A/N: Sorry it took so long! Been busy! Thanks for the reviews!
The quiet of the ship was like a silent lullaby to the still sleeping sailors of the Fire Nation fleet. Each ship was swiftly awoken in a moment for breakfast, shaking each solider from his (or her) dreams.
Kaida had been fast asleep on her bunk in her empty room below deck. The wake up call rang out and she jumped and fell right off her bed with a loud thud.
"Ow…that was painful." She pulled herself up and began to ready herself properly. She tied her long, blonde hair up in a tight bun, almost mechanically without thinking. She shook off a yawn, pulled on her shoes, and made her way to the door.
A soldier on his way to eat noticed a seemingly empty room with the door slightly open. He took the liberty of kindly shutting the heavy metal door for the absent occupant.
Kaida felt the door slam right in her face. "OW...Great, now the door hates me." She made sure her face as still in tact, then pulled the door open and left. She wandered the hallways that had already emptied of people. "Now which way was it again? Goodness, why do I always forget?" She quickly rounded a corner and ran into something hard.
Kaida looked up to see Prince Zuko staring down with a questionable look. She felt her face grow hot in embarrassment. "Uh, I uh…s-sorry sir." She smiled sheepishly and backed up.
He kept walking, and ignored her with a frown. He passed right by his uncle, who attempted to greet him a good morning. The prince felt his cheeks grow hot as he turned the corner. 'What's wrong with me,' he thought to himself as he glared down at the stuff on his plate that was supposed to resemble food. He grimaced at the thought of eating it.
Uncle Iroh greeted Kaida warmly and walked with her to the galley. He noticed she seemed down, and questioned her about it. "Something troubling you?"
"Hm? Oh, no sir." She stared at the ground and continued on. Above deck, angry dark clouds were gathering in the sky, and the tide was getting rough.
The day dragged on, and the weather worsened. Iroh had noticed his nephew lashing out at sailors for making the smallest mistakes. His temper was on edge and people knew it. Zuko stalked about the ship angrily, ignoring the choppy waves that rocked the boat, throwing everyone off balance. Zuko himself had been knocked off balance by a strong wave and felt someone catch his arm, stopping his fall. He tore their grip and turned to see Kaida staring back.
"What do you think you're doing?" He yelled at her with a sharp glare.
Kaida was taken aback. "I'm s-sorry sir. I just wanted to help-"
"I don't need your help!" He roared, making faces turn all over the deck. Zuko gave her a look she flinched at.
Kaida slowly backed away and made her way below deck in a flash. She ran right into Uncle Iroh, who had a look as if he wanted to talk. The two sat in the empty galley, Iroh had a steaming cup of tea in front of him.
"I just wanted to help…" Kaida looked at the table bitterly. She could not understand why someone would want to fall on that hard deck.
"You know, my nephew is not the type to accept help. Even from me." He looked at the girl sitting across from him. She was the spitting image of the Kaida from the past. The question was gnawing at him like a rabid lemur. He had to ask. "Miss Kaida, have we met before?"
"Hm? What do you mean?" She looked up at him with the same blue eyes he remembered.
He decided to ask a different question, "Who was your father?"
She looked down as if she were sad or ashamed, "My father was lord of the lower regions of Fire Nation. Lord Shaiming."
"I knew it!" He burst out in his crazy old way. He sat back down with a silly expression. "I knew it," he repeated.
"What do you mean, you knew it?" She questioned him.
"Do you not remember me? I visited your father a while ago. In summer I believe." He smiled expectantly.
She thought for a moment, hazy images forming her mind. Her expression widened to surprise. "Yes! I do remember you! You were that huge crazy guy that tripped over my little brother!"
Iroh sighed in embarrassment, "Yes, that was me."
"But how?" She asked.
"I am asking you the same question. When I returned the next day to your home, you were- it was-…" He broke off, unable to put the destruction he saw in words.
"Oh. You wonder how I am not dead. I disobeyed my parents by sneaking out that night to my favorite place. They were dead when I returned." She glumly stared back at the table and shut her eyes, squeezing away tears she never cried for them. She hated thinking about it. She HATED it.
Uncle Iroh's expression softened as he noticed his question had touched a nerve. "I am sorry, Miss Kaida. I didn't mean to upset you-"
"No no. I'm fine. No need for apology." She shook her hand and opened her eyes. She cracked a small smile.
The two sat in the empty room and talked for hours. They were only interrupted by lunch and dinner seekers, who quickly cleared out as the meat surprise was served. The sharp rocking of the ship sometimes made unoccupied chair fall over as the storm above deck worsened as nightfall approached. Uncle Iroh was the first to yawn.
"I better go to bed before I fall asleep in my tea." He chuckled and he picked up the empty teapot and cup he had used. "Goodnight Miss Kaida."
"Good night Lord Iroh." She bowed in respect and headed to her own bunk to curl up on the mattress and fall asleep to the quiet thunder.
Zuko had finally gone to bed at a late hour, and even as he slept, became restless as nightmares gripped his mind…
"Please father!" Zuko kneeled before the tall man slowly walking towards him. The royal Agni Kai stadium was filled with many people, spectators that included Commander Zhao and Uncle Iroh. "I only had Fire Nation's best interest at heart. I sorry I spoke out of turn!"
"You will fight for your honor," came his father's haunting voice. The Fire Lord continued to make his way over.
"I meant you no disrespect. I am your loyal son." Zuko bowed on the ground before the great man cornering him.
"Rise and fight Prince Zuko." His father went on.
"I won't fight you." He felt the cold ground embrace his shaking.
"You will learn respect. And suffering will be your teacher." His father stopped before him.
The prince looked up at the Fire Lord with pleading eyes. With crying eyes. His uncle looked on in the crowd. And so did the girl he met on the beach. The girl who he had played with during his childhood. The girl who watched now alone with shocked blue eyes. She stood by herself in the sea of people in her red kimono and had her red fan in hand. His uncle looked away, but she did not as his father sent a wave of fire, burning the prince's face. Burning his pride before people of his own nation.
Zuko screamed as he felt the pain of the flames licking away his skin. He could hear a mirrored scream. The girl from the crowd was the only one who reacted, and her scream mixed with his. Two screams echoing through the halls…
Zuko woke with a start, still feeling the burning sensation he felt from his dream. Imagining those bandages he wore. He put his hand to his left eye and sat in fright.
"Zuko! What is wrong!" His uncle called out as he opened the door to the prince's room. Kaida was timidly standing behind him with worried, blue eyes. The same blue eyes watching him from long ago.
"I'm fine Uncle." Zuko said in his usual, harsh tone. He heard his own voice shake, like his hands still did.
"One would think not by the way you screamed." His uncle put a hand over his chest. "Next time, be a little quieter!" Zuko knew his uncle was joking, but knowing that he had yelled out during his dream embarrassed him. A shout awoke him from his thoughts.
The sailors scrambled about as waves washed over the deck.The storm had worsened and lightning flashed dangerously all around. When Zuko, Iroh, and Kaida reached the deck, they were soaked by the rain in an instant. It was falling so thickly it was hard to see. Zuko turned to Kaida and yelled out above the howl of the wind.
"You're a Stormbender, do something!"
She looked at him weakly. "I…I can't. I don't know what to do."
A large wave crashed into the boat and swept Zuko over the side. He felt someone grab his wrist before he fell. He looked up to see Kaida pulling him back up.
"Still don't need my help?" She said as she pulled him on board. He fell silent. She looked up at the angry clouds. "I'll try."
She held up her hands and felt the rain try to force her down. She concentrated and closed her eyes, the wind began to grow lighter and the rain began to lighten slightly. She gritted her teeth and felt herself lose control, her hold broke free and the storm continued on. She felt drained, she had never tried to stop a storm before. She looked to her left to see another large wave wash over the sides and slam into her and Zuko. In a few moments she felt herself sinking in the raging tide.
Uncle Iroh gripped the doorframe beside him tightly, seeing his nephew and Kaida get washed over board. He looked desperately from his position for them in the ocean water, but caught no sight of them.
Kaida could make out Zuko sinking nearby, the undertow made it impossible to swim anywhere. Kaida felt half awake, as if she were dreaming. She wished greatly she was, but knew that wouldn't be true. She felt herself become lightheaded and did the only thing she could.
Uncle Iroh looked around for signs of the teenagers washed overboard, seeing only white caps of waves. Then, part of the water sunk under and rose up in an instant, like a backwards waterspout. He saw it splash on part of the deck and receded leaving Kaida and Zuko lying on the deck. He made his way over, careful to grab something when a wave crashed into the hull. He turned to a couple sailors nearby and yelled above the inferno, "Help me get them below deck!"
They carried the unconscious teenagers below, glad to be out of the stormy weather and found sleep a wonderful escape from the storm.