A/N: Don't expect updates this quickly every time. I was just inspired by all the wonderful reviews I got from the first chapter! Thank you all so much.
This chapter…isn't is long or funny as the last chapter, but I need it to get the plot moving. So sorry. I hope you still enjoy it, however.
Enjoy!
Chapter Two: Egg-Drop of DOOM!
"Uncle, no." The surly Prince began, sounding terribly exhausted from fighting with his Uncle over this matter. He may be one hell of a ninja, but even he got tired from fighting eventually. "Just no, okay? That's my final answer."
"But Prince Zuko," Iroh began, a faint hint of hope in the old man's voice. "She's just a little girl."
This was the part where Jee walked in, absolutely oblivious (per usual) to what the young Prince and his elderly Uncle were arguing about this time. Normally, he would have just ignored the pair and continued on his business, but this time was different. This time there was the mention of a 'little girl'---a little girl who could possibly be the forsaken waterbender the crew had recently picked up. So instead, he listened with as much patience as he possibly could.
"Absolutely not, Uncle!"
"But Zuko," His Uncle widened his eyes in a desperate hope to appeal to his nephew. "It's cold out!"
"All the more reason not to." Zuko said stiffly, crossing his arms per usual. He turned his back to his Uncle, not wanting to look the old man in the eyes.
"Nephew, I am ashamed at you! I thought you would be different from your father, but I see now how wrong I was. How could you be so heartless?"
Jee watched the banter between Uncle and Nephew with growing interest---what had the Prince done already to the waterbender they were keeping prisoner that could have upset his uncle so much?
Zuko glowed. "I'm not heartless!"
His Uncle raised his eyebrow. "Then why won't you help her?"
"WE AREN'T KEEPING THE DAMN CAT AND THAT'S FINAL, UNCLE!" Zuko bellowed towards his elder.
Jee spit out his tea. Cat? He thought oddly. What cat?
It was then he noticed the soft purring creature in Iroh's arms.
Zuko sneezed.
"See, I'm allergic to the damn thing! We can't keep it!"
Iroh pouted. "You probably did that on purpose."
Zuko frowned. "I swear I'm no---ACHOO!" The Prince pulled out a hanky from his pocket, blowing his nose patiently before sneezing again. "Just---just please, Uncle?"
Iroh began scheming. "I'll keep her in my room." He said quietly, petting the kitten in his arms. "You won't ever know she's there."
Zuko sulked. "Yes I will."
Iroh grinned. "No, you won't! I promise!" He cuddled the kitten again, knowing good and well he had already won the fight. "I've already named her: Princess Mookie Cocoa-butter Jasmine Sugerpuff. Mookie for short."
Zuko blew his nose again. "Fine, Uncle…just, keep it away from me, alright?"
Thus began one of the weirdest mornings of Jee's life.
XXX
"Hey, Daisuke!" A tall boy with black hair and gold eyes (what firebender didn't have those traits?) ran towards another tall boy with black hair and gold eyes, waving. "I didn't know you had guard duty too!"
"Oh, hey Taro!" Daisuke said, lowering his guard down. "I wasn't suppose to be having guard duty today, either, but Jiro had a hangover, so I offered."
Taro grinned. "Don't offer too much. Jiro always has a hangover. You'll be working all his shifts in no time if you keep that up."
Daisuke let out a kind laugh, holding his spear out in case of any impending (as usual) danger.
"So what are we suppose to be doing, anyway?" Taro asked, peeking into the cell door where the waterbender was.
"Two things," Daisuke began. "One, don't let the water-witch escape, two, don't let Prince Zuko in if it can be helped."
Taro frowned. "Jee's orders, correct?" Daisuke nodded.
"It's going to be awfully hard keep Prince Zuko out if he wants in. After all, he is the commanding officer on this ship."
"I know." Daisuke offered. "But I don't think Prince Zuko will be coming down here much today, if at all. Hikari told me he wasn't feeling real well at all."
"Oh," Taro said appreciatively. An idea, a really, really, awful idea, suddenly popped into his head. "You and Hikari are awfully close, you know." Taro asked skeptically.
"N-not really," Daisuke stammered, his face turning red. "I mean, she's my friend, but that's all."
"Oh," Taro answered.
There was an uneasy pause.
"Do you like her?" Taro whispered apprehensively.
"N-no." Daisuke lied. "Do you like her?" He whispered nervously.
"Of course not!" Taro also lied.
"Well, that's good." Daisuke said.
"Yeah," Taro said with a smile. "That's real good."
Daisuke was grinning now. "Who needs girls, anyway?"
"They're always such a hassle!"
"Not to mention expensive!" (A/N: For the record, I am a girl.)
"I know!" Taro smirked. "Best to stay single like us, right, friend?"
Daisuke laughed. "But of course!"
The two boys shared a hearty laugh. "Speaking of girls, I wonder what's up with our own little water-witch in there. She hasn't made a peep since we've been on duty."
Daisuke shrugged. "Probably collapsed from exhaustion, if I was to take a guess."
"What she got to be exhausted from?" Taro asked.
"Well, being kidnapped is awfully exhausting work, I imagine." Daisuke answered. "Not to mention she just yelled for two-hours straight at Hikari and Shen to let her go. And she probably hasn't been fed in over twenty-four hours."
"Sounds exhausting." Taro commented. "Glad I'm not her."
"Oh, I don't know, Taro." Daisuke teased. "You'd be such a pretty water-witch."
"Go to hell, Daisuke." Taro growled.
"The blue would go so well with your eyes!"
"I said go to hell."
"And waterbending! You would be so good at waterbending!"
"GO TO HELL!" But Daisuke only laughed harder at Taro's flamed temper.
"Excuse me, gentlemen." The calmly voice of the retired General Iroh entered the hallway they were guarding. Both boys gulped. "I'm sure the conversation you two were having was most prominent, but can I get through? The poor dear in there probably hasn't had anything to eat yet, and we'd not be good guests if we didn't feed her."
The two boys stepped aside almost instantly, allowing the old general to get through. They glared at one another.
"That was all your fault!"
XXX
Katara woke up when she felt the warmth of the blanket being draped over her.
"Who are you?" She screeched. "Get out!" She paused, considering her words. "Get me out!"
She heard a curious chuckle. "I'm afraid my nephew wouldn't want me to do that, dear." The old general said, holding out a fireball in his hand to provide light. "Last time we met, it wasn't under the best of circumstances, I'm afraid. Shall we try again? My name is Iroh." The general held out his hand, the one not covered in flames, for Katara to shake.
"Katara," she said politely, shaking Iroh's hand. She remembered him from the siege of the North, when Yue died. She leaned closer to the old man. "Can you get me out of here?"
The old man laughed at her. "I'm sorry, Katara, but you see," He smiled warmly at her. "You're the main piece of my nephew's latest attempt to kidnap the Avatar. See, he's planning on using you as bait so that way he won't have to chase the Avatar, the Avatar will come here."
Katara blinked. "That's probably the stupidest plan I've ever heard in my life." So stupid, in fact, that it would probably work. She thought begrudgingly.
"I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought so." Iroh said kindly. "Now, tell me: Do you like egg-drop soup?"
Katara looked at him like he was crazy (he probably was). "Uh, yeah, I guess."
"Good." Iroh smiled. "I brought you some." He held up the warm bowl to Katara. She grinned as she took in the warm smell.
An awful thought occurred to her. "It's not poisoned, is it?" She asked, trembling. She was so hungry.
"I certainly hope not---my nephew ate some of this same soup just a few hours ago, so if it is, then you'll share his fate."
Katara smiled as she took a large bite of the soup. At least Prince Sir-Sulks-A-Lot would die with her.
"Now, I've left you a blanket and a spare change of clothes in case you wanted to change. I'll leave you to your soup. After all, I've got to look after Princess Mookie Cocoa-butter Jasmine Sugerpuff now." He said as he left the small holding cell.
Katara stared at him like he was crazy. He probably was.
XXX
"Er, do you think we should go get someone?" Daisuke asked Taro quietly as the sounds of spewing vomit reached the two guards ears.
Taro didn't answer him, only glared.
"Oh come on! I didn't mean it! I was only joking!" Daisuke pleaded.
Taro still glared.
"I mean, what did I even do?" Daisuke asked.
"What did you do!" Taro screamed. "You insulted me in front of the famous General Iroh, the Dragon of the West!"
"And?" Daisuke asked, trying to ignore the sounds of nausea from the door behind him.
"Unlike you, some of us have families back home that aren't crazy gypsies!" Taro yelled. "Granddad would kill me if he knew what had just happened."
Daisuke placed his hand on Taro's shoulder. "Is that why you try so hard? For your Granddad?"
Taro sighed as Katara ejected her latest eatings once more. "Not exactly." He mumbled, just loud enough for Daisuke to hear. Daisuke gave him a curious glance, asking Taro to continue his story.
"My parents were killed in an attack from the Earth Kingdom when I was just a baby." He explained softly. "After that, I was sent to live with my Grandfather in the capital city. He always wanted me to be a soldier---one of the best, actually. Said it would be good for the memory of my parents."
"WILL SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!" Katara yelled in the background.
Daisuke ignored her, placing his hand on Taro's soldier. "Being a good soldier isn't going to bring your parents back, you know." He said softly.
"OH GOD, I'VE EJECTED THINGS I HAVEN'T EVEN EATEN YET!"
Taro smiled sadly. "I know, but if it makes Granddad proud…"
Daisuke nodded. "I understand." He then turned to the cell door curiously. "Think we should get her some help?"
Taro nodded. "Let's go get Fai, the healer. She'll know what to do."
XXX
SEVERAL HOURS LATER…
Katara yawned, stretching herself as she stood up from the infirmary bed she had been confined to. She noticed, with a small sense of reluctance, that the doors and windows to the infirmary had been locked tightly with no possible chance of escape. She sighed heavily as she stretched. The soup-induced vomiting had finally stopped, and she was beginning to feel a bit better.
"Meow." A quiet little noise came from near the door. Katara looked at it closely. It was a small, chubby, gray cat---no, a kitten, by the looks of it. It was purring gently near the door, staring at Katara curiously.
"Aw, how cute." Katara whispered, picking the small kitten up and holding it in her arms. The cat purred and purred as Katara stroked it's head. She walked around the room, quietly petting the kitten, before she noticed she was not alone in the infirmary.
"Get that damn cat away from me right now!" The bad-tempered Prince, her captor, growled loudly. Katara jumped; unaware that he was there, before taking the time to make sure she didn't look caught off her guard.
"It's just a cat. What's a cat going to do to you?" She said, walking to where the Prince sat up in his bed.
"I'm allergic to cats." The Prince said honestly. "I start sneezing whenever I get near them."
"You aren't sneezing now." Katara pointed out.
"I will, just watch me, water-witch." Zuko said pointedly.
Katara rolled her eyes as she sat on Zuko's bed, holding the kitten close to her. "I have a name, you know. It's Katara, not 'water-witch' or 'peasant' or any of the other clever nicknames you like to call me."
"I know what your name is!" Zuko growled.
"Then start using it." She said quietly, petting the cat playfully. Zuko looked at the cat in disgust before he began sneezing again.
"I didn't know you had allergies." She muttered at his sneezing fit. That could be useful if she ever got out of here. They'd have to get a cat so that every time Zuko showed up he would start sneezing and they could run away.
He laughed. "I have plenty of allergies." He grabbed a cloth from his bedside and blew his nose.
She raised her eyebrow curiously. "Like what?"
"Peanut butter." He said. "When I'm around peanut butter, I break out into terrible hives and could possibly start having seizures."
"That horrible!" She mumbled. "Anything else?"
He smiled. "Leechi nuts. Tomatoes. Certain types of leather. Scorbees. Girls. Old people. Cats. Small children. Dogs. People in general. Certain types of lotions or perfumes---"
Katara laughed. "You can't be allergic to people!"
"Sure I can." He said. "My extreme dislike for all of humanity causes me to go into fits of terror every time I'm around people."
She giggled. "I don't think you're allergic to girls."
He raised an eyebrow (the only one he had). "What makes you say that?"
She smiled. "Because I've been sitting on your bed for five minutes and you've yet to do anything."
"Maybe it's just you." He whispered, almost…flirtingly? Katara held her breath. This was not happening. The Prince of the Fire Nation was not flirting with her. "Maybe I'm immune to stupid water-witches from the south."
Katara glared at him, and suddenly wished she had water somewhere near her to hit him with. "Yeah, well maybe I'm allergic to arrogant Fire Princes!"
He shrugged. "Must be such a hard allergy to get over, seeing as you keep getting closer to me." He pointed out. She hadn't noticed it, but he was right. She was oh-so-very close to him---much closer than she had been when she sat down.
Too close, she realized. She backed away from him slowly.
"Maybe it's just you." She said quietly. "Maybe I'm immune to you."
"Then I'd say your cured," He gave her a rather cheeky grin. "After all, I am the only Fire Prince."
She laughed.
The room got quiet for a few moments. It was a comfortable silence for the most part, save the awkwardness that kept threatening to appear.
After a few more minutes of silence, she scooted closer to him again. "I don't think your allergic to cats, either."
He looked at her like she was crazy.
She grinned. "After all, that cat's been asleep in your lap for ten minutes and you've yet to sneeze."
Zuko frowned. "Damnit."
XXX
:end:
A/N:
1. One line in this fic belongs to an 8-bit theater comic. Whoever catches it gets brownie points.
2. If anyone draws me a fanart of Zuko, Katara, and Princess Mookie Cocoa-butter Jasmine Sugerpuff, I will love you forever and give you full permission over my soul for the rest of eternity.
3. This could also be part of MASAKO MOONSHADE'S FANFIC CHALLENGES number four, because Zuko (and Iroh) got a cat.
Please comment. Comments are like sugar-coated-sugar-puffies.