Avatar: The Last Airbender is not my creation, the people at the Nickelodeon Studios created it, but that will not stop me from making my own little episodes of excitement and romance.
The only thing I own is the plot on your screen. If you plan to take my ideas and put them into your own fanfic, claiming to be your own mind that thought them up, get a hobby. Plagiarism is wrong, don't do it!
She stood there for a moment, her mouth slightly agape and her heart beating faster than usually. "I--I'm..." she stammered nervously, her mind wanting to apologize for her hurtful mistake. "Zuko, I'm--" Katara dropped her gaze when he saw anger beginning to cloud his golden eyes. She closed her mouth and eyes and walked past him, deciding that an embarrassment per day was good enough. But she still couldn't ignore the fact that she felt utterly horrible. No one, not even Prince Zuko deserves being told that he was not (or ever going to be) loved.
Her body flinched when she heard the metal door slam behind her. Yep, he's angry, an inner voice commmented lightheartedly. The waterbender drooped her shoulders and walked to the deck railing, sighing in guilt when she heard her cold words echo in her head. I don't love Prince Zuko. And I never will.
Never say never, would be Aang's witty comeback. Never say never - small phrase, large meaning.
She leaned heavily on the metal railing and peered at the ocean below. White sea foam splashed on the long curving bow of the ship and to her left a pair of dolphins swam playfully. Katara sighed. Such a pretty sight but under the circumstances of her situation, she was deprived of smiling. Her eyes wondered north and fell upon an oncoming black triangle.
She gasped. That was no triangle, that was a ship. She squinted and leaned forward, her body bending over the metal edge. "Oh no," she breathed when she recognized the vessel as a Fire Navy Ship.
Zuko walked over to Iroh and stood over him, anger beginning to well up inside him. "Why did she say that, Uncle? What were you guys talking about?" he asked, his tone of voice low and menacing.
"It was my fault entirely, Prince Zuko. I made a small comment about you two and she took it the wrong way." The general took a drink of his tea and smiled. "I don't blame her though, I was a bit impersonal about the whole thing."
"Exactly how 'impersonal' was this comment?" he asked, beginning to wonder what sort of mindless query his uncle could have thought of to anger Katara and him.
"I, well, you see, I told that I thought--er, knew that you care about her." He shut his eyes upon seeing his nephew furrow his brow in apparant annoyance.
"You said what?" the Prince yelled, his hands beginning to emit smoke. Iroh stayed silent. "You said WHAT?" He passed his hands over his face and paced within the room. "What in the world made you even consider that I concern myself over that woman?"
"Don't question the acts of the wise Prince Zuko--"
"Wise? You think that what you did was wise?" He threw a ball of flame at the ground. "You have probably embarrassed me in front of that peasant and caused her to think that I actually do care about her."
"And you don't?"
"How dare you even ask me that? Of course n--"
"Prince Zuko, do not answer me with lies."
Zuko growled and stormed towards his uncle. "I am the Prince of the Fire Nation! I will lie when I please."
Iroh smirked. "So you admit it. You did lie."
The young teenager clenched his teeth together. "You are twisting my words to your pleasing and I will not allow it. I did not lie to you!"
You most certainly did, purred an unfamilar voice.
Zuko shook the unreasonable statement out of his mind. "I don't want you to bring this up anymore, understand me?" He turned his face away from his uncle when he saw him smirk knowingly.
"Bring what up?" Iroh asked teasingly and sipped a bit of tea.
"About feelings."
"For Katara?" Iroh smiled when he saw his nephew squirm at the question. This was probably more enjoyable than the girl's fit. Ah, young love.
"Yes!"
"Well, how do you feel about her? Do you hate her?"
His immediate answer was yes, he hated her. But then, small but significant questions followed. Why? Why do you hate her? And he found himself lost and regretting his first response. No, he thought. I don't hate her.
So you love her?
His eyes narrowed at the wall. No, he most certainly did not love her. He would never love a water peasant. Not in a million years.
But he didn't hate her. He found that he couldn't hate her. And his mind began to process the possibility that it was impossible for anyone to hate such a creature. Because yes, she was annoying and poor but she wasn't hateful. She wasn't ugly. She wasn't materialistic.
She's almost the perfect woman.
"Are you still here?"
Prince Zuko snapped out of his daze and noticed his uncle standing before him, an old fragile hand on his shoulder. The boy furrowed his brow and shrugged off his uncle's hand as he turned his back on the general. "I don't hate her," he whispered resolutely.
"I see," Iroh hummed and returned to his seat. "That's good. Hating people will get you nowhere in life."
"But I don't love her either," Zuko added quickly, his voice tinged with frustration.
An awkward silence fell over the room as the old man stared his his nephew.
Are you sure you don't love her? I've noticed that you've taken a liking to imagining her naked, the strange voice mocked and laughed.
It was an involuntary action. She was there. I couldn't not think about it. But that doesn't mean that I love her.
But you do think she's attractive, yes?
That's besides the point.
Is it?
Yes.
No, I don't think it is. I think that you're just avoiding the facts.
And what would those facts be?
You love her.
"Is everything alright Prince Zuko? You seem a little off today."
"It's nothing uncle," The firebender said, feeling foolish for arguing with himself. "I'm just thinking about the Avatar, that's all."
Of course, the Avatar.
Katara panicked as she hesitated between moving from her place or telling Zuko that anther Fire Navy Ship was coming. I shouldn't interrupt them.
But what if this is important?
Ugh, he's going to be even more angry, she feared as she walked toward the small room where she knew that Prince Zuko and Iroh were in. She took a deep breath and knocked the door.
Iroh opened the door and smiled when he saw that it was Katara. "Hello, what see--"
Zuko interfered between Katara and his uncle. "What is it?" he exclaimed angrily. Her mind went blank when she saw his expression. A mixture between anger and…hurt? She snapped out of it and responded with a shy look in her eyes, "A Fire Navy Ship is coming our way, I just thought you should know."
He looked past her in worry. Admiral Zhao. "Go to your room and stay there."
"My room?"
"Where you were before you came into my room. Stay there, until I go to get you. Understand?"
Katara nodded and walked away. Prince Zuko informed his uncle and went to his room to put on his armor. He had to get ready, incase Admiral Zhao wanted some sort of confrontation.
It wasn't long before the Admiral's ship approached Zuko's. "Stop the engines," he yelled across the giant boat.
As both ships came face to face, Admiral Zhao and Prince Zuko exchanged looks. Zhao boarded the prince's vessel and bowed his head slightly. "Good day, Prince Zuko."
"What do you want?" Zuko furrowed his brow.
"I just came to see if you have any news about the Avatar."
"I have captured his friend. The Avatar should come at any time to rescue her--"
"Her? You captured a girl? Hahaha. A girl. What makes you think that the Avatar will rescue her. If anything, you took the nagging of a girl off his shoulders," he laughed. "Bring her out here. Let me see her," he circled the Prince. "Another failed plan."
"Shut up! This will work. I know it! Guards, bring the girl!"
Immediately they brought Katara out to the deck, and pushed her between the two men. She stood there, afraid. She glanced at Prince Zuko before looking down. Admiral Zhao looked at her up and down, and smiled. He circled her like a vulture, waiting for his prey to die. "What is your name?"
"Katara."
"Where are you from?"
"The water tribe," she mumbled.
"Are you a Waterbender?"
"Yes."
"A Waterbender. You must be proud, being one of the last Waterbenders in the world. But it won't be long before they are all gone just like the Airbenders. What is your relationship with the Avatar?"
"We're friends," she whispered.
Admiral Zhao laughed and slapped her, watching her fall to the ground. "Speak louder!" he ordered.
"Don't touch her!" Prince Zuko yelled stepping between the Admiral and the girl.
"Oh? Don't tell me that you've got feelings now? Not only are you a traitor and a failure, but a weak piece of nothing. You will never succeed." He walked over to Katara and stood her up. "So, you and the Avatar are friends? Interesting. It's not common for a woman"--he looked at her body--"to travel alone with a man."
"I travel with my brother and Aa--The Avatar is only twelve years old," she said looking at him with disgust.
Admiral Zhao pushed her. "Speaking without being spoken, too? Not only are you impure but dishonorable too. Prince Zuko, send this girl to my room during the night. I want to question her closely. And you'll be wise to do as I say," he warned while walking away.
Katara looked at him in revulsion and turned around to face Prince Zuko. "You're not going to make me go to his room, right?" He looked past her, ignoring her words. "Right? Please, I'll do anything but that. I'm sorry for everything awful I've done to you, but--"
"If he says he wants you over there, there is nothing I can do," he said coldly.
She gasped. "The Prince of the Fire Nation can't do anything about it?Yes you can but you're just rancorous. Please, Prince Zuko, don't let him-- don't make me. I'm sorry. Don't do this to me. Have pity for once."
He looked fiercely in her eyes, "Enough! You will go and that's final. I will personally escort you over there!.Leave me alone."
She set her hands on his shoulders and whispered, "I'll do anything. Anything. Just don't--"
"Anything?" he whispered back. "Are you sure about that," he smirked.
Katara frowned and pushed him away. "Men are all the same."
"Then it's decided. I will take you to Admiral Zhao, and may he have mercy on you."
"I hate you. You have no idea how much I do. Hate you with all my heart. I hope you--" she caught herself before she said something she knew she'd regret.
"Die? You hope I die?" Prince Zuko frowned.
"No. I hope you live a long and miserable life, and believe me, that's worse than dying," Katara turned her back on him. "There's nothing sadder than a miserable life."
"Like you would know," Zuko whispered indignantly.
"I do," and she walked away.
"Sokka! I just got word that Zuko's ship is going to arrive in four days!" Aang yelled across the small room they were staying in.
"Really? Finally! I'm sick of waiting here, I feel like I'm not doing anything!"
"Well, you aren't. But that's beside the point. Got the plan down?"
"Yes, yes," Sokka said, rolling his eyes. "But all I care about, is if Katara's okay. Even if I just see her for a moment and know that she's okay, I'm fine."
"Me, too. I miss her a lot though. Hah, I miss the way she yells at you, and how she pushes you around and how--"
"I get it! You miss her. You love her. Yadda yadda yadda."
Aang blushed, "I don't love her. I mean, I do, but not like that."
"Are you sure? What if one day you saw her kissing some guy, would you get angry?"
"No! And she wouldn't, because she's not like that!" Aang got up and grabbed his staff.
"See? And how would you know if she does that or not. Besides, if anyone knows Katara, it's me."
Aang started walking out of the room, a little angry, "I'm gonna go practice my air bending. You listen around to see if you hear anything about Prince Zuko."
"Aang, I didn't mean that she does go around kissing guys, I was just say--"
"I think you've said enough," Aang said and he walked out.
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