AN: Dang. Sorry I haven't been updating, Christmas and all. Anyways, I just now realized that I had forgotten to type the names for chapters three and four. Three was Helpless, and four was Her Plan. I don't know if you guys really care or not, but I thought I should go ahead and put that. I have started on another fiction, although I hope I can keep two going. It's called Katara's Cinderella Story, and much like this one, the first chapter was incredibly short. I guess it's just a subconcious thing I do, who knows? Anyways, enough of my babbling! On with the chapter!

Chapter Six : Unwanted Guest

The boy didn't struggle. He was too lost in his own thoughts to resist, and his thoughts were always the same.

Why? Why is this woman taking me? Why had she killed Master Pakku, despite the information I gave her? What have I done!

The second the firebender in front of him had stepped onto that ship, she was screaming orders to leave for the port nearest Omashu, which happened to be Lunro. The other firebenders who had come with her were on either side of the boy, grasping his upper arms with more force than neccessary.

"Your highness, what do you want us to do with the boy?" The one on his left had said.

Your Highness? Oh crap. This is obviously not Prince Zuko, so it must be his cruel, merciless sister. I only hope the stories they've told about her aren't true...

"Take him to the cells. I'll be down to interrigate him in a few mintues."

The men were grasping him so hard now that his arms felt like they were about about to fall off. They led him through a maze of hallways, through a few metal doors, and then abruptly dropped him to the ground. He heard the door slam and then the click of the lock.

He studied his surroundings, not that there was much to study. There were no windows. There was no furniture. All there was were metal walls, the floor, and the silence that enveloped him. He sighed as he sat back against the wall opposite the door, and waited for what seemed like a lifetime. When Zula had finally come to the cell, her face was emotionless.

"What is your name, boy?" Her voice was cold, it sent a wave of fear through his spine.

"R - Ruhuo." He stammered. Zula was rather surprised at this, though she kept her face emotionless.

How could this waterbender possibly be ' like fire ' ?

That's when she noticed. He didn't have blue or brown eyes like the others of the Water Tribes. He had piercing, golden eyes much like her own. Only one difference - his held kindness.

"My mother was a firebender." Ruhuo said as if reading her thoughts, although with a dull tone to his voice. He had loved his mother, but the fact that she was dead because she fell in love with a waterbender always disturbed him.

"Why had you come to see Pakku this morning. I know he didn't have lessons." He noticed how she didn't call him master Pakku. He just ignored this fact an answered the question truthfully.

"I have trouble waterbending and I came to question him on some things. I don't really like waterbending at all, even if I can't do it. Firebending is much easier for me, but I can't practice or anything most of the time. And all I really know how to do is make a small flame."

"Show me." It was a command. She didn't trust this boy in the least, and believed he was lying to her to try to get out of the prediciment he was in. Yet, sure enough, the boy held out his hand and a small ball of flame burst into life before he extinguished it.

"I know I can do better than that, but I have never really gotten to practice before. There was always the chance that I'd accidentally melt something, with all the ice there, or worse if someone saw me." He finally got the nerve to look up at her, though he did have trouble holding her gaze. "The only reason that would have been bad was because I had nowhere else to go. I know they would have thrown me right out. My mother's dead and my father's at war. So I had to stay with Pakku. That's the only reason I took waterbending lessons. That's the reason I put up with all that annoying ice and snow."

Zula listened to him. His mother was a firebender and obviously he had inheritted her firebending skills. He also didn't seem to care much for the tribe, people, or even Pakku.

"Is this also the reason why you had defended him?" Zula's cold voice was still there. Ruhuo nodded.

"I figured if he somehow miraculously survived he'd probably kick me out for not doing anything but standing there like an idoit. The man was always so annoying! He nagged about everything, and the dry sarcasm really works on a guys nerves."

Zula nodded curtly. She had also experienced the disturbing man who was Pakku. How she rejoiced at the fact that she was rid of him forever.

"How did you usually make the fire?" She wanted to see exactly how much he knew about firebending before she could get started.

" The first time I made a flame was when I was seven. I was just sitting there thinking about how much I wanted to be a firebender like my mother, how angry I was, or how much I hated someone. I took a deep breath and consentrated and the fire appeared in my hand. I began to practice the exact same process over and over again. One day I accidentally breathed fire. I've only been able to do it a couple times since then. But that's not really the problem. Sure, I can do a few tricks, but I don't really know anything about firebending."

There was silence for a moment and Ruhuo feared that he had gone too far about his babbling. Yet the princess flashed him a small smile. It wasn't a kind, warming smile. Oh no, it was far from it. It was the same smile she'd given him just before killing Pakku.

"How much do you want to learn firebending, Ruhuo?" At this simple sentence, everything in the boy's mind disappeared except for three simple words. Words he spoke to her without even hesitating to clear his head to think.

"More than anything!" His eyes had widened not with fear, but with surprise and desire. The smile had not disappeared from Zula's face.

"I will speak with you again tomorrow." She gave him a nod and disappeared through the cell door.

The minute that door clicked shut her simple, yet evil smile had turned into a triumphant grin. The crew stopped what they were doing, if only for a few seconds, to look at the princess. They couldn't help but wonder what had changed her mood so quickly, but to them one thing was clear.

She had another plan.

Yet niether Zula, nor Ruhuo could possibly imagine how much those three simple words would change their lives.

X

The giant bison had just landed softly, safely, on the ground - much to the relief of Zuko.

The clearing was slightly smaller than the last one, and Appa took up half of it. No one made any comment about the limited room. Zuko wanted to, badly at that, but he didn't. The only reason he had wanted to complain was simple - he had to sleep closer to everyone else. He was used to having his own room and more privacy. At this thought, he felt a slight bit of pity for the water tribe girl. She was a maturing female who was constantly being watched over by two boys who were constantly worried of her being captured or hurt, when it was rather obvious that she could take care of herself. So he couldn't complain about the privacy, but he could complain about other things.

"Is that really neccessary?" Zuko and Sokka said in union. Katara and Aang had put their sleeping bag and blankets right next to each other. Iroh was on the other side of Zuko, and Katara and Aang beside Sokka.

"Think about it," Katara looked at her brother. "I know you better than that. You would be scared to let your sister or the Avatar anywhere near a firebender, and we wanted to skip over all your fussing."

"She's right, Sokka." Aang chimed in.

"She's always right!" Sokka whined. Katara just gave her brother a small smile.

"What about the time with Jet? Or - "

"Okay we get the point Aang!" Katara interrupted.

"Who's Jet?" All turned to Zuko, who didn't really seem like he cared, but Katara knew the boys would tell the story and she flushed a magnificent strawberry color. Although the Aang and Sokka couldn't tell if it was from anger or embarrasment. Probably both.

"I'm going to fill our canteens!" Katara rushed from the campsite. All of them knew it was just an excuse to get out of there.

"Well, thanks to Sokka's instincts, we were traveling on foot when we stumbled into this Fire Nation camp." Aang started the story. They went on to tell of Katara's little crush on Jet, from how she made him a hat, to how she took his side, to how she was constantly blushing. They told the men about how Jet had tricked them, how he had nearly killed innocent people, and how Sokka saved an entire village. Aang told them of his battle with Jet, how angry Katara had gotten with the rebel, and how she froze him to a tree long before she was a master. They also added their own little comment about how it probably took him weeks to either thaw out or someone to chisel the ice away.

No wonder she didn't want to stay when they told about him...

'Softie!'

Shut up.

X

The canteens had been an excuse. Everyone's besides Sokka's was already overflowing, and even his was pretty full. Katara spent the entire time they told the story by a small river she had found. The breeze still carried bits of the story to her.

" ... She blushed so ... "

" ... Sokka's instincts ... "

" ... He betrayed us ... "

" ... lied ... "

" ... frozen against ... "

She sighed as she pulled the water to her. She loved the water. It was her element. Her weapon. Her escape. She bent the water around her, through the air, into shapes.

They had been flying for three full days and she was sore from sleeping on Appa's saddle. They were in the Earth Kingdom, but no where near Omashu. She looked around to make sure no one was looking before she slipped silently into the water. She washed all of the grime and dirt away, and ran her fingers through her tangled hair. After a while a stange feeling surrounded her, much like the one two days ago. Like something bad was going to happen,

but it was something more.

She was being watched.

X

Sokka and Aang had long since finished their story and all of them were sitting quietly around the fire.

"Don't you think we should go get her?" Aang asked. Sokka shook his head.

"If I know Katara she's probably bathing, and wants privacy when she does so."

"Then you should be the one to go check on her. Your her brother." Sokka nodded, but just as he got to his feet, a, ear shattering scream pierced the air.

Katara's scream.

"Katara!" Sokka was already sprinting to the river, everyone else close behind him. When they reached the river Katar was standing in it, and Sokka had been right, she had obviously been bathing. A look of fear, anger, and hatred filled her eyes, but she wasn't looking at them.

"Katara what - " But then he saw the other boy. Then he saw why Katara had screamed. Then he saw the boy he'd hoped he'd never have to see again.

"Jet."

AN: Alright. The unwanted guest was obviously Jet. I hate Jet. I hate Zhao more, and I hate Ozai more than him, but I still hate Jet. (Sorry Jet fangirls!) Please take a look at my other fiction, if you don't like, please inform me. If you do like, still please inform me. I am alterring my original idea by adding Ruhuo. Just so you guys know " ru huo " is Chinese for " like fire ". I just combined them to make his name. I was thinking about his name being Azul which is actually spanish for " blue " cause his father was a waterbender and all, but I like Ruhuo better.

Preview: Sorry guys! I have decided not to do Previews anymore because I usually end up changing my mind or not quite getting to it, or as you can see changing a certain chapter all together. If you have a complaint on this, or just want to insult me for being " so damn indecisive " you are welcome to.