Sorry this took so ling everyone! My dad took away the compure for quite a while…
….
It was a strange dream, one told from the eyes of another.
He was riding on the back of a flying bison, lost in a terrible sea storm. Intermittent flashes of lightning revealed a churning ocean below, and a large, twin-mountained island in the distance. The avatar sat in front of him, gripping the beat's reigns with helpless desperation, while the young water-bender sat behind him. He was… Sokka?
The bison lurched through the air, tossed about in a violent current. Freezing rain pelted Sokka's face with bullet-like force. Blinded by the rain and deafened by the wind, he clung tightly to the animal's wet fur. He felt useless, watching the two benders struggle against the storm. "Aang!" he shouted, but his words were swept into the void.
A fierce gust blasted them from below, sending bison and crew soaring upwards. Sokka's pack jerked free from its place in the saddle, his father's boomerang glinting at him in the front pouch. "NO!" He dove forward, hooking his foot to a loose saddle strap and snatching his pack from the air. His body thudded against Appa's side, but he held tight. Katara shouted something to him, but its meaning was lost in the wind.
Appa moaned, suddenly diving towards the sea. Sokka straddled awkwardly into an upright position, steeling himself against the G-force plunge. They leveled out just above the frothing water, Appa's hooves skimming across the waves. The winds here were slightly less intense, but their young pilot hadn't anticipated what came next. A sudden swell heaved into existence, crashing against the bison's wide chest. He gave a deafening cry, losing altitude. Aang yanked back on the reigns as the ocean rose around them, momentarily submerging the beast up to his neck. Appa gave a valiant effort with his beaver-like tail, but he just wasn't able to regain the height he had lost.
Panicking, Sokka looked to his water-bending sister, to see what she would do about it. His heart plummeted to his feet as he realized… she wasn't there.
Prince Zuko bolted upright in bed, eyes darting around the room. Caught in the fringe between dream and reality, the violent seas of his nightmare seemed to merge with the rocking of his ship. He blearily tried to recall the vision that had left him with such images, this lingering sense of guilt and horror… but could not.
He shook himself, finally bringing the waking world into focus. He was in the captain's quarters of his iron cruiser, an austere room that, while exponentially out-classing the standard cots of his crewmembers, was sorely lacking a domestic touch. The few and carefully chosen knickknacks he had were shaking violently, rolling and toppling off shelves. It was no dream—his ship was caught in a squall!
"Why didn't my uncle wake me!" he thundered, mortified that his captain's duties were being neglected. He threw himself out of bed and dashed to the bridge, stumbling several times in the rolling corridors.
A coal-burning ship, like this, had little in the way of outer adornment. There were no cumbersome sails to fasten down, no ropes to secure—certainly a Fire Nation cruiser shouldn't depend on the fickle wind? And yet, the location of Zuko's cabin required a quick march across the deck, before he could reach the bridge. Throwing open the door was like inviting a belligerent frost giant to tea. An initial blast of icy wind sent the prince skidding backwards, and the accompanying sheets of rain were no comfort. He hurriedly made his way across the slick floor, to finally arrive at his station sopping wet.
"Uncle!" came his shout as the door burst open, "Why was your captain not summoned at this crisis?"
Old General Iro glanced from the viewport where he stood in command, a mischievous glimmer in his eye. "You seemed to be having such an intense rest, Prince Zuko. It would have been a shame to wake you. You know, you have really been stressed lately—"
His nephew gave an exasperated growl. "Step aside!" His uncle smilingly complied. One of the younger ensigns failed to conceal a smile at Iro's hijynks, earning Zuko's blood-chilling glare.
From there, Zuko handled the ship expertly through the rough waters. His vessel, while equipped with formidable weaponry and speed, was vulnerable in such storms. It's long, spear-like frame opened the way for any wave to topple it on its side, making it necessary to face every swell head-on. Distractedly watching the captain set about these maneuvers, the lookout missed a vitally important signal to the west. There, where the ship had been gradually edging for the past hour, winked a burning warning of flame.
"Sir!" he squeaked when he saw it, alarmed at its abrupt proximity. "Lighthouse at starboard!"
"What?" asked Iro, alarm breaking through his stoic temperament.
"Give me that!" barked the prince, snatching the telescope away from the sentry. The lookout cringed, watching his captain's face contort as he realized the danger. "How could you let us drift so close!" he thundered, striking the man across the face. He only offered a low, wordless bow in apology, too ashamed to speak.
Iro appeared at his nephew's side, squinting through the side port. The sky was illuminated for a moment by lightning, but one faint pinprick did not fade when the passing brilliance subsided. "So close…" he echoed, his murmur etched with concern. "Prince Zuko, we must be at Youkai's Point." Zuko listened expectantly, respecting the uncommon gravity in his uncle's voice. He continued: "The rocks here extend miles out to sea—as the tide is high, I suspect they are just beneath us!" He grabbed a rail as the ship rolled.
"Then we must exit the area immediately," was the concise reply. Zuko drew breath to begin shouting orders, but the general held up a hand.
"No, Prince Zuko. Our best chance is to deactivate the engines—they will surely detonate on the crags! If we follow the pull of the tide, we can ride out the storm bracing against the larger stones to the west, with only minimal damage!"
"We cannot afford to be damaged in this part of the world," Zuko countered, words slashing through the air like a whip. "All power to starboard main!" he shouted, "Get us out of here before we drift any closer!"
The deck creaked with unsettling volume as his men hurried to obey, relaying his orders to the engine room. Iro bowed his head, doubtful of their chances for escape, but respecting his protégé's authority. All present felt a slight sway as the ship pivoted to the east. Course corrected, Zuko ordered full power to port as well, sending them lurching into the path of an oncoming wave. I hope I'm right, he thought, eying the roaming mountain of water. Lightning flashed, and thunder shook his bones. The familiar tilt of the deck sent many hands flying to support rails as the crew braced themselves for a drop. I must be right, Zuko thought, looking at the pale, fear-stricken faces around him. All of these men had trusted him…
The straining engines just barely thrust them to the crest of the wave. They only had to make it over the edge, and they would be out of danger! Each frightened soldier held his breath, watching as black sky and black water surged in the viewport. Even sound seemed to stop, as if time himself shared their silent anticipation. Then…
Creeeeeaaaaaaakkkk
Senses rushed back as the ship whined. A horrible, lurching sensation took hold as the iron vessel slipped down, down towards the rocks it had so desperately fled from. "CUT POWER!" Zuko shouted, louder than he had meant. A general shout rose, low at first, then higher in a panicked fervor. Everyone felt the ship torn open beneath them, gutted on a jagged stone.
BOOM!
The port engine exploded.
…..
PEOPLE: (crazed Zuko fans across the net smash their monitors)
ME: Relax, people! He's not dead… or is he? Bwahah! You'll find out... And don't worry! Aang & company will be more than just a cameo in this series.
You can see more stories like this at my website, http colon slash slash huhakux dot proboards31 dot com slash index dot cgi?board equals write, or even post your own there, if you want to.
CREATIVE PEOPLE: (share collective grin)
ME: And if you catch any mistakes in these chapters, feel free to message me about them. I don't want to contradict /too/ much with the series. Also, I don't know much about naval rank... and i don't know if i'm using terms like 'starboard' right.
NIT-PICKING PEOPLE: (even bigger grin)