"Being the Commanding Officer of the Earth Ship, surely you must have some idea to the reason of this pitiful exploit," a gruff voice filled her ears as she heard him pace before her.
As bound with ropes and a blindfold as she was, she couldn't see her captor... but she knew who it COULDN"T be… Soraya chose to preserve her monotonous silence.
"Perhaps to avenge your contemptible kingdom?" Silence. He whirled around and rushed his hand by her face, creating a small streak of fire, noxiously close to her skin causing her to flinch.
Angered, he roared. "YOU WILL REVEAL TO ME WHAT YOU KNOW!"
"Great, now it smells like scalded dead fish…" Soraya muttered as she held her breath.
Thankfully Zhao never heard.
"Since you exhibited a lack of good judgment by foolishly ignoring me, you WILL compensate the consequences! I'm sure daddy would love to know his little "princess" is out trying to save his kingdom! And while he's at it, he may as come down and "save" you and get killed!" Zhao mocked. "Incarcerate her! I've some pleasant reports for the Fire Lord."
Groaning, Zuko groggily opened his eyes to see a girl about his age standing above him giggling. Her amber eyes flickered with coyness and excitement. Long strands of hair that was let down, colored like a raven's quill, reached her hips and part of it was in a high ponytail. She laughed and continued looking at him. She extended her arm and he gratefully grasped it. Pulling him off the bed, she cynically eyed him.
"Do you always slumber in random people's carts?" she queried sardonically while brushing off her elegant gold robe ornamented with crimson embroidery and insignias of the Fire Nation
"Nashaina?" Zuko asked incredulously, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yes cousin. Your memory seems to fail you easily; perhaps of old age?" She replied with fictitious saccharine.
His golden eyes jarringly coruscated with fierce rage as he narrowed them to slits. Tilting his head down, he kept his enraged gaze at her and snarled.
"This is no time for your droll mordancy, cousin! My departure from here is vital!
Seeing the matter serious, she cleared her throat glanced at the tiled floor of the mansion. Tracing the intricate designs lavishly adorning the floor, she somberly responded, "My foolish act of contrition cousin, and I seek your amnesty. Of course I can lead you to the harbor instantly, but what good will it do you? You are banished! No ship will take you aboard."
"Don't worry about my haulage; I'll take care of that." Though quite honestly, he hand't a clue to what he would do.
Nashaina rushed through the halls, dragging Zuko with her. "We must set course then right away. My father, being a cousin of yours, might not be too pleased to see you've returned to the Fire Nation empty handed. It would not go well"
From his being swiftly heaved along, he glanced up at his cousin and slightly smiled. It felt wonderful to have someone side with him besides his Uncle. Suddenly, he heard small footsteps pattering down the hall behind them. Both Nashaina and Zuko came to an abrupt halt. Holding their breaths and whipping around, they relaxed. Her younger twin brothers came sprinting by. She firmly grabbed them, grinning with triumph. Suddenly feeling a wait holding them down, they eased their midair scrambling and turned around to look at her.
"Quickly, when is father coming back?" She asked hurriedly.
Rosy-cheeked from exhaustion, they simultaneously sputtered out something barely audible,
"Fatho's nut cumin back util too late."
Nashaina grinned, "Good."
Once again she began bolting down the halls, Zuko right behind her.
"We'll have to exit through the back route! It's safer! she panted.
Nashaina's father was a cousin of the Fire Lord's a noble. As each noble was distinctly attached to a guild, such the blacksmith or the artists, his profession revolved around agriculture. He owned a flourishing indoor plantation that grew several exquisite different vegetables.
"That'll mean cabbage leaves in my hair…" she muttered to herself.
Arriving at a high platform overlooking the giant greenhouse, Nashaina schemed their getaway.
As if suddenly pinched, she sprang up from her standing position and bolted down the stairs. Glancing right and left she ducked behind a few willow trees separating the different plants.
Nashaina pointed a thin, manicured finger in some direction.
"See that door?"
The young prince squinted in the direction she pointed to, then nodded.
"Once we get there, we can go to the stables. Stay out of the sentry's sight!"
Without another word she darted from behind the trees and ran to a wagon, staying there for a short period, then bending behind another object. Weaving behind and in front of objects, they slowly made their way to the stables. A strong odor of hay snaked in through Zuko's nostrils. He coughed and waved his palm in front of his face before recognizing the aroma:
Hay.
It had been so long since he had been in actual stables, the temporary ones on his ship didn't count. They were cold metal shacks carpeted with some ripped pillows ans shredded paper, lacking comfort for the rhinos and the familiar, sense-tingling odors, feels, sounds, and sights of a normal one.
Nashaina pulled the single-rider saddle off the rack, groaning as she struggled to lift it. She snapped her eyes open and peered at her hands.
What happened to the saddle….?
Zuko dropped the saddle on the Komono Rhino's back, dusting himself after.
Smiling, Nashaina ran a hand through her long hair. "Shall I accompany you cousin, or can you find the way independently, as always?"
Price Zuko snarled at first, recognizing it as mockery, before he glanced up ad saw she meant it.
"I will be fine alone, cousin. Thank you, you have done enough." With that Zuko mounted the grunting rhino. Nudging it's leathery sides with the heels of his boots, Zuko moved forward and out of the stall. Galloping out of the stables, he glimpsed at the harbor illuminated by the moon's subtle silver beams and cringed with angst. It hung high in the sky, a glowing ornament amongst small twinkling lights. Darkness from the nighttime sky seeped through the murky depths of the still ocean.
I need to go!
Soraya snickered as soon as the unsuspecting general had left. Keeping a straight face that long had not been simple. As soon as she escaped, she would find him and flee back to her palace. Well come across anyways…She fingered the pouch in the back of her gossamer gown and slipped a pocket knife out. Slitting the ropes that served as handcuffs, she ripped the blindfold of her face and ran to the iron gate of the jail cell and grabbed the vertical bars. She whipped the tiny ivory blade out and tried it on the bars and repeatedly rapped it on the pole. Suddenly, a small granite pebble clouted Soraya's left temple. Glancing speechlessly with incredulity at the cubicle across from her, she heard an apprehensive whisper from a familiar voice.
"You'll attract the ruthless sentinels! The last thing we need is some fatal consequence!"
"Genji? My navy First-mate?"
Being her bodyguard as well, he abhorred being portrayed so weakly with a nickname. Genji responded with a harsh snap, "I prefer Genjineh!"
"Well why'd you pelt me with a rock?"
"Because it's fun!" Genji smirked then softly chuckled. "But there is a reason. I'm trying to stall the guards as long as possible. They said they would take YOU first."
"And me to wait for what? The rest of you to perish?"
"Your not experienced. A young princess and-"
"Listen! I braved bombardment from deadly fire cannons, churning waters, sharp, accurately aimed arrows, and powerful fire benders to arrive to such a negative end? I think not! So risk the guard's attention; if I want to try to survive! Now where are the earth benders; my regiment?"
"Different cells. We were separated for isolation purposes."
Soraya proceeded to resume tapping the blade against the bar.
"So why are we here anyways? We have absolutely no business here."
Before Soraya could respond quick, evenly spaced vibrations were heard. They soon quickened and paused at the princess's door. Soraya looked up from the enormous shadow at her feet to find an enraged Fire Sentry. His beige eyebrows furrowed downward and his ginger eyes flickered with fury. With much agility, he seized the pocketknife from her hands and folded his fists across his chest.
"I suppose it's time for your examination. I suggest we quicken the pace. Commander Zhao is a testy man" He scoffed.
Yanking Soraya from her cell, he pushed her in front of him and folded her arms behind her back. Out of sheer desperation, Soraya glimpsed at rhe ceiling. It was metal…but had holes with burnt marks delineating them and some wooden planks showing through. Wood was harder to bend than most earth, but would have to do. With a powerful leap, Soraya magnetized herself to the wood. Dodging a blazing bullet, she shrieked and attempted to jump to the next board but missed. She slipped and fell… directly on the firebender; knocking him out. Snatching his keys, her fingers raced to unlock Genji's cell.
He rubbed his sore, scarlet wrists to ease the pain the ropes had left and looked down at the guard, then winced. "You might wish to lose a few pounds when we get back…" Soraya gasped and smacked Genji's shoulder with her palm.
Zuko dove behind the lush evergreen protection of several bushes to avoid being seen. He should have come on his own; now, Zhao might incarcerate Nashaina and her family. He shook his head and examined his setting. Dawn would not break in at least for another couple hours. The Earth Ship had a few sentries around it, but unusually, nothing too severe.
"Where is he?" Soraya whispered anxiously, to the whirling breeze that fondled her cheeks. They had gathered all their fellow Earthbenders and found a spot on the metal floor that had lost its coating; leaving bare earth. They tunneled out, and were now yards away from their ship. Glaring at the watch guards striding up and down their deck, Genji hissed,
"There is no way we can get past them without stirring up commotion. We'll go on your command then?"
"WAIT! What about HIM?"
"What's that, your ready? Let's go!"
"As superior officer I order you to- Genji! GENJI!" The earth warriors had shoved their enemies into the water with large boulders bended from below the docks and sprinted to the welcoming ship.
"No NO GENJI! WE CAN'T LEAVE! NOT YET! NO!" Genji hauled the rebelling princess to the ship by her arm. Soraya protested as she tried to break free of his grasp, but earthbenders, being remarkably brawny and muscular, it was impossible.
"GENJI! DO YOU HEAR ME! I SAID NO!" Prince Zuko awoke with a start to a recognizable yelp. "I'm wondering who can't hear you." The weary first-mate muttered. Camouflaged by the group of earthbenders, stampeding to the ship; Zuko boarded the vessel unnoticed.
Soraya looked out to the sunrise with saddened eyes. Her turquoise eyes with dark iris outlined with gold, usually vigorous and lively, were somber. Blowing in the forceful sea gust, her medium-long ash brownhair was faintly illuminated bynatural hazel highlights . A crimson orb was slowly crawling from the horizon to the depths of the sky, casting golden, scarlet, and ginger shadows on the ocean .Flickereing, they danced upon the smooth, dark surface,shroudingin the sanctuary of the darkness. She had failed. They came through all that precarious peril for absolutely nothing.
I should have never tried. What is he to me anyways? Why does he matter? It's not like he'll ever be anything more than an... your common...well,banished...Fire Nation Prince. He'll go his way, I'll go mine. His people have been ruthlessly slaughtering mine for a century, and my salacious thoughtscan do nothing exccept remind me of him! I am the Earthen Princess, soon the Empress! I have neither the time, or the tolerance for a Fire Prince!
Deep from the crevasses of her heart, noxious, lascivious emotions aiming amorously at a specific individual poured out, strangling her with recollections. She tried to lock him out, to stay protected, but...
What am I doing now! Oh this is nonsense! Blasphemy if you ask me! Nothing but a bunch of old rubbish the elderly story-tellers would weave into our minds!
She glanced behind her at the abandoned deck.
"I should get back…" she murmured. Just as she was about to leave, a muscular hand covered her mouth and prevented her from screaming.
"That's them!" Aang chirped happily as Momo trilled in soprano. He pulled the reins to the left and deftly maneuvered Appa.
"Great. " Katara muttered sleepilySuddenly her eyes widened and she whipped her head back to the ship, smacking a drowsy Sokka with her braid.
"Who IS that with her?"
Soraya broke free and whirled around.
"Zuko! What do you want!" she hissed. His fierce and passionate golden eyes bore through her so intensely she had to glance away.
"How did you know?" Zuko demanded.
"Know What?" Soraya replied, furrowing her eyebrows.
"How did you know I was-" Zuko was interrupted when a furry, manila, streak rushed by him and seized Soraya.
A spear rushed by his head. Suddenly, two firebenders grabbed Zuko and started shoving him to the side of the deck. Waking from all the earsplitting clamor, a sleepy Genji appeared at the doorway, eyelids closed and mumbling something incomprehensible. When he turned to face Zuko and the firebenders, his jade eyes snapped open and his olive skin was bleached pale considerably. To his surprise they bolted to the side of the ship and disappeared. Genji ran toward the railing and glanced down, only to meet the calm morning waters below.
"It's good to have you back on the ship Prince Zuko. Still, I don't see how you escaped on an Earth vessel from the FIRE Nation?" Uncle Iroh welcomed his nephew. Sensing an eerie stillness among them, he attempted to break the tension,
"Come, let me instruct you with the advanced offensive techniques." A rare treat for Zuko, though he rarley showed gratitude. And if he did, he expressesd it in the most meager of ways. However today, Zuko barely glimpsed at his kind kin.