Hmm, we got our student I.D pictures taken at the college I go to for half the day. It was so fun. These guys made little signs to hold in their pictures saying "prisoner number 018771" or whatever. It was so cool, but then the silly picture taker-er wouldn't let them use it on their ID cards and made them do a retake. I was so glad that they let me get mine redone. My eyes were half closed, so for my second one I made them bug out of my head. And that's the picture I kept. Do you know what's a really weird food combo? Carrots and M&M's. I picked some carrots from our garden and was eating them while watching Van Helsing today and my nephew started throwing M&M's at me. So I ate them. It actually didn't taste to bad. Hmm. One bad thing about being able to play a musical instrument is that people ask you to play for various things all the time. For example, I was in the middle of typing this chapter today when someone from my church who I do not know at all calls up and asks me to play a song on sunday in her gospel doctrine class. Usually they give me a weeks notice or whatever. Luckily it's a cool song. Now I just need to decide on if I want to use my regular violin or one of my multi colored ones that I got off of ebay for a penny. Which onedo you guys think I should play the song on? Natural wood, black, bright green or metallic purple (the metallic purple one isn't really as cool looking as it sounds).
Elenea Galad: If you're happy, then I'm happy. And I'll be coming for Orlando tonight while you are sleeping peacefully in your little bed. Oops, did I type that out loud?
Zukoscute2: I don't know if I want to see you if you're a little devil. You may overpower my own devilishness.
Khazia: All of your questions will be answered. Speaking of questions, what was your doctor's verdict as to your health? IS IT A GIRL? Just kidding.
Lovergal1227: Geez! What am I? A machine? Just kidding. I'm glad you're so into my story.
Randomwriter88: (screams as mountain of cookies falls on head "well, guess I'll have to eat my way out. munchgrumblemunchmunchsnort). Go ahead and feel free to threaten all those non-bleivers cough-kissingoffintotheair-cough-cough!
Titan09: Aha! So Zuko isn't really off to fight war against Ba Sing Sei! Ozai gave him to you to become your closet slave. You feind! Just kidding. Hope ya don't mind, I'm using you in a spoofy thing at the end of this chapter. And. Yeah, I kept thinking my 'splosion sounded like a Liz one while I was writing about it.
Well, this is it. It's kinda short...but oh well. YOU GET IT AS IT IS YOU BLOODSUCKERS!
Iroh would not let Katie leave her room and made a large effort to keep her in bed. She shoved away any attempts to apply ointment to her burns, she just couldn't sit still now that her mind was spinning with how to help Zuko. She had snuck out of the room a few times in the attempt to get down to the village so she could listen for news of the avatar's whereabouts, but Iroh had placed guards around her door. She let out a frustrated yell and began pacing around the room like a caged animal.
"You really should settle down." Iroh said as he walked into the room to check up on her.
"How can I settle down at a time like this? Can't you please just let me go out and try looking for Aang?" Katie demanded.
"No, I can't. You need to sit down and think, Katie. In case you don't know, my brother is having you watched closely. I am doing all I can to find your avatar friend, but you would only be jeopardizing everything if you so much as leave this room." Iroh said, he pulled a cushion from a cupboard and placed it on the floor in front of the immense dragon shrine.
"I can't just stand around and do nothing! I'm going insane!" Katie said, clenching her fists. The small flame in the lanterns around her suddenly flared causing her to jump in surprise.
"Sit down next to me. You aren't going to be doing nothing, you are going to be training your abilities." Iroh said sitting down on the cushion and patting the place next to him invitingly. "It is very important that you learn to control your bending before there's another accident."
"Oh yeah, how's Zula doing?" Katie asked guiltily.
"She will be fine. She had some small burns and singeing but she managed to block most of the fire. The most damage was done to her hands. She held them out to stop the flame, but it's something she's never had to do before and wasn't ready for it."
"I bet she's out for my hide now." Katie said with a sigh and sat down next to Iroh.
"I'm sure she will be, especially after her father sentences her." Iroh said sadly, he took on a meditative position and closed his eyes.
"Sentenced!" Katie cried.
"Yes. She is being tried today because she attacked you and you are closer to the crown than she is."
"But Zhao attacks Zuko all the time and he's never had a trial!" Katie said.
"But…there are different circumstances where you are concerned. Now close your eyes and focus on your breathing." Iroh said, closing his own eyes.
"What will happen to her? What will her sentence be?" Katie asked, not ready to give up the conversation just yet. Iroh sighed.
"That depends on her father who has as much affection for her as he does for Zuko. Her future looks just as bleak as her brother's. Now close your eyes and breath deeply. Feel the flame on the candle and feel the bond between its energies and yours." Iroh said going on with the meditation lesson. Katie let out a sigh of defeat and did as he told her. She was surprised at how quickly she lost herself in this exercise once she got the hang of it. She had always made fun of Zuko when he would go into his tranquil state, but now she understood. She mastered controlling the flames around her quite easily. Then Iroh showed her the steps of making a small flame ball in the palm of her hand. This is where things went wrong. She created the flame, but the only thing she could compare the feeling to was making a leak in a dam. She felt the fire immediately build inside of her as it had done before. She knew she wouldn't be able to hold it back. As she reached the brink of releasing the flame she felt a large hand rest on her forehead and the heat was subdued. Katie could still feel the pressure in her heart and rubbed her hand over her chest trying to shake the feeling.
"Now can I leave the room?" She asked Iroh once she caught her breath. Iroh frowned slightly at her. "I'm not going to look for Aang. I just need to go for a walk around the grounds."
"I'll send for Imoen to accompany you." Iroh said standing up and leaving the room. Katie took the opportunity to wipe sweat from her face and try to force her heart rate down. Imoen arrived within minutes and they took a walk around the grounds.
"So how are you feeling my dear?" Imoen asked. They had been walking in silence all the way down to the courtyard. The sun had set and lanterns had been lit inside the palace causing the whole place to glow.
"I don't know. I'm really scared I guess. I already had enough on my plate to be afraid for. Fear for Zuko's safety, fear for my safety. Now I can feel this power inside me and I can't control it at all. I'm afraid of what will happen if I lose it and explode again." Katie said, wrapping her arms around herself. The warm night seemed so cold to her now.
"Well don't worry. Iroh is one of the greatest firebenders that has ever lived. Within no time you will be a master of your gift." Imoen said pulling off one of her many shawls and handing it to Katie who accepted it gratefully. They sat down on a bench in one of the beautiful gardens. Kate gazed around at the palace. When she blurred her eyes it was as though she was surrounded by fairy lights.
"Iroh said Zula is going to be sentenced today…" Katie began.
"No, she's being sentenced right now." Imoen said, nodding towards the balcony of the throne room. There was a sinister red glow illuminating from the window and shadows danced around in Katie's vision. Katie sighed and stood up. Without a backward glance, she walked back up to the palace, unaware and uncaring whether or not Imoen followed her. The door to the throne room was wide open. A crowd of fire nation people blocked Katie's view of the room but she could hear a loud, harsh voice over their heads.
"…THE COUNCIL HAS SEEN THAT YOU'RE ACTIONS WERE PROOF OF THE MARK OF YOUR DISGRACE. YOU WILL HEREBY BE STRIPPED OF YOUR TITLE, ZULA. YOUR CROWN IS FORFEIT AND SO IS YOUR LIFE IF YOU EVER SET FOOT ON FIRENATION SOIL. TO MAKE SURE YOU REMEMBER THIS, YOU ARE TO ENDURE TWENTY LASHES. YOU ARE NO DAUGHTER OF MINE"
There was no other sound in the room other than the fire lord's words and the wails and sobs emitting from Zula. Katie felt like she was going to be sick. She had never liked Zula. She had found her sister-in-law to be a contempt, bitter hag. But it killed her inside to see her treated like this. Katie felt Imoen place a gentle hand on her shoulder, trying to lead her away from the throne room. But Katie pulled out of her grasp and shoved through the group of people until she was standing at the very front of the crowd so she could have a full view of the proceedings. Zula was kneeling on the ground, rocking back and forth her wails reaching only deaf ears. Ozai was, as always when in the presence of others, sitting on a cushion behind a wall of flame. Ozai made a motion with his hand, and on the signal a group of people stepped forward. Two were carrying chains and one was carrying a whip. Zula shrieked louder at the sight of them, but didn't put up any resistance as one of the people cut away Zula's shirt. She was wearing nothing underneath except a black breast strap, Katie could see a few burn marks on her body. As the eyes of two hundred people watched, Zula was dragged between two pillars. Her thickly bandaged wrists and ankles were bound so that her arms and legs were stretched out to her side. The man with the whip stepped forward. He wasn't wearing a shirt and his arms and chest bulged impressively.
"STOP IT!" Someone screamed. It took Katie a few seconds to realize that it had been her. Everyone turned to her, astonished that she would speak out. There was no turning back now. Taking a deep breath she trudged onto the main floor and walked boldly over to the flogger. He was too amazed at her boldness to fight back when she grabbed the whip from him. She cracked it menacingly and he immediately backed out of range. "You people are sick! How can you treat one of your own like this. Especially you!" she said, turning to Ozai. "This girl is your daughter for crying out loud. YOUR DAUGHTER!" Ozai stood up slowly and began walking forward. A rift appeared in the firewall for him to walk through.
"Zerita, please calm down, you've been through a trauma and…" he said in a voice that was completely different from the one he had been using only minutes before.
"I'M NOT ZERITA! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT BEFORE IT MAKES IT THROUGH YOUR CRAZY LITTLE HEAD?" Katie screamed. She held out her hand and closed the flame around Ozai. He jumped forward before he was burned and shot Katie a look of fury. But it melted away almost immediately.
"That…monstrosity…attacked and nearly killed you. You do not need to feel pity for it." He said softly. Katie cracked the whip in his direction, causing him to freeze.
"I give her full pardon for her actions." Katie said, lifting her chin and trying to look as regal as possible. Ozai gave her a shrewd look, then turned to the servants who had chained Zula in the first place.
"Release her. ZULA, YOU HAVE BEEN SPARED YOUR LASHINGS BY THE MERCY OF SOMEONE FAR GREATER IN SPIRIT AND HONOR THAN YOU. BUT YOUR BANISHMENT STILL STANDS. YOU HAVE UNTIL SUNDOWN TOMORROW TO BE GONE FROM THE PALACE." Zula dropped to her hands and knees when her wrists were released. Katie dropped the whip and hurried to her side, wrapping the shawl Imoen had given her around Zula's shoulders.
"Are you all right?" she asked, trying to help Zula stand up. Zula shoved Katie's hands away and shot her the most hateful glare Katie had ever received. Without a word, Zula was on her feet and she dashed from the room. The crowd parted for her like the Red sea. Katie watched her go sadly. Then she felt a strong, warm hand rest gently on her shoulder. She glanced around and saw Ozai begin to kneel down beside her. Katie copied Zula's actions. She threw away his hand, shot a glare and stormed from the room.
"That was a very brave and noble thing you did today Katie." Iroh said quietly, walking into the room. Katie jumped at the sudden sound of his voice and whirled around. She had been sitting in front of the dragon shrine going through the exercises he had shown her, but she was afraid to try making her own flame without him there to stop her if things go out of hand.
"Oh. Thanks." She said, turning back around to resume her meditation. She really didn't know what she was feeling right now. She knew she just wanted to be alone. There were only two days left before Solzen's comet entered the atmosphere. She was growing extremely worried as to whether or not Aang would make it in time. He'd better get here, otherwise it'll be a crappy way to end a good cartoon. She thought to herself. This led to more thoughts about the place she was in. How could she be in a cartoon world? Was she on TV at this very instant? This only made her feel even more awkward. What if the entire world saw her when she picked her nose a few minutes ago? But that was silly and she quickly shoved those thoughts aside, concentrating on her breathing and her connection to the plasma on the end of the wick in front of her. Memories entered her mind unbidden. She remembered asking her science teacher what fire was a few years ago. Like what element it was because it wasn't a solid, liquid or gas. Now she had such an understanding for fire. But she just couldn't explain it.
"Would you like to speak to me about how you are feeling? It always helps to talk about these things." Iroh said, interupting her rambling mind and sitting next to her.
"I really don't. I just want to be by myself if you don't mind." Katie said. Iroh nodded and left her to be by herself. Katie let out a sigh of frustration. She had lost her concentration now. She walked out onto her balcony and stared out at the black ocean in the distance. Moonlight danced on the waves. Katie loved the moon. She loved it's mystery. She stared at it for nearly an hour, just letting her mind float from thought to thought. One moment she was crying for Zuko, the next she was laughing quietly about some memory. All the while she stared at the moon and as she watched she saw something float into her line of vision. A silhouette appeared on the surface of the moon, a silhouette that looked like a blob.A bison shaped blob. Katie felt her stomach soar at the sight of Appa. She strained her eyes to watch him land somewhere in the depths of the forestoutside the city boundaries. Katie ran out the door. She commanded on of the guards to go fetch Iroh. Her hope was refreshed. Zuko will be alright!
THIS NEXT PART IS JUST FOR FUN AND IS IRREVELANT TO THE STORY! I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND TITAN09, BUT I JUST HAD TO DO IT! THE LAST CHAPTERS HAVE JUST BEEN SO BLASTED SAD AND BORING. (Evil grin)
Zuko awoke under strange circumstances. His arms and legs were bound behind his back with tight ropes and he was lying on the floor of a very small dark room. He burned the ropes away easily and stood up. He began banging on the walls around him.
"WHERE AM I? LET ME OUT!" He yelled.
"It's for your own protection Zuko!" An unfamiliar voice said from the other side of the wall. Zuko immediately shifted his attack to this wall, trying to blast his way out. "Don't do that! You're in there to be protected from the fangirls!" the voice cried.
"Fangirls? What the crap? Who are you? How did I get here?"
"You're not really here silly, you're fake."
"Oh. Okay."
Sorry about that. I just felt like being dumb. For those of you wondering what that was all about, Titan09 currently has Zuko locked in their closet. Woohoo! Tomorrow's friday. (do the happy for the weekend dance). Kay, go ahead and review now. And remember, I need your help in deciding which violin I should play on sunday.