below her breasts. The healer winced at the bruise on her stomach, and gasped when she noticed the cut. She started to heal it, then seemed to settle into a groove.
Sure of herself, and moving quickly, she took more water and moved to the bruise on Ame's stomach. As she worked, she muttered to herself. "That cut isn't going to heal all the way... it'll scar. No internal bleeding, that's good. I feel an injury..." She looked up at Ame, and frankly asked, "Can you take off your clothes?" Ame must have turned white, because she quickly added, "Or you can roll your sleeves and pant legs up. I need to have access to everything."
Ame paused, but obliged. The healer stepped back and studied Ame's movements and injuries. Once the clothing was secured, she got back to work. "The leg isn't broken, the bone is bruised though... there was previous bruising on the back, further bruising caused bruising to the spine, it will be stiff but that is the best I can do... there seems to be a permanent discoloration along the spine, how odd..." Ame stiffened at this mention of her tattoo, but the healer had already moved on to her face. She mouthed words to herself as she healed Ame's face, and made no further mention of permanent discolorations. Finished, the healer wiped her forehead, sighing satisfactorily.
Ame was amazed at how much better she felt, and issued a heartfelt, "Thank you."
The healer nodded, and said, "I am glad I could help. To be honest, I was scared when those two first showed up, but I am glad they forced me here. The challenge was a nice change of pace." The two girls smiled at each other, but then Ame started to feel awkward. She quickly unrolled her clothing, and straitened up.
The healer was looking over the balcony, staring at the port. Slowly, she spoke. "You know, they really care about you. That man, the one with the scar... he was so determined to find help for you. You are lucky... to have someone so determined looking after you." Ame's blush grew as she continued, and a smile grew on her face.
"And once you get past the anger, he is kinda cute... I'm jealous." The girl blushed as she admitted this. Ame studied her feet, but looked up as the helm door opened.
"How is it going?" Iroh asked as he led the way out.
"Fine, I feel as good as new." Ame responded, trying to meet Zuko's eye as he followed his Uncle.
He seemed to be avoiding her gaze, and curtly said, "Good. Now we can resume our search."
Iroh ignored him, and said, "Wonderful! Now, if you will come with me, I will pay you for your troubles and then we can return you home." He gestured to the healer to follow him, and then left. She gave a small smile and waved as she followed Iroh out, glancing at Zuko before she entered the helm.
Zuko and Ame were left on the balcony, but he still didn't look at her. "Zuko?" She asked, finally getting him to look at her. She was unsure of what to say next, his blank stare stopping any words. She took a step towards him, but he stepped back. Confusion and hurt sent a shock through her, showing itself on her face. He took another step back, before entering the helm. Deeply hurt and still confused, she stared after him. She was unable to find a way to explain his behavior, and she sat on the stool, disappointed.
She crossed her arms across her chest and stared off into space as she tried to figure out why he acted that way. It wasn't until Iroh came onto the balcony that she was drawn out of her thoughts.
He spoke first, noting her apathetic state. "I was hoping the healer would improve your mood along with your injuries. But it seems something is still bothering you." He studied her, and she sighed.
"Iroh, have you ever wanted something, thought you had it, then doubted if you had it, then thought you had it again, only to have it walk out on you without a word?" He sighed also, and she was worried he did not follow what she said. She was about to elaborate, or clarify what she had said, but he spoke first.
"Sometimes the things we want are not so easy to obtain. When it seems as though the object of our desire is within our reach, but it pulls away, we cannot give up. Sometimes we need to put more effort towards acquiring it." He paused for breath, and to consider what he was going to say next. "And sometimes, when they are ignoring you, is when you need to try the hardest to get their attention." He left the balcony, leaving her to consider his words.
The ship started moving, and she sighed. Talking with Iroh, who obviously knew something was going on, did not make her feel any better. Contemplating his words once more, she decided that she needed to figure out what she wanted. What was the object of her desire? The obvious answer was Prince Zuko. Iroh said she couldn't give up, and that she should try her hardest to get his attention. But how could she get his attention?
Unable to think of anything, she groaned in frustration. Standing up, she stalked towards the railing and glared at the deck. Her glare faded as she realized Yukio and a couple other soldiers were mingling on the deck. She brightened, realizing that she wanted a distraction, and he was the perfect person to go to. Swiftly turning around, she nearly skipped through the empty helm and down the tower. Along the way, she seriously wondered what was wrong with her, that every emotion affected her so much.
She forced herself to walk calmly when she exited the tower. Yukio noticed her as she approached, and his face broke into a huge grin. The other men turned to see the reason for his grin, and they smiled also when they saw her. "Ame! Did that magic woman fix you?" Yukio cried.
As she stopped in front of him, she replied. "Yes, the healer managed to heal my wounds. I am all better."
He looked skeptical, and asked, "Are you sure? I mean, you were hurt pretty bad..." He studied her face, and continued, "Well, I guess you are better. Your black eye is gone." She nodded, and he grinned again. He closed the small distance between them, and draped an arm around her shoulders. "Good! It was starting to get rather boring without you."
He smiled happily down at her, and she was struck by how handsome he was. It was as if she were seeing him for the first time again, noticing his neatly trimmed facial hair, the way his brown, nearly gold eyes seemed to spark, how he kept his brown hair pulled back into a tidy topknot. Most of all, she noticed how he looked at her. His eyes were full of compassion, and he looked as though she was the only thing in the world that made her happy.
As they gazed at each other, one of the other men nudged Yukio. "OK, lover birds, that's enough! Trying to make us sick?" He complained, but he was smiling.
The other man spoke up also, "Yeah, we are all happy you two are back together, but c'mon now... its lunchtime and you are going to make us lose our appetite."
Yukio frowned at the interruption, but couldn't keep a frown for long. "Oh yeah! I'm starved!" He said, then started to lead the way below deck. Ame let him steer her below deck, but mostly because he had taken hold of her wrist and wouldn't let go.
Once they entered the cafeteria, and the men already eating noticed her, a soft murmur arose in the room. As Yukio led her across the room, she could feel eyes on her back. He stopped by some large pots that were emitting a foul odor. She peered into the huge pots, and wished she hadn't. There was a gray, lumpy soup of sorts that was burbling inside, with strange colored blobs floating inside.
She sniffed it, and stepped back as Yukio grabbed two nearby bowls. "None for me, thanks." She said quickly, but he filled both bowls.
"Don't worry, there isn't any meat in this..." This did not help alleviate her aversion to the food, but she took a bowl from him anyways. Everyone pretended they weren't watching her once they turned around, and she followed Yukio as he found a place to sit.
"Hey! Long time no see!" Shino cried as they passed him, and made room for the two of them on the bench next to him. They sat down, and Ame noted that none of the men were eating. She stirred her bowl, nose wrinkled.
Yukio bravely took a bite, then moaned, "Ugh... I hate gruel! Why can't we have something good to eat?" He let his spoonful dribble back into the bowl, plopping back in. He groaned again, before pushing it away.
Ame took a few bites, before she couldn't stand the taste any more. "The only good thing about this food is…" Yukio trailed off. He watched in disgust as another soldier across from him took another bite of the stuff, and continued. "There is no good thing about this stuff. It's nasty." He sighed, and Ame was surprised to see him glum. He was always in such a good mood.
Without thinking twice about it, she grabbed her spoon, and held it upwards firmly by the handle. The gruel was starting to slide down the spoon, and she carefully bent it back with her finger. Taking aim, she let the spoon snap back to its original place, and the food on it smacked Yukio on the cheek.
He jumped, and wiped it off his cheek. "Oh gross…" He said, but there was a smile on his face. He flung the gruel he had scraped off his cheek back at her, and grabbed his bowl. "Hey, that gives me a great idea!" He exclaimed. "Food fight!" He threw his bowl across the room, and it landed directly on Kino's head.
Suddenly the room was in a frenzy, with the men throwing their bowls, and grabbing handfuls of it off the floor and walls and throwing it again. Ame and Yukio got into a mini-epic battle, dodging behind chairs and knocking over tables for cover, and the gruel never stopped flying.
"Stop it, goldarn it!" Kino shouted over the pandemonium. "I am not cleaning this up, you rotten, dirty, soldiers who…" Kino kept yelling insults, and everyone eventually calmed down. They all turned to him, to see he had gruel stuck in his hair and his face was red.
"Good, now if you expect me to clean this up…" He said, but stopped. Everyone seemed to get the same idea, at the same time, and all grabbed handfuls of the gruel.
"Fire!" Yukio yelled, and everyone threw their handfuls at poor Kino at the same time. There was no visible part of him, and the food fight resumed. Ame and Yukio both grabbed a serving dish of their lunch, and resumed their daring war. Eventually, when they had both ran out, Ame swiftly seized Yukio around the neck and pushed some gruel in his hair. He kicked her feet out from under her, and they both landed on the ground, in a big pile of it. Looking around, Ame realized most of the men were also on the floor, panting. Kino was trying to free himself from the gruel, muttering to himself.
Ame sat up and looked around the room. Almost every inch of the room was covered in the gray, sticky mess, even the ceiling. One of the guards who hadn't been in the room appeared, saying, "Prince Zuko wants everyone…" his voiced died away as he saw the state of the room and everyone in it. " Wow, I miss all the fun!" He said. "Unfortunately, Prince Zuko wants everyone to line up on deck." He turned and left quickly, reluctant to be associated with the mess. Everyone was covered in gruel, but they started to get up, and stumble out the door anyway. Some tried to clear the mess off them, and others, like Ame, wore it proudly outside. As they traveled through the ship, she chuckled to herself as she realized she had discovered a way to get Zuko's attention after all.
Prince Zuko had his back to them as they all lined up on deck, and once they were all assembled, he turned around. His face had been in an expression of seriousness, and resentment, but that faded into disbelief once he saw his crew. They were all standing straight and at attention, but it was ruined by the fact that they were all covered in gray gruel.
Apparently abandoning whatever plan he had, he asked them angrily, "What is the meaning of this?"
Nobody dare speak, but Ame felt bold. "This is lunch, Prince Zuko." She said. The men started snickering, as they watched Prince Zuko's reactions.
He turned to look at her, and he seemed even more outraged once he recognized her. "You are supposed to eat lunch!" He shouted. "Not wear it!"
Ame remained calm, and answered. "Prince Zuko, no offense, but the food you serve the crew is inedible. I don't think the rhinos would even eat this. So, we found a better use for it." Everyone was gaping at her, but she kept staring forward.
Prince Zuko growled, and ordered, "Go clean yourselves up, and the dining hall, if that is a mess too. Hurry up!" The men all trooped back downstairs, and burst out laughing.
"Way to go, Ame!" Yukio congratulated her. "Standing up the big bad wolf bear!" He slapped her on the back, and they entered the dining hall.
Once Ame thought about cleaning the room up, it looked much worse. This seemed to occur to everyone else at the same time, and they groaned. Kino appeared, with buckets of water and brooms, grumbling about how these cushy soldiers were lazier than in his day. Each man grabbed a broom and bucket, and immediately started scrubbing the room.
"Ame, you don't have to help. This is our job." Yukio told her, grabbing the handle of her broom.
She looked up from the floor, and responded, "Yukio, I started the fight, I should help clean it up. Now let go."
He looked into her eyes, before smiling and releasing the handle. "Fine, be that way." He waved a hand dismissively before he started cleaning next to her, as they swept the dried food into piles. Soldiers had to carry buckets of gruel to dump overboard, making progress slowly.
It took hours to finally get it clean, and they decided to ignore the few spots left on the ceiling. They all walked to the deck, where Ame could see the sun had already set, and it was dark outside. The men started chipping off the dried bits of gruel, now that they were finished cleaning. A pile was forming around each man, and they started making a contest out of whose pile would be the biggest. At the end, it was a tie between Yukio and Ame. As they laughed about it with each other, she started to wonder what it would be like if she and Yukio were involved. The idea was slightly pleasing, and it frightened her. She hurried away at the next opportunity, deciding she wanted to find Iroh, and possibly ask for more advice.
She found Iroh in the helm, enjoying one last cup of tea before bed. She sat down next to him, and he chuckled, "I hear you started quite the food fight." Ame was surprised he had heard about it, but chuckled also and nodded.
"Yeah, kinda." Iroh smiled and sipped his tea.
"I am glad the men are having fun. It is about time somebody had fun on this ship!" She smiled, and was about to say something, but the door to the helm opened.
Yukio entered, and upon seeing Ame, his face turned tragic and he declared, "Geez Ame! I am still picking pieces of gruel out of my hair! Did you really have to smear it in so deeply?" He sat next to her, grinning.
She shook her head and responded, "You started it. I was retaliating." He chuckled, and ran his fingers through his hair. He came away with a small handful of dried gruel.
"Ugh, that is gross!" He complained.
She cocked an eyebrow, and responded, "You think that is bad..." She ran her fingers through her hair, but it was too clumped for her to get to the end.
"Man, I really wish I could take a bath right now!" He groaned.
Iroh looked thoughtful, and said "We could stop so the men could bathe."
Yukio perked up, and said, "That would be terrific!"
Ame looked down, uneasy with the idea. "Won't Prince Zuko be angry at the delay? We have already been at port today..."
Yukio frowned at her, but Iroh waved his hand. "Everyone needs a little fun now and then." Addressing the helmsman, he continued, "Head to the shore, please. It does not have to be a port. Follow the shore northward until morning, and then we can have the men take a bath." The helmsman nodded, and consulted his map before turning the ship gently east.
"Any bets on when Prince Sourpuss will show up?" Yukio said. "No offense, Iroh."
Iroh smiled, and responded, "He will notice once we reach land."
Yukio laughed, and said, "Knowing him, he will notice right before sunrise tomorrow." A soldier who had just entered bet once they could see land he would notice, and the helmsman bet he would notice when he came to check their progress. They turned and looked expectantly at Ame.
"I bet he has already noticed, and is on his way up to find out what has happened." She predicted.
After she spoke, the door to the helm slammed open. "Who changed our course?" Prince Zuko yelled, staying in the doorway. His eyes flicked across the room, settling on Ame for a moment. His glare deepened, and he looked away from her towards Iroh, who had just began to speak.
"The men need a bath after the incident with lunch, nephew. It will only be a short delay." Prince Zuko shook his head, growling.
"Fine." He snarled, before leaving.
Ame stood up, about to follow, but Yukio grabbed her arm, preventing her from standing. "Where are you going?" He asked sharply.
Aware the rest of the room was watching them, she quietly responded, "I am tired. Just this morning I was unable to climb a ladder. I should be able to go to sleep without you questioning..." His body language changed in such a way as to make her feel guilty, and she tried to ignore the desire to comfort him. She bowed a goodbye, then left him behind, and exited the helm.
As she left, she tried to convince herself she was not following Prince Zuko. She still hurried, as she went to her room. It was not until she exited the tower that she encountered him. Prince Zuko was standing on the deck, his back to her. He was looking at the deck, and the piles of gruel that had come off of the men illuminated by the rising moon. Ame looked at the deck, starting to realize what a mess it was. The gruel had dried, and appeared to be stuck to the deck. Prince Zuko, sensing her presence, whirled around and glared at her.
"I thought I told you to clean up the mess, not bring it up here!" He hissed, stalking towards her. "Why are you causing trouble? I should throw you back in the prison hold!"
She looked up at him, trying to keep her heart steady. "I'm sorry, Prince Zuko. I am not trying to cause trouble, or make a mess."
His glare wavered, but resumed as he spoke. "I am getting tired of you disobeying me. Just what are you hoping to accomplish?" He was in her face, and she stepped back.
"I was trying to have some fun. I'm sorry."
He grew angrier, and yelled, "Fun? Life isn't about having fun! You aren't supposed to have fun! It is about work and trying to accomplish your goals!" He paused, breathing heavily.
She bowed her head, staring at his feet. "I'm sorry I upset you Prince Zuko." He didn't respond, and she dared to look up at him. He was still glaring at her, and she looked down again.
"That's it?" He demanded. She tried to decide what to say next, but couldn't think of anything. He shook his head, and said, "No, you are up to something. What are you trying to do?" He asked, glaring at her.
Caught off guard, she couldn't think of a response.
"Why are you disobeying me and causing trouble? You have been healed for less than a day and already you are making life difficult for me." He said, voice hard.
She didn't know what to say in response, so the first thing that came to mind burst out of her mouth. "To get your attention."
His glare faded for a second, but came back as he asked, "Why?"
She shrugged, feeling careless and like she didn't have anything to lose, and replied, "You ignored me on the balcony, after you got the healer." He growled, but she thought she noticed something in his eyes that didn't match the glare. Encouraged, she continued. "I want to know what you want from me. I mean, I don't know how to act around you, what you want. I want to talk to you, and figure it out."
She exhaled deeply after this speech, trying to read his face. He crossed his arms and growled, shaking his head. She stepped forward timidly, outstretching a hand. "Zuko, I merely wish to fulfill your wishes. Tell me what you want." She dared to rest her hand on the right side of his face, and was pleased when he didn't pull away.
His eyes burned into hers, and they started leaning towards each other. His eyes closed, and their lips brushed. Eyes closing also, Ame pressed her lips against his, wrapping her arms around his neck. He shyly wrapped his arms around her waist, then pulled her closer. The warmth that surrounded her, his smell, his taste, the mere feel of him, all caused a thrill to run through her body. It seemed to collect in her nether regions, and she became painfully aware of her anatomy.
Ame had to pull back first, becoming overwhelmed with sensations. Panting, they looked into each others eyes, and she guessed he was experiencing something similar. She blushed and chuckled as she realized they were both aroused from a mere kiss. He gave a lopsided smile, and she rested her head on his shoulder. It was difficult for her to control herself, but after a few moments for her to collect her thoughts and take some deep breaths, she managed. Lifting her head again, she met his eyes and smiled.
"This seems to be happening a lot recently." She said softly.
"What do you mean?" Zuko asked, smile turning into a frown and stiffening.
Ame immediately realized she had made a mistake, and rapidly added, "I just meant that, when we have been alone recently, we... kiss." She shrugged as she said the last word, and tried smiling at him, but he kept frowning. Hoping to fix her blunder, she continued, "That is why I want you to tell me what you want. Because when we are alone, this happens, but when there are other people around you... well, you ignore me."
He dropped his arms and stepped back, causing her arms to fall also. Starting to grow desperate, she rambled, "I like you, Zuko. Life isn't all about work and trying to accomplish your goals with no fun. A goal can be to have fun too. And I want more than the few moments we have together. I mean, the moments we have are great, I just want more of them. And for you to not ignore me when there are others around."
Her tongue failed her as she stared at his frowning face, and she let silence fall. They stared at each other, trying to read each others minds. He looked apprehensive as he finally answered. "So, you want to be…my girlfriend?" He seemed to have a hard time verbalizing this thought.
Her cheeks flushed. This was exactly what she wanted, but he said it as if it were a bad thing. "Well, maybe... But I would be happy with being friends, maybe. I mean, acknowledging each others presence would probably be good enough." She struggled.
He approached her again, and asked, "Is this what you want?" Their faces were so close she could feel his breath on her lips.
Thrills started to run through her body as she started to believe she was going to get what she wanted. All she could focus on was their closeness. "Is this what you want?" He asked her again, gentler.
She slowly nodded, and whispered, "Yes." Zuko closed the small distance between them, and kissed her. It was reserved at first, but Ame wrapped her arms around his neck, and his arms wrapped around her waist, the kiss becoming more intense. Her heart and breathing were racing, and she savored his taste. They were getting more involved, when something slammed in the distance.
He jumped away, startled, nipping her lip in the process. Guiltily he looked around, and she did also, influenced by his erratic behavior. After he seemed satisfied that there was nothing, he turned back to her. He looked unsure when he looked at her again, and she tried to reassure him by smiling.
A corner of his mouth crooked up, and he quietly said, "It has been a long day. We should both get to bed."
She nodded, then asked, "Am I allowed to spend the night in my room?" She meant it as a joke, but it fell flat. "Yeah, yeah, sure." He muttered, then he darted down the hallway, climbing up the ladder and disappearing up the tower.
Ame's smile faded as she felt abandoned, but returned as she touched her lips. Deciding to be content with what she got, she sighed happily. Dreamily, she started to walk down the hallway, planning on going to her room.
"Ame." A stern voice behind her called. She stopped, confused, and looked over her shoulder. "I thought you were just going to bed. You didn't say anything about making a short stop." Yukio walked up to her, a glare looking out of place on his usually smiling face.
"Yukio!" Ame exclaimed. She started to realize what he must have seen. "How much did you see?" She asked, facing him.
"Enough." He growled, crossing his arms. "How long have you two been sneaking around?" Her happy mood was quickly turning sour, and she became irritable.
"We haven't been sneaking around. You are the one who has been sneaking."
He burst out, "Someone has to keep him away from you!" She glared at him, and he seemed to realize his outburst crossed a line.
Her anger swelled as his glare wavered. "Why does anyone have to keep him away from me?" She asked angrily. He opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off. "No, Yukio. Prince Zuko and I haven't been sneaking around, and we haven't been doing that for very long. Honestly, I don't want to hear any more from you about it!"
He was surprised at her outburst, but he tried to push it anyway. "Please Ame, just listen to me!" She brushed past him, hoping Iroh's presence could keep him from continuing. He followed her, and she started to run. Quickly, she climbed up ladders, and when she was out of his sight, she jumped up them.
He was still following her, evident by his yells. He seemed determined to wake up the whole tower. Reaching the helm, she found it empty. Echoing behind her, Yukio's cries of, "Ame, please, come out. Where did you go?" Seizing her opportunity to escape, she hurried onto the balcony.
Looking down at the deck, she hesitated. Wasn't it a bit extreme for her to jump off the balcony to the deck below to escape him? She thought she heard him entering the helm, and she decided no, it wasn't. Quickly she vaulted off the balcony, free falling to the deck below. Before she landed, she created a cushion of air and landed softly on her feet. She ran across the deck, to the stairs, and disappeared below deck. Ame didn't stop running until she reached her room.
Inside her room, she was too worked up to sleep. She paced the room, not thinking, just letting her emotions course through her body. As her frustration reached its peak, she threw down her hands, flaming. That is when she realized what she was doing. Surprised at herself, she stopped pacing, and stared at her hands. It was uncharacteristic for her to bend when emotional. She felt as though she were drowning in emotions, but couldn't swim through it. There was no semblance of an emotional fog, and thus her emotions were allowed to run free. Emitting a breath, she sunk into a Lotus position, and placed her fists together.
She tried to sort out her feelings towards Yukio first. This new found crush she seemed to be developing for him was going to make things more complicated, but him confronting her like that squashed any tender feelings she had for him, at least for the night. She had mixed feelings towards him, making it too difficult to accomplish anything.
She thought about Zuko, and the kisses they shared, but it was ruined by the memories of him leaving right after, or flat out ignoring her. Frustrated, she spent the rest of the night trying to build her emotional fog from scratch, knowing that, with wild emotions, she was prone to erratic behavior, as shown by her behavior today. Taking a deep breath, she tackled one issue at a time.
Ame first evaluated her physical status. Focusing on each body part separately, she became acutely aware of any small pain. The healer from yesterday had done wonders to undo the damage from her attackers, but she was still stiff and a few traces of pain remained from her wounds. Acknowledging her limitations, Ame moved onto her emotional status.
Deciding to tackle the Zuko problem, she immediately decided that she was going to stop trying to get his attention, and let him come to her. It would save her time and energy if she let him do what he wanted. From there, she started to evaluate his behavior, starting with Music Night. Now that she knew for certain that they had kissed, she started to feel more confident in her memories. However, she was still unsure of what happened after she was attacked. She could remember waking up and Yukio telling her that she had been asleep for a solid week, but she also thought she remembered having moments of consciousness. She also foggily recalled Zuko being... friendlier than usual. Faint remnants of the pain and disappointment surfaced from the moment she realized that it was a dream, but she pushed it aside. Calming herself against her emotions, she accepted that it was just a dream. A pang went through her with this, but she quickly focused on what had happened right before the healer. Zuko had admitted they kissed during Music Night, and they had shared several other kisses since. She took comfort in that knowledge, until it was tainted by the fact that he also would become distant afterwards, as though he regretted it. She decided to disregard that, and just enjoy what she got. Who knew what Prince Zuko was thinking anyways?
It was a night of unrest for Ame, after having spent half the night attempting to control her emotions. After staring at her ceiling for a good while, she finally gave up. Claustrophobic in her small room, she decided to go outside for some fresh air.
Her hand paused as she reached for the clothing she had hastily pulled off earlier. Lying crumbled on the floor, the slightly bloodstained articles seemed to smirk at her. They belonged to Prince Zuko, having been given to her to replace her own torn and blood soaked clothing. She tried to push thoughts of Zuko away, not wanting to, once again, contemplate their relationship and how he felt about her. With nothing else to wear, she sucked it up and pulled the loose clothes on. She briefly considered checking her tattoos and hair in an ice mirror, but felt too anxious to pause for long on such a trivial matter.
Quickly she left her stuffy room behind, hurrying up to the helm. The ship was quiet as she moved through its bowels, following the feeling of fresh air. She paused on deck, taking a moment to inhale the sea air deeply. The stars illuminated the dark sky in the absence of the moon. Feeling drawn to the helm's balcony, she navigated with ease through the dried piles of gruel.
The pang of guilt she felt for starting the food fight the previous day was a welcome distraction to the unmanageable feelings swirling within her. The tower was quiet, not even her footsteps making a noise. She resisted the urge to pause by his door, already wary that her beating heart was starting to echo down the halls. So she continued past his door without changing pace. At the helm balcony she leaned on the railing to enjoy the breeze. The sky was starting to lighten on the horizon, and being outside started to calm her. She readjusted to sit on the railing overlooking the deck, hugging herself to keep warm.
The next chapter will be a big one, and will probably take a while. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
