Thank you LittleFlowerLei, satsberrine, and Sunburst231 for reviewing! I'm glad you like it so far.
This chapter is a little shorter than the others but I had to leave at a good part.
Please read and review!
P.S. – Saw Howl's Moving Castle yesterday. Best movie I've seen so far this year. Go see it if you haven't yet for it is definitely worth it.
Disclaimer: I don't own it. I'd love to, but I don't.
Chapter 3 – Akumu
Fire roared like a beast.
Someone was screaming, the ear splitting cry making her cover her ears. Yells, screams, and shrieks joined the chorus as she fought her way through the crowd. She called for her dog, searching the retreating mob for him. Something knocked her down and she barely avoided being trampled to death.
A bark sounded and a furry body collided with her. Relieved, she threw her arms around him, holding him tightly.
The crowd suddenly turned as the smell of burning flesh hit their senses. She scrambled to her feet and nearly ran into a Firebender in her haste. Sunoo attacked though before he could react, ripping into his arm.
She grabbed her dog, racing around him as she sought refuge at the side. Several women of the mob behind her screamed and ran for their lives as the Firebenders cornered them. Now near her element, she whirled around while she struggled to raise a wave to put out the numerous fires.
Her concentration failed though as a small child ran by, her coat on fire. She grabbed the kid, ripping the coat off and tossing it in the water. Hissing, she clutched her hand as the new burn appeared.
More screaming hit her ears. Several Firebenders were either burning their victims to death or shoving them into the icy water. Mothers were fighting to keep their children safe as the crew of the ship were already dead.
She was losing her hold on her emotions. The boat rocked violently, sending several more people, some Firebenders, falling over the edge. The wave hit the boat again as kids were sent careening over the railing.
Her control snapped.
The boat creaked dangerously as the water pressure pushed in from all sides, cracking the hull. Water spilled in as it literally tore the boat apart, sending it lurching to one side.
Screaming, she slipped, joining her element as she hit the water hard. Coughing and sputtering, she broke the surface and floundered until she could keep herself afloat. Something else hit the water beside her and she turned, hoping to find Sunoo.
Lifeless eyes stared at her.
She shrieked, backing away from the dead body of her dog as it bobbed in the water, blood staining the blue around her. More bodies hit the water and she screamed, trying to swim away from them as fast as she could.
She was shoved under the water and floated mindlessly in the ocean. Flailing, she struggled to break the surface again.
A hand grabbed her foot, pulling her away from the shimmering light of the surface. She panicked, struggling against the grip as more grabbed a hold of her and began to drag her under. Turning, she found herself staring at mutilated corpses and dead women. She fought them still, her head hurting and spinning as she struggled until she couldn't move and they were dragging her further under –
She screamed.
Prince Zuko had been lying awake for quite some time. He would roll over every now and then, trying to find a comfortable spot on the mattress. Grunting, he flipped over, staring at the fire tapestry hanging on the wall.
The Water Tribe girl came into his mind. She was confusing to say the least. One moment she had been a smartass and the next she had been screaming because she ran into his uncle. Though he did say his uncle could be a little scary at times, it still didn't make any sense. He had run down two flights of stairs to make sure she had been all right and to be sure one of the men weren't attacking her. Had he been a fool to find it was only his uncle, comforting her with his easy going nature.
The dog was confusing as well. Each time they met up, the mutt would either growl or glare at him warningly. It was as though he knew something that the prince himself did not.
Once again, he rolled over, staring at the door now. The walls in the ship were thin and he could hear the girl through the wall as she tossed and turned. Zuko sighed and closed his eyes, wanting to fall asleep. He had to capture the Avatar soon before Admiral Zhao did.
He had begun to drift off when he heard the girl groan and her movements became more frenzied. Zuko growled and tried to ignore her long enough for him to fall asleep.
A scream echoed throughout the room.
He was on his feet before he had processed what the hell was going on. Not even bothering with a shirt, he threw open his door and was in front of hers within seconds. The Firebender nearly knocked the door down as he burst inside dressed only in a pair of pants, a ball of fire balanced in his hand. Zuko quickly searched the room and found nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
The girl screamed again, writhing on the bed. Her dog was whining, nosing her face and nipping her hand as she struggled against the blanket.
Someone ran in and he heard his uncle's voice say something about tea as he made sure there was nothing in the room. The fire disappeared from his hand as he stared at him.
Iroh had moved into the room and gently shook the girl's shoulder as she thrashed violently. "Miss Nami, please wake up. It is only a nightmare."
The girl's eyes burst open and she shot up so fast that he nearly collided with Iroh's head. She coughed and flailed, falling off the bed as the ship lurched to one side. Zuko leaned against the wall while his uncle stood calmly, watching the girl as she coughed.
"No, no, no more," she mumbled between coughs and gasps for air. "I didn't."
"Miss Nami," Iroh whispered, kneeling down to her level. "It is all right. It was a nightmare."
A soldier entered, carrying a tray with a teapot and a couple of cups. He set it down on the table and left.
Zuko watched his uncle pour the girl a cup of tea and press it against her trembling hands. "Miss Nami, please take the cup. It is one of my favorites, jasmine tea. It will help you calm down."
She was still gasping but she took the cup, her body trembling as she managed a sip. The girl's eyes shot around the room, landing on the prince as he stood awkwardly against the wall by the door. They turned to where the dog was watching her. "Sunoo," she whispered.
He whined and jumped down from the bed, pressing up against her as her arms wrapped around him. "Sunoo, you're all right, you're all right."
Iroh had poured another cup and offered it to his nephew. Zuko shook his head. Shrugging, the old man took a sip to calm his own nerves. This reminded him too much of when Zuko had woken up within the throes of flashbacks in the forms of nightmares. "Take another drink, Miss Nami."
Nami swallowed what was left. Her breathing had started to calm and her hands had stilled. The remains of the nightmare were fading and she relaxed, resting against her dog.
"Would you like to talk?" he asked, gazing at her.
She looked up at his kind face and stared down at her empty cup. Her head nodded. "It was about what happened on the ship."
The older Firebender took her cup, pouring her some more tea. He handed it back to her and she smiled in thanks.
"When we were attacked, I thought I could protect us. But they kept coming and I got scared. Sunoo got away from me and I was scared he was dead somewhere on the ship. The Fire Nation killed the crew first and came after us.
"I could hear them screaming. They were killing the women to get to the kids and I couldn't do anything. I was trying to find Sunoo but the crowd was running around me and I couldn't see anything. He found me and we escaped to the side of the ship. The Firebenders were going on some rampage and knocking people off the boat and burning them and…"
"Calm down, Miss Nami," Iroh whispered as her breathing hitched. "Take another drink."
She managed a sip before continuing. "I tried to summon a wave but I couldn't concentrate and a little girl ran by with her coat on fire. I grabbed her and took the coat off, burning my hand.
"I think I started losing control then. The water was hitting the sides hard and I couldn't think. People started falling over the side and I couldn't calm down. Sunoo was barking, I think, but I couldn't concentrate."
The tea in her cup swirled and churned, fueled by her emotions. "I think I snapped then. The boat started taking in water and I fell in the ocean then."
She shuddered, taking another drink. The tea was helping some. "But it was different. Sunoo was dead. And the dead were pulling me under and they wouldn't let go. I was scared so I screamed, hoping someone would help me." Nami gazed up at Iroh and then back down at her cup. "Thank you, sir."
"You are very welcome. You gave me quite a scare," he said with a smile. 'It looks like I was not the only one either,' he thought, giving Zuko, who hadn't moved from his spot on the wall, a glance. He stood up, stretching out his sore back. "Now I believe it is time for me to be getting back into bed." Iroh yawned and placed his cup back on the tray. She returned hers as well, petting her dog absentmindedly.
He smiled down at her, taking the tray. "Good night, Miss Nami. I hope you sleep better now."
"I am sure I will, sir. Thank you again." She watched him leave and remembered that the prince was still there. Nami gazed at him, trying to decipher what he was thinking. As soon as Iroh left though, he stood straight and crossed his arms over his chest.
The girl seemed to be relaxed with him at the moment. He gave her a slight glare and left the room as quickly as he could.
This was more trouble than it was worth.
Even with his lack of sleep, Zuko still woke up at the same time, right as dawn broke. Groaning, he rose and dragged on his training outfit. He noticed that the room next to him was quiet.
He frowned, thinking of what had happened last night. That wave hadn't hit them of pure coincidence.
Shaking his head, he left his room and began to make his way to the training room a floor up.
A door behind him opened and he heard his uncle's footsteps. "Good morning, Prince Zuko."
"Good morning, Uncle," he greeted.
"Why don't you join me in the meditation room for a moment before your training." He smiled as his nephew stiffened. "It would do you some good now and then to say what's on your mind."
The prince snorted but gave a nod. Iroh walked besides the prince, smiling good naturedly like he always did in the morning.
It made him frustrated how his uncle was a morning person and he was not.
The meditation room was two floors up from the quarters and three doors to the left. Impatiently, he knelt on the floor before the table as his uncle lowered himself carefully.
"So," Iroh said as he settled himself. "What is on your mind, Prince Zuko?"
He frowned, glaring at his uncle. "Nothing."
"Nothing? You can not have 'nothing' on the mind, Prince Zuko." Iroh took a deep breath. "It is the girl, isn't it?" When his nephew nodded, the older man smiled. "Ah, she's quite a Waterbender, isn't she?"
"That wave wasn't a coincidence but she didn't summon it either," he said, trying to place how it happened.
"It was her," Iroh confirmed. "I've only seen such raw power from you, Prince Zuko."
"But how? Waterbending takes concentration and she was not trying to summon that wave," he complained, lost in thought.
"Ah, Prince Zuko. You should know the answer to that." When he gave his uncle a questioning look, he explained, "You see, Prince Zuko, sometimes your emotions bottle up and you release them in your Firebending. Miss Nami's Waterbending, however, requires thinking and complete concentration. But when she becomes very distressed, like she was last night, her emotions are released to the water and the water acts like she does. If she is calm, the water is calm. If she is angry or scared, the water fights back for her, even if it ends up killing her." Iroh sighed. "It would be best to make sure she is calm on her stay here. Miss Nami could very well crack this hull if she becomes upset enough."
"She can not have that much power!" he cried, staring at his uncle in disbelief.
"No, but her emotions are strong," his uncle clarified. "And her emotions fuel her Waterbending." He shifted on the floor and gave his nephew another smile. "Anything else?"
"No," he answered, standing. Zuko gave his uncle a slight bow before he left, heading for the training room now.
He was about to finally enter the training room when he heard someone coming up the stairs. It couldn't be the captain, he was already upstairs.
"This ship is confusing, Sunoo."
"Not again," he groaned quietly.
She appeared at the top of the stairs before he could slip into the room. "Prince Zuko," she said in greeting. Her dog growled at him once again. "We are sort of lost," she admitted.
He glared at her.
"Can you tell us where the meditation room is?" she asked, giving him a small smile. "Please?"
The tic appeared again and he glared harder, trying to get her to go away. She stared him down though and that mutt helped. "Go to the next level; it's the third door on the left."
She gave him a bright smile. "Thank you!" she chirped, brushing past him.
Zuko slammed the door to the training room. He really hated her.
His mission wasn't over yet. He still had to find a way to make it work.
He had opposed this mission in the beginning. It would never work. But he had to complete his task before he could rest in peace with the others. If he failed, it would be the end.
So he sat, waiting for the most opportune time to make his move. He had to make this work. The world was counting on him like they were counting on the Avatar. His job seemed harder though.
This mission had to go successfully. He would work on it until he died, only to be reborn again to complete the task at hand. Things had to go smoothly and he would risk anything to make sure they did.
Even if it meant he had to die to complete the mission.