Chapter Twelve:
Their kiss lasted exactly 16 seconds. Enough time for the crowd to really take in the meaning of the kiss. To experiance the symbolization of what it stood for in the story of their hero. Also, for Zuko to enjoy it because that is all he had been wanting to do ever sence he met and fell in love with her. Iroh smiled proudly at his nephew once he got off the stage. Zuko's head was in the clouds that whole day. Untill he saw that Helena and her sisters after the show, went home and changed into black clothes. Helena wore a black dress while Nami wore a black leather vest that had sleeves and a black leather skirt that ended at her knees. Suki wore a black dress as well. The sisters, Their father, Prince Zuko, and Iroh all walked to the small headstone on the cliff.
"Hello dear." Her father said once he began to pray at the grave. Everyone, even Zuko and his uncle prayed as well. All saying what they had to in their heads.
Hello mother. Im taking good care of daddy and Nami. Helena has met a man, im sure she loves him.She performed wounderfully on the first day of the festival. She looked so cute kissing Prince Zuko. Suki prayed.
Hi mom. Suki is taking good care of daddy and I. I think Helena and her new man Zuko are going to be married someday. They arn't together yet. But I bet something will happen... Nami prayed.
Hello mom. I miss you so much. My new friend Zuko is helping me with my bridal training. He is wounderful and he kept me alive before I almost joined you.Many times. When I almost died because I was sick, He never left my side. Helena prayed.
Hello Helena's mother. Was how both Prince Zuko's uncle and his own prayer began.
Your daughter is beautiful. I think Im in love with her.I promise I'll keep her safe. Zuko prayed.
My nephew Zuko really loves your youngest daughter Helena.She surly gets her looks from you. Although I do not know what you look like. Im sure Zuko will keep her safe. Iroh prayed.
After a bit more praying. They all stopped. They all went their seprite ways. Zuko of course, went with Helena. Whom stayed once her family and Zuko's uncle were all gone. She sat on the edge of the cliff and staired up at the sky. It was Twilight. A great majority of the sky was dark. Zuko sat beside Helena and she lied her head on his arm.A hot tear running down her face. But it was caught by Zuko. Not to mention it was brushed away.
"Zuko.." Helena mumbled. Zuko looked down at her. "Why can't you go back to your home?"
"I was exiled. I spoke out when I wasnt suppost to.I refused to fight my own father, and I got not only this scar, but exiled." He told her, she felt his grip tighten on her. She never knew he didnt have a home. She could return to her's whenever she pleased. But Zuko, he couldn't. She saw a tear roll down from his good eye. She reached over and done as he had done for her so many times in the past, she wiped it away.
"Zuko, My home will always be yours. My sisters have taken a liking to you. Usually they dont like the fire nation, no one here does. They all have sad pasts about the fire nation, but Zuko. Everyone here is seeing that you are diffrent." Helena told him. He was silent after that. She was a bit wrong.
"Helena..I have someting to say, but Im afraid that If I say it, you wont want to be associated with me anymore." Zuko said to her. Im just saying now he isnt telling her how much he likes her.
"Dont worry about that Zuko." Helena assured him. He was silent for a few more seconds.
"Kioshi. She was the Avatar 400 years ago, correct?" He asked. She nodded. "Thought so. Suki told me about the legend. Helena. I burnt down Kioshi island." There was a silence. "Im sorry. If I had known back then that Kioshi sealed away the dark genie 400 years ago. I would never have burnt her town down. Im so sorry."
Helena was still silent. She promised Zuko that he wouldnt have to worry about her not wanting anything to do with him after she heard that. She just couldnt believe it. "Your pretty damn lucky." She told Zuko. "If the Dark Genie were to appear again, we'd all be doomed."
"Y-You mean. Your not mad at me?" Zuko asked, a hint of happiness in his voice. He saw Helena shake her head with a smile on her face.
"Nah." Zuko saw her yawn. She had a pretty tiring day. She stood up and told him she was going to leave, while she was walking away, she told him. "I can't hate you. Your my will to live." Zuko smiled. He was her reason to stay alive! This made him so happy!
Helena walked into her room and lied down on her bed. The next few days were going to be just like this one. This time though, she wouldnt have to kiss anyone. She would have to make a slit on her boob, but then she would be able to have fun with Zuko. But the thought of having to see that damned bimbo with Ryousuke bitterd her heart. It forced her to get mad, but she calmed herself down.She would no longer be botherd by the haunting memory of Ryousuke. She would never again feel his lips press against her's. But she wasnt going to let that bother her anymore. She had a show to do the next day. So she skipped out on dinner. Her stomach hurt from the lack of food, but she had to keep herself thin all week. She would definitly eat once the week was over. She curled up on her bed holding her stomach, she fell asleep and her arms unfolded. It was morning again before she knew it. Prince Zuko was going to say good night again, but she was already asleep so he just walked into his room and slept.
Zuko woke the next morning after his uncle again. The second day, Sacrifice. She'll cut herself. I don't know if I can watch. So far, I haven't seen her bleeding.What if she gets hurt? I don't think that cutting herself is a good idea...Zuko thought as he got dressed. This time, Helena didnt even show up for breakfast. Suki told them she figured she better get going to the festival, So Helena was already gone. He couldnt force her to eat breakfast. Skipping out on dinner and two breakfasts? She is going to hurt herself. Prince Zuko would be sure of that.
Once the festival started again, There were three more guests.
"Zuko!" Aang greeted. Yep. Sokka, Katara, and Aang. They seem to show up everywhere I know, but hell. Why not?
"Hello Aang." Zuko greeted, waiting for the dance to start.
"What is this?" Aang asked him.
"The second day of the festival. Helena is dancing. You missed the first day." Zuko told him, secretly grinning to himself about yesturday.
"What happend?" Katara asked. Zuko blushed.
"Well..." Zuko hesitated.
"Miss Helena picked this guy to go up on stage with her and according to traditon, she kissed this guy!" Some random person awncerd for him. Aang,Katara,and Sokka grinned.
"YOU KISSED HER!" They all giggled at once. "What is today? Wedding?"
"Nope." Zuko awncerd. But that is what he secretly wanted. "Sacrifice."
"Sacrifice? What does she have to do?" Sokka asked.
"You'll see." Zuko told them. Now that Helena was in his life, he didnt really need to catch Aang anymore.He didnt care anymore if his father let him come back or not.
The dance began the same way as before. Apparently this is how all the dances are going to be. But this time, Helena stopped dancing when the they all rolled their heads. Which was near the beginning., but the girls behind her kept dancing. She pulled out a typical kitchen knife, everyone watched intentivly. This was the symbolization of the sacrification of blood that the hero lost during his journy. She made one slit, it was right under her collor bone. It bled terribly. But she just joined back in to the dancing as if she had never stopped. It was in the middle of the dance that she began to feel weak. Maybe skipping out on three meals wasnt such a good idea. She missed out on breakfast for both mornings and dinner last night. She tried her best to hide the fact that she was getting dizzy, but Zuko saw it. He began to worry about her. It began to get more noticable that she was getting dizzy. The audiance was spinning. She got dizzy and just fell over. They all stopped dancing.The people pretended it was a thing for sacrifice, but Zuko, Aang, Katara, and Sokka all got up on stage and surrounded her.
"What is wrong with her?" Sokka asked. Zuko just wiped the blood off from her clavical and anywhere else it was.
"She is just hungry. Got anything to eat?" Zuko asked them. Aang looked in the bag they kept fruit and nuts and stuff in and nodded. "Okay. Im gonna take her back, you guy's just make up a good exit idea." Aang nodded and turned to the crowd.
"Um...we are experiancing medical difficulties. Go on with your day. Yeah that sounds good." With that, They followed Zuko.
Helena woke to the smell of fried rice.She was lieing in her room with Zuko, Aang, Sokka and Katara casting at her. She sat up and looked at them.
"God where the hell.." She asked, her voice trailed off. She was still in her ruby costume, but now she had a bandage over the slit she had made under her collor bone. She just saw everyone's face ease.
"Helena. I told you that you should eat. You will always fit into that ruby costume. You dont ever have to worry about being fat. Now eat." Zuko said, giving her the plate of fried rice.
"Thats what this was all about?" Aang asked. Zuko nodded.
"She promised me she would eat." Zuko hissed at Helena.
"I promised I'd eat that morning. I didt say anything about dinner and today's breakfast." Helean pointed out as she ate.
"Please. Your way to perfectly built and sexy to worry about-" Sokka stupidly said, he saw Zuko and everyone glaring at him. "Um. Never mind.Why is it that you all glare at me because I say that?"
"Because the only other one here who can't say it is Aang and he isnt stupid or sexist enough to say it." Katara pointed out. Sokka was silent, Maybe because she was right. Helena had finished off the plate of fried rice within a few minutes.
"Avatar. I apoligize for before." Helena said to him. Aang smiled.
"Ah its okay. While you were sleeping, Zuko told me all about it." Aang told her grinning like a silly kid. "That guy was a jackass."
"Aang!" Katara snapped.
"Sorry." Aang smiled apoligeticly at Katara. Helena smiled.
"You are all three welcome to stay for the last few days of the festival." Helena told them. They all looked at her.
"You will eat right?" Katara asked. She nodded with a smile.
"Yeah.I promise." Helena said to them smiling. All of them smiled.
Suki, Nami, and their father came back to find that they had three more guests. It was while meditating that Aang had to ask Zuko a question. He knocked on the door of the room Zuko was staying at. Zuko allowed him in and Aang sat on his bed as he meditated.
"Zuko. I never thought I'd ask you this, but how did you get Helena to agree to go to that big carnival thing tomarrow?"Aang asked Zuko. Zuko smiled to himself.
"By being with her when her Jackass of a boyfriend was caught cheating on her." Zuko told Aang, in his normal tone, but to himself in his head in a happy proud tone.
"Thats good, but it doesnt really help me." Aang sighed. Zuko turned to him.
"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked.
"I want to take Katara and be on a date with her..but Sokka will be hanging around so it wouldnt really be a date." Aang told him. Zuko was the last person that Aang expected to be talking to about this. He saw a smile creep its way onto Zuko's face.
"I got it coverd."
With that, Zuko walked out of his room with Aang following, Zuko walked to Nami's room and knocked on her door.
"Come in!" She called to him, he opend the door and there she was in her pajamas, counting her money.
"Nami. I need a favor of you." Zuko asked.
"Lisoning." Nami responded, looking up from her calculator.
"I need you to keep Sokka buisy while Aang and Katara are on their date." Zuko told her, point blank.
"You want I should put this on your tab? Or are you going to pay up frount?" Nami asked. That was her way of saying that she would do it, if she was paid.
"Um..put it on my tab." Zuko told her. She nodded and wrote it down on a note pad that was in the shape of an N. "Thanks Nami."
"You can pay me back by marring my sister!" Nami told them on their way out. Which caused Zuko to blush.
"There you go Aang." Zuko told him. He walked back to his room, with a thank you from Aang. He walked back into the room and meditated. Tomarrow is going to be the best day ever. Zuko told himself in his head. Im going to take Helena out, she is going to have a great time, she'll fall for me, and I can finally date her! He happily thoought to himself as he finished meditating. He crawled into the bed and fell asleep. The thought never accurd to him that this is a day for friends to hang out together. Helena thinks of him as a wounderful friend. She wont think that he wants to take her out.
Ah im gonna be a bitch and leave you all in suspence here!
