I have Crew tryouts this week and I want to make sure that my next chapter is really good so I'm not sure if it will be posted this week or the week after. I have to think about that. It seems like a lot of people liked the dream sequence that I had with Katara so I might have one with Zuko, would you like that? Also, a lot of you will think that Aang seems OOC but in a way he's not because I'm using his personality that he has right before he goes into spirit form. So he's just really, super mad. He might be OOC anyway though, if so, my bad and I'm sorry. I have to perfect Aang's personality still, but I don't really like him too much to do it. Now I'm sorry to all the Aang fans out there.
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Chapter 28 Captured
Katara placed a hand on her head to steady herself. "Zuko, you're not making any sense. Why did you catch Aang again if you know it would make me upset? But then, why did you tell me so suddenly? You're not acting like yourself. Usually you'd try to hide it from me because you always keep me from those types of things."
"I had a dream a few nights ago and I've been trying to forget it, Katara." he closed the door behind him and advanced toward her. "More like a nightmare actually but it keeps returning and I've decided to change because I know it's more than a nightmare and it has meaning behind it. You should sit down because I need to tell you what happened up on the deck right now." Katara frowned and shuffled to her chair. She sat down and he began to talk.
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Earlier that morning...
Zuko strolled around on the deck, trying to erase the horror of the dream he had woken from, the same dream he had been having for the past three nights. He heard the door behind him shut and he looked behind his shoulder at the two figures in the doorway, his uncle and Lt. Jee. They both had very peculiar looks on their faces.
"If you two want to nag to me about the way Katara and I have been acting and everything just drop it now. I'm really in no mood for any of that today. I just dropped off her breakfast tray and I've decided that, for a while, we won't be staying in the same room together." Iroh and Jee nodded as they walked toward him.
"We understand that, Prince Zuko, but we didn't come here to nag you." Iroh nudged Jee in the shoulder. Jee cleared his throat and stepped in front of Iroh. He pulled a scroll out in front of him and handed it to Zuko.
"What's this?" Zuko asked as he grabbed the scroll out of Jee's hand. "A message of some sort?"
"No, sir, it's a map." Jee corrected. "The Avatar has been spotted close to our position and since you are still chasing after him, we thought you may want to know."
Zuko nodded and looked to the sky. "Make sure you have the men on full alert from any sort of the Avatar's tricks. Remember, they have been attacking us from the water lately so keep track of that too."
"Prince Zuko," Iroh smiled. "Why don't you come to the helms with me and play a nice game of--"
"No thank you, Uncle." Zuko interrupted before he even let Iroh finish.
"Alright," Iroh stroked his beard and looked at Jee. Jee coughed and quickly left the area to go alert the men. "Can I talk with Ms. Katara? I won't go into her room, but I thought I could still get a nice conversation with her."
"That's an excellent idea Uncle. You can stand in the hallway and talk to her while I stand next to you silently but still able to listen." Zuko rubbed his chin as he started to plan.
"Prince Zuko, eavesdropping isn't polite." Iroh scolded gently.
"But this is the only way I'm able to hear her voice and I really need to hear it right now." Zuko sighed and looked into his uncle's eyes. Iroh gave up and nodded.
"Alright, I'll go along with this little plan of yours but it's hard to try and fool Ms. Katara. You know how smart she is." Iroh walked down to Zuko's room and knocked on the door. "Ms. Katara? It's Iroh."
"Just a minute," she called from the other side of the door. "Wait, I'm sorry but I can't let you in. Zuko locked the door."
"That's alright Ms. Katara, I know he did. I asked him if I was allowed to visit with you this morning and he granted me the right to talk to you but I'm not allowed in the same room with you. Would you mind if we just talked like this?" Iroh sat down and leaned against the door.
"I don't mind, in fact I could use some company even if I can't see them." he heard her shuffle around in her room. "But tell me, did Zuko only allow you to talk to me because he's out there next to you?" Zuko sighed and walked back up to the deck. He heard his uncle chuckling and he knew that he was due for a 'I told you so' lecture later that day.
Zuko yawned loudly and caused some of the guards that were set up on watch duty to stare at him. "You never heard of a tired teenager before? Get back to work and watch for the Avatar." he barked as he walked up the stairs to the helms. "Helmsman," he opened the door and found Lt. Jee instead. "Lt. Jee?"
"The helmsman is on his lunch break now, sir." Jee bowed and went back to taking over the helmsman duties.
"Oh, right. It is about lunch now I suppose." Zuko scratched the back of his neck. "Carry on then."
"Wait sir," Zuko stopped and looked back at Jee.
"Yes?" he pressed.
"I was wondering sir, I mean I know it's not really my business or anything, but is there something I could possibly do to help you and Ms. Katara out? I hate this predicament that you're in and I just wish that I could do something instead of just hope and pray to Agni." Jee shifted his weight uncomfortably. Zuko smiled but shortly returned to his frowning state.
"I'm afraid there's nothing anyone can do right now. My uncle is talking to Katara now but I doubt if even he can persuade her this time, she's really stubborn about this and I can understand why." Zuko opened the door and placed his feet firmly on the first step. "Thanks for your concern though."
"No problem, sir." Lt. Jee stared ahead at the horizon as he listened intently to Zuko's dispersing steps.
When Zuko stepped back onto the deck he was startled to see the Avatar and Katara's brother. His name is Sokka, he reminded himself. His guards had them enclosed tightly in a circle and they were both giving him a menacing glare. What am I to expect from them? A nice 'how have you been since you last tried to kill us' or something?
"Zuko, we're sick of this entire affair." the Avatar held his staff out in front of himself. "Either we're going to take Katara back with us or we're going to go along with her as your prisoners."
"If that's your way of saying that you surrender, Avatar, I accept." Zuko smirked as he folded his arms over his armored chest.
"No, Zuko, it's my way of saying that even though I'm against violence, this fight will end all of this stupid chasing and plotting against each other." Aang banged the bottom of his staff on the deck. A breeze kicked up and blew Zuko's ponytail around.
"This will hardly be called a fight. You and a one handed boomerang thrower against my guards and myself, I say this is already over." Zuko laughed scornfully.
"I wouldn't be one handed if it wasn't for you!" Sokka growled as he gripped his boomerang tightly and made a fist with his bandaged hand.
"I'm so sorry for your pain." Zuko glared and motioned for his guards to advanced. Each guard slowly started to close in tighter on Aang and Sokka. Aang kept his eyes matched with Zuko's and swung his staff around wildly, knocking the soldier away and some onto their backs.
"I'll keep these guys off of you while you take down Zuko." Sokka whispered to Aang as he threw his boomerang at a guard's head.
Aang lengthened his stance and held his staff in front of him, aiming at Zuko as if it was a sword. Zuko drew into a wide and sturdy stance. He kept his gaze with the Avatar's and then struck his fist out. He wasn't going to wait for the Avatar to make the first move. He knew that the Airbender's spun around in circles to gain momentum and power so if he could somehow find a way to shrink the Avatar's attacking area he would have the advantage. The Avatar couldn't last with confrontation. I'll take this match to a fist fight, there's no way a small child could beat me head to head.
Aang easily blocked Zuko's attack with a quick wave of his staff. Zuko took two steps and a leap closer to Aang, each movement sending out a blast of fire. Aang twirled around and quickly dispersed the fire with his staff. Aang gripped his staff tightly and brought it around into Zuko's side. Zuko was caught off balance when the staff collided with him. He tumbled to the ground but caught himself before he landed on his arm and turned himself to fall on his side.
Aang quickly took the opportunity to bring his staff upon Zuko again, aiming toward his gut. He struck Zuko once, twice, three times in a row, using all of his strength and putting in all the anger that he felt toward Zuko for taking away Katara. Zuko grimaced as each blow hit and with the third strike he rolled over onto his knees and forearms and coughed up blood. Zuko wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and glared up at Aang. Aang glared back as he panted and gripped his hands around his staff again.
"You'll regret everything you've done to my friends. I heard about what you did back in that town with Haru. You killed him and then you continued to hold Katara against her will. You have burned and stabbed Sokka's hands and for all of that, I will make you regret your actions." Aang lifted his staff high above his head and aimed for Zuko's back.
Zuko quickly moved his arm and blocked his back. He grimaced again as the pain surged up his arm. The only day I forget to wear my armor. "You're wrong Avatar; you will be the one who regrets. You'll regret ever trying to take Katara away from me, you'll regret making her like you, you'll regret trying to defeat me, and you'll regret thinking that she still loves you too." With his other hand, Zuko quickly grabbed onto Aang's staff before he had a chance to withdraw it away.
Aang gripped his staff and tried to tug Zuko's hold off of it. Zuko grabbed a hold of it with both hands and stood up. Aang and Zuko went into a tug of war as they each pulled on the staff. With each yank from the other they would call an insult out.
"Just because you still have feelings for her it doesn't mean she does for you!"
"I could say the same thing to you and in fact, I will! You're in denial!"
"You don't know me!"
"Once again, I feel the same."
"You don't know what it's like to be in love, you're just a child!"
"I'm older than you by almost 100 years! Besides, love has no age limit."
"She doesn't love you and she never did, she only loved the idea that you might free the world from the war!"
"She might feel that way about you too! Ever think about that?"
"Shut up!" Zuko shouted and let go of the staff. Aang sprawled backward at his own force of pulling but regained his balance before he fell. "She loves me, I know she does, and when we get married that will be proof enough!"
"Didn't you already try to get married? Didn't she run away?" Aang smirked as he knew he was starting to get to Zuko. He's a cold blooded killer, how could I have thought he wasn't such a bad guy? I even thought he could have become my friend. I give people too much credit sometimes.
"She only ran because you convinced her too! She just felt guilty about having a great time while you were suffering. She devised a plan to free you and let you leave but you tricked her into going along with you because you didn't want her to be happy with me!" Zuko panted as he finished his rant. He lowered into a stance and advanced toward Aang, firing off two blasts of fire.
Aang jumped into the air, twirling his staff like a propeller above himself and then quickly brought it down upon where Zuko was. Zuko quickly rolled out of the way of the air strike and leapt onto Aang, pining him on his back and pushing his staff against his neck. Aang struggled to push his staff and Zuko off of him but Zuko's force was too overwhelming. Aang's breath was becoming shorter and he now gasped for air with each breath. Darkness began to overcome his sight until he heard a voice and the pressure was lifted off of him.
"Get off of him!" the voice had screamed as Zuko was tackled at the side by Sokka. He pined Zuko to the ground and aimed two punches at his face. Zuko growled and caught both of Sokka's fists in his hands. He began squeezing each hand, applying more pressure to the bandaged one. Sokka began to wince and tried to regain his hands. Zuko smirked and gripped tighter which only caused Sokka to cry out in pain.
"Stop hurting my friends!" Aang cried out as he started to run to Sokka's aid but was intercepted by three of Zuko's guards. They tackled Aang to the ground and hit him over the head hard enough to knock him out but not hard enough to cause any marks more than a slight bruising or so.
"Aan--" Sokka began to cry out but was cut short by his own blow to the head by none other than Lt. Jee.
Sokka's limp body fell on top of Zuko. Zuko grimaced and quickly pushed him to the side, sat up, and dusted himself off. "Nice work." Jee offered Zuko a hand up and he accepted.
"I came down while you and had the Avatar pinned down. I saw the boy run at you and quickly got some of the other guards that weren't unconscious by the boy's attacks. I told them that we should just try to knock them out, seeing that it would end this ridiculous fight without anyone being hurt. I though Ms. Katara would like knowing that we didn't hurt them too much in their capture." Jee explained his thoughts to his Prince.
"Katara," Zuko mumbled. "Lt. Jee, after you put these two back into the holding cells they were in once before, I want you to get more guards and my uncle. He ended his discussion with Katara a while ago and should be in the galley drinking tea. Tell the guards to help escort the injured ones to the hospital wing and get bandaged up or whatever they need. Then tell my uncle to make me a glass of the most calming tea he has and wait for me in the galley."
"Yes sir," Lt. Jee bowed. "But why do you need a strong cup of tea? What are you planning on doing?"
"I'm going to do what I think I should do, confront Katara." Zuko swallowed and walked away from a slightly baffled Jee.
Zuko unlocked his door and looked inside to find Katara sleeping. Sweat was beginning to form on her brow and he discovered some was on his as well. I don't even know what I'm going to say to her. I should think this out better. If I just try to talk to her I know I'll screw up and say something stupid that I'll regret. He sighed and backed out of the room, closing and relocking the door behind him.
Zuko paced up and down the hallway, thinking about what he was going to say and waiting for the time to say it. After I tell her that I want to be truthful, then I should tell her that I captured her brother and the Avatar. He lost his thoughts as he heard Katara scream and a thump as she landed on the floor.
He pressed his ear against the door and held his breath as he listened. "Stupid bed," he heard her mutter on the other side of the door.
"Katara," he knocked on the door. Brace yourself Zuko.
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"There you have it Katara, that's how it happened." Zuko shifted his weight as he continued to sit on his bed. He looked up at her and saw her eyes closed and her chin resting in the palm of her hand. "Katara?" She azure eyes snapped open at him and a slight look crossed her face. The look wasn't any normal look he usually got from her, it was a more content look.
"I understand Zuko, thank you for telling me." She briefly forced a smile and then strode over to her gazing window.
Zuko's mouth gapped open a bit and he stood up. "Is that all you have to say to me?" he felt hurt. "That blasted Avatar just punctured my ribs while I defended you and all you have to say is 'thank you for telling me'?"
"Well what do you want me to say Zuko?" she turned, an angry expression replacing the once content one. "Thank you so much for beating up my friend as he tried to save me from what has now become the ruins of our relationship?"
"Our relationship is not ruined and I didn't want you to thank me at all, I just wanted to hear that you forgive me and still love me!" His hands were open at his sides, his palms toward the ceiling. "I mean what is it going to take for you to see that all I want in my miserable excuse for this life is for you to be with me? That everything I do, I do for you? When will you se--"
"Everything you do for me, effects me in some way Zuko. I never ask you to do most what you 'do for me' and I usually don't ever want you to do it. Now I can see that you love me because if you did you wouldn't keep wasting your breath on me. Clearly, what you can't see is the bruise on my face! You abused me Zuko, and I will not take abuse lightly. You can't just say that you're sorry and expect me to forgive you. I need time to think everything through." Katara folded her arms. "But if I'm not worth the wait to you then I already made up my mind."
Zuko's arms lowered and limped at his sides. "You can have your entire lifetime to think if you forgive me or not, as long as you're still here, with me. But could you please just answer me one question?"
"Depends," she waited for him to ask. He didn't. "What's the question?"
"Do you still love me?" He felt as though he would shrivel up and die in a corner if she told him no.
"Of course I do," she turned back to the window. Zuko lifted his head up high and a huge smile broadened his face. "If I didn't then I wouldn't be having such a hard time making up my mind to forgive you or not." She tried to stifle her smile but it was to no success as she grinned brilliantly. Zuko felt the happiest he had been for the past few days.
He left his room smiling and locked the door on his way down to the galley. The wide grin remained on his face as he walked and every solider he passed had a confused look as they bowed and continued walking the opposite way. When Zuko entered the galley he looked at his uncle, who's concerned face lit up when he saw Zuko's expression. "Thanks for making the tea but I don't need it after all."
