I originally had another version of this chapter, but I decided I didn't like it and wrote this one instead. Maybe at the end I'll post the first version, which is actually very good, it just doesn't quite fit with what I had in mind. I'll only post it if you people really want to read it. Oh, and on a personal note, I DROPPED MY IPOD IN THE SINK! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Prince Zuko stood on deck and watched as the city of Omashu grew steadily closer. "Ready the catapults!" he ordered his men. As they rushed to obey his instructions, Uncle Iroh made his way through the crowd to stand beside his nephew.
"Are you sure you are not getting in over your head, Prince Zuko?" Uncle Iroh asked.
"Yes, Uncle. That girl is the key to my success."
Uncle Iroh stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I just do not want to you to get your hopes up, Prince Zuko. No disrespect intended, but you have not been entirely successful in the past…"
Prince Zuko whipped around and glared at his uncle. "That was before!" he snarled.
Uncle Iroh held up his hands. "Forgive me, Prince Zuko." He turned around and began walking away. "If you require my assistance, I will be in my quarters enjoying a soothing cup of ginseng tea…"
Prince Zuko sighed and rolled his eyes. Uncle and his tea…
A soldier came beside the prince and saluted. "Catapults ready and awaiting your orders, my lord."
"Very good, soldier. Stand by."
"Yes, sir!" The soldier saluted again and rushed off to carry the orders to the other men.
When Prince Zuko judged the city to be within good distance, raised his arm and shouted, "Fire!"
The men set the catapult jelly on fire and launched it into the air, where it struck Omashu's walls with a loud explosion. There were screams from inside the city, and soldiers in the Earth Kingdom uniform scurried around to take shelter and prepare their counter. The stone walls held, however. "Keep firing!" Prince Zuko ordered. He turned and started walking in the direction of the cells. A soldier came up to him and saluted. "Sir, may I ask where you are going?"
"To get the girl. We will be going into the city to retrieve the Avatar. Get a boat ready for departure."
"Yes, sir!" The soldier rushed off to do as instructed, and Prince Zuko resumed his path. In the prison hold he entered Sekiei's cell and grabbed her roughly by the arm. "You are coming with me. Get up."
She glared at him, but stood nonetheless. "You're attacking Omashu, aren't you?"
"That is no business of yours."
"You're a horrible person."
"Shut your mouth, or you will regret speaking out of turn."
She stopped talking and allowed herself to be led to the boat that had been prepared without resisting, although she continued to glare.
Prince Zuko, Sekiei, and several men boarded the small vessel, and they rowed their way to the shore. They reached the front gates of the city, where several guards blocked their way and brandished spears at them.
"Leave now and we will not kill you!" One of the soldiers ordered.
"Is that so?" Prince Zuko lunged and kicked the guard in the ribs, hurling him off the cliffs that lined either side of the path. He fell down the dark chasm, and his scream echoed up the sides.
"You bastard..!" The other guard yelled and lunged at the Prince, who calmly dodged and punched him in the stomach. The man fell with an "oomph!" clutching his stomach.
Prince Zuko turned to Sekiei. "Open the gates, girl!" he ordered.
Sekiei glared at him hatefully. "I need my hands free to bend," she spat out.
Prince Zuko nodded. "Very well. Untie her!" As a soldier cut her bonds, Prince Zuko gripped her shoulders tightly to prevent her from escaping. She raised her hands, and the enormous stone gates slowly grated open, revealing a long passage, for the walls were very thick.
"Very good," Prince Zuko said. He started forward with Sekiei, whose hands had been rebound, and his men followed behind them. Inside the city, Prince Zuko turned to his men. "Search every house and road! Find the Avatar by any means necessary!"
His men spread out, burning anything that could be burned, since most of the houses were carved from the rock. Smoke began curling upward in curtains, and civilians raced around in a screaming panic. Amidst the chaos, Prince Zuko began his own search, bringing Sekiei along with him. "Girl, where is the Avatar most likely to be?"
"I don't know. Try the palace. The guards are all at the walls, and the king is just a shriveled old man." Sekiei responded.
Prince Zuko frowned. She had given away that information all too easily… She must be up to something. "You had better not be lying to me, girl," he warned.
"Cross my heart and hope you die."
Prince Zuko's eye twitched. "I have warned you to watch what you say. My patience is wearing thin."
Her response was to stick out her tongue.
Prince Zuko slammed her against the stone wall with a crunch. "I am tired of your attitude, girl. Do not antagonize me again."
He released her, and she stumbled forward. By the time she found her balance Prince Zuko had already turned, and she was forced to follow him. They walked higher and higher along the mountain, and the palace grew closer and larger. It was not long before the two arrived at the front door of the palace. Two sentries stood guard outside.
Prince Zuko walked up to the gate. "Bring me the Avatar," he demanded.
"Fire nation!" One of the guards hissed. He drew his sword and lunged at the Prince, but was knocked away as easily as the guards at the city gate were. The second guard pulled out a whistle and blew a high, shrill note. Prince Zuko spun around and knocked the guard back with a wave of fire, throwing him back against the palace wall and stopping him mid-breath.
But the fight had taken too long. A wave of soldiers streamed out of the palace and surrounded Prince Zuko and Sekiei. Prince Zuko held them back with a circle of fire, but the guards were trained earth benders and they shielded themselves from the heat with slabs of stone pulled from the ground. Bars of earth surrounded the two, trapping them in a cage of rock. Prince Zuko kicked the bars with all his strength, but they gave not an inch. "Arrrrrgh!" He growled.
The leader of the guards stood in front of the cage and glared triumphantly at his captives. "Inform the king that we have captured two fire nation intruders," he ordered one of his soldiers. The man raced off, and the leader turned again to his prisoners. "The king will decide your fate."
Wow. My longest chapter yet. But I don't feel happy… sniff MY POOR IPOD!
