Chapter 14 Instincts and Chickens
Zuko ran up to where they were holding his uncle. It was strange to be worried about someone you gave crap to during the two years he was at sea with you. But after a while you begin to actually admit you care for that person like a parent. And that's exactly what Iroh was to Zuko a father that actually cared for him. And when he heard that his uncle was shot that just worried Zuko to the point of crying. He entered his uncle's room and noticed Iroh laying on the bed his breathing uneven. Iroh didn't seem aware that his nephew had entered the room.
"Uncle Iroh?" Zuko asked walking up next to the bed. He knelt down and tried to study his uncle's expression. It was calm and full of peace. Turning to the doctor he asked, "He's not dead is he?"
The doctor shook his head and replied, "No he's just in a coma. We don't know how long he'll be in it Prince Zuko."
Katara walked up to Iroh's room and leaned against the doorpost. She noticed that Zuko was staring at his uncle. She knew that it was bugging him that he was unable to protect his uncle. But things happened for a reason some reasons clearer than others. Katara walked up to Zuko and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's going to be alright. I promise." Katara whispered in the prince's ear. Zuko only nodded and stood up.
"Inform me when he's awake." He commanded the to the doctor.
Zuko stood out on the deck allowing the breeze to hit him in the face. All he could think about was Iroh lying on that sick bed maybe at the brink of death. He had left Katara in his room alone. He couldn't face anyone with the thought of his uncle dying.
"I talked to one of the soldiers that brought Iroh in." Katara said walking up next to Zuko.
Zuko shrugged and leaned against the railing a little more. "So."
"They said when the brought him in he was muttering something about fear." Katara sounded confused. "I don't get it. What's 'fear'?
Zuko sighed and remembered the shadow he had saw while they were on Zhao's ship. He knew that Katara would some how find out about it, but this wasn't the way he was expecting to tell her.
"'Fear' is something dangerous of the Fire Nation." Zuko sighed again. "We were told that it was only a myth. Most superstition fire benders believed the stories. Others…"
"That doesn't answer my question." Katara put her hands on her hips.
"Right sorry. 'Fear' is what we believe to be the spirit of either a past fire born Avatar or a past Fire Lord, depending on what version of the story you hear." Zuko explained. "I'm a stronger believer it's a curse placed of the royal family for starting the war." He shook his head.
"So why did this 'Fear' attack General Iroh?" Katara asked.
"I believe it's because of what happened to my mother. My mother's death was no accident. Nyla believes my father had put my mom up to the whole fire queen thing. But 'Fear' is what we believe to be a cursed death. It comes when nobody expects it and when people do it hits hard." Zuko continued to explain. "Nobody really knows what this thing is or what it looks like. All we know is that it comes and then 'poof' you're dead."
Katara laughed a little and dragged Zuko off to the ship and down into the town. "Some shopping will get things off your mind. Maybe you can pick up something for your uncle." Katara tried to make Zuko feel better but it wasn't working too well. Katara sighed and tried to think of some better way to cheer the banished prince up.
With Aang and Sokka
Sokka looked at Aang who hung his head down in shame. He knew that Fire Lord was testing the Avatar in some sick and strange way, but then again Aang could get out of anything.
"You're able to get out of anything. You got out of Zhao's clutches when I was sick." Sokka tried to look on the bright side of things.
"I was rescued by the Blue Spirit aka Prince Zuko." Aang confessed.
Sokka looked around. "What about that Orange Spirit chick? She helped rescue us."
"Katara." Aang replied in a monotone voice.
"Okay how about no wait that was that Fire Sage guy." Sokka looked down at his hands. "Geeze Aang you've been rescued or has had help from somebody you know all this time."
"Sokka there's got to be a way out of here. I still have to master Earth and Fire bending." Aang found himself to his feet then noticed an air vent. "Sokka what do your instincts say about that air vent?" Normally he wasn't concerned about Sokka's instincts but this time they might have gotten out of trouble with the help of the boy.
Sokka stared long and hard at the vent. He knew that it had to lead to a different part of the ship and out of the cell they were put in. Maybe if they were lucky it would lead up onto the deck. They would have to swim to the nearest shore but that couldn't be too hard if they didn't meet any sharks or dangerous water creatures.
"I think we should wait to see if Katara shows up. I know she wouldn't allow us to stay in this prison hole forever or till we died which ever comes first." Sokka laughed a bit before noticing that the Avatar wasn't in a mood to laugh. It seemed out of character of Aang to be down like that no matter what was happening, Sokka figured it was because of things going on right now.
"I'm all right Sokka things just will get better." Aang replied to Sokka's comment. He turned his back towards the warrior. "I hope."
With Zuko and Katara
Zuko smiled at Katara's efforts to cheer him up. She was trying her hardest but he couldn't help worrying about his uncle even more. Katara grabbed his arm and clung to it like she was married to him. People around them weren't surprised that the prince of the Fire Nation had himself a girlfriend or at least a concubine. What did surprise was that they were walking around in public like nothing was going on at all.
"Zuko people are giving me weird looks." Katara hissed clinging to his arm even tighter.
Zuko shrugged and walked into a shop with different kinds of dresses and sort. He looked at Katara and muttered, "Pick out anything you want."
She smiled at the boy and ran into a section of both blue and red dresses hand made by the Fire Nation themselves. She looked around for something that would not only impress Zuko but also was modest. Finally she picked out two dresses; a red one with flames on the bottom with a v-neck and a slit going up to about her knee and a blue one that reminded her a lot of her mother's dress. She walked back over to Zuko and shoved the dresses in his arms before running over to a different part of the story.
Zuko was about to pay for the dresses when Katara came up to him with something behind her back. He turned to her and asked, "What is it?"
Katara couldn't help smiling. "I've got the rest of my plan figured out." She held out a chicken suit.
Zuko's eyes went wide at the thought. She didn't have to say it. He knew what was going to happen with that suit. Shaking his head he argued. "Oh no not in a million and six years."
Katara put on a puppy dog pout. "Please, if you care for your uncle's well being…" She was going the guilt route.
Again he shook his head, "Katara don't even try that route." He started she looked at the ground. "You know for a fact that this has nothing to do with my uncle's well being but more on the fact of rescuing your brother and the Avatar."
"Sir is that everything?" The merchant asked.
Zuko looked at Katara then turned back to the merchant. "No this chicken suit as well."
K15: Hi ya guys. It's me again with yet another strange chapter. I hope this explains a little bit about 'Fear'. It will get more into that later. Anyway... has anyone else noticed that the relationship that Zuko and Katara has (Not in just mine but others also) is like the movie Beauty and the Beast from Disney? I dunno maybe it's just me. I noticed it today while going through my old CDs. I know I'm weird for a sixteen year old. Anyway I'm hoping to update soon. Oh and I decate this chapter to my little bro because he's b-day is sunday. So I might not update over the weekend cuz of that and I've got a parade monday to march in so that's another reason. So check around tuesday or wensday of next week. Anyway. Later. K15