Clashing Worlds

"Admiral Brenda, last night I had a dream." Brenda glanced at Iroh, confused, but returned her attention back to Zuko, desperate to know what he would say. "In this dream, I spent my time with a woman. I spent my time with my mother." Katara gazed at Zuko, also confused as to why he would be telling them about his dream. "I believe that my mother visited me in a dream to remind me that blind loyalty is not the way. I accept your help, Admiral . . . . Aunt Brenda." Brenda looked at him in shock, however after a moment her eyes softened. She smiled and bowed once more.

"The Phantom Flame will serve you well. Not only that, but we will protect Miss. Katara along side you." Zuko nodded and the admiral left, her cape flaring behind her. Iroh waited until Brenda was gone before he looked at Zuko.

"Prince Zuko . . . you do realize what you are doing?" Zuko looked over to his uncle before giving a curt nod.

"I'm starting a civil war. I am opposing my father. Maybe not openly, but I am still opposing him." Zuko glanced at Katara while she sipped her tea with her eyes closed and looked back to him uncle. Iroh was waiting patiently for Zuko to say something more. ". . . . I am going to win this war, uncle."

- - - - -

Ceres glared across the table at Zhao.

"I am perfect Zhao." Zhao narrowed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists. "I never was and never will be someone that you can push around Zhao. Take me to the girl."

"Ceres . . . ." Zhao hissed. "You are no longer perfect. You never were and never will be perfect. You are weak against fire. Avatar Senku was able to defeat you. You are far from perfect." Ceres stood, her black kimono rustling as she did so.

"My powers grow stronger as each day of freedom passes and the comet draws closer. Do not tempt me to go back on my word!"

"Did you not say you would never break your word!" Zhao challenged as he too stood up.

"There are ways around it, Zhao." Ceres growled out before a smug look broke out onto her face. "Did you enjoy your dream last night?" She laughed as the blood drained from Zhao's face when he remembered the dream.

"Ceres . . . you would do well not to test me. You forget, you are weak against fire." Her eyes narrowed.

"And you forget that I Ceres! You forget the horrible stories you were told when young about the demon that ruled the world with terror! Do not forget who I am!" Ceres roared.

- - - - -

Brenda sighed before glancing over at her second in command, Commander Raymond. She was back on her ship, sitting in her chair on the bridge.

"Raymond . . . ." He looked over at her as she stroked her braid. ". . . . when do you think the Avatar will come? Surely he would not dare to approach my nephew's ship while we are with him." Raymond thought for a moment before he answered his superior officer.

"I don't know, Admiral Brenda." He watched as she fiddled with a ring she had just put on her right ring finger. It was a tiny silver dragon wrapped around her finger and in its mouth it held a ruby. "Admiral, if you don't mind my asking, where did you get that?" Brenda smirked as she looked down at the ring.

"This was the ring the late Lady Leila entrusted to me. She said that as her sister, she wanted me to hang on to this and wear it only when I was ready to follow Prince Zuko." Sighing, Brenda rested her head against her propped up arm and glanced over at Raymond. "Sometimes I think the woman had second sight. She seemed to know that when Ozai took the throne, he would change. But then again, I suppose we all knew that would happen. My older brother was always power hungry." Looking up at the ceiling, Brenda sighed once more. "Maybe she was just more in tune with her feelings than the rest of us." She twisted the ring around her finger as she pondered her older brother Ozai silently. After what seemed like an eternity to Raymond, she spoke. "This is boring."

- - - - -

Zuko walked down the hallway with a stone face as Katara walked beside him. She snuck a glance at him before looking ahead at the hatch to the deck. She walked up the steps with Zuko and stepped out into the sunlight. Glancing back at Zuko, Katara fought back a sigh when she noted that his emotions were still hidden behind his mask of indifference. It was . . . unsettling. He had been that way ever since his he claimed he would win the civil war he was causing. Katara was soon becoming fed up with his actions. She knew him well enough to know he was having a difficult time accepting that he was starting a war with his father. However, the fact that he was blocking her out meant that there was something more to it. Something more on his mind. Katara stopped walking. He didn't notice. He was too caught up in his own thoughts to notice her.

". . . . Aang probably won't stop by." She waited for his reaction after she had spoke. He stopped walking and turned to face her. He found it odd she would randomly say something like that, but decided to indulge her. He was curious to see why she would say something like that out of the blue.

". . . why do you say that?" Katara smiled sadly as she moved forward and walked by Zuko.

"Never mind." Zuko's hand snaked forward and grabbed onto Katara's arm, pulling her back to him.

"Why?"

". . . . he'll be worried about your aunt's ship." Zuko looked over at the Phantom Flame before nodding.

"I suppose you're right." Katara smiled smugly at him, but it did not reach her eyes.

"Of course I'm right." Zuko sighed and pulled her towards him, into a hug.

"What's wrong?" He whispered into her ear.

"I could ask you the same question." Katara whispered back. Zuko pulled away from her and shot her a confused look.

"What do you mean?" Katara sighed before she turned her back on him.

"Ever since Brenda left you've been quite." Zuko quirked an eyebrow.

"I would think it would be obvious. I'm starting a civil war." Looking back at him, Katara crossed her arms.

"But normally you'd be barking orders at the crew! Or maybe training! Even mediating!" Zuko narrowed his eyes as she stared him down. He felt his temper rising as he glared at her.

"So you would have me revert into a machine! Never changing! Is that what you want?" Katara threw her arms down to her sides with her hands in fists while her eyes flashed.

"What I want is for you to talk to me!"

"Well I'm talking! Is there anything else!" Katara let out a frustrated scream and the sea water surrounding them splashed furiously. While the soldiers near the railing noticed, Zuko did not.

"I want you to tell me what's bothering you!"

"Right now you are!" Zuko spun on his heel and stormed away, not even bothering to stop when his uncle called his name. Iroh hurried over to Katara's side.

"He doesn't mean that. He's just worked up." Katara 'humph' and crossed her arms, looking away as anger flowed through her.

"I don't care if he means it. He's a jerk. I don't know what I see in him!"

- - - - -

Ceres stared at her crystal dagger as it lay in her hand. With a heavy sigh she pulled her hair out of the tight bun and let it fall to her shoulders. Closing her eyes, Ceres brushed hair out of her face. Taking a cloth and dampening it in the water basin beside her bed, the ancient demon slowly removed the makeup on her face. She stared down at the water as she dipped a finger into the now foggy water and twirled it around.

"Senku, you bastard." She hissed as the water began to boil. She withdrew her finger and glared at her reflection. "How could I have thought you died after putting those pathetic wards up?" She looked back at the crystal dagger. Inside of it was the image of her being blasted by fire. Frozen in the moment, the stilled fire showed the face of an scarred man with a black mane around and black eyes that jumped out against the scar running down his pale cheek. The image of this man was only from the neck up. However, she recognized the scar. It was Avatar Senku. The man who trapped her in the cave. "The ward which killed you," Fire filled Ceres's eyes. "the ward that I did not know about until now, was the one to protect my next prey from being spied on." A wicked smirk emerged on her face as she moved in front of the vanity mirror in her room. "But that won't stop me. I will still take her body." She morphed into Katara.

"Because this form suits me." Ceres hissed with Katara's voice. Her wicked laughter filled the air as she adjusted while she stepped up onto the chair and onto the vanity.

- - - - -

Three days. It had been three days since the fight and neither one of them were willing to talk to the other one. Iroh fought back a sigh as he sipped tea with his little sister.

"It is so frustrating, Brenda." Iroh muttered before he took another sip of tea. Brenda smirked at him.

"Atleast it isn't boring." She drank her tea as her brother sent a dry glare her way.

"All you care about is if something is boring or not."

"Your point?"

- - - - -

Lieutenant Lee knew when many things. He knew that ginseng was the retired general's favorite tea. He knew, from listening to Iroh, that chamomile tea was Admiral Brenda's favorite. He knew that Admiral Brenda was a woman who hated boredom. He knew that Prince Zuko was short tempered and that's what got him thrown into exile. Lieutenant Lee knew that the young prince was starting a civil war with his father. He had also picked up that the prince liked the young waterbender. He knew that they were fighting. He also knew, that at the moment, he was stuck in the middle of their silent treatment. The two were on the bridge as the young prince had come up to cheek on everything.

". . . . sir, we'll be needing supplies. It would be best if we stop at the next port."

"Well, as long as some people don't find it too much of a change." The lieutenant cringed, knowing what would happen next. Zuko was glaring at a map while Katara glared out the window.

"Tell his highness," The note of sarcasm in her voice was unmistakable. "that if he has a problem with me, he should say it to me."

"Tell the waterbender," Zuko growled, causing Lee to look at him, startled. "that I have nothing to say to her. I am in the middle of a civil war and I don't have time to consider if some peasant is having a problem with my attitude."

"Why don't you tell Zuko that he shouldn't blow off people just because he's in the middle of a problem!" Lieutenant Lee winced, knowing all too well that the prince would retort in their childish manner.

"How about telling Katara that when someone is thinking, the polite thing to do would be to be silent and let them think!" By this time Katara had crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Like you would know what being polite is." Though she muttered it, Zuko heard her. Spinning around and glaring at her, Zuko shouted at Katara.

"What was that!" She turned and glared at him.

"You heard me!" Lieutenant Lee tugged at his collar nervously as the two began to throw insults at each other.

"Water peasant!"

"Spoiled brat!"

"Insolent fool!"

"Egotistical jerk!"

"Waterbending filth!"

"Firebending ass!" Lee looked at Katara surprised. He didn't think she had it in her to swear. And at Zuko no less!

"Tramp!"

"Bastard!" Wow, she must have been really mad!

"Bitch!" The lieutenant began to back up, not wanting to get caught in the cross fire.

"ENOUGH!" The lieutenant began to thank all the gods he could think of when Iroh burst through the door and Brenda following him with an amused smirk. "I can hear the two of you from down the hall!" Iroh rounded on Zuko. "And you! Did your mother and I not teach you better than to call a woman names!"

"She started it!" Zuko huffed, pointing to Katara.

"I don't care who started it!" Iroh yelled, his temper finally awakened. "I'm ending it! Both of you, apologize!" Both turned their backs and crossed their arm while making a 'hmph' sound.

"That's not gonna happen!" They both snapped at the same time. Brenda shook her head with her smirk still in place. Kids these days.

- - - - -

Wow, Katara got pretty mad at Zuko, huh? Well, if there are any problems, please tell me in your reviews. Please review, they make my day seem better as I drag myself through school.