Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The last Airbender because my lawyer went on his lunch break.
I sat on the railing of the ship, my normal spot. I stared at the now-setting sun. I had been on Zuko's ship for almost a week. Aang, Katara, and Sokka would be reaching the North Pole in about two days. Because of a storm we never made it to the random island we were going to. So now we are going in some random direction and following some random path.
I still hadn't told Zuko about what you could call my past. He knew nothing about me. To him, my life was a mystery. To me, everything he knew was a lie. It was killing me inside. I wasn't one to lie to my friends, if Zuko could be called a friend. He only tries to kill me once every day. But, of course he has a reason to: my little games, or soaking him with water.
I leaned backwards, now hanging upside down on the railing. I reached my hands towards the water, but it was still about ten feet below me. I didn't see fourteen feet as a big jump when we went swimming, but now it looked pretty big. So I sat up to see Zuko walking towards me. I guess now would be a good time to tell him, seeing as how I am already on the railing and he won't have to lift me up to throw me off the ship when he got mad.
He walked up next to me and leaned on the railing, looking at the water. Neither of us said anything for a while. I was trying to decide how to tell him about the actual me and he was probably thinking about how crazy his uncle is. I didn't feel like checking.
I sighed. "Everything is a lie."
"What?" He looked confused. I would be too.
"My whole life. Everything you know is a lie." I never looked up at him. I stared at the deck of the ship.
He asked reluctantly, "What do you mean?"
"I don't know how I can waterbend. I don't know why I am here." He almost laughed.
"Well, your parents were waterbenders and they had-."
I glared at him. "I know THAT. I know HOW I am here. Just not why." He didn't say anything so I continued, "I'm not from this world. Not from this dimension. I knew who you were. And Aang and Katara and Sokka. I knew he was the Avatar. And what I told you about them –that they were jerks- that was a lie too."
He seemed mad but let me continue. He knew I wasn't finished. "I don't know how I got here. I was sitting in my house and I closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes I was falling from the sky and into this world."
"Why?" He finally spoke. "Why didn't you tell me? You knew who I was? How?"
He was angry and hurt. I'm not sure which one was the dominant emotion and didn't plan on finding out incase it was anger. "You wouldn't understand exactly. I was basically sucked through a household appliance." He gave me an odd look. He shook his head sadly. At least I wasn't shark food.
"You lied." He started to walk towards the door that leads below deck.
I called after him, "I'll leave at the next port. I'll try to find my way home. I'll leave you and you can forget this ever happened. You can go back on your search for the avatar and I'll hopefully find someone as nice as you to take me in. I don't think I'll ever make it back home." He had stopped around the middle of my second sentence and listened.
He looked back at me and shook his head. I don't know what exactly he was telling me, but I didn't have time to ask. He walked below deck to his room. I went to mine and fell into a restless sleep.
------
I sat up in bed and looked out the window. It was around noon. I could tell from the position of the sun. I didn't leave my bed. I intended on staying in my room he whole day and not coming out until we reached the next port.
I stared at the ceiling thinking about the day before. I was in such deep thought I didn't notice someone had come in until they spoke. "You missed breakfast and lunch. I thought you might be hungry." I looked at the retired general that was standing in the doorway.
I shook my head, "No thanks. I'm not very hungry right now." I really wasn't and probably wouldn't be for a while. Usually when I was this upset I would curl into a fetal position and not eat for the day. I was making progress seeing as how I wasn't curled up into a ball.
"Did something happen yesterday? My nephew hasn't been himself lately. Hasn't even given orders yet today. No yelling either." Iroh looked like he was in deep thought, his hand stroking his beard.
"I told him the truth." I rolled onto my side, my back facing Iroh. He got the hint and didn't press any further. He sighed and left the room.
I stared at the wall until I turned over and looked out the window. The sun was setting. I had just missed dinner too. Oh well, I'll live. Molly jumped onto my bed and purred as I stroked her fur. She likes to hide under my bed for most of the day so I wasn't surprised at her sudden appearance.
I knew exactly what I would do tomorrow. I wouldn't sleep tonight, miss breakfast tomorrow, shower and eat a late lunch. Now was one of those times when you need a gallon of ice cream and a friend. I didn't have that right now and Katara was too far away, plus this was Zuko's ship. She couldn't come here. And I didn't have ice cream.
This was going to be a long night. Molly knew this and decided she was going to sleep and leave me all alone in this huge room to think by-my-self. Nice of her, huh? Well, you can't exactly expect her to stay awake all night.
I looked out the window. It was almost midnight. Time sure does pass fast when you're thinking. I quietly opened the door and stepped into the deserted hallway. I quickly walked to the galley. When I got there I searched a freezer for ice cream. Damn this ship. No ice cream. At least they had cookies. I grabbed a handful of chocolate chip cookies and headed towards the deck.
I opened the door that leads out to the deck. Just my luck I dropped a cookie. "Damnit." I picked up the cookie and tossed it over the railing. I looked up and saw the one person I really didn't want to see. Zuko was leaning against the railing looking quite amused at my cookie-handling skills. I frowned and turned to go back inside. I didn't mind actually. It was getting cold and I was in shorts and a tank top. Not the best outfit for cold weather.
"Where are you going?" I stopped and turned around to look at him. He was speaking to me?
"Inside. It's cold out here."
I turned to leave, yet again, and was stopped by his voice. "I'm not mad." I turned to look at him.
"Why?"
"You told me the truth. I just got mad because I didn't like it." I nodded, still a little shocked he wasn't mad.
"Yeah, but I lied. And I still have a question for you."
"Ok. What is it?"
"Why aren't you still looking for Aang?"
He thought for a minute before answering. "I don't really know. I feel like I don't need to. Ever since you've been here I feel like I don't need to. I really don't know why."
I smiled. Maybe I could get him to help Aang. If I stayed with him maybe he would help us. All of us. Us being the whole world. "If you feel you don't need to capture him, why not help him? He needs you. He needs to learn firebending and you are the only person I know that could teach him."
He looked at me. I expected him to be mad at me for suggesting such a thing. Oh, and I was still eating my cookies. They help. "You're right." I almost choked on the cookie. That was the last thing I expected him to say. "If I helped him we could defeat my father. I would be fire lord and the world would be safe."
"I'm glad you see it my way." I turned to walk inside. I was turning into a block of ice now, I think.
"Can you contact them? Let them know we will be waiting in the earth kingdom. While we are there he can learn earthbending and firebending. Then we will still have time to gather an army and it will be time for the comet to come." I smiled and hugged him.
"Thank you." He tensed for a second but relaxed soon enough. "Good night." I walked away, this time I would get under the deck and he wouldn't stop me.
I walked into my room and lay down on my bed.
Aang? Are you awake?
I am now.
Sorry.
It's ok. What do you want?
Good, no great news!
What is it?
We are going to meet you in the earth kingdom. I have some how changed Zuko and he is going to teach you firebending!
No way.
Yes way.
Wow.
I know.
I just woke Katara and told her. She is jumping up and down. Sokka is now awake and mad.
Oops. Well, I'll see you soon. Night and sorry for waking you.
It's ok. This news was worth it. Night.
I smiled to myself and fell into a peaceful sleep.
------
I know, this chappie is a little shorter. Sorry. Major writers block. R&R
