After the healer came to see how Tatiana's burn was holding up she was sent back too the brig with Sokka and Katara.
The door too the brig creaked open and Tatiana was half thrown and half lowered too the floor. Sokka sprang up from his seat on the crate and ran too Tatiana.
"Are you alright?" he asked as he helped her up. A large burn mark was showing above the top of her shirt. "What did they do to you?" he couldn't help asking as his eyes rested on the burn mark. It looked as if needles had been poked into her shoulder.
"I'm fine, just a burn," she said.
"I've never seen a burn mark like that before," Katara said as she walked over.
"It was from my comb, don't worry the healer saw too it," Tatiana said as she made to cover it up.
"They burned you with your own comb! They'll pay, they'll-" Sokka began.
"No, it wasn't all their fault," she said only half believing it. Well they didn't jump to fling it off of you did they? She thought as she fought the urge to cry. She was scared, she was cold, and despite the fact that Katara and Sokka showed great friendship qualities she was lonely.
Sokka looked like he wanted to press the matter but saw the tears in her eyes and went to sit on his crate again. Katara looked solemnly at Tatiana, All of this just to keep Aang safe, she thought, and she hasn't even met him yet. The burn looked painful and Katara guessed that the burn went even further than the skin, Tatiana's comb wasn't with her anymore.
Lightning flashed in the clouds as Aang scanned the sea below him, keeping Appa hidden in the steely grey clouds. Momo was perched on his shoulder, "Come on boy, we have to save Katara and Sokka," he said as he patted the giant bison's head. Appa groaned and dove into the cloud above him.
Momo screeched and pointed downwards. Aang looked down, "Good job Momo," he said and patted Momo's head. Appa groaned. "You too Appa," he added.
Below, on the ship fire benders swarmed over the deck helping to keep the ship on course. "There they are, yip yip," he said tapping Appa's reigns. Unseen in the flurry of the clouds Appa dove down towards the water. Momo screeched as the water splashed him and jumped on Aang's head.
"Come on Momo, I'll need your help finding Katara and Sokka," he lifted Momo off of his head and put him on his shoulder again. "Stay here boy," he said too Appa. Aang looked up at the ship and blew so hard on Appa's back that he and Momo were propelled up onto the ship.
Aang looked down at the deck, it seemed like almost all of the crew was on deck securing the anchor. He picked up Momo and made him look into his face. "Go find Sokka and Katara," he said. Momo trilled and sped off down the ladder. Aang looked down at the deck again to make sure all attention was directed elsewhere and jumped down onto the other side of the crates. He looked both ways and then began looking for any sign of Sokka or Katara.
Momo sped off down the ladder and wound around the other side of the captains room where Prince Zuko and his uncle sat. Momo ran around them and down another ladder too the deck. He looked around sniffing. He could smell Katara and Sokka. He ran too a small window embedded into the bottom of the floor and looked in. Three people were inside, Katara, Sokka and some other girl.
He trilled softly sticking his head in the window, Katara looked up.
"Momo!" she cried and jumped up.
"What?" said Tatiana as she saw two lime green eyes staring down at her.
"It's Momo! Momo where's Aang?" asked Katara. Momo looked down at her and threw a pebble at Sokka's head.
"Ow!" Sokka said patting his head, a small red spot was on his forehead where the pebble had hit it.
"Listen Momo! Go and get Aang!" Katara said standing on her tip toes next too the wall. Momo trilled and ran down the ship and up the ladder.
"Relax, Prince Zuko. You are too young to have so many-" Iroh said as he set a cup of tea in front of Prince Zuko. Prince Zuko lifted the tea to his mouth, Momo ran by behind his Uncle's head. Zuko spat his tea out on the table and stood up, interrupting his uncle in mid lecture.
"The Avatar's lemur!" he yelled. "Get too the prisoners!" he yanked open the door and nearly fell down the stairs as he slipped on his tea.
Momo found Aang a little way away from the brig. He yanked on Aang's sleeve and pointed in the direction of the window. Aang raced towards the brig window.
"Katara Sokka! Hurry grab my hand!" he shouted above the roaring of the wind.
"Aang!" Katara yelled. Sokka gave her a hand up too the window. Tatiana looked up from her knees.
"Come on Tatiana!" Sokka yelled as Aang grabbed Katara's hands and pulled her through the small window. Aang reached his hands through the window again.
"Come on Sokka we don't have much time," he said. Footsteps were heard outside the door. Aang used air bending to send Sokka up too his hands. Katara helped Aang pull Sokka out.
"Wait! Tatiana's still down there!" Sokka yelled sticking his head and arms back into the window. The door burst open and fire steamed in along with Prince Zuko. Tatiana jumped to grab Sokka's hands. Aang sent another air current down that lifted Tatiana a little. Her fingers linked with Sokka's and she felt herself being grabbed. Then suddenly she felt the heated hands of a fire bender around her torso and neck.
"TATIANA!" Sokka yelled as he felt her fingers slip through his and saw Zuko grab her.
"The girl for the Avatar!" Zuko yelled and Tatiana saw a jet of fire shoot towards the window.
"Sokka!" she yelled, but Sokka was pulled back by two pairs of hands.
"We'll come back," Katara whispered in Sokka's ear as Aang ran towards the edge of the boat and jumped off. Katara dragged Sokka by the shirt too the edge of the boat where Aang helped them onto Appa. Sokka looked back down silently at the ship.
"Yip Yip!" Aang yelled over the shout of the wind. Appa sped off into the clouds.
Zuko and Tatiana were left in the brig by their selves. The wind howled and the brig door slammed shut. Tatiana stared at the spot where Sokka had been, the Prince let her go and stepped back too the door. Tatiana didn't know whether to slap the Prince for capturing her and risk the chance of him hitting her back or break down and cry.
The Prince growled and tried too open the door from the inside. It was locked, he blew steam from his mouth and glared down at the Earth nation girl.
"It's locked and you can't get out," she said walking over too the other side of the brig and sitting stubbornly down, burying her head in her knees as thunder roared. He stopped glaring and let the door go, the Avatar would come back. The girl knew him or he would not have tried to save her…
The girl looked up at him, "You've already killed my family, and most of my friends. Why don't you just kill me too so I won't have to feel anything anymore!" she yelled at him. Zuko looked at her sharply, and to his surprise she was crying. Her tears were leaving tracks on her face. "Kill me! Just kill me now you dirty Fire Bender!" she yelled at him throwing an apple core at him. It bounced off of his armor and landed on the floor. Normally he would have punished her for being so disrespectful to him, but for some reason he hindered himself from hurting a crying female.
"You should learn to speak with respect," he said. She looked up at him through shocking green eyes, her hair tangling without her comb.
"You should learn how to treat people! You've already hurt me, just kill me already! You will anyway so just do it right now!" she said as she once again buried her face in her knees and shook with tears. She didn't care anymore, she was scared, cold, wet, tired, and burned. And it was currently all of Prince Zuko's fault.
"How is it my fault, I'm sure that I haven't been anywhere near your village in my life except for just a few days ago," he snapped. She continued to cry. This is what I get for bringing girls on my ship, he thought as he walked over too her.
"Go away and leave me alone! I hate you! Get away from me!" she said as she slapped at him. Prince Zuko gritted his teeth as she punched him hard in the knee.
"Calm down," he commanded her and grabbed her wrists to stop her from slapping him.
"Why should I? Why should I do anything that you tell me to do? I don't like you and more so you're a fire bender!" Tatiana felt like beating him senseless. Everything was his fault. If he hadn't captured her and ordered her to stay in the brig with Sokka and made her like him then this all wouldn't have happened.
"Stop it!" he yelled at her as she started to sob again. She collapsed at his knees with her arms around his shins. The ship stopped rocking so hard. Zuko grimaced as the door opened and he saw his uncle and several other members of his crew. He shot his uncle a look that clearly said 'get me out of here.' Iroh sent his nephew a questioning glance at the crying girl wrapped around his shins.
"Just, fine give her a spare room," he said. Tatiana looked up at him again, she had stopped crying. Zuko stepped carefully out of her arms and walked back too the door. Tatiana wiped her eyes and made a half hearted attempt to stifle her sniffs. The guards made to pick her up.
"No, she can walk," Zuko said over his shoulder. They led her too a room at the bottom of the ship. As soon as they entered the room Tatiana collapsed on the bed and went too sleep. Zuko stopped one of his soldiers with a hand on his shoulder.
"Stay and make sure she doesn't hurt herself," he whispered in his ear. The guard nodded. The girl is clearly suicidal, he thought too himself as he made his way back to his own room.
(It appears that our heroine has had a bit of an emotional break down here. Well don't hate me for torturing her, things will get better.-crouching bunny.)
