Once again, I'm sorry for the long wait for this update. Things got busy for me again but now I can write as much as I please since I've officially finished my first trimester of university and I get a month off which means I can write to my hearts content :). As I promised at the end of the last chapter, this one deals with the aftermath of Akane's spell and takes place during Imprisoned.
Finders Keepers
As soon as Zuko got Akane on board the ship after their disastrous raid on Kyoshi Island, he made it his mission to find out what had happened to his friend. While the ships nurse checked Akane out, Iroh suggested visiting a mystic that he knew in the Earth Kingdom. Despite Zuko not wanting to stray from the Avatar's trail, Zuko wasn't about to sacrifice Akane's health and well-being for his capture so Zuko ordered the ship to set sail to Iyashi no Sato, which wasn't that far off from Kyoshi Island.
Shortly after the ship set sail, Akane regained consciousness but Zuko had ordered her to stay in her room until they found out what was wrong with her, an order which didn't set well with Akane. Although she understood Zuko's reason's for wanting her to rest, Akane hated being treated like she was helpless but knew it was better to listen to Zuko than to stir up trouble. Truth be told, Akane was just as nervous about herself as Zuko and Iroh were, but she didn't want them to worry about her so she tried her best to appear fine. Her efforts did little to help, since although Akane was awake, she still felt weak for whatever reason.
Almost everyone on board had come to offer her their best wishes, since Akane was as close as she could be with the rest of the crew members. Currently, Akane was getting checked out by nurse Nuying, who had been one of the first people to respond to her condition.
"What's taking so long?" Zuko asked impatiently as Nuying did her tests.
"If you insist on being here, Prince Zuko, then I must insist that you be patient as well. Patience is not going to help Miss Akane," Nuying snapped.
"Alright, fine," Zuko muttered impatiently.
"Trust me, nurse Nuying. There is no need for this," Akane argued.
"Yes, there is. You almost fainted after suffering from alarming symptoms that cannot be ignored," Nuying insisted.
"When was the first time you started feeling like this?" Nuying questioned.
"A few weeks ago, shortly after we left the South Pole," Akane replied.
"And you've only been feeling like this since then?" Nuying clarified.
Akane nodded, "I've never felt like this before."
"That is very unusual them," Nuying noted.
"Can you tell me what's wrong with me?" Akane asked.
Nuying shook her head, "I'm afraid not. There could be numerous reasons as to why you're feeling like this, and any treatment that I give you could cause them to work in the opposite direction. The best thing you can do right now is rest and wait to see General Iroh's mystic."
"Some nurse," Zuko muttered bitterly, earning a glare from Akane.
"Thank you for your help, Nuying. If you wouldn't mind..." Akane trailed off, gesturing for her to leave.
"Of course," Nuying nodded in understanding. "In the meantime I'll see what I can do about your problems."
"Well, that was a waste of time," Zuko grumbled.
"She did everything she could. And you heard what she said, any possible remedy that she gives me without knowing what I'm dealing with could only make it worse," Akane reasoned.
"Still, couldn't she have been more helpful?" Zuko asked.
"Zuko, don't blame Nuying when this is hardly her fault," Akane rationalised.
"Then whose fault is it?" Zuko wondered.
"Mine," Akane replied.
Zuko narrowed his eyes, "How?"
"Well, I haven't exactly been taking care of myself that well recently," Akane pointed out.
"Then that won't be a problem anymore. From now on I'm going to look out for you as best I can so that nothing happens," Zuko proclaimed.
"That's sweet and all, Zuko, but I can't ask you to do that for me," Akane said.
"You're not asking me and I'm doing it," Zuko stated.
Knowing that there was no point in arguing with Zuko, Akane decided to let him have it and watch out for her for the time being, even if he could be suffocating at times. Then again, Akane should just be grateful that she has someone like Zuko who cared about her, since she didn't really have that many people in her life.
Eventually, the ship arrived at Iyashi no Sato where Iroh's mystic lived. Akane was nervous about the whole prospect, since she didn't feel entirely comfortable seeing someone she didn't know, even if they knew Iroh. On the other side of things, Akane was nervous about what she would find out, and hoped that it wouldn't be anything serious that would hinder her in the long run. Despite Akane and Zuko continuously asking Iroh about who this mystic was, Iroh gave them little information but reassured them that if anyone could find out what was going on with Akane that it would be her.
"Is this really necessary, Iroh?" Akane asked as she and Zuko trailed behind him.
"If you want to find out what is wrong with you, then yes," Iroh replied.
"Why does this mystic of yours even live in the middle of nowhere?" Zuko complained since they had been walking for almost an hour now.
"It's not that far from the nearby village, which was where I first became acquainted with her quite some time ago," Iroh recalled.
"How did you meet her?" Akane queried.
"It was when you and Zuko were young, while Lu Ten and I were off fighting in the war. Unfortunately, Lu Ten contacted a harsh virus with a very rare cure. After searching the nearby villages, I was eventually informed of Uilani, the island's mystic. Once I brought Lu Ten to her, she was miraculously able to cure him within hours and he was back to his normal strength," Iroh explained.
"Uilani sounds amazing. But why is she called a mystic though?" Akane questioned.
"Because she uses shamanism to reach altered states of consciousness in order to perceive and interact with a spirit world and channel the transcendental energies into the mortal world," Iroh answered.
"How is that mumbo jumbo supposed to help Akane?" Zuko asked.
"It is not mumbo jumbo. Mystic's have been used for generations to cure those in need of help. It was even a mystic who developed the first cure for dragonpox," Iroh reasoned.
"Well, if you're sure this will help me then I'm willing to give it a try," Akane conceded.
Soon enough, the trio came across an isolated house that wasn't too far from a nearby village, which Akane assumed was where Uilani lived. As they neared the house, Akane caught the sight of a figure out the front and it was clear to Akane based on the way she looked that it was Uilani herself. Once they were at a close enough distance, Akane noticed how Uilani was dressed in flowing robes of numerous colours, which made it difficult to identify which nation she was from. Not that Akane had any problem with being helped by anyone from a different nation, it was just usually easy to deduce where someone came from based on the clothes they wore.
"Uilani!" Iroh called as they neared the woman.
The mystic turned to face the sudden intruders on her property, before recognising the old man whose son she had helped all those years ago. Smiling as she did so, Uilani made her way towards the trio as she greeted Iroh first. Using this as an opportunity to get a better look at Uilani, Akane noticed that there was paint adorned on her face with large earrings and matching bracelets to go with them. Uilani was certainly unlike anyone that Akane had seen before, since just the sight of her was mesmerising on its own.
"Well, if it isn't General Iroh. I never thought I'd see you here again," Uilani greeted him.
"As much as I wish this was a social call, Uilani, I'm afraid it isn't," Iroh stated.
"How can I be of service to you?" Uilani asked.
"Firstly, I'll have to introduce you to my nephew, Prince Zuko and our dear friend, Akane," Iroh announced.
"It is a pleasure to be at your acquaintance. Any friend of General Iroh's is a friend of mine," Uilani said.
"Unfortunately, something appears to be troubling Akane on the inside. She has been feeling rather faint recently and is having trouble breathing. Our ships healer was unable to identify what was wrong with her, so I was hoping that you might be able to help us," Iroh explained.
"I'm sure I can be of assistance. I've been a mystic for over twenty years now, and in that time, I have helped thousands of individuals seeking remedies for their troubles. I can honestly say that I have never been unable to help someone, so I'm sure I can help your friend," Uilani proclaimed.
"Let's just hope your skills are as high as your modesty," Zuko muttered loud enough for Akane to hear, causing her to jab him with her elbow.
"Don't be rude," Akane scolded him.
Uilani chuckled, "Ah, children. Sometimes I wish I had some of my own, but alas I haven't been able to find someone to settle down with."
"I wonder why," Zuko murmured, this time quiet enough so that only he could hear it.
"I understand that you usually require someone to give you a gift before you give them your service, but we are on a tight schedule and cannot afford to be waiting around for too long," Iroh cut to the chase.
Uilani nodded, "Under any normal circumstances, I would ask you to bring me something of worth to me, but after the help you gave me when I helped your son, I suppose I can make an exception."
"That would be greatly appreciated," Iroh said.
"Now, miss, why don't you come with me so that we can find out what is troubling you," Uilani suggested to Akane.
"Let's do it," Akane replied as they followed Uilani into her house.
When they entered Uilani's house, Akane quickly noticed how eccentric the place looked. It was certainly unlike any other house that Akane had ever been inside. There were strange paintings on the walls, which Akane soon realised where made out of bamboo, just like the rest of the house. There were also numerous objects hanging from the roof, including several lanterns which illuminated the room along with beautiful dream catchers.
"I take it by the look on your face that you like my domain," Uilani addressed her.
Akane nodded, "It's beautiful."
"We didn't come hear to go house browsing. We came here to find out what is wrong with Akane," Zuko snapped impatiently, not liking the time that they were wasting.
Uilani chuckled, "Impatient, I see? If you want me to find out what is troubling your friend, then I suggest that you treat me with respect, otherwise I might just turn you away."
"Fine, I apologise," Zuko muttered.
Akane's attention soon turned to the large space in the centre of the room, which was surrounded by a circle and included a bed at it's centre. Assuming that it was for her, Akane turned to face Uilani as she was ready to move on.
"What do I need to do?" Akane asked.
"I need you to lie down on that bed and make sure that you're relaxed," Uilani replied.
"I can do that," Akane nodded as she sat on the makeshift bed and spread her limbs out for Uilani to asses her.
"Where do you feel the most pain?" Uilani questioned.
"On my side. That's where it always starts," Akane answered, wincing as she unexpectedly felt another jolt of pain surge through her body.
"Then you're going to have to remove your garments so I can have a better look," Uilani proclaimed.
Realising that by removing her clothes that she would be exposing her scar – which Iroh and Zuko had no idea about – Akane's eyes widened. This certainly wasn't how she wanted them to find out, not that she even wanted them to find out to begin with. Deciding to use this as an excuse for them to live the room so that they wouldn't see her shame, Akane turned to face Uilani for help.
Understanding what Akane's look was implying, Uilani turned to face Iroh and Zuko to address them, "By removing her garments she will be exposing herself to you."
"In other words, could you please leave me and Uilani to ourselves?" Akane asked gently.
Zuko's eyes widened as he realised what Uilani meant. Not wanting to see his best friend half naked, Zuko quickly excused himself with Iroh shortly following him. Akane sighed now that she was left alone with just Uilani. Although Iroh and Zuko weren't with them, Akane still felt uncomfortable exposing herself to someone who was practically a complete stranger to her.
"I'm going to have to ask you to remove your shirt. Don't worry, there's nobody else but us here," Uilani reassured her.
Hesitantly, Akane slowly undid her shirt before lifting it over her head, leaving her in just her bindings to cover her chest. Almost immediately once she lifted her shirt, Akane heard Uilani gasp from beside her. Knowing that the woman had to have been gasping at her scar, Akane slowly turned to face her with the feeling of dread inside of her.
"My goodness! That is a nasty wound," Uilani exclaimed.
"It's not that bad," Akane whispered.
"How long have you had that scar for?" Uilani queried.
"Since I was twelve," Akane quietly responded.
"Do you mind asking me how you got that scar?" Uilani questioned.
Akane sighed, "It was a training mishap. I accidently burned myself."
"That looks more serious than a self-inflicted wound. Who hurt you, child?" Uilani inquired.
"Nobody. It was an accident. My own fault. I couldn't control my bending, so I hurt myself. Nobody hurt me," Akane insisted.
"If you're sure. But this isn't the only part where you're feeling pain, correct?" Uilani clarified.
Akane nodded, "I feel it everywhere below my chest. The pain happens spontaneously, but it quickly gets worse. Then I have trouble breathing and feel like I'm about to pass out."
"I see. When did you start experiencing this pain?" Uilani asked.
"Well, my chest has just been hurting for a few months now, but it's only gotten worse in the past few weeks," Akane admitted.
"Where was it when the pain started to intensify?" Uilani queried.
"Sometime after we left the South Pole, which was a few weeks ago," Akane replied.
Uilani hummed for a moment as she looked over Akane, "Before I can be certain of anything, I'm going to have to examine you so we can be absolutely certain of what you have."
Letting Uilani do her job, Akane simply laid down as she let the woman check her body. There were a few times when Akane tried to analyse Uilani to see if her expressions would give away anything, but Uilani did a pretty good job of staying focused and not giving anything away. That on it's own was enough to make Akane feel even more nervous as she worried what was wrong with her.
At one point, Uilani just left the room without saying anything which made Akane feel even more uncomfortable. However, Uilani quickly returned with some sort of ointment which she applied to Akane's torso. Almost instantly, Akane hissed at the cold feeling of the ointment before she eventually relaxed to it. What surprised her was that eventually the pain on her torso started to subside. Although it was still there, it wasn't as intense as it previously was.
"Can I ask what you did that for?" Akane uttered.
Uilani chuckled, "Considering you just did, yes. To answer your question, I'm not entirely sure what exactly is wrong with you, since there could be many reasons as to why you are experiencing the symptoms that you are. However, this ointment is a rare substance that is meant to soothe rashes, but it can also soothe pain in the appropriate areas."
"But what is wrong with me?" Akane asked nervously.
"You could have contacted some form of illness from your time in the South Pole, or it could very well be from before that. You are Fire Nation, correct?" Uilani clarified.
Akane nodded, "Yes, I am."
"Then unlike most people, you are not as easily adjustable to the cold. While the Water Tribe citizens might be used to the climate, others are not. Even then, the Fire Nation is the least adaptable to intense cold weather since they thrive on the heat and the cold is like their kryptonite," Uilani explained.
"I'm still confused," Akane admitted.
"What I am saying, child is that you are at a lot more risk of finding yourself attracted to an unwanted virus. There are numerous viruses that can be transmitted through air, without even needing the sender to be sick," Uilani simplified.
"So, what you're saying as that I'm sick?" Akane said.
Uilani shook her head, "I can't say for sure, but that could quite possibly be the cause of the symptoms you are experiencing. But then there are some areas which are alarming to me, but unlike anything that I have seen before."
"What do you mean by alarming?" Akane questioned.
"If not treated properly, I'm afraid that it could lead to severe problems for you in the future," Uilani answered.
"Then what can I do to make myself better?" Akane asked.
"The best you can do is to continue to apply this ointment every time you experience striking pain in your lower torso. That should make it subside for a few hours before it could strike again. As for your breathing problems, the ointment cannot help you in that area, but I do have something that can help you," Uilani replied.
Once she finished speaking, Uilani headed over to one of the nearby drawers before rummaging through it for a few moments and pulling out several leaves in various forms along with what she recognised as ginger root.
"These are the ingredients for Licorice Root tea. When mixed together, they can sooth your breathing and clear any problems in your respiratory system," Uilani explained.
"I've never heard of Licorice Root tea before," Akane mused.
"That's because it's something only used for healing. It's not necessarily the best of remedies for those who cannot brew tea, but with someone like General Iroh with you I'm sure you can manage," Uilani smiled.
"His tea is pretty good," Akane agreed.
"It was General Iroh who suggested that I combine these ingredients in the form of tea to help patients with severe cases. Although I knew it was possible beforehand, making tea wasn't exactly something that I was good at. While his son Lu Ten was recovering, General Iroh taught me how to make the perfect tea to help those who need it," Uilani recalled.
"That's why you agreed to help me for free," Akane realised.
Uilani nodded, "Yes, it is."
"Alright, so is that everything I need then?" Akane checked.
"Indeed, it is. However, I'm not sure if it will be a permanent solution for your troubles so I must ask you to keep General Iroh updated on your progress and in return he will inform me if there are any troubles. In the meantime, I will continue to do as much research as I can to find out what exactly has caused you this stress," Uilani proclaimed.
Akane smiled gratefully at Uilani, appreciative of her help, "Thank you for helping me."
Uilani returned a similar smile, "No need to thank my, child. Helping people is what I do. Now, I'll let you get dressed while I go talk to General Iroh."
Akane nodded at Uilani before quickly redressing herself and making sure that she had everything that Uilani had given her. Although Uilani hadn't helped her completely, Uilani had still done plenty of help which would surely make things easier for Akane in the long run. Once she was sure she had everything ready, Akane headed out of Uilani's house where she found Zuko waiting for her while Iroh and Uilani talked nearby.
"Is everything alright?" Zuko asked, concerned for his friend's well-being.
Akane smiled at him, "I'll be honest and say that Uilani couldn't exactly pinpoint what was causing me to have these troubles, but she did give some potential reasons that could be the cause. She also gave me some herbs and remedies to help me feel better if I have trouble again."
"That's great. Now we just have to make sure that you have them with you at all times. I don't want to risk you getting into trouble again," Zuko said.
Akane grabbed Zuko's shoulder, "Zuko, you don't have to worry about me, I can take care of myself. Besides, we have much more important things to worry about."
"I suppose your right," Zuko agreed before noticing Iroh walking towards them. "Here comes Uncle."
"Did everything go alright with Uilani?" Akane queried.
Iroh nodded, "Yes, she just went over the remedies that she gave you and you are to take those whenever you feel the slightest amount of pain. But you must be careful of how much you use since Uilani only gave us enough to last a few months."
"I'll be careful," Akane reassured him.
"Now that we're done here, can we please move on?" Zuko snapped.
Akane chuckled at Zuko's impatience, "Yes, we can Buster."
Zuko glared at her, "How many times have I told you not to call me that?"
"Obviously not enough," Akane quipped.
Iroh chuckled, "Come on, you two. Let's get moving on."
Not needing to be told twice, Akane and Zuko quickly followed Iroh as they left Uilani's house, not before Akane thanked the woman again for her help. As the walked away, Uilani couldn't help but watch Akane with interest as she wondered what could be going on with the young girl. Her condition was truly unlike anything that Uilani had seen before, and she had seen a lot of strange conditions during her time as a mystic. That thought on its own was enough to put concern into Uilani, and she would have to do more research and keep in touch with Iroh before she could deduce what exactly was happening inside the young girl.
~*•°•*~
It didn't take long for the trio to arrive back at Zuko's ship which was waiting for them where they left it. As they neared the ship, Akane noticed Kyou talking to some man who she had never seen before. Based on the armour he was wearing, Akane assumed that he was Fire Nation but Akane had no idea what he would want with them.
"Lieutenant Kyou, what is the meaning of this? Everyone was instructed to remain on deck while we were gone," Zuko demanded as they approached them.
"I apologise, Prince Zuko. Commander Haruto just came to report some very intriguing information that I think would be of use to you," Kyou said.
Zuko raised his eyes, "What is this information?"
"There was a prison break-out on one of our prison rigs off the west coast of the Earth Kingdom. It has been reported that the Avatar aided the prisoners in their escape," Haruto replied.
"Do you think it's worth checking out?" Akane questioned.
"If it's something to do with the Avatar, then yes. Thank you for the information, Commander Haruto. We will be leaving now," Zuko stated.
After thanking the commander, Akane, Iroh, Kyou and Zuko boarded the ship before it set sail in the direction of the prison rig where the Avatar was reported to have been at. The prison rig wasn't that far away from where they were now, so it wouldn't have been that long of a trip before they reached it. At one point, Kyou pulled Akane to the side to speak with her which sparked curiosity in the young girl.
"Is something wrong, Kyou?" Akane asked.
Kyou shook his head, "No. I was just wondering if everything was alright with you, after you went to see the mystic."
"Oh. She was very helpful. Although she couldn't exactly pinpoint what was wrong with me, she was able to give me some herbs and this ointment to help me. As long as I keep using it I should be fine," Akane explained.
Kyou sighed, "I'm glad that you're alright and I'll make sure that you stick to your remedies then."
Akane laughed, "There will be no need for that, since I'm sure that Zuko will be hounding me to stick to them more than anyone else."
"You value him as a friend, don't you?" Kyou asked.
Akane nodded, "More than anything. There isn't anything that I wouldn't do for Zuko, just like there isn't anything that he wouldn't do for me. We really are the only friends each other has ever had, so that's enough to make us close."
"I thought I was your friend," Kyou pouted.
"You know what I mean, Kyou," Akane chuckled.
"Do I really?" Kyou joked.
Before Akane could reply, they were interrupted by Zuko as he made his way towards them. Not wanting to get into any trouble with the stubborn prince, Kyou backed away as he assumed that whatever he was here for had nothing to do with him.
"What are you doing here, Akane?" Zuko questioned.
"I was just talking to Kyou. He was just wondering if I was okay," Akane answered.
Zuko glared at Kyou, "While I'm sure your concern for Akane is genuine, it is not needed. Please leave her to me and make yourself useful somewhere else."
"Of course, Prince Zuko," Kyou muttered before walking away, leaving Akane and Zuko to themselves.
Akane crossed her arms, "What was that about?"
"What do you mean?" Zuko rebutted.
Akane rolled her eyes, "Why were you acting like that towards Kyou? He was just being a concerned friend, just like you are."
"He is not your friend. He's just trying to take advantage as your position as my friend to put himself in a better position. Pretty slimy if you ask me," Zuko scoffed.
"Zuko, Kyou is not taking advantage of me. And unlike you, I actually get along with everybody on this ship so I would consider them all my friends. But don't worry, nobody could ever replace you, Buster," Akane reasoned.
"You can never be sure of anybody's intentions," Zuko argued.
"Zuko, are you a jealous of Kyou?" Akane inquired.
"Jealous? Of What? Why would I be jealous of someone as low as Kyou?" Zuko asked.
"Oh, you are jealous. How sweet. It's nice to know that you care about me Zuko, but you don't need to control who I do and don't talk to," Akane said.
"I'm not jealous!" Zuko exclaimed.
"Seriously, Zuko. Chill out. Kyou is of no reason to be worried. He's just being a good friend," Akane insisted. "Now instead of discussing your unnecessary jealousy, why don't you tell me what you came here for?"
"We're almost at the prison rig. You'll be coming with me and uncle once we get there," Zuko told her.
Akane nodded, "Then let's get ready."
Just like Zuko had said they would, it wasn't long before the ship arrived at the prison rig that was practically isolated in the middle of the ocean. As they made their way across the rig, Akane couldn't help but notice all of the coal that was scattered all over the place. Her attention then turned to the smokestacks, which Akane figured was where the coal had come from. But how did it get to here? There didn't appear to be any way for that to happen. Whatever the cause was, Akane assumed that it had something to do with the Avatar if he had supposedly bene here.
That's a big hole in the wall over there. No doubt earthbending had something to do with that. But how? There doesn't appear to be any earth in sight? Akane thought to herself.
With one glance at the supposed warden of the prison rig, Akane could tell that he was somewhat flustered about something, and she assumed that it was to do with the Avatar's escape attempt. There was no doubt that Fire Lord Ozai would hear about this, and then the warden probably wouldn't have any good odds at getting a promotion. One thing that Akane wondered was how on earth the Avatar had managed to orchestrate a prison escape. Sure, he might be the Avatar but from what he's seen he can only bend air, and there's only so much he could do with airbending.
"And you're sure the Avatar was here?" Zuko interrogated the warden.
The warden nodded, "Absolutely positive. He was with the girl who managed to infiltrate our prison. She even made a speech about how the Avatar had returned before he showed up. The boy had tattoos and everything, just like he's described."
"And you let the Avatar bust all the prisoners out?" Akane criticised.
"We didn't let him and the prisoners escape. They simply overwhelmed us and managed to get the better of us. If anyone should be blamed for this escape it should be Fire Lord Ozai himself! He was the one who ordered us to use coal to fuel our products, the very same coal that allowed the prisoners to escape!" the warden exclaimed.
"How did they use coal to escape?" Akane wondered.
"Coal is a form of earth, Akane. So, they were able to use their earthbending to manipulate the coal to their advantage," Iroh informed her.
"Oh," Akane realised before turning to the warden again. "But shouldn't you and your guards have been able to stop them?"
"We were overwhelmed!" the warden argued.
"Sure, you were," Akane muttered before noticing that Zuko had walked away from them and was glancing down at somethin on the ground before he picked it up.
Curiously, Akane headed towards Zuko – much to the warden's pleasure. Once she was at a close enough distance from him, she noticed that he was holding some sort of blue material in his hands as he gazed out at sea. Akane could tell by the look on his face that he was determined, more than he had been before.
"What's that?" Akane pointed at the object in Zuko's hands.
"This is our ticket to the Avatar," Zuko declared as he held the necklace up, in clear view of Akane.
Glancing at the necklace in Zuko's hands, Akane couldn't help but gasp as the engravings on the pendant attached to the blue material. It was certainly unlike any necklace that Akane had seen before, obviously Water Tribe as well. Once Akane realised that it was Water Tribe, she recognised it as the girl, Katara's necklace.
"It's the waterbenders necklace," Akane stated.
"Precisely," Zuko affirmed.
"It really is beautiful," Akane observed as she snatched it from Zuko's grasp. "What should we do with it?"
"Like I said, this is our ticket to the Avatar. No doubt the waterbender will want her necklace back. And if we play our cards right we might be able to make a deal with them," Zuko proclaimed.
"More like bribe them," Akane pointed out.
Zuko shrugged as he took the necklace from Akane, "Same thing. Either way, this necklace is ours now."
"But it's not. It belongs to someone else and we should do the right thing and return it to her," Akane suggested.
Zuko laughed at Akane, "I'll give it back to her once she gives us the Avatar. Seems like a fair trade to me."
"That is not a fair trade. You're putting them in an impossible situation. And to be honest, you're stealing," Akane argued.
"I'm not stealing, Akane. I'm just holding onto it for her until our paths cross again, which I'm sure they will. For now, I'll just keep it safe for her," Zuko said.
Realising that there was no point in arguing with her friend, Akane decided to let the subject drop as the pair made their way back to Iroh, who had finished his conversation with the warden. After that, they returned to their ship before setting sail once again in search of the Avatar. However, Akane couldn't help but feel the guilt inside of her knowing that they had taken something that didn't belong to them. While it wasn't technically stealing, Akane knew that she could easily hand it back to Katara, even if she wasn't in any position to do so.
It's the right thing to do. For Zuko. Akane thought to herself, although it wasn't as convincing as she'd like it to be.
~*•°•*~
Later that night, Akane found herself sitting in the ships kitchen as she prepared herself to take her first dose of her new medicine. As per Uilani's orders, Akane had to take her medicine at least three times a day. Uilani had been kind enough to give her plenty of the ingredients that would be required to make the remedies. Sighing, Akane put in the last few bits of leaves before she started mixing it all together.
However, Akane was soon joined by someone else in the kitchen and thinking that it would just be one of the other crew members fetching something for themselves, Akane simply maintained her focus on stirring her tea until it had the right consistency for her to drink it.
"You know, you shouldn't be up this late at night," they said.
Eyes widening, Akane turned around to see Kang, one of the ships attendants standing there. Being five years older than her, Kang was one of the few people along with Kyou who were relatively close to her age. Although, she and Kang never really got along as well as she did with Kyou, partly because Kang hardly even knew she existed. To him, she was just the annoying prince's sidekick, but to Akane, he was the most gorgeous boy she'd ever seen.
That's right, Akane had a crush on Kang. It wasn't like he was that older than her, so it wasn't that bad. Plus, Kang looked pretty damn hot without his shirt on. He had abs that could rival Zuko's and that's saying something since not many people were as strong as Zuko.
"Kang, what are you doing up?" Akane asked nervously.
"Just thought i'd get a night snack before I head off to bed," Kang replied. "What about you?"
"Oh, I'm just making my medicine," Akane replied.
"Medicine? For what?" Kang inquired, appearing concerned.
"I went to see a mystic about my fainting episode, and she thinks I've contacted some sort of virus so I have to take this stuff three times a day to get better," Akane explained.
Kang gave her a sympathetic look, "That's too bad. Well, I hope it works."
"You and me both," Akane muttered.
Just as Akane said that, Zuko entered the kitchen and looked relieved upon seeing Akane with the ingredients for her medicine. Although his relief then turned to a scowl upon seeing Kang standing there, especially when he saw the look on Akane's face at him. It was like the look that he'd saw any lovesick girl give a boy, and one that a girl like Akane should not be giving to someone like Kang.
"Well, I better get going, Akane. See you around," Kang said.
"Bye," Akane murmured as she left, leaving her and Zuko alone.
"What was that aout?" Zuko asked.
"He was just getting something to eat, and gave me his best wishes," Akane replied.
Zuko rolled his eyes, "Sure, that's all there was to it."
Akane narrowed her eyes, "What makes you say that?"
"Come on, Akane. I know you have a crush on him," Zuko stated.
"What?" Akane blushed. "Why would I have a crush on Kang? He barely even notices me!"
"Uncle always tells me that girls want what they can't have," Zuko teased.
"Since when do you get love advice from Iroh?" Akane asked.
"That doesn't matter. The point is, your little crush on Kang has got to go," Zuko insisted.
"What? Not that I'm saying I have a crush on him, but so what if i do?" Akane questioned.
"He's too old for you! And like you said, he barely notices you!" Zuko exclaimed.
Akane rolled her eyes, "Why do you always have to question who I choose to associate myself with when it's none of your business."
"As your best friend it is absolutely my business," Zuko argued.
"I'm not going to have this conversation with you now, Zuko," Akane muttered as she drank her medicine. "I'm going to bed."
"We'll finish this later!" Zuko yelled.
"No we won't!" Akane called back.
Shaking his head at his friends antics, Zuko headed out of the kitchen before retreating to his own quarters. While he would never understand Akane's taste in who she hung out with, it was just something that he'd learn to deal with. Ever since they were young, Akane had always associated herself with people he wouldn't think of as her friends. But then again, that was Akane in a nutshell. She was a social butterfly, and in a way Zuko had to be grateful for that since without that he doubted that their friendship would be as strong as it was.
There's that chapter done and dusted. As for the information that they got from Uilani, Licorice tea is actually something that is used to help breathing, so it seemed like the perfect remedy for Akane as well as the ointment. Like I mentioned earlier, now that I'm on holidays I have more time to write, so updates should resume as normal unless stated otherwise. On another note, I made a quiz to see how much my twitter followers knew me, and I forgot to add Avatar to my favourite TV show question which made me feel like such a fake stan, rip. If you have twitter, you should definitely hit me up and my user is itsmetheabster.
As for the names, Uilani is a Hawaiian name with ui meaning youth/beauty and lani meaning heaven/majesty. Haruto is a Japanese name that means sunlight distance soar.
SPECIAL MENTIONS
GumptiousGriffin: Thanks for the continued reviews and support, it means a lot. I'm glad you liked the last chapter and I hoped that you liked this one as well. Any other feedback is appreciated :).
Znkp: While it wasn't explicitly explained, you did find out what happened to Akane to some degree. It definitely makes things harder for Akane, and I can guarantee that that won't be the last time she experiences something like that again.
Avatard: As you read from this chapter, Akane is well and truly okay, but for how long will remain a mystery. As for the seriousness of her condition, you'll just have to keep reading to find out more ;).