Zuko stepped onto the deck of the ship, his hair blowing in the cool night breeze. Sighing quietly to himself, he made his way over to the railing of the ship, looking over the silvery-black waters that were illuminated by the full moon.
He recalled that girl, the Northern Water Tribe princess, who had given her life to save the moon spirit, and wondered now if she was watching over him. The second the thought entered his mind, he banished it. Why would a Water Tribe spirit care about a Fire Nation prince, much less expend the energy to watch over him? Admittedly, Zuko didn't know much about spirits, but he figured they had more important things to care about than him.
Letting out another sigh, Zuko leaned against the railing slightly and gazed up at the full moon. He hadn't been able to sleep, so he'd come up here in hopes that he could clear his mind, but it didn't look like that was working.
He hadn't been able to sleep well since they'd conquered Ba Sing Se, which had been nearly two weeks ago. When his waking mind finally ceased bombarding him with confusion, he was plagued with dreams of that night, Kioni's dulled eyes, and his Uncle's look of disappointment in those catacombs.
They had finally entered Fire Nation waters earlier that day, and Azula had informed him that they were likely to land in the Capital City in another few days. "We'll be home soon," were her exact words, unknowingly dredging up the old dilemma of home that had been bothering Zuko for weeks.
"Aren't you cold?" a voice broke his thoughts, and he tilted his head slightly to see Mai walking up towards him.
"I've got a lot on my mind," he answered, ignoring her question. "It's been so long, over three years, since I was home. I wonder what's changed. I wonder how I've changed."
Zuko glanced over the dark waters again, slowly slipping into his thoughts, but a loud yawn from Mai brought him back.
"I just asked if you were cold, I didn't ask for your whole life story," she replied. Slightly stung, Zuko angled his head away from her. She let out a quiet laugh and walked closer to him, placing one hand on his cheek.
Zuko turned back towards her, and the smile playing on her lips let him know that she had been joking. Oh. Well, now he felt foolish.
"Stop worrying," she assured him. She leaned up and pecked him on the lips, and Zuko tried to push down the uncomfortable feeling that rose in him whenever Mai kissed him. He knew it was ridiculous, and he knew it had been two weeks, but he still couldn't help but feel like he was cheating.
He knew she was on the ship, in the brig along with his uncle, but he hadn't been to visit either of them since he'd boarded. Part of him desperately wanted to go, but a larger part held him back, recalling the heartbreaking look of mixed disgust and hurt on her face when he'd confronted her in Ba Sing Se, the unshed tears shining in her eyes.
Kioni's not your girlfriend, he told himself sternly as Mai smiled at him and walked back down below deck. She never was.
Still, he closed his eyes and exhaled quietly before opening them again and gazing broodingly over the black seas.
"Princess Azula, we are on course for Capital City," the ship's captain informed her the next morning. Azula twirled her chopsticks once in her fingers to indicate she was listening before continuing to eat her breakfast.
"We should arrive there in three days time," he continued. "But your, er... detour will take another few nights." The captain glanced at her nervously.
"Don't worry about that," she said airily, waving one hand. "We still have the smaller reconnaissance ship on board, yes?"
"Of course, Princess," the captain replied. "All Class A Fire Navy ships come equipped with at least two reconnaissance boats."
"Excellent," Azula replied. "Gather a crew and prepare one for departure at midnight tonight." The captain raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise. "And continue on course for the capital."
"Of course, Princess," he repeated, bowing. Azula lifted another piece of meat to her mouth but then paused slightly as she heard a scuffle outside her door.
"You can't go in there!" the panicked voice of a guard rang through the air. "Princess Azula is in a very important meeting!"
"Please," another familiar voice scoffed and a smirk spread across Azula's lips.
She waited, listening specifically for the telltale whoosh of blades and giggles, followed by a cry from the guards as they collapsed, before she called, "Relax, you can let them in!"
The door swung open and Mai and Ty Lee walked in, the former with her standard bored look and the latter with a bubbly grin. Ty Lee stepped delicately over the arm of a guard who had clearly been chi-blocked and behind him Azula could see another pinned to the wall.
"Azula, your guards are so silly!" Ty Lee laughed. "They said we couldn't come see you. Clearly they don't know that we are best friends forever."
Azula's nose crinkled slightly at the term, and Mai's did as well, but she gestured for the two to sit down and help themselves to the breakfast spread in front of her. Ty Lee eagerly reached for a sugary pastry, but Mai didn't touch any of the food, simply sitting down and placing her hands in her lap.
"We'll be home soon, girls," Azula told them, twirling a grape in her and before popping it into her mouth, allowing the tartness to explode across her taste buds. "Our mission has been accomplished, and I couldn't have done it without you two."
Ty Lee's eyes widened with surprise and Mai's narrowed, wondering what Azula was up to. She never gave out compliments or praise unless she wanted something,
"Really, you girls are extraordinary," Azula continued. "I mean, I knew it before, but seeing the three of us in action really cemented it for me. Divided, your talents aren't nearly as strong."
Mai's eyebrows lowered. So that was her play.
"What are you saying, Azula?" Ty Lee asked, still not catching on.
"I'd like the two of you to stay in the capital." Azula phrased it as a request, but Mai knew better. Not that she needed convincing, or even planned to go back to dismal New Ozai, but a quick glance at Ty Lee told Mai that the acrobat had had other plans.
"You don't need to ask me twice," Mai replied. Azula smiled, satisfied.
"Ty Lee?" Azula turned to the acrobat, her voice becoming soft. Ty Lee bit her lip uncertaintly. She had planned to go back to the circus after the mission was over - it was the only place she ever felt truly free.
"I don't know, Azula..." she said hesitantly, and Mai realized that Ty Lee's reluctance came not from staying in the capital, but from seeing her family again and being sucked back into that environment.
"You can stay at the palace with me, of course," Azula said, as if sensing the other girl's discomfort. Ty Lee blinked, pausing. Azula mentally sighed before saying reluctantly, "It will be like... a really long slumber party."
Ty Lee's entire face brightened at the words 'slumber party.' "That sounds like so much fun!" she chirped, clapping her hands together, and Azula's mouth curved into a smirk.
"This is so great!" Ty Lee giggled, grabbing another pastry. "When we go home, they're going to throw such a big party for you and Zuko."
"Hmm," Azula acknowledged with a nod. She turned to Mai suddenly. "And how is my dear brother?"
Mai paused in her examination of her fingernails and glanced at Azula. "How would I know?"
"No need to be so defensive," Azula said airily. "I only ask since you've been spending so much time together. I've hardly seen Zuzu since we left Ba Sing Se, I figured he must have been with you."
Mai's eyebrows tightened slightly, the only sign of her displeasure, but Azula's sharp eyes caught the movement all the same. "I haven't seen him that much either," Mai said stiffly. Azula's lips turned down.
"He's probably just moping in his room alone," Ty Lee offered. "You know Zuko, he sulks a lot. And he's probably just nervous about seeing your dad again."
The three girls were silent for a moment, before Mai spoke. "Who's Aria?"
Azula turned to her sharply. "Aria?" she repeated, the unfamiliar name rolling off her tongue.
Mai shrugged. "We ran into this girl who knew Zuko when he was hiding in Ba Sing Se," she said in the same monotone voice. "She mentioned someone named Aria like she had Zuko had a history or something."
Azula's eyes narrowed and her mouth lowered into a scowl.
I sat on the floor of my grimy prison cell, holding a hand to my mouth as waves of nausea passed through me. My head and my stomach spun sickeningly, effects of the horrible dank, pungent atmosphere of the ship's brig, the way the waves crashed against the hull of the boat, rocking it from side to side, and the lack of decent food.
As the dizziness subsided, I leaned against the bars of my cell and sighed, my eyes sliding shut with exhaustion. My stomach growled unpleasantly and my joints ached, but I was too tired to move around. Not that there was much space to move anyway.
I hadn't spoken to anyone for weeks now, not since I'd talked to Iroh on the train. I hadn't even seen anyone except for the guards who patrolled the dungeons and brought me meals. Not Iroh, not Azula, not even him.
Of course, he was probably spending time with his new girlfriend.
I closed my eyes, biting my lip. It had been two weeks since I'd seen, but it still felt like a punch to the gut. Every time I closed my eyes, the image of Zuko and Mai standing together, hands linked, flashed behind my eyelids and it felt like dozens of sharp spikes had suddenly embedded themselves in the back of my throat.
I heard Azula's voice: "Aww, look, the two lovebirds have gotten back together!" and saw the sly, cruelly triumphant look she shot me seconds afterwards; the startled look in Zuko's eyes when he met mine, and the guilt that flashed through them, so briefly I didn't even know if it was real.
The fact that Zuko apparently already had moved on hurt way more than I cared to admit. You knew he betrayed you, I told myself. You knew he picked them over you. But still, I felt exposed, like a nerve throbbing with constant, aching pain.
I can't believe I actually thought I loved him. How idiotic and hopeless had I been? I wanted to blame myself, call myself a fool, but deep down, I knew it wasn't true.
It wasn't like Zuko had gone along being an angry jerk and I had just fallen head-over-heels for his jerkiness. I thought he really had changed. The sweetness, the shy awkwardness... how could have that all been an act? I was so, so confused,
A screeching on the bars of my cage broke me out of my thoughts, and I glanced up, freezing when I saw Azula's gleaming yellow eyes through the bars. My eyes widened with shock.
"It is disgusting down here," the Fire Nation princess said in a voice of contempt. "A real step down from a palace isn't it? Too bad your palace has been burned to the ground."
I clenched my jaw and stared at the floor, refusing to give her the satisfaction of my anger.
"I must admit, I'm surprised you're still coherent," Azula continued conversationally. "I thought for sure the sight of Mai in my brother's arms would drive you to heartbroken madness. Did you know her father is the governor of Omashu? Or as it's now called, New Ozai. Which kind of makes her the closest thing to the princess. Isn't that wonderfully ironic?"
My fingernails dug into my palms so hard that they left tiny grooves on the skin there.
"What are you doing here?" The words left my mouth in a snarl before I knew they were gone. Above me, Azula tutted condescendingly.
"Is that any way to speak to a princess? You were royalty once, you ought to know. I command this ship, so I am free to come and go anywhere and anytime I please. Unlike you."
I was silent and after a few moments, Azula gave a weary sigh. "Well, I can see you're going to be unpleasant. That's all right, you'll be rid of that soon enough. After all, the Fire Nation has a tendency to bring out the best in people."
Narrowing her eyes, Azula gave me one nasty smirk before turning on her heel and walking away, her footsteps clacking against the dank metal floor.
Despite my efforts to stamp it down, the dread started to seep through my bones once more. I had no idea what would happen to me once we reached the Fire Nation, but I knew it wouldn't be good. I was enemy royalty, no matter what my punishment was, I could be assured that it would be neither quick nor painless.
Would I be presented to Ozai like some sort of sick prize? A princess of the enemy nation, kneeling before Fire Lord as a symbol of the Earth Kingdom's submission. And then what? Dragged through the streets to emphasize the Fire Nation's power, thrown in jail to rot for eternity, or perhaps have my tongue cut out and forced into servitude at the palace? The horrible scenarios whirled through my mind, making me feel nauseous in a way that had nothing to do with the constant rocking of the ship.
Further down the hall, I heard Azula's steps pause as a slightly heavier set of footsteps made its way down the metal stairs leading to the dungeons.
"You know, Zuzu, stealth really isn't your forte," Azula's voice rang out. There was a startled yelp and a thud of what sounded like someone's head on metal, and then muttered curses as the person made their way down the final few steps.
"Are you following me?" Zuko's raspier voice sounded and the blood in my veins turned to ice. No, it couldn't be. What would he be doing here, now? After nearly two weeks?
"I was here first, so maybe I should be asking you that," Azula drawled, and I could practically see Zuko's look of uncomfortable guilt that he wore whenever he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to.
"You weren't coming to see her, were you?" Azula asked sharply. I cocked my head to the side listening closely. "I wouldn't; I just walked past her cell and heard her muttering all sorts of things about how much she hates you and how she's going to tear you apart shred and some other crazy nonsense."
I rolled my eyes. Just because I may have been thinking those things didn't mean I was stupid enough to say them out loud.
"You know, maybe I was wrong," Azula said in a contemplative tone. "I always thought she had been the one playing you, but now I see it might have been the other way around."
Zuko was silent, but my hands clenched into fists again.
"Hmm. Anyway, I'm impressed," she continued, and I could just hear the smirk in her voice. "I didn't think you had it in you. Maybe you're finally learning, Zuzu." Deliberate, measured footsteps could be heard as Azula ascended the ladder back above deck.
There was no noise for a few moments, and then another set of footsteps clunked it's way up the stairs.
I closed my eyes and the nails pushed into my palms drew blood.
"Katara?" Aang asked uncertainly as the waterbender ran her healing hands across the burns on his arms and legs in the dimly lit cabin of the Fire Nation ship.
"Hmm?" She didn't look at him, keeping her eyes on a particularly nasty scratch across his left forearm.
"Where..." Aang swallowed, reluctant to ask the question because he was afraid he already knew the answer. Hearing the tremor in his voice, Katara looked up, concerned. "Where's Kioni?"
Katara's face fell, and Aang's heart sank along with it.
"I don't know," she said quietly, looking down. "After you got hit, she and Zuko's uncle appeared out of nowhere and started helping us. But... she told me to go on without her and get you to safety. I... I didn't think twice, Aang, I'm so sorry..."
"It's not your fault," Aang cut her off. "You saved me, Katara, I don't blame you for anything."
They were silent for a moment and Aang's heart continued to sink in his chest until he felt nearly overwhelmed with disappointment in himself. How could he fail so monumentally? The Earth Kingdom had fallen, the war was lost, and he'd locked his chakra, blocking him from accessing the Avatar State. Not to mention he could barely move without passing out.
He was useless as the Avatar.
"They might have escaped," Katara said hopefully, but the words sounded fake in her own ears. "She and Iroh could have gotten out of there, maybe they're on the run now, like us."
"There were dozens of Dai Li agents, plus Azula and Zuko, surrounding them." Aang gritted his teeth, closing his eyes. Sensing his despair, Katara put a hand on the airbender's arm.
"Aang," she said softly. "We'll find her. Once we beat the Fire Lord, we'll go back and save all our friends. We can do it, I know we can."
Aang tensed further, hating how she used the word we. Hadn't enough people suffered because of his mistakes already? Kioni, Bumi, Yue, all of Ba Sing Se... he didn't want to add anyone else to that list.
He wouldn't allow anyone else to be added to that list.
"Get up. Get up, you mangy dirt-eater."
For the second time that month, I was woken by some brutish Fire Nation solider prodded me with the toe of his boot, his impassive metal mask glaring down at me. I jerked awake immediately and instinctively spun myself around on the floor, catching the soldiers' foot with one of mine and bringing him crashing down on the floor as I leapt up in a defensive crouch.
There were about two seconds after the immediate effects of adrenaline died down where I realized what I had done and amusement shot through me, but it was short lived. Instantly, another guard tackled me to the ground, and I fell hard with a cry as my shoulder banged against the edge of the cell.
"What's going on?" I demanded as the guard handcuffed me and pulled me upright while his friend picked himself up, groaning and rubbing his head. The amusement tugged at me again, but it felt so strange and foreign. I hadn't had a reason to laugh or smile in weeks.
However, the guards were silent as they led me up the stairs of the dungeon and onto the deck. As we emerged, I noticed the moon high in the inky blackness of the sky. It must have been well into the night.
"Where are we going?" I demanded again, my voice rising slightly with panic. "Are you going to throw me overboard?!"
"I wish," the guard behind me, the one I had knocked to the ground, muttered under his breath. I whipped my head around and shot him a glare, but he merely shoved me forward.
"Overboard, not technically," a new voice cut in, and I glanced forward to see Azula standing at the edge of the dock, a blue flame in one hand illuminating her face in a way that made her look even more twisted than normal. Despite the fact that it was the middle of the night, Azula was dressed in her typical Fire Nation robes.
"But you are leaving this ship," Azula continued. "And thankfully, leaving my sight." She stepped to the side, revealing a gangplank, and as the guards led me towards it, I could see a much smaller ship resting in the water below this one.
My eyes widened in surprise. If I wasn't going to the Fire Nation capital, where were they taking me?!
"Where are you taking me?" I asked again, turning around to stare at Azula as I started to walk down the gangplank. She merely smirked, not saying anything. Suddenly, she frowned, her head cocking to the side, and let the light in her hand go out, shrouding her in darkness.
"Shut up and keep moving," the guard grunted again, pushing me forward. Seething quietly, I turned my head and allowed myself to be led onto the smaller ship, away from Azula, away from Iroh, and away from Zuko.
Unable to sleep once again, Prince Zuko roamed the hallways of the ship, as quietly and stealthily as possible, with only a tiny orange flame in one hand to illuminate his way. He didn't want anyone to think he was sneaking around the ship, but he hoped a walk would clear his head a bit.
Not that a walk had helped any of those other nights, but Zuko didn't see what other options he had.
He walked silently through the corridors and up onto deck, breathing in as the cool night breeze hit his face and ruffled his hair. The moon was full once again, and Zuko extinguished his flame, able to see in the moon's silvery glow.
Just as he was about to turn the corner to go out onto the ship's bow, Zuko heard voices and stopped in his tracks, pressing his back against the wall and listening closely.
"Where are we going?!" a familiar voice cried, and Zuko's heart sped up in his chest. "Are you going to throw me overboard?!" At those words, Zuko's heart nearly stopped altogether and he peeked his head out from around the corner.
He could see a glowing ball of blue light that illuminated Azula, who was standing in front of Kioni. The Earth Kingdom girl was shackled by her wrists and behind flanked by two guards, and she glared up at Azula from her slightly hunched pose.
Zuko's eyes widened, his mind reeling. What was going on? Why were Azula and Kioni on the bow of the ship in the middle of the night?
"Overboard, not technically," Azula drawled. "But you are leaving this ship, and thankfully, leaving my sight." Zuko inhaled sharply as Kioni and the other guards disappeared over the side of the ship, presumably walking down a gangplank that led off the ship.
He saw Azula's shoulders tense and her head whipped to the side as she extinguished the flame in her hand. Gulping, Zuko darted back around the corner into the shadows and pressed his back against the wall, breathing quietly. He breathed in an out a few times before closing his eyes in defeat.
Azula had seen him. Which meant she knew that he knew Kioni was not coming back to the capital with them, and she knew he had been spying. Zuko held back a groan and quickly headed back to his cabin, his thoughts whirling. This was a disaster.
He had no idea where she was being taken; she was just one girl and there were dozens of prisons scattered across the Fire Nation. He couldn't very well ask Azula, now that she knew he had been spying, because that would only be seen as further interest in the Earth Kingdom princess, and Zuko feared that Azula already suspected too much.
As he reached his cabin and climbed back into the expansive king-sized bed, Zuko realized that it was unlikely he would ever see Kioni again.
The thought kept him up all night.
I had been taken from one dark, dingy cell and thrown into another, so, needless to say, my mood had not improved. The new cell seemed, if possible, even dirtier than the other one. The smell of rotting seaweed and urine down here was nauseating.
I glanced up wearily as a guard approached by cell and threw a bundle of red cloth at me. "Put those on," he grunted before walking away. I picked up the bundle and saw that it was a set of clothes.
My own clothes were torn and dirty because I hadn't had an opportunity to change since that day in the catacombs, so I was still wearing the torn-off green dress and green leggings. I quickly changed, pulling on the ill-fitting red shirt and pants and tying the thin brown belt around my waist. I slipped on the shoes, also red with black soles.
The clothes were shapeless, lumpy, and coarse, but they were clean, which was a major step up from what I had been wearing previously. I cast a melancholy glance at the pile of green clothing, which looked almost brown with the layer of grime and in the darkness of the cell.
I desperately needed a wash. Letting out a quiet sigh, I sat back down in the cell and pulled my knees to my chest, crossing my arms the tops of my knees. I sniffled once, trying to keep the tears at bay.
I missed home. Not just the apartment in Ba Sing Se, I missed home home - the pyramid-like city of Omashu with it's marketplaces and genomite and mail-delivery systems. I missed my grandfather. I missed Flopsy.
But home was gone, taken by the Fire Nation, and I couldn't be further from my idea of home. I had no idea where I was going and what sort of horrors I would face when I got there. I was scared, confused, and totally alone.
A few hours later, I was jolted forward as the boat lurched suddenly before grinding to a stop. Confused, I looked up and around the dungeon. Had the boat broken down? Two soldiers thundered down the stairs and unlocked my cell, quickly snapping a set of handcuffs on me and dragging me up on deck.
I was nearly blinded by the searing sunlight as we stepped onto the deck; my eyes scrunched shut to counter it's glaring presence. I didn't even know how long it had been since I'd seen the sun. After a few seconds, I blinked rapidly to dispel the white spots dancing in front of me as my eyes adjusted to the surroundings.
I was being led up what looked like the side of a volcano. I could hear the waves of the ocean crashing on the rocky shore behind me, as I glanced up, I couldn't see anything through the thick curtain of steam surrounding us. The air was unbearably humid; I was already starting to sweat. The guards led me up a series of rocky steps until we reached the top of the cliff, where the fog was even more dense. We stepped under an awning, and the fog cleared in that spot.
It looked like a docking station, and as we approached, I realized that it was the launching point for some sort of cart thing. The closest thing it reminded me of were the mail delivery carts in Omashu, but it looked like this one was attached to some sort of cable that spanned a huge lake. As I looked closer at the water, I realized that it was bubbling, and the steam was actually coming out of the lake.
The water is boiling, I realized with horror.
"One more prisoner for the gondola!" the guard flanking me called out to the guards standing in front of the cart-thing, which I guess was called a gondola. The prison guard took one look at me and let out a laugh.
"This puny thing?" he chuckled, and I gritted my teeth. "What's she doing here?"
"Dunno, but whatever it is, Princess Azula really hates her," my guard remarked, shoving me forward. "Prisoner of war, I guess."
"Well, into the gondola with you," the prison guard said patronizingly, and I shot him a fierce glare as I stepped into the metal cart.
As I looked around, my heart started to beat rapidly. All the other prisoners in the gondola were huge, muscled, terrifying looking men with tattoos and long hair and some even with piercings in strange places. I understood the prison guard's skepticism now - I couldn't have looked more out of place. What kind of a prison was this anyway?
The gondola started forward with a jerk, and I barely stifled a yelp as I stumbled against one of the metal walls, unable to balance very well with both hands shackled. I glanced out the window and gulped quietly. The gondola was moving along the wire directly above the lake. If this thing fell, we'd all surely die in that scalding water.
Miraculously, we made it across the lake alive, and one by one, we all shuffled out of the gondola. I glanced up at the tall, metal towers, and realized everything in this prison must be made of metal. It made sense, especially if they kept prisoners of war here.
"Line 'em up for the warden!" I glanced up at the guard who had shouted out, only to see him standing behind another man with long, dark hair tied up in a half ponytail and a headband on his head. His face was weathered yet strong in a cruel way. The guards pushed me forward and I stumbled into the line, looking down at the ground.
I glanced quickly to either side of me to see all the big, muscled Fire Nation men standing stock still and straight backed, looking straight ahead with stoic faces. In front of us, a semi circle of guards blocked off the deck, separating it from the rest of the prison, which loomed tall and foreboding behind them. The Warden stood in the center, his beady eyes watching us closely.
The Warden stepped forward, his fish like lips pulling into an eerie smirk.
"Welcome," he said, in a voice that had me pushing down a shudder. "To the Boiling Rock."
Practically all of you guessed that Kioni was going to the Boiling Rock! Am I really that predictable? xD
I debated a bunch over what to do with Kioni after the season 2 finale, and I was actually going to have her go with the Gaang at one point, but in order for both her and Zuko to be at the emotional and spiritual states they need to be in when they reunite, she has to go to the Boiling Rock. Sorry Kioni! :(
Don't worry though, Kioni's not just going to sit in prison, she'll definitely have some adventures while in the Boiling Rock, meet some new people, and have a few visitors... but you'll have to keep reading and find out!
There will also be a lot more Zuko POV in this book, at least the first half, so you'll get a chance to see how Kioni's presence and subsequent absence has affected his life in the Fire Nation, and his relationships with the people in the Fire Nation.
A tiny little fun fact for you - I have officially found The Song for Kiuko! I was listening to the radio the other day, and Clarity by Zedd, Foxes came on and I thought "Wow... this is the perfect song for them at this point." Listen to it and tell me if you agree! And let me know if you guys have any other songs you think would fit them! Maybe I'll put together a playlist and put it on my profile.
Thanks for reading and sorry it's been so long since I've updated! I'm actually pre-writing a bunch of chapters before the summer ends, so rest assured that I will be updating constantly even once the school year starts.
Stay flamin! ~ Luna