Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the last Airbender or Lifehouse.
Chapter Eight: Itsa LOOONG night.
Sokka rubbed his eyes sleepily as Appa flew through the night, and continued his incessant snoring. Aang flopped Appa's reigns tiredly.
"Yip yawp!" Aang yawned tiredly. Katara took a seat next to Aang and laced her arm through his. If he weren't so tired, Aang was sure he would have danced with glee.
"Thank's Aang. If you need to, you can sit back and sleep. I'll be fine for a few hours." Aang, though not wanting Katara to let go, happily took up her offer and dropped just behind the driver's seat.
"You completely positive about...this..." Aang yawned and finally curled into fetal position, holding the little lemur in his arms like a teddy bear. Momo yawned with him and curled into a fuzzy white and brown ball. Katara smiled and took Appa's reigns.
"Well, its just you and me old buddy." she said, getting a grunt from Appa. She chuckled. "Yup, I'd be tired too."
Amber walked with Zhao in silence for aways until she met Cassidy at a junction in the halls. She must have taken most of the day to groom, because the dress she was wearing was handmade. It was purple satin with a few patterns on it. The collar was high, and split in the middle down to the top of her chest, flashing some of the pale skin on her upper chest. The hem of the dress swirled at her feet, and slit up the side all the way to her thigh. It was sewn shut at the top, but loosened as it went down. Her hair was the most magnificent and intricately done Amber had ever actually seen. It was done up in three different buns, then connected through delicately done braids that hung on the back of her neck. Cassidy had even made make-shift high heels that looked fantastic. But through it all, Amber wanted to laugh. Cassidy smirked at Amber.
"Thats all?" she laughed, eyeing Amber's simple overdress. "That's pathetic!" Amber rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, you look fabulous too, Cassidy." Amber answered sardonically. Zhao laughed and grabbed the girls' wrists.
"Now girls, don't fight." he said with a grin. "I wouldn't want to seperate you two."
Amber wrenched away from Admiral Zhao's grip and stormed away. She turned the corner, when someone grabbed her and muffled her scream by covering her mouth with their hand. Meanwhile, Zhao and Cassidy arrived on the deck arm in arm. The crew and even the guards were stunned into silence. Cassidy allowed them to look over her with pleasure, knowing that she was the most gorgeous thing in the room.
Amber struggled against the three gaurds that held her captive. She heated her hands and began her firebending. She bit a guard's finger, he yelled and removed his hand. She blew fire out of her mouth, just as Iroh had taught her. The guard infront of her stumbled back, ripping her collar as he went. She strained forward, then did a quick fire bend with her foot, dashing sparks at the guards feet. They didn't stir, and when she finally managed to rip away, they took her overdress with them. She gasped and quickly covered herself. The breastband covered her most important part, but she still felt naked as the guards burst into laughter. A sudden voice caused them to look away.
"She is inaproppriate!" it commanded. Out of the shadows of the bare steel room came Iroh. In his arms was a large box.
"You'll forgive me for their impetuous deeds, and for looking on you while indecent. Here." he said, not looking up as he tossed her a black robe. Amber quickly put it on and tied the sash. Iroh walked up to her and handed her a box. She blinked, and was about to open the box when Iroh stopped her.
"I don't want to see it unless you are wearing it." he said kindly, dismissing the guards. He turned to leave when she tapped his shoulder and hugged him tight.
"Thank you Iroh, for everything." she said softly. Iroh laughed.
"I just want to see grandchildren out of this." he answered with a chuckle. Amber's eyes widened as she blushed.
"Now don't get too excited, Uncle Iroh." she said with a nervous laugh. Iroh handed her a small turtle shell comb that was plated with pearl.
"I bought this for you as well. Now hurry up! We won't start without you." he said. Amber opened the box once Iroh had left and her eyes almost teared at the beauty that lay within the box.
Prince Zuko chuckled to himself when Admiral Zhao didn't walk in with Amber on his arm. When he sat beside the Prince's table, Zuko turned to him from his seat and grinned as he leaned back.
"So you couldn't tame her." he said with a smirk on his lips. Admiral Zhao glared at him. A flash of something caught the Admiral's eye, and he looked toward the doorway, along with every other head in the gallery. The Prince's eyebrows furrowed and he frowned. He looked behind him at the doorway, and blinked.
There stood his captive, Amber. She was dressed in a fine red silk Kimono, that burned even in the low light. There were flames in a shimmering orange fabric embroidered into the bottom that mysteriously dissapeared and reappeared. When she finally raised her face, her silky smooth hair falling away from her face, it revealed a geisha style. Her eyes were darkly lined, giving her a mysterious air that burst through the room. On the lid of her eye was a line of dark red paint, and her lips were painted white with a red scar painted in the middle. Amber's icy blue eyes contrasted her bright red attire, but it made her all the more irresistable. Her eyes met The Prince's first, and he rose slowly from his chair. He drifted to her in a dream like state, and offered his hand, almost afraid to touch her for fear he might burst into flame. She didn't take it at first, looking almost hesitant, but the gentle look on his war beaten face prompted her to take it. A shock of fire rose from their joined hands. Iroh watched as Prince Zuko escorted her to his table. The flame that had erupted from their hands pleased him greatly. He stood and introduced their first singer, then sat as the old cook began his song with a small guitar.
One after another, each one of them came up and performed their songs. Amber's heart fluttered when the break came. This was when a small group of band players would come up and play some music in which the crew could dance to. Iroh stood to make an announcement, and when it was heard, cheers went up all around.
"Seeing as there are ladies aboard the ship, this time, you will be allowed to play slow songs, and anyone that wishes may dance with them." he said, seeing Cassidy's face brighten, and Amber's visibly pale. The crew was cheering as the band began, and swarms of men were going for the two tables. Amber gasped as a majority came her way, dozens on one knee to dance. She blushed and laughed, accepting a sailor's hand as he ran onto the empty floor with her. Cassidy wanted to scream, and though quite a few crowded around her table, a circle had formed around Amber and they were laughing as others kept a steady dance going. The tune was cheerful and Amber was laughing as crew member after crew member traded spots as the song went on. She stumbled a few times, drawing chuckles from the member, but the rest of them laughed, helped her on, clapped them on. After she had circled for what seemed to be forever, the joyful music died into slower music. Cassidy was dancing with a dark-haired soldier, and Amber felt awkward. She was simply standing alone on the dancefloor and was about to walk off when Admiral Zhao took her into his arms. She felt annoyed with him as he grinned in an attempt to be charming and handsome. An image of his chisled form from the Agni Kai with Zuko flashed across her mind. Hold up there, you idiot! He lost that fight. she reminded herself.
"You are a good dancer." he said after a moment. She suddenly stumbled over one of his feet and blushed darkly. He smiled forgivingly.
"It's alright, I don't mind." He said.
"Mind what?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Your clumsiness." he answered indifferently. She tried to push away from him, but his strong grip prevented her from doing so, and in fact, drew her closer.
"Let go of me." she demanded, dragging her feet. His grip tightened painfully as he heated his hands up. She gasped in pain, giving him a death glare.
"How dare you." she growled. She was suddenly and quickly transferred from Zhao's arms. She expected Iroh to be her rescuer, and was surprised as she found herself in Prince Zuko's arms instead. Okay, isn't Iroh supposed to be the good guy here? she mentally noted. His face didn't betray anything he was feeling. He danced with her for a few moments, then led her back to their table.
"My Uncle is ready to begin with your performances." he said tonelessly.
"Now introducing a captive beauty from lands unknown. She is fascinating, as her strange beauty is rarely seen. Please welcome one of the women that graces our ship, Cassidy." Iroh said grandly. The crew, whether sobber or not, cheered loudly. Cassidy flashed a white smile at those that cheered and winked at a few of the crew members and guards.
"I've decided to sing a song that I know quite well. It's one of my favorite songs!" she said with an innocent giggle.
She launched right into her own version of a song that Amber recognized immeadiately.
"Every day, is so wonderful," Cassidy sang, a little too hard. She continued the song and kept trying too hard to complete the higher notes, making them go too high. Her voice grated the Prince's raw nerves, and noted Amber cringe as she sang out of time and off key. When Cassidy finally completed the song, she was greeted with fewer cheers and clapping, and she blushed as she held her forehead in her hand in humiliation.
"Now welcome our other female guest, Amber." Iroh said quickly, as Cassidy had commanded him. Amber was greeted with a bit of clapping and very few cheers. She smiled to herself. They were careful not to cheer too loud, lest she get a big head like Cassidy had. She whispered into a Liuqinist's ear, and he smiled and handed his instrument to her. She bowed before the crowd as she sat on a chair before the audience and rested the liuqin on her lap. She plucked a few strings, and adjusted them as she went to fit her song, then looked up at audience one more time and blushed.
"I'm sorry if this sounds lousy, I haven't practiced in forever." she said, then she decided just to go into the song.
"Finding my way back to sanity, again. Though I don't really know what I'm gonna do when I get, there.
Take a breath and hold on tight, spin around one last time and gracefully fall back to the arms of grace." she sang while plucking the instrument, paused to take a breath, then began the main chorus.
"'Cause I am hangin, on every word your sayin,
Even if you don't wanna speak tonight, thats alright, alright with me.
'Cause I want nothing more than, to sit outside heavens door and listen to you breathing, is wear I wanna be yea-haa..." she stopped and took a breath, plucking the liuqin on a lower sound as the other player plucked the higher chords. Amber took another breath, and started again.
"I'm lookin past the shadows in my mind into the truth, and I'm, tryin to identify the voices in my head God which one, are you.
Let me feel one more time, what it, feels like to feel alive and break these calluses off of me, one more time.
'Cause I am hangin, on every word your sayin,
Even if you don't wanna speak tonight thats alright, alright with me.
'Cause I want nothing more than to, sit outside your door and listen to you breathing, is where I wanna be yea-haa.
I don't want a thing from you,
Bet you're tired of me wating for the scraps, to fall off of your table to the ground.
La-da-da, da-da, da-da, da-da. I just want to be here now, hmmmm.
Cause I am hangin, on every word your sayin, even if you don't wanna speak tonight, thats alright, alright with me.
'Cause I want nothin more thant to, sit outside heaven's door and listen to you breathin, is where I wanna be yeah, haa." she finished, plucking the last few chords of the song. After she had finlly finished did she look up. Most of the people were watching her with odd gazes, and when they realized she had finished, they jumped up and applauded with all kinds of cheering.The Prince stood with the crowd and bowed in respect, when in reality he was stunned into silence and awe. As the music night came to a close, the Admiral stood.
"I have decided which woman I want to bring with me." he announced. "At first, I wanted the blonde. Her fair looks and temper were very tempting." Then he looked down at Cassidy, who smiled up at him innocently.
"Then, I saw this young woman at her peek." he said, referring to Amber. Cassidy smiled even wider, thinking it was her. "Her mysterious ways and beautiful looks would've brought anyone to his knees, but her temper is firey and just waiting to be broken." Amber realized Zhao was talking about her and stood abruptly.
"I beg your pardon?" she said angrily, a tone that made clear he should choose his words wisely. Admiral Zhao, not as weary as Zuko of her temper, shot her a malicious smile.
"You heard me." he answered huskily. "I do want to break that spirit, use it for my own purposes."
Now Prince Zuko stood, angry.
"I'm afraid that this isn't your choice to make." He announced. "I renounce my claim for you to choose, and I shall decide which one you'll take, and I'll inform you in the morning." The Admiral Zhao looked angry.
"I chose the Brunette! You don't even want her, you informed me yourself this morning." Zhao noticed the look of shock on her face as she faced the Prince.
Author's note: Okay that was long, but I gauruntee that you are totally gonna love the next chapter, because guess what... Oh wait, I can't tell you! Ha ha, I know, you are totally gonna reach through the computer and strangle me! So, I wrote one of those disclaimers, where if I did own Avatar, then I would get poor sokka a girlfriend. He's done soo much for the crew... in his own, little,... uh... you know what? we are all unique. Doncha just wanna kill Zhao.By the way, that other digital cookie, right, it went to
EYE OF THE WOLF! Because she/he is the ONLY one who actually tried to guess(or claimed he/she wouldn't gueslol) Love you sokka, GO UNCLE IROH! godsspiker!
