Not many changes to this chapter. Just some tweaks. But I'm feeling connected to Crystal's character again so this is helping me so much.
Chapter 15: Heal Me
Almost two weeks had passed since the whole Shirshu incident, and we were just reaching the northern edge of the Earth Kingdom. I felt myself tremble as I stood on deck. The farther north we grew, the colder it felt. The temperature made me slightly homesick, but at the same time the warmer air in the Earth Kingdom had been pretty nice.
While I stood on deck, I stared down at my arm which was still wrapped in some tight bandages. It had healed pretty well over the last two weeks, but Iroh encouraged me to keep it mended for a little while longer. There was still a break inside it, and he didn't want me to cause any further damage. Even though I couldn't use my right arm, I was able to bend with my left. Iroh let me practice my waterbending up on deck during days when Zuko was busy in meditation. It was always nice to be able to bend my element again.
As I stood by the rail, I heard footsteps approach me. Then a moment later a body came and stood beside me. "I was wondering where you ran off to," Zuko began. "Aren't you cold?"
I smiled. Turning to him, I answered, "I grew up in the South Pole my whole life. The cold doesn't bother me." I grimaced. "Although, I have to say warmer weather is pretty nice."
He nodded. His hands grabbed onto the railing as he leaned forward a bit. His eyes stayed on the horizon before us. "I wonder if the North Pole is like your home… I've never been there before…"
Frowning, I felt my heart turn slightly bitter towards my sister tribe. "I doubt it. The Northern Water Tribe is a powerful civilization. From what my father has told us, they are well off and have no need to fear the Fire Nation. Their forces are strong, and so are their walls."
Zuko sighed. "Well, I'm not planning on starting a war against them. My only plan is to sneak into their borders, snatch the Avatar , and make my way back to the ship. Last thing I want is a fleet of waterbenders flinging icicles at me."
"Yeah… You know us waterbenders can be vicious," I joked. He smiled at my comment, his amber orbs shooting towards me.
"I definitely do after battling you and your sister so many times."
At the mention of Katara, I grimaced and hung my head again. It had been so long since I'd seen my brother and sister. It felt like so many months had passed since we'd last spoken. If I ever saw them again, I wasn't sure how they would react. Would they forgive me for never telling them about my abilities? Would they accept me for falling in love with the Fire Prince? Would they hate me for not trying harder to escape?
We used to be so close when we were younger, but being away from them made me feel like we were worlds apart.
"You miss them a lot, don't you?"
Nodding, I smiled weakly staring at the water below. "We're family. No matter what, I'll always be worried and miss them. It's just my nature." I looked over at him with curiosity. "Do you miss your dad and sister?"
My question took him off guard. For a moment he didn't answer and I wondered if I'd gone too far. However, he finally let out a hard breath. "Hard to say… I know I miss home, but I can't say for certain I miss dad and Azula. After three years at sea, I honestly haven't missed being Azula's punching bag."
I nodded in understanding. Contemplating what he said, I knew asking my next question could earn some tension but I was prepared. "Then can I ask you again… why do you want to go home so bad?"
Zuko answered calmly and easily. "If you were banished from your home at the South Pole, wouldn't you want to return?"
His question stumped me. I knew he was right. The Fire Nation had been the only place Zuko knew for thirteen years of his life. Being forced away and into a world he didn't know, it was no wonder he wanted to go home so terribly. He was right… I would want to go back home too.
"I see your point…"
My mind couldn't even fathom what it would be like if my father banished me from home. I would be scared, alone, and completely vulnerable. That must've been how Zuko felt when he was shoved out the door. He had no clue where he was going, or what he would find when he got there. At least he had some sort of comfort through his uncle, but still… Zuko was practically on his own.
My hand suddenly overlapped his where it was gripping the rail hard. He was surprised by my contact, but didn't move his hand away enjoying my touch.
"Ah! There you two are! I've been looking for you," Iroh exclaimed. His sudden presence surprised the both of us. We tore our hands from one another and turned towards the man. "The Captain says we need to weigh anchor just for the night. The Northern Water Tribe will take us two weeks to reach its shores, so we all need to be rested and ready for the journey. Also, it's music night on the ship! Will you two be joining us?"
Zuko was quick with his answer. "No. I have things to prepare. I don't have time for goofing around."
I also came up with a quick excuse. I really didn't feel like singing tonight, and I knew me being there would only allow Iroh to convince me to sing again. "I was going to turn in early tonight. I didn't sleep well last night, so I have sleep I need to catch up on."
He seemed disappointed, but appeared to understand. "Very well. You two will miss out though. I was going to sing some Earth Kingdom tunes I picked up while at Ba Sing Se."
Zuko grimaced. "I've heard them all before."
"Sorry Iroh," I said, not liking to disappoint the man. "Maybe next time."
A few hours later the ship was docked at the pier of a Fire Nation colony. The colonies were spread throughout the Earth Kingdom, and they were villages that were captured by the Fire Nation. When I heard about the colonies from Zuko, I was more irritated with the Earth Kingdom than the Fire Nation. If the Earth Kingdom was such a strong nation, then why couldn't they protect their villages? Did they not care about the people outside of Ba Sing Se?
Once the sun started to set, Zuko and I made our way down to our room. While Zuko assumed a meditation posture, I crawled onto my cot and shut my eyes to get some sleep. I hadn't lied to Iroh about needing to catch up on my rest. The last few nights I'd been having nightmares that woke me up and kept me awake until morning. One had been that the Fire Nation had captured Aang and the world was consumed by fire. Another was of my mom, and she told me she was disappointed I'd fallen for a Firebender. The last dream was of my brother and sister… I watched Sokka and Katara die.
The nightmares were getting worse the closer we got to the North Pole. I hated the guilt and fear that they caused me to feel.
Somehow I found myself drifting away from the world. Slowly, a dream came to me.
My people stood before me in an arch, blocking my escape. I was at the Southern Water Tribe, and our tent homes circled around me as if they were closing me in. I felt panic inside me as I tried to find a way out, but the tents were tight together and stretched on for miles in every direction. Dark clouds hung above me, and I saw lightning shoot across the sky.
"My granddaughter has betrayed us all!"
At the sound of my Gran-Gran's voice, I looked back at the group of villagers. There my Gran-Gran stood, her eyes dark and her lips tight. She pointed her finger at me accusingly.
"No! I never betrayed you!" My voice echoed around me, and I could tell I was scared.
"You have turned your back on us! You chose the Fire Nation over us!"
"No Gran-Gran! I love you all! I wouldn-"
Something shoved me and I fell forward into the snow. My body shook, and I tried to stand. However, I was shoved harshly back down by a foot on my back. Looking behind me, I saw Sokka glaring down at me. His eyes held no warmth or love, but hate.
He started to speak. "You don't love us. You only love Zuko! You love the enemy! Because of you, Aang is dead!"
"What… Aang… I didn't-"
His foot shoved into my back some more. "That's right! You didn't! You didn't stop Zuko from going to the North Pole! You had every opportunity to stop him! You should've killed him! You turned your back on us!"
"No! I didn't turn my back on you. I love you! But I'm also not a killer. I couldn't kill him!"
A laugh rang in front of me. My eyes shot up to my sister who stood over me. Her own eyes showed no love. "Why? Because you love him?!" She glared furiously at me. "You chose him over us! You chose him over your family and the world!"
"No! I didn't! I swear! I love him, but I won't betray you all! I'm your sister!"
She stepped back. "You're not my sister! You're the enemy! And you know what we do to the enemy!"
My eyes widened. My body was jerked up and I was yanked over to a hole dug into the snow. Sokka shoved me closer to the hole, and I panicked struggling and screaming. The tribe cheered behind me, and I saw Katara walk beside us with dark eyes.
"No! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please!"
Sokka inched me to the very edge of the large hole. All I saw inside it was darkness. "You don't get to apologize. Now you can join Aang and tell him how sorry you are!" He shoved me forward then, and I screamed as I fell into the hole. Darkness filled my vision as I dropped down from the world above.
"Crystal!"
My eyes shot open, and I gasped for air as I tried to rejoin the real world. My body shook and I tried to grasp reality. When I eventually came back to the room I'd fallen asleep in some time earlier, I found Zuko looking at me with utter worry. He was kneeling beside me, and his hand was pressed against my shoulder where he had been shaking me. Taking in a few more heavy breaths, I felt the nightmare slowly sink to the back of my mind.
Sitting up, I felt Zuko's hand leave my shoulder but he never left my side. Running a hand through my hair, I tried to brush away the horror that still twisted my gut.
"Sorry," I said softly. Hanging my head, I rubbed my eyes which had wet trails from tears. "It was just a bad dream."
He stayed where he was only for a moment. Then suddenly I felt my cot sink and warm arms pull me in. As Zuko sat beside me on my cot, I pressed my face into his shirt feeling the warmth of his body through the fabric. He tightened his embrace, not wanting to let me go. I shut my eyes feeling comfort in his hold, and listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
"You want to talk about it?"
His question took me off guard. I didn't expect Zuko to ask such a question. Sokka would ask me the same thing all the time when we were younger and I had nightmares about mom's death. The familiarity made my aching heart slowly ease.
"No…" I shut my eyes tighter. "It's nothing worth talking about. Just a nightmare."
He pressed his face into my hair suddenly, and I was surprised by his action. However, I only relaxed more in his embrace wishing I never had to leave it…
Wishing we could stay like this forever…
A knock on the door suddenly sounded, and the two of us tensed at the sudden interruption. Zuko sighed in disappointment, and slowly pulled away from me. I watched him get off the cot wishing he'd come back and hold me some more. As he walked over to the door to see our intruder, I pushed my disheveled blanket away from me, and then tried to smooth down my hair. My injured hand pulsed in pain from the movements, but I tried to ignore it.
"For the last time, I'm not playing the Tsungi Horn!"
Zuko jerked the door open to reveal Iroh was indeed the intruder. However, to our terror it wasn't just Iroh who graced us with his presence.
"No," Iroh said solemnly. "It's about our plans. There's a bit of a problem."
Zhao entered the room, and I quickly scrambled to my feet as blood pumped through my veins. Zuko stepped back, and the path between Zhao and I was blocked. Zuko was still protecting me from the man who wouldn't hesitate turning me over to the Fire Lord.
Zhao noticed the exchange and sneered. He didn't comment though. Instead he simply said, "I'm taking your crew."
My eyes widened.
Zuko was outraged. "What?!"
The man smiled, pleased to upset the prince. "I've recruited them for a little expedition to the North Pole."
Zuko glanced over at Iroh with disbelief. "Uncle, is that true?"
Iroh nodded in dismay. "I'm afraid so. He's taking everyone. Even the cook!"
Zhao was satisfied by both Iroh and Zuko's reactions. "Sorry you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar. But I can't have you getting in my way again."
His words made me feel not just sorry for Zuko, but scared for Aang. If Aang was captured by Zhao, there was no telling what the man would do to him. My skin paled at the thought of Aang being captured and taken to the Fire Lord. My dream was close to reality. I had to stop Zhao… If I didn't then I would truly be a traitor.
What could I do though? With one hand and novice waterbending skills, there was no way I could beat Zhao. And I knew Zuko wouldn't let me attack the man. He would be too concerned about my safety. He would hold me back to stop me from getting hurt.
Zhao had turned and scanned the room for a second, and his eyes widened when he saw the décor on the wall. They were Zuko's dual dao swords, which he kept hanging up on the wall above his meditation table. When I saw Zhao's reaction to them, I wondered what was going on. He stared at them with familiarity.
Zhao took a step over to the wall. "I didn't know you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko."
Zuko had become tense by the man's observation. "I'm not. They're antiques. Just decorative."
The man darted his cold eyes back to Zuko with knowing. Then he shot his next question towards the other man in the room. "Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh?"
Iroh seemed to keep a calm face. I had a feeling he knew what was going more than I did. I honestly was stumped. Who the heck was the Blue Spirit? What did Zuko have to do with that?
Iroh answered finally. "Just rumors. I don't think he is real."
Zhao gritted his teeth. "He's real all right. He's a criminal, an enemy of the Fire Nation. But I have a feeling that justice will catch up with him soon." He stepped away from the sword display. "General Iroh, the offer to join my mission still stands if you change your mind."
Iroh nodded, but said nothing to the man.
Zhao then turned his eyes back towards Zuko. As he did, he moved his gaze towards me. He smirked. "I can see the prisoner is still with you. Sharing a room with her? That's very interesting."
Zuko stepped back so that I was shielded more behind him. "It's to keep an eye on her," Zuko said through a guarded voice. He would not confess to the man that he loved me, but this was more so for my safety. We knew I would be taken away immediately if that truth was revealed. He continued. "I don't want her in the cells alone."
Zhao nodded. "I see… Can't even handle a prisoner on your own. Why don't I just take her off your hands then? Seeing as you don't have much backup anymore, we wouldn't want her to get the upper hand and escape."
Immediately I cringed, not liking the idea of being under Zhao's custody one bit. My breathing hitched and my body shook. I recalled the last time I had heard the man back at his Naval Yard so long ago. He had no intention of treating me kindly like Iroh and Zuko.
To my relief, Iroh cleared his throat to come to my defense. "My nephew and I can handle her. Besides… Your focus should be on the Avatar's capture. Having her as a prisoner would only lead to a distraction."
The man seemed to ponder over Iroh's words. He smirked and nodded. "Yes… I suppose having such a pretty waterbender in the presence of so many men would be very distracting." He turned and headed towards the door. "You can keep her, Prince Zuko. You'll need the company now that you're alone."
The man left us then, shutting the door behind. Zuko scowled and jerked his body towards the wall smashing his fist into the steel. Iroh sighed heavily, stroking his beard as he tried to find the words to say. I felt concern fill inside me, and it wasn't just for Aang.
What would happen to my family?
What would happen to Zuko?
What would happen to me?
"I best go and see the men off… Maybe Jiho will make us one last meal before he tarries on his way. I suppose we'll have to hire a new crew when all of this is over."
Zuko growled. "We have no time for a new crew, Uncle! Zhao is on his way to capture the Avatar! I need to get to the North Pole before him!"
As Zuko became blinded by determination and rage, I walked back over to my cot and sat on it. Pulling my knees to my chest for comfort, I pressed my forehead into the space between my knees shielding out the world. I felt so weak and defenseless. Here Zhao was threatening to invade my sister tribe, and here I was stuck prisoner miles away and unable to help. If Zhao got to Aang and my family, I feared something terrible would happen to them all. Zhao was ruthless and wouldn't care if he hurt them to get what he wanted.
"Prince Zuko! Calm yourself! You know there is nothing I can do. Admiral Zhao has authority over me, and even you. We can't disrespect his wishes."
"So I just sit here and do nothing?! I won't stand for that! I refuse to let him take what's mine!"
"The Avatar will escape, and you will have plenty of opportunities in the future. Patience."
"You don't know that!"
"I don't, but I believe the Avatar can handle himself pretty well. That young man has more power than any can fathom."
"He's still a kid though," I said softly. The room fell silent when I spoke. Lifting my head slightly, I saw both of them looking at me with question. "Aang is just a kid… He can't take on Zhao's fleet all by himself… There's no way he can beat them all on his own." Tears started to fall again, and I quickly tried to brush them away by pressing my face into my knees again.
Iroh sighed heavily. "The Avatar has abilities no one else possesses. I believe without a doubt that he will escape in one piece. We just have to have hope."
"I don't need hope!" Zuko snapped. "I need my crew!"
I couldn't take it anymore. Shutting my eyes, I tried to block out everything as I focused on the worries rushing through my head. I feared for my family, Aang, and the water tribe. There was no way they'd beat what was coming their way… Unless a miracle happened.
"I'll return once I arrange some things with the crew. They're due to depart tomorrow. We can continue this discussion later," Iroh said calmly. A second later the door to our room shut leaving Zuko and I alone. Silence fell through the room as neither of us knew what to say.
The rest of the night Zuko kept to himself, and I tried to keep to myself. We were both worried and anxious, although I knew it was for very different reasons. Zuko was worried about his honor. I was worried about my family and my friend.
The next day came sooner than any of us desired. As Zuko moped in our room, I followed Iroh around the ship to say my good-byes to the crew I'd become surprisingly close to. Jiho gave me a huge hug when he saw me, telling me to stay out of trouble and keep an eye on Iroh for him. Lieutenant Jee ruffled my hair and wished me well on whatever journey Zuko would have us go on. Hul, my good guard friend, squeezed my shoulder and told me not to fall overboard while he was gone. The more I said goodbye to the crew, the more I realized how much I'd become part of the crew. It had been months since I'd been brought on the ship, and seeing the friends I had made preparing to leave, I felt pretty glum.
Once I said goodbye to everyone I needed to, I returned to my room with a heavy heart. My mind had been busy with thoughts of the crew, so when my worries returned to me about my family and Aang, I felt pain in my gut.
Walking back in the room, I found Zuko laying on his cot with his back towards me. He was pouting, and though I could understand why it was starting to irritate me. He gave up way too easily. It wasn't the prince I knew.
The rest of the day passed with the both of us sitting in silence. As Zuko entered and exited the room periodically without a word, I watched him wishing he would cheer up and talk to me. I was starting to feel bored out of my mind. Soon I picked up a book from my collection and started reading to pass time. Zuko continued to mope on his cot.
Eventually a knock sounded at the door. It was late at night, and I knew the crew were long gone. That meant our visitor was Iroh, seeing as he was the only man besides us onboard.
The door opened, and sure enough Iroh entered. "The crew wanted me to wish you safe travels."
Zuko was leaning against the wall on his cot with his arms crossed. "Good riddance to those traitors."
"It's a lovely night for a walk. Why don't you join me? It would clear your head." Iroh waited for Zuko to respond, but there was only silence. "Or, just stay in your room and sit in the dark. Whatever makes you happy." Iroh looked over at me then to direct the same question. "Crystal?"
I shook my head. I was tired of the moping prince, but I also wasn't in the mood for a stroll. I was too worried about other things and didn't really want to go anywhere.
Iroh sighed. "Very well. I'll be back soon. You two cheer up. It's not the end of the world." He turned and left us then. Zuko scowled as soon as the door shut. I hung my head wishing what Iroh spoke was true. However if Zhao captured Aang, it would definitely be the end of the world.
More hours passed of silence between us. If we weren't silent, we would've never heard the smash of something falling from up above, or the creak of a door latch turning.
Zuko quickly became alert, his eyes wide at the sudden noise. I put my book down with surprise, and stood from my cot.
His gold eyes shot towards me with concern. "You heard that too?"
I nodded to answer him.
We both found our way over to the door of our room, Zuko taking the lead. "Stay close," he ordered. I inched closer to him not desiring to do otherwise. It could've been Iroh for all we knew, but the whole Zhao thing had us both on edge. Zuko held his fists tight ready to attack if he needed to.
We made our way through the hall, both of us alert and prepared for an attack if one occurred. As we made our way up a set of stairs that led to the bridge of the ship, I felt shivers run down my spine as the ship creaked and more noises echoed around us.
"Uncle?" Zuko questioned, his own voice wary as he kept close to me and alert.
We eventually made it up to the bridge, where an empty control room showed no sign of life. It appeared Zuko and I were the only ones on the ship and just worried.
"Maybe we're just being paranoid," I said softly. "We're not used to having the whole crew gone."
Zuko seemed to contemplate what I said, but he didn't agree. Walking over to the large curved glass window, he looked out at the deck before him. Then something caught his eyes, and I saw his body tense. My eyes followed his gaze, and my own widened. A very familiar parrot was perched on one of the ships masts, its dark eyes looking directly at us. It squawked and took off into the sky.
"Pirates…" I said in horror.
"Crystal!" Zuko grabbed me suddenly and jerked me to his body. Then after that everything happened in a blur.
I remember a loud explosion. I remember pain. I remember searing hot pain. I remember my body jerking harshly through the air as a blast of heat shot us out of the bridge. I remember glass shattering around me and a few pieces piercing my skin. I remember the crash of my body hitting the water hard. I remember the feeling of Zuko's protective embrace leaving me as he lost consciousness.
My ears were ringing, and my lungs were beginning to tighten as I tried to gather my thoughts. My arms and back were in pulsing pain, and the salt water around me only increased the pain more. However, I somehow managed to open my eyes. When I did, I saw a blur of Zuko's body drifting away from me.
Jerking my arms and legs drastically, I tried to swim on instinct praying it would just come to me. When I found I couldn't figure out how to swim, I decided to try another method. I used my waterbending to make the current around me push me towards Zuko. My lungs grew tighter, but I refused to give up. Reaching my hand forward, I managed to grasp Zuko's arm on the first try with my good hand. Jerking him towards me, I shoved my free injured hand upwards, and a current rushed below me lifting my body to the air above.
When I surfaced, I immediately breathed in much needed air. Fire was blazing all around me from different parts of the destroyed ship. The scene was complete chaos and debris. A piece of wood floated only a few feet from where I surfaced, and I quickly reached out grabbing it. Once I had a hold of the object to help me float, I pulled Zuko's body over enough so that he was above water and supported slightly by the float. Then I kicked with all my might heading a blurry path towards the shore.
Somehow I made it to the shallow part of the bank. My whole body ached with pain and fatigue, but I kept going. I was concerned about Zuko. Actually, I was worried sick. He wasn't moving or breathing.
No! No! I can't lose him!
Somehow, I found the strength to drag Zuko's unconscious body onto the muddy bank. On my knees, I pressed my ear to his chest to see if he was breathing. When I found he wasn't, I panicked even more.
Pressing my hand to Zuko's chest, I felt water in his lungs and knew what I had to do. With deep concentration, I carefully maneuvered the water out of his lungs, up his body, through his throat, and out of his mouth. As soon as the water was gone, he choked and coughed hoarsely. Turning on his side, he coughed out what little water remained and then gasped for air.
Tears filled my eyes when I saw he was breathing. "Zuko!"
He slumped back and fell unconscious once more, but this time his chest rose up and down as he breathed. While he rested from our traumatic experience, I looked him over. He had burns on his face, and cuts on his lip. His arms were also burned, and I saw a burn on the back of his neck. Taking some water from the ocean, I let it settle over one burn on the side of his head, wishing I could do more. I wanted to be able to heal him, but I knew all I could do now was help the pain.
As the water settled against his skin though, and my desire grew to take away the pain I knew he felt, there was a sudden blue glow that illuminated from the circular liquid licking at his skin. The glowing water soaked into the burn and- to my amazement- the burn started to fade. Immediately I dropped my hand in surprise.
Had I just healed Zuko?
I knew from myths of my tribe, that some of our waterbending relatives had the gift of healing. Had I received the same gift?
Repeating the process on another burn that decorated Zuko's upper arm, I watched with amazement as yet again the glow occurred and the burn faded. My heart lifted as I realized what was happening.
I had healing abilities!
Zuko POV
My head was splitting as I started to come out of the darkness. The last thing I remembered was grabbing Crystal as I heard the fire racing through the hall towards the bridge. Then after that, all I recalled was pain. Pain and darkness.
A cool sensation drifted on my back, and I realized then I was sitting up. Slowly, I found the strength to open my eyes. When I did, it took a moment for my focus to return. As the world around me started to clear up, I saw the one helping me sit up was uncle. He had tears staining his cheek, but I knew they were tears of relief.
"Zuko… Thank goodness you're awake. When I saw the explosion, I didn't know what to think! I feared the worse!"
Explosion… My eyes shot out towards the water in front of me. My massive ship was on fire, and pieces of the vessel were floating on the water also on fire. The scene around me was complete chaos.
The cool sensation stopped suddenly, and then a second later it started again on another spot. My head tried to turn so I could see what was going on behind me.
"Don't move," a tired but beautiful voice said. "I just have two more spots to heal."
Crystal…? Heal? What was she talking about?
"What are you-"
The cool sensation moved up my back then, and I gasped as pain shot from the spot it touched. However, the pain only lasted for a second and then cool water soaked into my skin easing the burn. After another few seconds passed, the water left my back and I heard a sigh of relief.
"There… That's the worst of it," she said softly.
My uncle lowered me back again, but I managed to use my hands to keep my body upright. Once I had stability, I looked over at Crystal who crawled over to my side with a face of exhaustion. She picked up a piece of cloth that was drenched in the mud. "I would say you could put your shirt back on, but I don't think there's much left of it."
She held out the soaked shirt towards me, but I just stared at her face with horror. She had cuts on her lip, cheeks, and forehead; an awful burn on her arm; and her clothing were singed. She was soaked to the bone, and her tan skin looked pale in the light of the flames that flared from the ship. I could only assume her back was as burned as mine most likely had been. The burns on my back however didn't hurt one bit.
"What did you do to me?"
She smiled weakly, lowering the shirt back to the ground. "Turns out I'm a healer… Better late than never I suppose." Her voice sounded so weak. So tired.
A healer though? Amazing! I'd never met anyone who could heal before…
"We need to get you two somewhere warm and dry," Iroh said softly. "I saw a cave not too far from here. Once we get there I'll make a fire, and then you two can rest."
I knew Uncle was right. It was freezing, and our drenched bodies would only make us sick. Somehow I found the strength to stand. My muscles ached from the movement, but the burns were non-existent. Crystal had healed every burn on me, and I didn't know if I could ever thank her enough. Then a thought hit me.
"You swam?"
She looked up at me from where she sat on her knees. Her eyes looked like they were barely in focus. She nodded though, to answer me.
"It was more like waterbending," she admitted. "I just knew I had to get to you. You were dying… I couldn't-"
Her voice cut off and tears formed in her eyes.
"I- I couldn't let you die!" She broke into sobs, and I knew then exhaustion had finally hit her. She slumped over her knees, her two hands pressing to her eyes. I noticed as she did so, that her right hand which once was broken was healed. The bandage must've fallen off, and the swelling and bruising was no longer there. It must've healed as she healed my body. She hadn't healed herself though intentionally. If she had, then she wouldn't have had so many burns and cuts on her skin still.
"Crystal," I said softly. My heart ached as I saw her tears.
"Prince Zuko," Uncle said softly. "We need to get you both to the cave. You'll get hypothermia."
I knew Uncle was right. Stepping over to Crystal, I managed to grab her elbows and help her stand. She grimaced and gasped in pain from the movement. It was probably her first time standing since the explosion. My muscles hurt, and every part of me wanted to rest, but I knew I couldn't rest until Crystal and I were somewhere warm and safe.
She stumbled and fell against me. I knew then she was too exhausted to walk. Her legs and arms shook with what energy they had left. Carefully, I scooped my arm under the bend of her legs and my other arm around her back. She cringed as I lifted her up into my arms, but she didn't have the strength to complain.
"Zuko," Uncle began, stepping forward to assist. "I can-"
"It's fine," I said softly. "She isn't that heavy."
As Uncle and I started to make our way towards the cave, which was up an inclined hill, I felt Crystal rest her head on my chest with exhaustion. Her warmth kept me moving, even though every part of me wanted to lay down and sleep.
"You were drifting away," she said softly. Her voice was fading the more she tried to stay awake. "I had to reach you…"
"I'm okay… I'm alive," I reassured. "You saved my life."
She didn't respond for a second, and I wondered if maybe she'd drifted. Then she spoke again. "You saved mine… you're my hero…"
I wasn't really sure how to respond. Her words did make my heart lighten though.
Eventually we got to the cave. It was a small rocky cut on the side of a mountain. Laying Crystal on the smoothest area of rock I could find, I saw her cringe once more as her injuries were irritated. Uncle busily gathered wood and started a fire, while I looked over Crystal with worry. She was trying to stay awake, but I could tell her energy was fading the longer she lay in the cold cave.
"Pirates," she said softly. "Why would they…"
Her voice drifted, but she still was awake. Her eyes were dragging though.
"I know exactly who did this," I said softly. "Zhao paid the pirates to kill me. He knows I'm the Blue Spirit and wants me dead."
She was silent for a second. Then she spoke in a half-conscious state. "The Blue Spirit… no… you're Zuko…"
Her eyes shut for a minute, and I wondered if maybe she was out. However, she opened them again one last time.
"I love you… Zuko…" Her eyes shut again. "… love you…"
She finally drifted, her head falling slightly to the side as she let exhaustion take her away. My hand brushed through her salt drenched hair.
"I love you too."
Trailing my hand down her face, I let my palm rest on her scar.
"Thank you for saving me... Thank you…"
A second later I felt myself lay down beside her. My arm slid under her back, and I pulled her to me. She was shaking from the cold, just as I was. As soon as I had her in my arms though, warmth radiated through my body. The warmth, and her soft breaths, managed to lull me to sleep.
I would worry about Zhao when I woke up… For the moment, all I wanted was to hold Crystal and never let her go again.