Before I begin, I would like to say a few words.
I have been writing, because I like to do that. But, I have also been posting these chapters, so people would read them, and give me an input on how my writing is, (you need to describe settings better, you should stop writing because it sucks, wow you're great, etc.)
I have just figured out how to see how many people have read my story.
189 have read this.
2people have reviewed. (Thank you Little Angelaand BinkaWV.By the way, you guys rock the world, and then some.)
Ok, I'm sorry, but that is just pathetic. I mean really.
Please, if you are reading Fanfiction, then you probably spend lots of time on the internet, right? Then after you read, please review. It really means a lot to me.
Thank you,
SeethingxShadows
Disclaimer: The only Avatar thing I own is this plotline, not the characters. I also do not own Sloop John B., that is owned by the Beach Boys.
4
Kila's body froze in its position, staring up at Zuko's bewildered face. He blinked a couple times, and then began to work out in his head what he was seeing. Kila quickly remembered that she still had the water strand hanging in the air, so she quickly bent it back into her tiny leather canteen.
"Um…this isn't what it looks like…?" She said slowly.
Zuko just stared at her, and had finally processed through his mind what was going on. His face suddenly turned the same dark red color as his uniform and his eyebrows furrowed.
Kila jumped up, preparing herself to run. Holding her hands out in front of her, she said calmly "Prince Zuko, calm down…sit down, and I can explain-"
"WHAT IS THERE TO EXPLAIN?" Zuko asked angrily. Then he pounced at Kila, hands ablaze. Iroh leaped out of the way as the girl ran over to the other side of the room, dodging the enraged prince's blasts of fire. "THE FACT THAT YOU SOMEHOW ARE AN AVATAR?"
"Ok, so you-YIPE! - figured that out-ACK!" Kila panted as she ran around the room, Zuko chasing her.
"THE FACT THAT YOU POTRAYED YOURSELF AS A FIREBENDER? THE FACT THAT YOU USED US TO GET YOU OUT OF IMPRISONMENT?" Zuko yelled as he chased Kila around the room.
"I didn't exactly use you, per say. YOUCH! You were the one that proposed the idea in the-YIKES- first place!" She gasped.
This fact only made the prince madder, and he sent larger fireballs in Kilas direction.
The general just sat in a corner, watching the two crazed teens running amok in his room. If this situation wasn't so life threatening, then it would have actually been quite funny. His head just moved back and forth, like he was watching a very fast tennis game.
Kila made her legs move faster, but she was running out of breath. Quickly, she bounced across the table and grabbed her leather canteen, which was still full of water. Thinking fast, she uncorked the canteen, turned toward the prince and screamed "CHILL OUT!" and squeezed the leather bladder as hard as she could. The water gushed out of the canteen and all over Zuko, dousing his hands and calming him down a very small amount.
Kila threw the empty canteen onto the table and said "Prince Zuko, sit down, and I will explain my predicament."
"I will not take orders from the likes of you." He replied.
"Prince Zuko, please sit down." Iroh piped.
Zuko just 'huff'ed and turned his head.
"Please sit down." Kila said strongly.
"NO."
"SIT DOWN DAMMIT!"
Zuko sat, amazed at Kila's use of profanity.
Kila let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm sorry for that, and I'm sorry for the horrible 'chill out' pun. But you have to listen to me. This is why I didn't run up and tell you that I'm possibly an Avatar-"
"Actually," Iroh butted in, "you probably are an Avatar."
"You are truly helping." Kila said sarcastically. Then turning to Zuko she began. "Look, here's the thing-"
"It doesn't matter what you tell me. I'm just going to go turn you into the fire nation. If it's an Avatar they want, then it's an Avatar they will receive." Zuko said stubbornly folding his arms.
Kila sighed again. "You won't turn me in."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because they already know that the Avatar is an airbender, and won't believe you."
"I will make you waterbend."
"Don't be ridiculous. You can't make me waterbend."
"I can do anything I want!"
"NO YOU CAN'T!"
"She is right Prince Zuko." Iroh piped up. "The Fire Nation will not believe you. I wouldn't have even believed you if she had not told me first."
Zuko turned angrily to his uncle. "When did it tell you?"
"I am NOT an 'it'!" Kila said exasperated.
"She told me today, just as you barged in." Iroh said calmly.
"Which was very rude, haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Kila said half joking, half serious. Zuko just continued to glare at her.
Kila took a deep breath and sat down next to Zuko. "This is going to sound extremely corny, and I again apologize," she started. "But, I'm from the future. I read about bending in some books, and I tried it myself. I can't really do air very well, and earth is just too difficult. But water is a bit easier, and obviously fire comes the easiest."
"My theory is that this is because in her time, the avatar cycle is at fire, and she is a descendent of fire nation." Iroh said wisely.
"So I'm not entirely a traitor…" Kila said hopefully. But Zuko kept his angered face on. Kila blew some hair out of her face and continued. "Anyway, I went to bed one night and woke up the next day in that city you found me in. Then I was grabbed by that behemoth of a man and made to work as his cook. Then you found me, and here we are."
Her enlightening speech didn't seem to get though to Zuko, so she continued. "The point is, I have no idea why I'm here, and no idea how to get home."
"Prince Zuko," the retired general said standing up and walking over to his nephew, "there is no way we can discover our future. Butperhaps Kila was sent here to help you be restored to your throne. Maybe she was sent to aid the avatar himself. Or maybe she was just sent to cook for us. We do not know yet, but in due time we shall figure it out. Have patience." He placed a loving hand on his nephews shoulder, and sat down between the Kila and Zuko. "All we have to figure out now is what we are planning to do."
Kila didn't understand what Iroh meant when he said "restored to his throne", but it seemed to calm Zuko down to a point where he wasn't scowling as hard.
Zuko processed through his mind what he had just learned. He was downright pissed at everything. He was pissed at himself for not figuring this out. He was pissed at Kila for not telling him about this. He was pissed at his uncle for knocking some sense into him and being truthful about how it was ridiculous to turn Kila over to the fire nation. He was pissed at the fire nation because if he did try and turn Kila in, they wouldn't believe him and he would become an even greater social outcast. And he was pissed at that water canteen for getting him all wet. Stupid water…
Thinking it all over, it was he who spoke next. "For now, I hate you." he directed at Kila.
He was surprised to see her hurt expression, but he waved his hand like he was dismissing the emotion. "As well as this, I do not trust you."
"Well, I can understand that…" Kila said sadly. "But…hate? That's a very strong word."
"It's also a very accurate word." Zuko said frankly. "And the fact that you're from the future explains a lot. Like the fact that you're so bizarre, with your sayings, and your food. Like what we had last night…"
"HEY!" Kila said pointing an accusing finger at Zuko. "Pizza is NOT bizarre! I'm SORRY that the bread wasn't very fluffy, but it took me five whole days of experiments to figure out how to even make it! Back home it comes in a box!"
Iroh looked up startled. "A box?" he asked. "Does all food come in boxes?"
"Erm…no." Kila explained. "Some just comes already made. This is why I had so much trouble with it! But it happens to be my favorite food, and I was craving it!"
Iroh giggled. "And it also explains why I have never heard of these songs you are always singing, and why you don't take requests!"
Zuko cleared his throat, trying to get the attention focused back on him. "For now, we will act like nothing has happened. You will keep cooking, cleaning, and singing for the men. There will be no air, water or earth bending."
"Well duh." Kila said.
"Excuse me?" Zuko asked confused, but with a hint of seriousness. "What is this 'duh'?"
"Nevermind," Kila said shaking it off.
Zuko scowled at her again. "You aggravate me."
"The feeling is mutual." Kila sneered back.
"Now now," Iroh said trying to restore order. "Kila, I will try and figure out a way to get you back home. But for now, I want you to act natural."
"That's what I just said!" Zuko said annoyed.
"Yes, but you said it very rudely. Kila has done nothing wrong." Iroh said calmly.
"Yea, chill dude." Kila said, trying to confuse him with slang. She chuckled at his mixed expression of bewilderment and anger. Then turning to Iroh she thanked him for understanding and for his patience, and excused herself to make dinner.
Zuko sat fuming on the floor. Iroh watched her leave and asked to himself, but out loud "I wonder what futuristic food she will be serving tonight."
Kila was a tad put to rest for the fact that she wasn't thrown overboard, chopped up into pieces, fed to the pet rhinos, or in any other way killed or humiliated. Sometimes she loved the old general and his wisdom, and this was definitely one of those times.
Walking into the kitchen, she half thought about what in the world she was going to do next, what Prince Zuko was going to do, and what she was going to make for dinner. But what she didn't think about was her math, and the fact that there are not three halfs in a whole.
That night Kila had served spaghetti. Because of her numerous experiments with pizza dough, it had left her supplies quite short, and Kila was wondering if she would have to start making cabbage soup with two ingredients: water and cabbage.
After the spaghetti, which only Prince Zuko complained about, the men protested for a song. Kila was racking her brains for one that would fit the mood, and she was coming up short. But then she remembered at the back of her mind one song she used to hear her dad sing as he would work in the backyard. She tried to remember all of the lyrics, and finally agreed to sing a song, much to the crew's enthusiasm.
Kila climbed up onto her table that she converted into a podium, hummed the tune for a second, and then burst out into song.
We come on the Sloop John B,
My grandfather and me.
Around Nassau town we did roam.
Drinking all night,
Got into a fight,
Well I feel so broke up,
I want to go home.
So hoist up the John B's sail,
See how the mainsail sets,
Call for the captain ashore,
Let me go home, let me go home.
I wanna go home, why won't they let me go home? Yeah yeah,
Well I feel so broke up
I wanna go home
The first mate he got drunk
And broke in the cap'n's trunk
The constable had to come and take him away
Should have just known,
Why don't you leave me alone, yeah yeah
Well I feel so broke up, I wanna go home.
So hoist up the John B's sail
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
I wanna go home,
Why don't you let me go home
I feel so broke up I wanna go home
The poor cook he caught the fits,
And threw away all my grits,
And then he took and he ate up all of my corn.
Let me go home,
Why don't they let me go home?
This is the worst trip I've ever been on.
So hoist up the John B's sail,
See how the mainsail sets,
Call for the captain ashore,
Let me go home, let me go home.
I wanna go home,
Why don't you let me go home?
I feel so broke up, I wanna go home!
Kila purposely sang this song an octave higher than she remembered, putting extra emphasis on the chorus. As she sang, she began to tear up, and put more emotion into the parts 'I wanna go home!'. By the end of the song it was all she could do to not collapse onto the tabletop and continue crying, wishing that this horridnightmare would just end. Ending her song, she bowed like always and hopped off the table, walking quicker than usual towards her room.
Once she got there, she just fell onto the floor and let the flood gates down. She missed her father, her mother, and even her little brother, even though he was a pain in the ass. She missed her clothes, her room, her bath, her bed, everything. She was years away from home on a ship that she wasn't welcome on, and didn't belong on. The pain was tearing her heart apart, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Kila stayed on the floor that night and eventually wore herself out crying and fell into a very deep sleep, where she dreamed about the chocolate she missed.
Every time that Kila sang, Zuko was held captive by her voice. He had heard her sing almost every other night, and yet it still amazed him that it was possible something could be so lovely. Yet tonight, her song was full of pain. Even though Zuko was still royally annoyed at the traitor, he couldn't help hearing the lyrics and the sobs that she was emitting. Ironically, it just made her voice more entrancing and powerful, and Zuko was again held captive like a helpless sailor who stumbled into a pack of Sirens.
When she had finished, she quickly ran to her room, and Zuko watched her, thinking that he had seen a glimpse of tears on her face. But he quickly brushed the idea from his head, when he scanned the room at his men. They had all been affected by Kila's song, and were all experiencing bouts of homesickness. One by one, they all quietly left their tables and went back to work, or to their cots to think for the night.
"You know," said a voice beside Zuko that woke him from his stupor. Zuko turned to his uncle who was sitting very still with his eyes closed. "She is a long way from home. Be kind." And with that said he stood up and walked out of the room.
Prince Zuko watched him leave, contemplating. Then, remembering that Kila was one of the future avatars, his anger raged back up again and he stalked off to the helm.
Two days passed, and all that Prince Zuko did to Kila was kick her soap bucket over once when she was scrubbing the floor. He didn't talk to her, he didn't order her around, he just ignored her completely. "Well two can play at that game," Kila thought, and she equally ignored him. Iroh watched the two of them in their silent argument with bated breath, wondering when, or if, he should set up the bunkers and warn the men about the danger of annoying the either of them.
But then, at the beginning of the next day, there was such a plot twist that it pulled both Kila and Zuko out of their silent treatment argument.
Admiral Zhou's ship had pulled up beside Zuko's smaller one, and he was preparing to board.
Ta da! Another chapter!
Sorry it took so long. I had writers block, then I had summer reading (Brave New World. Honestly, I hate my school.)
The next one should be up soon; I know how you all are at the edge of your keyboards.
Toodle Pip.