Chapter 17 Not my prince!

Iroh sipped his tea silently while Zuko meditated. He wondered how long he had been out. And what was going on in the world. Katara was now up and moving about despite the fact that she had a broken leg. Occasionally she would look over to Zuko and shrug off anything she was going to say. It seemed that the two benders were worst enemies again. Neither of them had spoken to each other in five days. Iroh was starting to worry, after all when there's an awkward silence in the air somebody has to break it.

"Zuko you're too focused on your work." Iroh said as Zuko studied some maps placed across a small table.

Zuko didn't answer. He showed no sign of Iroh even speaking to him. Occasionally he would look over at the helmsman then return his gaze back towards the maps. He was more focused on where his father was heading than anything his uncle had to say. After all it couldn't have been too important.

"You should take a break. Meditate some." Iroh continued even though Zuko paid no attention the retired general. "Okay fine don't pay attention to me. But I promise you that will be the last time I help save your life from uncertain doom." Iroh was bluffing and he knew it and Katara knew it as well, but Zuko didn't. At least Iroh thought he didn't.

"Uncertain doom?" Zuko laughed looking up. "Uncle, you have been in a coma for about a week. We haven't stopped for supplies or anything. And to add trouble on top of that I have to run from 'Fear' because someone forgot to warn me that I was his…"

"Or hers." Katara interrupted.

"Victim!" Zuko finished. "But no you had…"

"Nephew you knew from day one after I told you that story she was going to be after you." Iroh replied calmly. "You were the one to make a difference. And your father knew that too. Thus another reason why he sent you on this useless journey."

"For your information, Ozai has Aang!" Katara yelled finding herself on her feet. "And I had come up with a plan but your stupid nephew here had to go and ruin it all."

Zuko glared at Katara. "Excuse me? I ruined it?" He let out a laugh. "I don't think so. If maybe you didn't catch the eye of 'Fear' then I wouldn't have to break your legs." Zuko yelled.

Katara narrowed her eyes and threw her hands up but not in defeat. "Oh yeah sure whatever. The next thing I know is you're going to be telling me that you're going to be father of my child!" She launched a water whip at Zuko who blocked it with a fireball.

Zuko let out another laugh. "You never know." He paused. "But of course who would want to father your child you ugly slut." Zuko knew that he had pushed Katara too far.

Tears swelled up in the young water bender's eyes before she ran out of the room. She didn't know where she was going but it was better than here. After all she did for Zuko he betrayed her by calling her a slut. Maybe she should have stayed with Nyla, after all she seemed a lot nicer. Katara walked out onto the deck and felt the breeze hit her in the face. It felt cool against her wet face. She looked out across the horizon and wondered what her brother and Aang were doing.

With Sokka and Aang

Zuko was to end the war in less than a year's time. It sounded like the Avatar really wasn't needed then. But why did this Shadow person still want Zuko dead? Was she supposed to be an evil Avatar or something?

"Um… Shadow?" Aang asked uncertainly. "Are you like the Avatar only much eviler?"

Sokka looked at the Avatar like he was crazy for asking such a question but when Shadow answered yes things began to get more confusing for the water bender warrior. But when Sokka thought about he wondered about the same thing.

"No I'm a reincarnation born every hundred years to destroy a royal family member." Shadow explained as she led the boys down some stairs. "I was first introduced to do my job about three hundred years ago to stop an Avatar. It was right before Sozen's comet."

"So before Avatar Roku?"

"Yes a complete cycle before him." She replied. "It was a messy job but it got me into the royal family history books. Plus it added fear among them."

Sokka pondered on this for a while. So that meant if Zuko was going to be father of a monster child than… "Katara's going to be the mother." Sokka came to realize.

"Yes your sister is going to be the mother. Thus the reason why I have to destroy them both, it's a messy job but somebody's got to do it." Aang shrugged to this and listened to Shadow tell more about her job. "There are two people who can stop this other than the Avatar himself." She said walking into a room with absolutely nothing in it.

"Who?" Both boys asked.

"Nyla, Zuko's sister. And Sokka, Katara's brother." Shadow answered backing up. "But unfortunately neither of them know this. Well you do know and you're unable to get out." She ran out the door and locked it from the outside before heading off the ship.

It was a simple plan to keep the Avatar and that moron busy while she gets them into a room with no exit but one. Talking always does the trick, she thought of Nyla and how that stupid fire bender princess was going to be a more challenging task. It wasn't a big deal though. It was more or less a take out both benders mission and poof things were over and the world would go according to plan.

Shadow looked around the deck the guards that she had knocked before were starting to stir. It was a good thing that she had the only key to the door the Avatar and the boy were locked in. And then add the fact that she made the door fire proof and everything was perfect. Shadow sighed and sat on the railing. For some reason the potion was getting weaker, it didn't surprise her though. After all she was getting weaker since she hadn't killed either Zuko or Katara.

She flipped off the side of the railing and found herself on Zuko's ship. One of her powers besides her power to discover one's fear was to teleport to her next destination. On the ship was Katara crying. It seemed that Zuko had hurt her once again. Things weren't going well for the young teen. It was time to pull of some of her tricks.

"What's the matter little girl?" She asked in a sweet voice.

Katara didn't answer. It seemed that she hadn't heard 'Fear'. Katara got up and looked straight past Shadow. Sighing she turned and headed straight into the ship down towards Zuko's room. If Katara could beat Zuko to his room then she wouldn't have to deal with the fact that he was going to yell at her even more.

It was then when Shadow got a better plan. Instead of attacking the girl like she tried last time; why didn't she go for the prince himself? Shadow looked up and saw Zuko walking out from the captain's room. Using Zuko's fear for her own power would be the best thing yet. But somehow she would have to get past his defenses.

Zuko saw it; 'Fear' was standing on his boat. Many different thoughts were going through his mind at once. First thought dealt with his uncle, then he pushed that thought aside when he thought of what Iroh had told him just a little while ago.

"She's after because you're to make the biggest difference in Katara's life than either of you realize." His uncle's word came back to haunt him. He muttered Katara's name before jumping off of the ladder and running into the ship down towards his room.

I shouldn't have said that about Katara. Maybe she'll forgive me if I use logic. Zuko thought as he ran to he door. He tried to open it but he found it to be locked. "Katara open this door at once!" Zuko yelled being a little harsher than was attended to.

"No! Go jump off a cliff!" Katara yelled. "I don't want to hear anything you say any more!"

"Katara it's 'Fear' she's here!" Zuko said quickly. "I'm worried that she's going to hurt you!"

"Liar!" Katara yelled back. "I'm not going to believe another word you say!"

Zuko sighed and slumped up against the door. If she wasn't going to believe him then he was going to sit outside of her door all night until she let him in. And if that wasn't until she was hungry two days from now then so be it. But no matter what happens he wasn't going to move.

Katara leaned against the door listening to Zuko's light snores. It felt comforting for a while before she got tired. But no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't fall asleep. It was then she heard knocking on the door.

"Katara, it's Iroh. Can you let me in?"

"No." She said sharply.

"I need to get Zuko in there. There's something wrong with my nephew. It seems that 'Fear' has struck again. But this time it's Zuko." Iroh said urgently.

No not my prince! Katara thought opening the door.

K15: Hi ya guys. Just to let you know that this story is far from over. It still has two sequel things in the making. One dealing with the defeat of Nyla and another dealing with the defeat of the Fire Lord. Anyway. on a happier note. Here's chapter 17. I guess this story is going to be longer than I thought. Maybe twenty-four chapters. Anyway. Oh yeah I have to tell you what I've found out about Avatar. There are twenty episodes coming up in the beginning of 2006. In spring along with the second series (I think I can't remember exactly) there is going to be trading cards out for Avatar. (I found this on some site the other day. Don't trust it though sometimes it's wrong.) I don't know if it's a rumor or not. Oh yeah the other thing I was supposed to tell you guys is if my writing seems a little confusing is because I'm used to writing in first person point of view. So yeah. Bare with me guys. Anyway. So I'll try to update soon. Don't forget to review. Later. K15