Chapter 2: Red Dress

Mao got on Zuko's ship and ran to Zuko. She threw her arms around Zuko. His shoulders felt a little bit damp. She was crying. Zuko felt her warm hand at the nape of his neck. His arms raised up slowly from his sides and he found himself wrapping his arms around the girl.

She was smaller than he remembered. Thinner, frailer. More…ladylike. Her armor looked weird. It was different from the other armors,and smaller as well. Her arms were more slender than he remembered. They used to be hard and tough. Her hair was longer. It used to be short, not even passing her shoulders. Her hands felt softer. It used to be rough from the work she did.

She changed.

He touched her hair. Since when it became soft? It used to be greasy.

"You're…different…" Zuko muttered.

"You look the same…" she muttered back.

"How did you get here?"

"Zhao sent me off."

"Zhao? What are you doing with him?"

Mao shook her head. She held him tighter. "I missed you so much…"

"I thought you were still angry at me."

"I am. Because you're an idiot. But that doesn't change the fact that I miss you so much."

Zuko looked over at Zhao's ship. It was leaving. Zhao was on deck. He smirked and waved.

"I'm just delivering a package, Prince Zuko. Nothing more," Zhao shouted. "Nothing more," he muttered, still smirking in a hidden satisfaction.

Zuko had a bad feeling. Mao was still in his arms. He didn't let go.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to. Not again.

"Let's get you two inside," said Iroh. "It's going to rain, and we don't want you to catch a cold."

Zuko and Mao sat on the floor of Zuko's quarters, facing each other. Zuko had put a blanket around Mao's shoulders and put on his own robes. Mao smiled at the sight of the robes.

"You're awfully quiet," said Zuko. "Did you change this much over the past 2 years?"

"I guess I did…"

"Well, at least you're more ladylike now. You were too brute for your own good."

"You haven't changed, Prince Snob."

"Why you little-" Zuko jumped at Mao, a small flame erupted from his body.

Mao covered her face and started laughing. Zuko was on top of Mao. She smiled at him. "Just like old times, isn't it, Zuko? I get you angry, you jump on me trying to burn my nose."

"Because your most sensitive part of the body is your nose."

"You remembered."

"It wasn't exactly the hardest thing to forget."

"I thought you would want to forget me."

"Why would I do that?"

"You never wanted me around."

"You were annoying, I'll give you that."

Mao gave a small laugh.

"What about you?" Zuko continued, "Why the sudden change?"

"Change?"

"You're all lady like now. Long hair, polite laughs, quiet like."

"I was saving all of this."

"For?"

"For you. To welcome you back home when you catch the Avatar and be accepted into the kingdom again."

Zuko looked at Mao. He got off her and stood up. He faced the tapestry on the wall, his back facing Mao. The kingdom. Home. Father.

Mao.

Zuko still wondered about the soft spot he has for Mao. It wasn't like him.

He muttered something Mao couldn't hear.

"What was that?" Mao asked.

"You're beautiful," he repeated, without turning around. He had a scowl on his face. He didn't want to say it, Mao could tell. He forced himself to.

Mao stood up and dropped her blanket. She walked to the door and unlocked it. She turned to Zuko and said, "Thank you" before leaving.

The Avatar was in the town they were docking. This time, Zuko was determined to catch him. What with Mao around, he wanted so much to go back home. This time, he thought, he'll work alone.

Night fell. The crew members, his uncle and Mao were asleep. He decked himself in black clothing and a mask. He jumped off the ship deck and landed onto the harbor. He ran deep into the town to find the inn they were staying in.

Mao watched him from the ship deck. She retreated to Zuko's quarters. She tied up her hair and put on her armor her father had made for her. She picked up her sword and fixed it on her back. She pulled up her face cover.

Mao walked out from the ship.

Zuko hung upside down from the ceiling right above where Aang was sleeping. Sword drawn, he was ready to drop down and threaten him to surrender. He was ready.

Until he felt something whipping him from the sides, causing him to fall to the floor.

Aang, Katara and Sokka were awake. Katara had water whip him. Stupid water bender.

"Who are you! What do you want!" Sokka shouted.

Zuko took out his other sword. Aang looked startled.

"It's you…" said Aang.

He still remembered. This person helped him escape Admiral Zhao.

"Zuko…?" Aang muttered.

"WHAT!" shouted Katara and Sokka.

Zuko took off his mask and dropped it to the ground. He sheath his sword and stood ready in his duel stance.

Sokka charged at him with his staff, only to have him kicked away by the flame that shot out from Zuko's feet. He fell back and hit Katara, causing the two to fall to the ground. Zuko faced Aang.

"I don't want to fight you, Zuko… I still stand by what I said before," said Aang.

"Friends? HAH! All that matters now is to capture you, the Avatar, so I can make way back home. Now come with me quietly before any of your friends get hurt. I'm sure that's more important to you, isn't it, Avatar?"

Zuko attacked, Aang evaded. It has always been that way.

"Katara! Sokka! Take Momo and get on Appa! I'll be out in a bit!" Aang shouted.

Trusting Aang's way of doing things, Katara and Sokka packed up and ran out of the inn.

"Aang! Come on!" Katara shouted.

"GO! I'LL CATCH UP!" Aang shouted back.

As Katara and Sokka ran towards Appa, a figure jumped out from an alley. It was a girl, in red armor. Much similar to a Fire Nation armor, only this was custom made to fit a woman. Her mouth was covered.

"You're not going anywhere," she said.

"I'll handle this, Katara," said Sokka, "You just stay back."

"Sokka-"

Sokka took out his boomerang and approached the girl. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Yeah?" she asked, "But how sure are you that I might just want to hurt YOU?"

Sokka threw his boomerang, she jumped front. She took out a long piece of wire from the compartment strapped around her ankle. She did a front flipand landed behind Sokka, snapping off the wire that tied up Sokka. Sokka fell front to the ground.

She looked at Katara. "Now… You."

Katara stood ready with her hand on the water container strapped on her. The girl stood in front of Katara, ready for battle. Katara's hand uncapped the containerand water followed the movement of her hand. She did another water whip, but the girl jumped again.

She landed behind Katara, but before she could turn around, she felt a soft, sweet smelling cloth covering her mouth. She felt dizzy and weak. She fell to the ground and passed out.

The girl took out another piece of wire and tied her up. She knocked out Sokka and picked them up and began walking towards the harbor. Under her mouth cover, she smiled as she approached the Fire Nation ship.

They weren't finished. Zuko wasn't about to let Aang go again. He was his ticket to go home. But Zuko was tired, and Aang just kept evading his attacks.

Zuko's fist shot out flames, Aang blew it away. Aang released a gust of wind. Zuko covered his face with his arms and stood steadily to avoid falling behind. But Zuko didn't feel anything coming towards him.

He uncovered his face and looked in front of him. Someone had altered the wind's course with a shield, causing it to shoot up, making a hole in the roof.

The figure in front of him stood up and looked at Aang.

"I can't guarantee your friends' safety if you refuse to surrender," said a girl's voice, too familiar to Zuko.

She threw a boomerang and a water container on the ground in front of Aang. He looked at it, and a sudden anger overwhelmed him. Another gust of air was released from his body and his air bender arrow tattoos started glowing. She shielded herself and Zuko as the wind headed their way.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM!" Aang shouted.

"Nothing… yet. If you don't surrender yourself by sundown, the creatures in the sea will have fresh meat for dinner. Who knows what these waters bring."

Aang's fist tightened.

Her eyes turned soft, "Don't look at us like that, young Avatar. Surely you do not want to annoy your friends' captor with that sort of expression. At the sea, due north. There'll be a lone Fire Nation navy ship. You'll know what to do."

Zuko smirked. He put a hand around her waist and left the inn.

author's note: thanks for the reviews. sorry about the whole &/and thing, force of habit. dont mind the fighting scenes, i still havent gotten myself used to writing fighting scenes, since my forte is usually romance i hope you like this one.