I forgot to mention this before: 'Kakougan' means 'stone', and 'Sekiei' means 'quartz'. Sweet names, huh? Thank you all for the reviews. It makes me feel loved.
Prince Zuko awoke the next morning with a raging headache. He sat up slowly, massaging his temples. "Ugh…"
A knock sounded at the door, and Uncle Iroh came in carrying a tray. A steaming tea pot, some rice, cups, and a few slices of freshly cooked fish were spread on the tray. He closed the door behind him and came to sit next to his nephew, placing the tray on the bed beside him. He carefully poured a cup of hot tea and held it out to the teen. "Here, Prince Zuko. Have some calming ginseng tea." Prince Zuko only moaned and turned away. "It is very good at relieving headaches," he chided.
"Fine!" Prince Zuko snatched the cup out of his uncle's hands and took a large gulp.
"Feeling better?" Uncle Iroh asked.
Prince Zuko glared, yet nodded nonetheless. He stared down at the cup in his hands, watching the dark brown liquid swirl in the bottom.
"We will be docking in Ba Seng Se around noon. Our food stores are running low."
"…Fine. Thank you, Uncle."
"My pleasure, Prince Zuko."
Uncle Iroh left the room, and Prince Zuko began getting dressed in his 'casual' clothes (Black trousers, boots, and a long, black tunic with red and gold trim). When he was done, he left the room and strode down the hall to the prison.
Sekiei appeared not to have moved since he saw her last. Her hair, however, was rather limp and tangled, and her dress hung a little looser than it had the day before. Upon his entrance in her cell, she lifted her head and gave him a wry grin. "Here again, huh? Welcome back, Zuko."
Prince Zuko clenched his fists and told himself to calm down. He spread his hands to try to appear friendly. "I believe there may have been a misunderstanding yesterday. I do not intend to hurt the Avatar once I have captured him. I only wish to restore my honor at my home."
Sekiei raised an eyebrow. "Holding someone against their will can injure them emotionally, if not physically. And the only honor you need is the kind you give yourself. Do you honor yourself, Zuko?"
"That has nothing to do with it!" he snapped.
"Obviously not," muttered Sekiei.
Prince Zuko's eye began to twitch, and he had to use his will to force it to stop. He took a deep breath. "Then answer this. How is it you have the power to bend metal? I have never heard of any earth bender with that power."
The girl seemed a little more willing to answer. "It's an inherited ability, rare even in my family. Only one metal bender is born every four generations. The only other metal bender in the world is my great-grandfather."
Prince Zuko pondered this information. Only two in the world, eh? Then this girl was even more valuable than he had originally thought.
"Thank you for your help. As a reward, you will receive dinner tonight."
"Gee. I'm flattered." Sekiei said sarcastically.
"Quit while you are ahead, girl," Prince Zuko warned before exiting the cell and returning to his chambers. He must think about how he could use this knowledge in his quest to capture the Avatar.
Yeah, yeah. Short, I know. But as previously stated, I'd rather do short than long. Oh, and I'm doing a little poll. I'm trying to decide whether to make it so that Zuko has never been with a girl, or that he has… coughcoughusedcoughcough girls from attacked villages. I just can't decide! So, do you want him to be completely ignorant, or just needs to learn a new way to look at it. Understand? Just leave your opinion in a review. Arigatou gozaimasu, minna-san!
