Now I really am losing my fas! I'm sorry... as it turns out flu season wasn't really over. I got sick again and it sucked! Technically I'm still sick with the sore throat and clogged nose, sure you wanted to know that. But I won't stay in bed another day!
Sun-Tsuki-Koinu: You said they sound good, that's an opinion. No opinion is like 'Whatever, do what you want', but thanks! Glad to hear from ya.
Element Girls: Hehe, I tried to keep Sokka IC and I guess I did a good job. Thanks for the support.
Nilikeye: I'm sorry, I keep forgetting t otell you IC:in charatcer and OC:other character. I feel like a bad writer. T.T Forgive me everyone! Next update will be soon and more action.
It had been several days spent on the island of Toshiba and Aang was having a hard time getting the hang of fire bending. He had nearly burnt Sokka's shirt off of his body, Katara's skirt, and Appa still had the ash smell on his left horn.
"Why is fire bending so hard!" Aang cried out in frustration. He was standing in a open field, which was once grassy but he had taken care of that.
"Because fire has a will of its own," Kiko explained with a sigh. Her patience was holding strong, but even mountains have their breaking points. "You can to know what fire can do before you try to control it or it's going to turn on you."
"You don't have this kind of problem with water bending," he grunted, falling back to land on his butt.
"Maybe you guys should take a break," said Katara walking up to them. In her arms was a makeshift basket with fish tails sticking out the top.
"I take it the fishing was good?" Kiko asked as Aang jumped up.
"Alright, food!" He shouted happily. "I'm starving."
"Well, we better hurry and eat," Sokka said, appearing from behind some trees. "Zuko's ship landed last night and I saw some movement a few miles away." He turned and gave Kiko a soft glare before walking towards his sister.
He still didn't fully trust her, even though it was obvious that Katara and Aang trusted her. Kiko wanted to go traveling but Aang was determined to get some training in. That seemed to have been a bust, seeing how he hardly learned the basics from Jeong Jeong.
"I'll go get some firewood," said Sokka, "And no fire bending!" He yelled at Kiko before turning into the woods again.
"You know, I've been thinking," Kiko said as she sat down, watching Aang and Katara prepare the fish for cooking. "Maybe I should go back to Zuko till I go back home."
"Are you serious?" Aang said shocked. "If it's about Sokka, we can go talk to him."
"That's part of it, but part of what he says is true," she admitted. "What if Zuko is looking for me and he gets you instead? I don't want to put you in danger. If I go back to Zuko I can lead him away from you for a while."
"Wouldn't he be mad you came with us, though?" Katara asked.
"Probably," sighed Kiko.
"Back," Sokka called as he came trotting through with sticks in his arms. He laid them on the ground and gave a few to Katara to cook the fish with. While Katara stuck the stick through the fish and pushed the sticks in the dirt next to the would be fire, Sokka started to looked for flint stones in his parka.
"Let me," Aang said, standing up.
"Aang, I don't think that's such a good idea," Sokka said just as Kiko was saying, "Take a deep breath and calmly push it out." They glared at each other as Aang took in a breath and push out a fist to have a small fireball shoot out and hit the pile of sticks, causing a good size fire.
"You did it, Aang!" Shouted Katara.
"With enough practice I can master this!" Laughed Aang as he jumped up and down.
"Can we cook the fish and eat please?" Asked Sokka irritated, as always. After a few minutes, and flipping the fish one, they began to eat the fish, one each. As they were finishing they heard a loud boom coming nearly a mile away.
"It's Zuko, and it sounds like he has his rhinos out," Kiko said, standing up.
"We better run," Katara said.
"Everyone on Appa," Aang said. The group didn't have to be told twice and they all jumped on Appa's back, except Kiko.
"Kiko, what are you waiting for, get on!" Shouted Katara.
"You guys go, like we talked about," Kiko said, still looking in the direction Zuko was coming from.
"Are you crazy, what are you thinking?" Sokka said.
"You want me to go?" Kiko said shocked as she finally turned too look at them.
"Well," Sokka said uncomfortably. "Yeah, you've… become part of the group."
"Thanks, Sokka, but I better stay," Kiko said with a smile. She turned to the woods when she heard another blast and turned back to them, waving them off. "GO!" With the command, Aang got Appa into the and watched her as they flew off.
"Promise we'll meet again one day!" Shouted Aang.
"We will!" She shouted back. "We will," she said to herself when they were out of range, thinking of her mother and the stories she had being the avatar of the past.
Suddenly she turned to the fire, her wrists together, and directed a wave a fire straight at the kindling, creating a fire as large as her and a trail of gray smoke above it. Soon the trees were pushed aside and a giant komodo rhino walked into the clearing. The lieutenant lifted his mask and smiled down at her.
"She's here!" He yelled before jumping down and running towards her, engulfing her a hug.
"It's good to see you, too," she laughed as she was lifted off the ground in his hug. She watched over his shoulder as nearly half of the crew came in after him, including Zuko and Iroh. The lieutenant set her down gently and turned away as everyone came up to her, asking question after question about her well being and what she had been doing. She tried her best to reassure them she was fine and heard the quaint laugh of Iroh ring out.
"Well, it's good to see you're unharmed and in good health," he said as he walked up to her through the crowd. He gently hugged her, which she returned. "We've been searching for you since you were captured by the earth benders. Zuko told me about the incident with a certain earth bender. Are you sure you're alright after that?"
"Incident?" Asked Kiko, confused.
"When he tried to force himself on you," Zuko said. The crowd let him through and he stood beside his uncle looking down at her. "I saw him on a cliff when he kissed you an you pulled out of his grip."
"Who said he was forcing himself on me?" Demanded Kiko.
"Well, it's obvious he couldn't have won you over seeing how you were his captive," Zuko said, his temper beginning to raise. "Beside, he was a lowly earth bender anyways."
"Well, maybe I wanted that lowly earth bender to kiss me!" yelled out Kiko. "If I remember correctly, he willingly let me go because I didn't want to fight him." The men around her gasped, Iroh put his hands together, praying Zuko would keep his mouth shut.
"If you were so in love with that idiot, why come back to me?" Zuko said in a voice louder than hers.
"Because I thought I was coming back to a friend!"
"Well, think again!" Kiko and the rest of the crew looked at Zuko with shocked expressions as Iroh slapped his forehead.
"Fine," Kiko said, attempting to cover the pain in her voice as she pushed past him and walked past him. The crew looked at Zuko one more time before turning to her, leading her to the ship.
"You're not going to ask her where the avatar is?" Iroh asked Zuko in a soft voice.
"How can you think about that?" Zuko shouted to his uncle.
"Because since she is obviously no longer a friend, you don't care what she thinks an you'd go ahead and ask her," Iroh said, starting to follow the rest. "You getting back home is the only thing that matters, isn't that true?" He left Zuko alone in that clearing to think. He knew Zuko didn't mean what he said and understood there may be something more than friendship lurking somewhere in the two.
When they were finally on the ship and settled Zuko caught up on his own rhino. He boarded the ship, not speaking to anyone and went to his room. He contemplated what had happened, laying there on his bed. He never anticipated the pain that would have come to hearing Kiko say she would want a man to kiss her. It was like a punch in the stomach that left him breathless. Why didn't he want her kissing anyone else? It was none of his business, yet he couldn't help but get angry at he thought of another man being around her that way. The crew was different, they acted childishly attracted to her, like a younger sister.
Zuko knew one thing for sure, he couldn't go on having Kiko hurt and upset at him. He thought of ways of apologizing, but one way stuck in his mind, calming her first before speaking to her. So with that he hopped from his bed and walked to his uncle's room and knocked. When he heard his uncle's voice he opened the door and walked in.
"Uncle?" He said with care. Iroh looked up from a tea table from the center of his room, where he was of course drinking tea.
"Yes, Prince Zuko?" He asked curiously.
"Can…" Zuko began, but got hesitant. "Can I… have some of your… tea?"
Iroh blinked and looked at his nephew with wide eyes and suddenly shouted as he went to hug Zuko, "I thought this day would never come!"
After some arguing and prying on Zuko's part, he left his uncle's room with a tray of Ginseng tea. The smell made Zuko flinch, but if Kiko liked it, he's have to endure. He walked to her room and knocked. When he didn't hear a response, he balanced the tray on one hand and opened the door to see Kiko sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair.
"Kiko?" He said softly.
"What do you want, Prince Zuko?" She said heatedly, ignoring his imagine in her mirror.
"I brought tea, if you would like to share some," he said walking in.
"You don't like tea," she said, putting down her brush and tying her hair back the usual way.
"I say I don't like a lot of things," Zuko admitted. "Would you like some?"
"Sure," she sighed as she turned to face Zuko He closed the door with his foot before walking into the room and placing the tray on the rug in the center of her room. She came to join him and they both sat opposite of each other. Zuko poured the tea and watched as Kiko sipped at her cup. He raised the cup to his lips and flinched at the taste. He looked up when he heard a giggle and saw Kiko smiling at him behind her hand.
"If you don't like tea, why drink it?" Kiko asked quietly.
"I wanted to make you happy," Zuko said. "And to apologize. Kiko, you are my friend, really you are. It's just the thought of…" Kiko looked at him curiously and it made Zuko cough. "Manhandled, you being manhandled like that made me mad. Can you forgive me?"
"For being overprotective?" Kiko laughed. "Zuko, my father is worse than you, so don't worry about it." On the outside Kiko was fine with how things were, but she felt there was another feeling for Zuko, and Zuko didn't have those same feelings for her. It was hard enough for him to be friends with her, nothing more could ever come from it.
"By the way, what were you doing with the avatar?" She heard Zuko ask.
"Zuko!" She screamed.
"I was curious!" He yelled back. "When your friend goes with the enemy, you tend to wonder why!"
"Since when is he the enemy?"
"The day he was born!" They continued to scream at each other, causing men to stop in front of the door and listen, Iroh in particular. They were made for one another, he thought to himself with a large smile. I may even have grandchildren
Just like Iroh to have his head in the clouds. But that's why we all love him. Another piece to move along the story. Sorry there's little action. But Iive a preview for the next chapter.
Another man gets pulled under Kiko's spell and falls for her good looks and fire bending skills. The very thought of it makes Zuko was to explode and Kiko sick. Who is this man? Find out!