i know that so far, the Katara and Zuko characters haven't been acting like they should, but you should know that they're both two years older than in the series, if you already don't. and, Katara is a little bit in shock right now, with all the surprises she's getting, so she's not acting like herself.
they both don't actually want the possitions they're in, but they're sucking it up to get what they want (Katara wants Aang's freedom and Zuko wants his own, notice the title). there will be arguements between them as time goes on. wait until after they're married. okay, i just wanted to clear that up. here's chapter 8...
Aang looked at their new companion with curiousness. Rinoka, the name that she'd given them as her own, was a ninja. Not only that, she was a Water bender. She had come to them with a proposition. She said she'd help get Katara back, if she did one thing for her. She hadn't said what that was, but she said she'd tell them later.
Rinoka was a very pretty girl. She was a year older than him, but he was still attracted. He was a young teenager after all. Her long hair was tied back in an odd pony tail, where it was held back with her hair and then tucked under it. Her outfit was that like a male would wear, but the shirt was tucked into her pants and she wore a skirt. It was actually two strips of cloth, one attached to her belt in the front and one in the back and they both came down to her knees.
On her back she carried two crossed swords and there were two other blades on each of her hips. She wore gloves and both her legs were covered from ankle to hip with the same thing. In her ears were earrings, pierced like most females. The thing that was stunning about her was her eyes. They weren't blue and weren't green, but somewhere in between. And yet, they had a shade of purple in them as well, making them the color of the ocean.
She often smiled at him, giving him confidence. When she did it again, he looked away and off to the clouds. They were riding Appa, on their way to the location Rinoka wanted them to stop at before they were going for Katara.
"You said that you knew a warrior from the island?" she asked, looking over at Sokka, who drove.
"Yeah," he replied. "Well, the one more than the others. She'll help us if it's Katara who's in trouble, hopefully. We'll make a deal with her if we have to."
"Was not her village home to one generation of the Avatar?" she replied, picking up Momo and bringing him into her arms. "She would help Aang, would she not?"
"Not necessarily," her younger companion replied, cringing a little. "She and Sokka ...well, got off to a bit of a rocky start."
"Hey, it is not my fault, if the entire village if full of female warriors. I didn't know I was offending her," his friend replied.
"Yes, but you should have known she would have been before you said anything," Rinoka answered for Aang. "They are very...sensitive about that."
"Now you know for this time," Aang added, trying to smile on things. Then he turned back to the female ninja and grinned sheepishly. "Rinoka ...well uh," he started, "are you gonna tell us what it is you want from us for helping to find Katara?"
She looked down the lemur in her arms and smiled to herself. "Oh, it is nothing worth of any value, well, that of something you could trade or buy. It can not be taken, only given. Only one person can really give me what I want. I shall ask for it later, now is not the time," she replied.
Sokka looked over to Aang with a mix of a confused and unimpressed glance. "Is she talking in riddles, or did I not hear her right?" he asked.
"The second," Aang replied, looking at her carefully. "Just steer. We have to get there soon."
And with that, Sokka faced forward and he just looked at Rinoka, just looked at her.
Katara woke up when she heard a knock on her door. When she opened her eyes, she realized that it was dark in her room, even though she knew it was late. She blinked when the door opened without her replying to the knock, sitting up slightly.
Nira came inside, light from the other room filtering inside and blinding her view. Eventually she became used to the light, as her servant came over and placed the tray she carried on the table in the corner. Then she went over to the window and opened it, letting in some of the sun.
"Oh, it's so beautiful this morning, your highness," she said, chipper as always as she smiled at her. She went over and poured tea into a cup. "We'll be fitting your dress today. Oh, I've seen it and it looks beautiful. The best silks and the finest white gold threaded embroidery. You'll look absolutely stunning, princess."
When Katara didn't say anything, she stopped. "Am I talking too much?" she asked almost fearfully. "Because if I am, I'll stop. I won't say anything, not much at all. Only when you tell me to. Please don't send me back to my regular duties. I've finally gotten someone I can wait on, so that I don't have to do so many things at once. I'll be better, I won't do any–."
"Whoa, whoa," she said calmly. "Calm down. You're fine. I don't care that you talk this much. It's rather relaxing. I've never had a female companion."
"Never?" she asked. "Well...that must be lonely. My mother always scolds me for my mouth. She said that it's the reason I was never anyone's personal servant. Oh, I've always wanted to be one. It's so much fun only having one person tell you what to do." Nira kept talking, and Katara listened as she went on.
She smiled, pulling the covers off her form. She put on her robe and tied it, before coming over and taking the younger girl's hands. Nira stopped and blinked with shock at her. "Listen," she said, bringing her hands up farther. "I know it's your job to serve me, but I don't really want a servant," she continued. "I'd much rather have a friend than that. Do you think you could do that for me? Be my friend?"
Nira blinked. "Friend," she said. "I'm not sure if that's allowed, princess. But, if it means pleasing you, I'm pretty sure that's what I was instructed to do."
Again, she smiled. "Thank you." She looked down, but still held her hands. "I'd really like that right now."