DISCLAIMER: I do not own AVATAR. But I will, sumday, just watch me…
zuko'sbabygirl: uh, ok. yay me!
Chapter 6: Fate Awaits Us
The next day, before the sun rose to the Heavens, Lerolas stood on deck. She was watching the horizon, and what grew larger on it every day.
"It's only a matter of hours. Zuko will want to be home quickly. My fate, is sealed." Lerolas whispered to the dawn, quietly.
She turned on her heel, and went back to her room.
That afternoon, targets were put up on deck so Lerolas could practice while Zuko trained.
Lerolas drew her bow, kept it in the same spot, and position all the while she trained. She just drew arrow after arrow, quickly pulled back the string, then released the arrow. She did this until there were no more arrows in her quiver.
Lerolas walked up to the one target she had aimed at, and examined her work. They had all been where she wanted them to be, one inch away from each other, but still in the red center.
She pulled out her arrows, and replaced them in her quiver. She sighed, then went to the hatch.
She stopped, when a foul scent caught the air.
It was foul, fouler than the putrid scent of this ship, and that was bad to begin with. But this new, more horrible scent of coal burning, was suffocating her.
Lerolas started to hack, trying to get the poisoned air out of her lungs, but couldn't. She took a shred of cloth, and put it to her mouth. This was usually her towel rag when she washed in a stream, but now it served as a filter. A horrible one, but it got rid of most of the smoke.
Zuko stopped his training and watched as another ship pulled up next to his.
Down, walked Zhao.
"Returning to the Fire Nation, eh, Prince Zuko? You have been banished, or have you forgotten?" Zuko gritted his teeth. He wanted to engulf stupid Zhao in flames that instant, but if he did, he would never be able to return to the Fire Nation, Avatar or not.
"My father said I could return home when I have found the Avatar. And he is on my ship." Zhao raised an eyebrow. Then something, wearing a hood, caught the corner of his eye.
"Is this him?" And Zhao walked over to the hooded figure. He turned the figure around, pulled down the hood. His eyes got wide, this was no boy, but a girl, older, and in stranger clothing.
"This is your Avatar? He has changed. Since when can he shoot?" Suddenly, an arrow was sticking against Zhao's neck.
"I am no Avatar, I am an Archer, sworn to the Fire Lord since birth. My name is Lerolas. The Wanderer, Archer, Singer, and the one who's sworn their life to serve Fire Lord Ozai, even in the after life, I will serve until my Better has released me." Zhao looked at the girl, glaring at him, with the intensity of a firebender.
Zhao got out of the way of Lerolas' bow and arrow, took her hand, and kissed it.
"It is an honor to meet you, Lerolas the Archer. But I know of all those who have an alliance to the Fire Lord, and I do not see your name." Lerolas wrenched her hand out of Zhao's grip, and wiped it on her cloak.
"Well, dear Admiral, that's because only the Lord, Lady, and Prince knew of my alliance." Zhao turned to Zuko.
"It this true?" He queried. Zuko looked at Lerolas, her eyes told him all he needed.
"Yes." Was his simple answer. Zhao turned back to Lerolas.
"I am sorry. I did not mean to doubt you." He said with a bow. Lerolas bowed back.
As Zhao walked away, he looked back at Lerolas.
Her clothing. She looks like Earth Nation scum. I will have to delve into this matter.
Zhao gave Lerolas a sick smile behind her back.
But, I must admit, she is pretty.
Lerolas stood at the bow of the ship. The sky was blood red, and they were pulling into harbor of the Fire Nation capitol. Souzen. Named after the Fire Lord that had started the war, one hundred years ago.
"Ready?" Zuko asked. He had joined her, to look at the people who would one day be his.
"As I'll ever be." Lerolas whispered sorrowfully.
The ramp was lowered, and the Elf and Prince, along with Iroh, soldiers, and the prisoners, stepped onto the shores of Souzen.
People cheered at the sight of their Prince finally returning home. But when Lerolas passed, people were silent, giving the girl in gray, green, and brown, dirty glares. Some eyed the leaf on her breast, holding her cloak. Others wondered about her bow, and quiver full of arrows.
They reached the Palace, a giant building made of metal. Lerolas sighed unhappily as she looked at the building.
Imprisonment.
Lerolas thought sadly as she followed Zuko inside, to the Throne Room, and a curious Ozai, sitting in his throne of fire.
Lerolas looked with a tired gaze at everything surrounding her. Gold, yellows, oranges, and reds, were all that surrounded her.
There were portraits of previous Lords and their Ladies, and the Princes of those Lords and Ladies. There were no portraits of Zuko.
Wonder why?
Lerolas thought with a smirk. But it disappeared when she entered the Throne Room. She halted at the door, like everyone else.
Everyone else, that is, except Zuko. He walked forward, before his father, and fell to one knee.
"What are you doing here, Prince Zuko?" Ozai asked from behind a wall of fire.
"As you requested of me, two years ago, Father, I have brought you the Avatar, therefore, I can return home." The wall of fire dimmed, and Ozai walked out from behind it. Lerolas had to hold her hand to her jaw to stop it from dropping.
Now I know where Zuko gets his looks.
Ozai was tall, and extremely well built. It was very evident, even when he wore a robe. He also had long, jet black hair, with a top knot. But most of it flowed down his back. His eyes were glowing amber, it looked as if there were swirls of color moving around inside his eyes.
Lerolas' breath got shallower, and she gulped. As handsome as he was, his looks made Ozai look, deadly. Lerolas was afraid to serve him.
Ozai walked along the length of the hall, to the door. Where she, Sokka, Katara, and Aang were. Ozai peered down at Aang, then straightened.
"Seems real enough." Was all he had to say. Until someone caught his eye.
"Hello, who's this?" And Ozai walked over to Lerolas, who currently had her head down, and her eyes shut tight.
Ozai hooked a finger under her chin, and brought her face up to face his. Lerolas' brown eyes bore into Ozai's golden amber ones, and it took every ounce of Lerolas' strength to keep her voice steady and not stammer.
"I am Lerolas the Archer. Sworn to you, my Lord, since birth. But you were there when I was born, were you not? So, you should remember me." Ozai looked at her, then turned to face Zuko.
"Congratulations, Prince Zuko. You, your men, and my brother may return to your rooms and or homes, my guards will escort the prisoners to their cells, but I must have a talk with Miss Lerolas, alone." Lerolas bit her lip. Zuko nodded, and disappeared. So did Iroh and Zuko's men. New guards came and took Aang, Sokka, and Katara below. Lerolas did not know what would become of them.
Once everyone, except Ozai and Lerolas, were out of the Throne Room, Ozai turned back to face her and spoke.
"So, you are the Lerolas of 15 years ago?" Lerolas nodded nervously.
"You have changed in the course of 15 years. I see you bear the clothing of your people, am I not correct?" Lerolas managed to say something this time.
"Yes, my Lord." Lerolas was doing her best to keep her voice steady and not stammer.
"Your mother told me women do not learn to fight, and yet I see you with a bow and arrow. How is this possible?" Lerolas started to get brave, to regain herself.
" When I was no older than 3, I lost those I hold dear. I doubted my being, and went off to learn how to defend myself. I would have became a General for my people's army at the age of 7, but did not want the title, so I fled to the forest next to your city." Ozai was silent for a second.
"To be a General? You will be worthy." Lerolas gulped. Her life, the one she loved, was over.
"But my son has told me that you are a beautiful singer, sing me a song, and I might change what you do." Lerolas' being lit up with hope. There was a chance!
Lerolas cleared her throat, and sang the lullaby that she had sung on the ship.
When she finished, Lerolas looked up at the Fire Lord with hope. He did not look very impressed.
"Beautiful song, Miss Lerolas." Lerolas' heart sunk to the bottom of a pit.
"I can't believe it!" Sokka raged in his cell at the bottom of the Palace.
"Believe what?" Katara asked calmly.
"She's been with the firebenders all along!" Katara looked up, sympathy in her eyes.
"Sokka, she said-"
"If we had met her a moment earlier, she would have turned is in!"
"Sokka-"
"I bet she firebends, too!"
"SOKKA!" Sokka looked at his sister, surprised she could yell like that.
"Sokka, she said she's been sworn to Ozai since birth, so she never had a say in it. She probably hates it." Sokka shrugged.
"Yah, well until she tells it to my face, I'm not giving her the benefit of the doubt. Not with Aang waiting for his death." Katara gulped at the last five words. The worlds fate was sealed.
"And not too bad singing, either." Lerolas brightened a little.
"You will be an archer, but I will only call on you for high priority missions. And you will sing when I call for it." Lerolas smiled, and bowed.
"Now my servant will show you to your room." A young woman came in, and led Lerolas to her room. She smiled.
Sometimes, fate won't be as bad as you think.
I'll update l8r.
Zukoscute2