Yay, new chapter! Long live free time. Ironically, my free time will soon be consumed... school, full time job, parents! OMG, I won't havr time to write anymore! Well, not anymore. I'd just have to stay awake at wee hours of the night. Don't worry about me, I haves me coffee. I loves me coffee.
ladyfox00/breathlesslove/crazyloverofboys: Hehe, thank you all for your support. I love being spoiled with kind words.
Bunny The Assassin: Like how you added the cough. :D Enjoy!
Element Girls: It gives me pride to hear I have to power to make someone do what they usually never do. Hope this chapter keeps you on edge too!
The sun began to set and the avatar hadn't returned yet. Zuko was torn between looking for his return to staying by Kiko's side. Unfortunately Iroh was correct about Kiko's condition and when she woke up she began to vomit what little food she had in her stomach. Everyone watch helplessly as Kiko began to get worse every minute.
"What's Aang doing?" Shouted Sokka. He began to pace on deck as he and Katara agreed to take watch for Aang. "He said he'd be here by now."
"Sokka, land is two days travel away, Zuko said," Katara sighed. "It'll take Aang time to get there, even with Appa."
"Well, he could have at least taken Momo," Sokka groaned and on cue Momo, the flying lemur, jumped on his head purring loudly. "I mean, why'd he have to leave us here of all places? Zuko isn't the one to keep promises, you know."
"Do we really know that?" Katara argued. "All we know is Zuko wants Aang, for whatever reason. He seems to really like Kiko and I believe he'll do anything to save her. Now be serious, you're acting like this is nothing."
"I am not!" Yelled Sokka. "It's just that I find it a little uncomfortable on a ship that belongs to the guy who'd like to see us behind bars and Aang at a public barbeque!"
"Aang!" Katara suddenly shouted looking past Sokka.
"Of course Aang, I mean he is the avatar, Fire Nation number one enemy," Sokka said arrogantly.
"No, you idiot, Aang's back," Katara said happily.
"Finally," Sokka said in relief. He suddenly turned to his sister with an irritated face. "Hey, I'm not an idiot."
"Hey guys," Aang said as Appa landed beside the ship. He jumped up onto ship with grace and landed holding a cloth bag. "Sorry I took so long. Is the water boiling?"
"If there's any water left," Sokka said. "It keeps evaporating it's been boiling so long."
"There was no lid to the pot," Katara explained. She turned and led him to the kitchen and they sat around him as a crew member ran to tell Zuko of the news. Aang opened his bag of ingredients to reveal simple things found in he woods. He handed Katara a bunch of flowers making Sokka and Katara raise an eyebrow.
"We need the liquid from the pedals, the best way is water bending," Aang said. "It goes in the water first, it prevents it from evaporating." While Katara did that Aang gave Sokka tree roots to clean and chop and he was busy going through the shelves of the kitchen.
"What are you doing, Aang?" Katara asked as she was finishing with the last flower.
"Master Gyatsu was excellent at baking, he used his methods to make the cure," Aang said as he brought back more ingredients.
"Yeast, flour, and sugar?" Sokka named off as Aang added them by exact measurements.
"Salt," Aang corrected him. "Trust me, this helped a lot of fire benders when they were suffering the same illness." Suddenly the door opened to reveal Zuko standing in the doorway and walking in.
"Avatar," he addressed him as he enter. "Have you started the cure yet?"
"Aang," he responded. "I have a name and it's Aang. And yes, I've started the cure. I have to ad more ingredients everyday before it ready to be drank."
"Great, Kiko has her medicine, Zuko gets girl, and what? We have nowhere to sleep while we stay here three days. And if I know you two, you'll want to make sure Kiko gets to full health, so that means we'll probably be staying a few more days," complained Sokka, sitting down on a counter.
"Unless you have a spare room, Zuko," Katara said looking towards him.
"We gave the last spare room to Kiko," he said shortly.
"Great, we'll have to sleep on deck, and with our luck it'll rain or snow," continued on Sokka.
"Do you ever shut up?" Yelled Katara, her patience with her older brother coming to an end.
"You're Kiko's friends," Zuko said softly, making all three of them look at him. "Kiko wouldn't want that. Follow me." He then turned and walked out the door. Aang and the others looked at one another then got up to follow him. They walked behind him as he walked to an unknown place.
"I'm going to say this once, so listen well," Zuko said. "You will sleep on the floor, I know you have sleeping bags. You will touch nothing or our agreement will be terminated as well as you, understand?" Before anyone could question what he was saying he stopped in front of a door and opened it. They looked into it seeing grand room with candles, broadswords, and other decorations. Aang had been here once when he first met Zuko and was captured at the Southern Water Tribe. It was Zuko's room.
"Your room, Zuko?" Aang asked, surprised. Katara and Sokka suddenly turned their heads towards him from looking around the room.
"Kiko would kill me if she found out I made you sleep on the deck," Zuko groaned. "But what I said goes, understand? I don't want any of my things touched, or poked!" He yelled making Sokka jump up from his crouched position by Zuko's alter.
"But what about you, Zuko?" Katara asked.
"I'll be staying with Kiko to watch over her, so you can sleep here," he said as he turned to the door. "Av… Aang? I'm obligated to thank you." With that he left the room.
"Would you really call that a sign of gratitude?" Sokka said.
"Sokka!" Yelled Katara and Aang at the same time.
The next two days were about the same, Zuko had kept his end of the bargain and had his men avoid the avatar and his friends. That didn't mean Aang couldn't go and meet the crew. Aang got to know the crew and their duties on the ship, much to Katara and Sokka's displeasure. Zuko was hardly ever seen due to the fact he stayed by Kiko's side nearly all hours of the day. The few times she did wake up she was either throwing up or had he head between her knees with Zuko rubbing her back for comfort. When she slept he changed the cold towel that was kept on her forehead.
Everyday Aang continued to add different ingredients that seemed more and more odd. The third day finally arrived and Zuko made an appearance, looking like a half ghost. Iroh had brought him food to eat, but he hardly touched it. The cook went back to cooking and it didn't quite live up to Kiko's standards. He hardly slept as he watched over her, creating bags under his eyes and slightly pale. When he went to Aang to ask about the progress of the cure, Aang noticed he also began to cough.
"Zuko, you haven't been taking care of yourself," he said.
"What?" Zuko asked, exasperatedly.
"You caught the fever from Kiko," Aang sighed. "At least I made a lot of it."
"Why'd you make so much, anyways?" Sokka asked looking into the large pot that now contained a lavender colored liquid.
"To give to everyone, anyone could have caught the fever and it's best to attack it before it does them," Aang said. "I'd say it'll be ready to drink by this afternoon."
"Fine, I'm going back to Kiko's room," Zuko said before coughing. He walked out of the room, past Iroh, who was standing in the doorway.
"Now that's the Zuko I remember," Iroh said, walking into the kitchen with Aang and the others. "Before everything changed."
"You mean Zuko wasn't always a spoiled, selfish, coldhearted prince?" Sokka said with a dry laugh. Iroh, Aang, and Katara just stared at him until he stopped laughing.
"Zuko isn't spoiled and he does appear to be selfish and coldhearted, but if that were true, would he really do all this for just one person?" This made them rethink about Zuko and how it was true. Iroh motioned them to sit down and the pulled chairs in a small circle and sat down.
"So what made Zuko change?" Katara asked. "I mean, if he wasn't always like this." Iroh sighed once and retold the story of Zuko's demand to be allowed into a war conference and speaking up against a general when the tactic was to push new recruits ahead against an army of the Earth Nation. That was when he was challenged to fight the man he spoke against, which was his own father. But he had learned this too late and was forced to fight. Not fighting, Zuko was called weak and how he received his scar, from his own father. He was then banished until he had caught the avatar so that he could reclaim his honor and right to the throne.
"So that's why Zuko keeps chasing me," Aang whispered. "And why he talked about his father when he first captured me at the Southern Water Tribe."
"The years at sea has made Zuko frustrated and harsh against people," Iroh said. "But it seems Kiko has changed that during these last few months."
"Aang, isn't it time to give Kiko the cure now?" Katara asked, looking over to Aang.
"What?" Aang said, looking as though he was pulled out of a deep thought.
"You okay?" Sokka asked.
"Yeah," Aang said, jumping up his feet. "Come on, let's give this to everyone. "I'll give some to Zuko and Kiko. You guys split up and give some to each of the crew. Iroh, you better drink some, too." Aang did a little water bending and poured some in a cup before running out of the kitchen. Opening the door to Kiko's room Aang slowly stepped in to see Zuko sitting in a chair beside Kiko's bed, holding her hand carefully.
"What is it?" He asked without looking up.
"Oh," Aang said surprised. He walked in closing the door behind him and stood beside Zuko, handing him the cup. "The cure, it's ready."
In the back of his mind Aang thought Zuko would take the first drink as he had recently found out he had the came sickness as Kiko, but wasn't very surprised when he heard him ask, "Does she have to drink it all?"
"No, just a mouth full," Aang responded. "Then you drink as much. There's extra for her to drink as she recovers." He watched as Zuko tilted Kiko's head back and poured small amounts in her mouth for her to drink, being careful for none of it to spill. This seemed appropriate seeing how she wasn't able to keep anything down during the few times she was awake. Zuko then took a drink from the cup, squinting his eyes at the taste.
"Zuko?" Aang asked as he took the cup back.
"Hmm?"
"What would happen if you took me back to the Fire Nation?" Zuko looked up at Aang in surprise, never expecting that sort of question.
"My father would do whatever he plans to do," Zuko replied.
"An execution, no doubt," Aang grumbled and Zuko didn't answer. "You really like her, don't you?"
"I love her," Zuko whispered.
"I know that feeling," Aang said, sitting on the floor where he stood. Zuko notice a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"That water bender?"
"Katara, yeah," Aang said. "I know she likes me, but I don't know if she like-likes me."
"I know that feeling," Zuko repeated. Aang looked up at Zuko and for once felt he had a connection with the prince.
"Zuko, what would you say if I willing to go with you to the Fire Nation?" Zuko remained quit for a long while. Aang looked at him curiously before hearing him speak.
"I'd refuse," Zuko said in a low voice. Aang was knocked off balance and looked at Zuko as though he were crazy. "We had an agreement and I will keep it to the end. Besides, maybe there are more important things in the world."
"More important than going back home?" Zuko turned his head and looked at Aang solemnly.
"I am home."
Over the next few days the mood on the ship changed. The crew were more active and Iroh predicted that the entire crew had the fever and were now getting over it. Kiko's fever broke after the second day of drinking Aang's remedy.
In about a week Kiko began to fully recover, able to keep a full meal in her stomach and looking healthier by the day, though she still remained weak from the damage done. Aang, Katara, and Sokka would often visit her and Zuko would usually leave the room which confused everyone, but they didn't question it. After a week she was able to walk around, but not doing heavy activities, Zuko saw to that.
One the eighth day everyone gathered in Kiko's room on Iroh's invitation for tea. Kiko laid under her sheets with pants that cut below the knee and a Chinese made sleeveless shirt. Zuko wore the same outfit though his pants reached his feet (he's been seen wearing that, he's so hot!) and he sat on the chair by her. Aang sat on the end of her bed as well as Iroh. Katara and Sokka stood around her by Zuko.
"Well, it looks like we better be leaving soon," Sokka said suddenly.
"Why?" Aang and Kiko asked at the same time.
"Well, look at her, she's doing a lot better and will probably make a full recovery. The deal was we'd stay until she got better and she is," Sokka said, crossing his arms.
"I guess you're right," Katara said. "For once."
"It's been great seeing you guys, again," Kiko said. "I just wish it was under better circumstances."
"It was fun while it lasted," Iroh said. Zuko remained quiet throughout all this and it made Kiko wonder what was going on through his mind. She put a hand on his and when he looked up she smiled and got a smile back.
Suddenly, everything around them started to low white and everyone was lifted into the air then… disappeared. They landed in the middle of a forest from midair, landing on top of one another.
"Get off of me!" Screamed Sokka, who was unlucky enough to be the bottom of the pile.
"Get your foot out of my face first!" Yelled back Katara. After a minute they managed to get themselves untangled and standing. The group looked around to see where they were to find they didn't recognize anything.
"How did we get here?" Aang asked, walking away from the group.
"We better stick together, Aang," Katara said. "We have no idea where we are of if there's anyone near by."
"I think I remember this place," Kiko said. Just then, as though on cue, a man jumped out of the trees and landed in front of them, He wore green armor that went from a buckle on his left shoulder and covered down to his right elbow. Shin guards overlapped his boots and her wore a helmet that could have been compared to a sunhat.
"General Shou (pronounced sh-ow)," Kiko growled.
"Well, if it isn't the Commander Kiko," he said arrogantly as he pulled of his helmet. "And a band of miscreants."
"Who is this guy?" Asked Sokka.
"One of the generals for the Earth Nation," Kiko said. "He sort of has a personal grudge against me."
"'Sort of' nothing!' Barked Shou. "But it doesn't matter I have you right where I want you, seeing how you don't seem fit to fight." He was right, what kept Kiko standing was Zuko's hand to balance her.
"You have to get through all of us to get to her!" Yelled Zuko.
"No need," said an outside voice. Out of nowhere the looks of blue lightning shoots out of the forest and sends Shou flying into the sky.
"Who… who did that?" Sokka said in a frightened voice. A man stepped out from the shadows wearing a suit from the Fire Nation with a slash over his left eye.
"Kiko!" He exclaimed, running to her.
"Papa!" Kiko said opening her arms, hugging him when he came in range.
"Papa?" Everyone repeated, confused. "We're in the future!"
The blue lightning thing I got from the preview for the next season. :D And yes, Sokka is a jerk and an idiot.But we all love him, right?... right? Eh, I'll see you next chapter.