Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of it's characters. I own Koima.
The biggest, most important chapter. Everything is revealed.
Chapter 25
"She belongs to me!"
I was too preoccupied to notice the ship that was docked beside Zuko's. Jin and I walked up the gangplank onto the deck……and Master's eyes met mine.
My breath froze in my throat as I stared at the man who had kept me in a cage for over three years, torturing, abusing, and raping me. The man who haunted my dreams and my life now stared at me in disbelief. He looked just like he always had, nothing had changed about him. A small group of soldiers stood behind him in ranks, obviously his.
Uncle Iroh and our soldiers stared at Master and me in puzzlement while Zuko had a look of sick fear on his face. My nightmare had come alive…he had found me.
; Zuko;
"BIIIRD!" Zhao roared and launched himself at the terror stricken girl. Zuko ran between the Admiral and Koima, putting himself in Zhao's was as he shielded Koima with his body, "STOP--!" Zhao rammed him out of his way, Zuko was thrown to the side, landing hard on his back. Zhao grabbed Koima by her throat and a shoulder, lifting her up off the deck floor, shaking her in his rage. "YOU BLOODY BITCH! THIS IS WHERE YOU"VE BEEN HIDING?" Zhao shook her like a rag doll. Koima scratched futilely at the hand that was choking the life out of her. Koima gasped, her mouth trying hard to draw in air, but it was cut off as Zhao squeezed harder.
Zhao was suddenly knocked to the ground by a powerful blast of fire from Zuko. Koima fell out of Zhao's grip a fell to the floor in a heap, choking and gasping for air. Zuko stood in front of her, facing Zhao as he got to his feet. Zuko's face was livid, "STOP! YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER! COME NEAR HER AND I WILL KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND!" Zuko's voice rang out loud and threatening like thunder. The only sound that could be heard was Koima's gasps and sobs. Everyone was too dumbstruck to move, they had no idea what had just happened. What was going on!
Zhao pointed an accusing finger at Zuko, his fists smoked with unimaginable rage, "YOU!" he spat, "You have been harboring this thief! Give her to me, BOY! She belongs to me!"
Uncle Iroh's eyes went wide as realization dawned on him, 'Koima…A.Z…Admiral Zhao! Oh dear Agni! He's the one who beat her!' Pieces came together for the old General in a terrible puzzle. He felt rage consume him to the boiling point.
"She does NOT belong to you, you Bastard!" Zuko's fists were aflame and blazing, "She didn't steal any money from you! She stays here! Right Uncle?"
Uncle Iroh stepped up beside his nephew, glaring at Zhao. Zhao smirked at him, "Do you even know who she is?" He pointed behind them at Koima, "You don't, do you? She hasn't told any of you! She's mine, Iroh, by the fifth law of combat!"
"What?" Zuko looked at his Uncle. Uncle knew the fifth law of combat by heart. He looked at Koima, disbelieving that she could ever do such a thing…….
If a person kills a soldier of any rank then the Commander or one of higher rank that the slain soldier is commissioned under can keep the murderer as prisoner and slave.
Koima stared sadly up into Iroh's face, tears streaked down her face, she averted her eyes and nodded, proclaiming that it was true; she had killed one of Zhao's soldiers. Zhao nodded at Iroh's astonished face, "Yes Iroh, by that law she belongs to me!" Zhao made a lunge at Koima again before anyone could move. Koima fell back, scrambling backwards, her face a mask of sick terror, "NO!"
Zuko sent a blast of fire at Zhao, knocking him back away from her. 'Koi killed someone' He couldn't believe it. Koima couldn't hurt a fly! Iroh grabbed Koima and held her behind him, using himself as a bigger shield from Zhao, "What does that have to do about who she is? She is Koima!"
Zhao picked himself off the ground, chuckling softly, "Why don't you tell them, Bird!" He called out to Koima, "I'm sure they'd all love to hear who your parents were!"
Koima swallowed back a sob and hid herself behind the big Uncle. Zuko was confused by how Koima was acting, "Her parents?" Koima had rarely spoken about her parents, but what had that to do with anything? Zhao smiled sadistically, "You're not going to tell them are you? I'll do it myself then. That! That piece of filth that you have clinging to you, Iroh, is the only daughter of Commander Keijo!" Iroh's eyes widened but Zhao went on, "Keijo deserted the Navy, as you know, when he 'fell in love' with an Earth Nation Woman! Abandoning the Fire Nation law and refusing to wipe out the village. This…thing! " he pointed at Koima, "Is the result of their treachery!"
Everyone gasped in shock, staring at Koima….she…she is a hybrid?…a half-breed…from their rival nation?
Koima covered her face with her hands in shame, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she cried.
; Koima;
They know my secret…my mother and father's forbidden union that I've tried to keep hidden all this time. He had just told them my darkest secret. What is Zuko going to do now?…he hates me…and Unc- General Iroh…
Zuko looked at me with an unreadable expression, but one I could see…shock. I couldn't see Iroh's, I didn't want to. Why did Master do this… why couldn't he leave me alone? I stared pleadingly up at Zuko's eyes, silently begging his forgiveness. They were going to kill me, or hand me over to Master who no doubt will beat me to death.
;Zuko;
Zhao went on with his grisly story, "It was my job to go and kill the traitor. It took thirteen years to find him. I killed him, the Earth Nation witch was already dead. And I found that little monster covered in blood, stumbling away from a fallen soldier with a bloodied knife in her hand. She saw that I killed her father. She tried to kill me next…. Do you want to know how!" He shouted at everyone, pausing to receive an answer, None came. He glared at Koima, "She THREW BOULDERS AT ME! SHE'S AN EARTH BENDER!" Cries of surprise came from the soldiers gathered on the deck. Koima is an Earth bender? But she looks like she's Fire Nation, she has Amber eyes. How… They were all speechless, even Iroh and Zuko.
Koima squeezed her eyes shut, no doubt wanting to disappear from the face of the earth, "I'm so sorry.." she whispered. Iroh was thinking quickly. He had remembered Commander Keijo, they had trained with each other many years ago, he remembered when there was a bounty on Keijo's head for when he deserted the Fire Navy… His daughter was now clinging to him, trusting him to protect her from 'Master.' Iroh was now going to do something that he hoped Koima would…understand….
"You…You are an Earth Bender!" Iroh growled from between clenched teeth, his voice dangerously low, more dangerous than lightning and thunder, "The daughter of an Earth Nation bitch and a traitor? Release me!"
Koima pulled herself away from Iroh, tears running down her face as she stared up into the angry eyes of the Dragon of the West. Zuko looked at his Uncle, What was he doing? His Uncle would never do something like this, no matter who it was. Zuko looked at Koima…an Earth Bender…How could she be an earth bender. Zuko didn't know what to think.
Zhao grinned, the General had turned on the little whore, she had no one to protect her worthless hide now. She was as good as his! But his triumph was short lived by what The General said next, "Lock her up in her room! I'll deal with her there!"
Zhao stopped the General, "No. She belongs to me! I'll deal with her!" He demanded. He would not lose her again! General Iroh turned to him, "No. She doesn't belong to you now. I'm higher ranked than you, Zhao. That means it was my soldier that she killed. She belongs to me. Do you defy my word, Admiral?"
This was NOT how Zhao wanted things to go; he wanted Bird back for himself. But now the General had her by right! Bird was led away by two guards. Zhao locked eyes with her, her look of terror overwhelmed everything else…but he also saw something else; Hatred. And Anger. She glared at him with enough hatred that it surprised him. She had definitely changes a lot when hiding from him. Oh he would get her back. He would. And he would enjoy her all over again…
Zhao turned back to the fat General and the annoying Prince, "I'll be back to collect my soldiers. Don't leave the AnYun port till I do." He smiled triumphantly at the raged Prince. He made a mental note to get his revenge soon. He bowed mockingly and left the ship, silently planning his 'reunion' with Bird for when he gets her back…
I'll give you a moment to take that all in.
………………………………………………………………………………………Okay. done. Yes, Koima is an earth bender. She said her father was a Fire bender, but she never talked about her mother. What kind of bender she was, what nation, nothing. Everybody automatically assumed that since Koima has the phenotype (outward appearance) of a Fire bender, she was Fire Nation. Zuko knew that she was not a fire bender. Some people aren't. I have more information in the next chapter. The next chapter is going to be a long one. You will find out what happened that night when her village was killed.
Oh, This is when Zhao took Zuko's soldiers, but he didn't take them that night. I twist the stories to my own design. Don't kill me. Zhao will be back…oh yes…. He will be back…
I want some reviews. Yall have been sadly lacking in reviewing and it makes me sad! Seriously. You're reviews keep me going. Just one word would make a difference, "MORE!" That will do! C'mon people! Or no next chapter! REVIEW!
