Things are getting pretty interesting! I would love if everyone who reads (even if you are a guest) would review my story. It lets me know I am doing something right! I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I do own Markaia, Sam, and Marcuse. Beta'd by F1nal Front1er.
I blinked a few times before looking Marcuse in the eyes. Was Zuko really here to come and get me? None of this made sense, but I had no other reason to believe otherwise. "He should be here soon." Marcuse whispered as he turned away and scanned our surroundings.
Last time I had checked, Zuko wanted nothing to do with me. He never wanted me around, and thus I am here. There was a rustling sound of gravel being stepped on. "Ah, right on time." Marcuse said, turning around and looking at the person behind us. I turned.
True to Marcuse's word, there stood Zuko, and he had a familiar looking bag in his hands plus a black sack. His eyes were cast down at the ground, and Iroh wasn't anywhere nearby. Zuko looked up at me then at Marcuse. "I see you kept your word, Marcuse." Zuko walked towards us. "Here." He tossed a small black bag at Marcuse.
"What is this, Prince Zuko?" Marcuse asked. I didn't bother to look at Marcuse's bag because my eyes were fixated on Zuko. There was something different about him, plus the fact that Zuko was now staring at me with the same curiosity.
"Open it once we leave. Come Markaia, Uncle is waiting for us at the gates." He handed me a bag. "This is yours. Sam told me to give it to you if I saw you again." I nodded and held the bag.
"Thank you, Zuko. You didn't have to come out here though..." I was still cautious around him even though I somehow felt completely at ease with him around.
"Enough. Let's go, Markaia." Zuko began to walk quickly back the way he came, not once looking back, and I had nothing else to do but to follow. I turned around.
"Thank you, Marcuse!" I waved to him, and Marcuse smiled back at me before turning in his own direction. I turned back and followed Zuko.
We traveled around the back areas of the Fire Nation, places most people wouldn't dare go in lest they get mugged. I was always at least a yard behind Zuko because he walked so fast. "Zuko, do you think you could slow down a little bit?" I called out to him as I stepped over some large, muddy puddles.
Occasionally I'd step in these puddles because it was so difficult to see in the dark alleyway, despite the fact that it was late noon. Being too preoccupied with dodging the puddles, I ran right into Zuko. I staggered back a few paces, my breath slightly knocked out from the shock. He turned his head to look back at me, a small smile playing on his lips. "I slowed down like you asked and you run into me. How nice." I couldn't help but giggle slightly. The way he had said it made it funny, even though I had just stepped into another puddle.
Changing the subject, I stepped beside him. "Just how far away are we from the gates?"
"It's right there. See Uncle?" He pointed to Iroh, who was waiting with a few bags of things and whistling a tune in the somewhat vacant street.
"I don't see why we would be leaving right out the front gates. Everyone pretty much knows that I murdered your sister..." I leaned against the wall. "I don't think it's safe..."
"Don't worry," was all Zuko said before he grabbed my wrist. He was a lot more gentle than I thought. "Now, let's go." He pulled me out of the alley and into the streets. We quickly made it across the street and over to Iroh.
Iroh smiled as we approached. "Nice to see you, Markaia." He grabbed one of the bags and pulled out a red veil. Handing it to me, he smiled slightly. "Here is your disguise." I nodded without another word. I put my bag down on the ground and reached inside, pulling out a small clip and my small brush.
"Thank you." I whispered as I brushed my hair. Neither of them seemed to pay attention so I didn't say anything more. I put my hair up in the clip, my head feeling much lighter, and then put the veil on. It covered my face, but it still allowed me to see.
"Alright, let's go. Sam has requested that we bring you back." Iroh laughed lightly as he grabbed the bags. I reached down to grab my bag but Zuko grabbed it for me and slung it over his shoulder. I opened my mouth to protest.
"Don't say anything." Zuko didn't look me in the eyes, but there was a strange expression on his face. He then stuck out his left elbow for me to take. I looked down at his elbow in slight confusion. "Take my arm." I obeyed and slipped my right hand through the crook of his elbow.
It did feel odd to be standing with Zuko like this. We were enemies. He had never cared for me, only Iroh had. These thoughts that ran through my head as we approached the empty dock were making my heart hurt a little, which confused me even more. Should I care what Zuko thought of me? My mind raced back to the dream I had of Zuko, the first one I had in many years, the very first being when I first met Zuko before I met Azula.
My mind was ready to replay the dream, but Zuko snapped me out of my thoughts. "Come on, Honey. The captain is waiting for us to board the ship..." Zuko lightly tugged my hand and I realized we were standing in front of a large ship. It was larger than the metal one I had arrived here on. I nodded gently and picked up my dress like any normal woman would and followed Zuko into the ship. He smiled down at me; it was almost impossible to tell if he was really smiling at me or just playing it off.
We all got onto the ship, Zuko and I being showed to our room, and Iroh being showed to his. I cringed slightly at the realization that I had to share a room with Zuko. A part of me didn't particularly mind sharing a room with him. He did have nice eyes, nice hair, and the scar looked perfect, in a way. Zuko led me into the room and closed the door before sighing in relief. I took off my veil.
"Well that was close." Zuko huffed, running his hand through his hair. I nodded silently, pushing the thoughts about Zuko from my mind. There would be no way that I would ever 'like' Zuko, and there is no way he would ever like me. He was only doing a favor for me and Sam because I had killed Azula. "You can have the bed, Markaia. I usually sleep in my uncle's room because he barely sleeps." I nodded once more as I put the veil on the blue comforters.
"Thank you." I whispered. Looking up, I saw the door was closed. Zuko had already left. I sighed, pulling my long hair out of the clip. "Night," I muttered, thinking he could still hear me.
I plopped down onto the soft bed. The comforters made everything so comfortable; they were as blue as the sea. My face was buried into the blankets, and I had to turn my head to one side so I could look at my surroundings. There wasn't much to this room, just like when I had first come to the Fire Nation. There were just blank metal walls and lit candles everywhere: three on the walls, and one on the table next to the bed.
Sitting up, I gathered my bag, the clip, and the veil and put them on the bedside table. I then got up out of bed and blew out the candles. The darkness soon consumed the room and I had to feel my way back to bed. Sleep would do me good. It would drive thoughts of Zuko out of my head.