Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters. I own Koima.

Chapter 26

"Two, actually…"

They hate me now; Uncle, Zuko, Jin, everyone knows my secret that I had tried so hard to keep this whole time. Now because of Master, they all know that I was part their own worst enemy. I had not even looked at the guards as they led me to my room and locked the door….the lock was on my side of the door, they only stood guard so I couldn't get out. I didn't want to go out there where Master is….I felt sick.

My mind brought up memories…bad ones…I barely made it to the bathroom before I was violently ill. 'OH AGNI--!' I coughed painfully choking on sour bile. I fell on my side and breathed deeply. 'Master…why? Now they know…they know!' I couldn't bare the look on Zuko and Iroh's face when they heard who I truly was. They were harboring their worst enemy and didn't even realize it. It hurt unbelievably that Iroh said those things…. so deeply. It felt as if my heart was bleeding, it hurt so badly. He called my mother a bitch…she isn't! I love Iroh like another father…and he pushed me away, cast me aside like garbage. Garbage…that's what I am. I am nothing. An abomination that needed to be exterminated. I don't belong anywhere.

I swallowed back the bitter acid in my mouth and hoped that nothing else would come up.

Knock Knock

I wheeled away from the door at the sound of people on the other side. My worst fear was that Master had convinced Iroh to let him have me, No! I would kill myself before that ever happens. I will not let Master hurt me again!

"Koima." Came a whisper from the other side of the door; it was Zuko. 'No! Please, not Zuko!' I wouldn't be able to bare it, Zuko knows who…what I am..his enemy. I didn't answer him. The door was locked from the inside, I had locked it. I have seen Zuko's temper before, many times…and imagining all of it directed at me…I shut my eyes tightly, wanting to believe that Zuko wouldn't hurt me. I didn't know him all that well, but he's my friend. I wanted to die, death would be relief from this hell I was living in now.

Zuko's voice came again, "Koi, let me in, please. I'm sorry that he was here. I'm sorry that you saw him. We want to talk to you." I froze, my heart skipping a beat, 'We!' Then I heard Iroh's voice come through the door next, calm, soothing, and making me cry in remorse, he was a father to me, "Koi, he's gone now. I didn't mean those things I said; it was an act. Please believe me honey, let us in please!" I heard him beg. It tore at my heart. He called me 'honey' like my father had so many years ago. An act? Uncle does not hate me? But that didn't erase the fact that I was part Earth Nation, that I had kept that secret from them for so long.

I found my voice even though tears choked the words, "Please, I want to make this all go away. I'm sorry for everything! Kill me, I don't deserve to live." I wanted it to be over with, I just wanted to disappear to where I could die alone.

But Zuko's voice came back firm, "We could never hurt you, Koi. Open the door now. We want to talk. Do as I say, please." I wanted so badly to believe them, but Fire Nation is my enemy was what my father, Keijo, always told me when I showed my mother, Hana's, bending abilities. But it was Uncle and Zuko….they have been my family.

"Koima, please." Iroh's voice got me to my feet and shuffle to the door. Whatever happened next would be out of my hands. I unlocked the door and opened it. Uncle Iroh and Zuko looked at me. Uncle saw my face and he wrapped his big arms around me, pulling me into a big comforting embrace, "Koima." He murmured into my ear. I held onto him and everything in me broke down in a flood.

; Zuko;

Zuko watched as Koima hung onto his uncle, her face buried in his chest and hic uncle trying to comfort her to the best of his abilities. 'I've never seen her like this. She's never been this upset before, seeing Zhao really…' Zuko couldn't think of a word that could describe this sort of pain that he saw in Koima right now. 'Killed her.' Was the closest he could come. Zuko closed the door behind them, allowing them some privacy without anyone walking by and over hearing them.

Zuko's rage was immeasurable, all of it had to do with Zhao. Zhao was there because he was taking all of Zuko's soldiers…even the cook. They were to be ready to leave by tomorrow to go to the North Pole under Zhao's command. It was all lost for Zuko, the only soldiers that were left were the ones who couldn't move; the four men in the infirmary, even Col who couldn't fight was told to join Zhao's ship. Zuko pushed that problem aside, now it was Koima, not he that needed comforting.

He had broken his promise to her, she had seen Zhao, and Zhao had seen her. Zuko went beside his Uncle and reached out a hesitant hand out to Koi. He patted her shoulder gently trying to console her in the best way he knew of. Iroh glanced at Zuko who hesitantly tried to calm the girl. Iroh smiled inwardly, 'he's learning.'

"Koima, it's alright." Zuko said, looking at his Uncle uncertainly, "He won't get you. Uncle and I will stop him. Please don't cry." Zuko found himself begging her.

"He's right Koima. Zhao will never get what he wants." Iroh hugged her as she cried, "We would never want you to leave us. You being Earth nation doesn't affect us. We love you as you are, don't think otherwise. Sure it surprised us, but we don't hate you for being who you are. I always knew there was something special about you the moment I laid eyes on you." Iroh laid his cheek against the top of Koima's raven black hair, "I knew your father well, Koi. He was a good man, kind, smart, courageous, and not afraid to stand up for what he believed in." Uncle tilted Koima's chin up so that she could look into his eyes. He smiled kindly at her, wiping away her tears with one wrinkled thumb, "He brought you up right. You are a splitting image of your father. I can see it now." Koima smiled faintly at that.
"It was originally my job as General to go after your father." Iroh admitted. He remembered his father, Azulon, issuing the order out to him over 16 years ago, "But I had refused. You see, Keijo was my friend, Koima. And I rejected the order and it was given to Zhao instead."

"But I am a bender! An Earth bender!" Koima blurted out, "You can't protect me! I'm your enemy!"

Zuko spoke up, "No you aren't." he stated boldly.

"But I'm a Eart-"

"It doesn't matter what you are." Zuko cut her off, "You are our friend and you being part Earth nation doesn't change that. We like you for who you are."

Koima looked up at him, he smiled at her and slowly, she smiled back, "I'm sorry for not telling you before. Papa always said to keep my bending a secret from any Fire nation. Because of my parents, I'm stuck between nations, never fully belonging in one or the other. So I really can't say that I'm Firenation, or Earthnation."

Iroh suddenly remembered something, how could he overlook something as important as this? "Koima, how long has it been since you last Earth bended?"

"The last time was when I took a walk at that island that we stopped at over a month ago." 'When she had met the Avatar,' Iroh remembered. "That long? How could you survive?" It hurt unbearably to not bend your element for very long, after two weeks it would make your body ache with pains.

"I've been through longer. 3 years in a cage." Koima said, "I've had to satisfy myself by bending the sand that fell out of…Admiral's boots. That held off the aching…the worst of it." 'She's not as weak as we think she is, but she is strong in some ways in which we have not come to realize yet' what Uncle had said…' Zuko understood them now. Even the strongest bender alive could never hold out longer than two months. But three years? Bending only a few grains of sand…. In all of Zuko and Iroh's years, they have never heard of such a great feat. They could see that Koima was telling the truth, what other reason would she have to lie to them?

Uncle Iroh stood up and guided Koima to the bed, "I'll be right back." He left the room and was back a minute later. He went and sat beside Koima on the bed., The mattress protested loudly as it creaked under his mass. "Here." Uncle held out his hand and opened it. Three pieces of ships coal lay in it, the residue leaving small black smudges on his palm. Koima smiled, but looked at them warily, "Are you sure?"

Zuko nodded, "Do some bending." He urged her.

Koima held her hand over Iroh's outstretched palm and the three pieces of coal rose up into her hand. She turned her hand upright and twisted the coal and made them move in intricate patterns above her hand. Zuko watched in awe that she could do that so easily, with no effort at all it seemed. He studied her face while she bended. The fear and sadness had vanished; she was smiling faintly, her eyes dancing with subdued happiness that she no longer had to hide her gift from them.

"I'm not very good." Koima admitted when one coal fell from the aerial pattern and clattered to the floor. When that fell, the others followed, clacking to the floor. Koima held her hand back out, palm down, and each rose back into it and she set them down on her lap. She shook her head, "I had many chores at home, and I rarely had time to do bending." She yawned.

Uncle patted her back and smiled, "Well you can bend earth better than I can." He joked, "But I think it's time for you to be getting to bed." Koima nodded, "Alright. Goodnight Uncle." Uncle Iroh gave her a warm hug and kissed the top of her forehead tenderly, "Good night, little fish." A tear appears and rolled down his cheek.

Zuko nodded, "Goodnight Koi." He said as he and Uncle stepped out of the room.

I was going to leave it off right there. But I felt like there was hardly any action in it. So I will give you the next chapter.

;:;:; Koima;:;:;:

'No, no! Please, no dreams about him! Please Agni, I don't want to be sick again!' Once Uncle and Zuko had left, I had went to bed, and the dreams of Master invaded my senses. It was like a lightning flash of images of Master flooded into my mind. The dreams made clearer and more terrible by the fact that I had seen him only an hour before. I stumbled out of my bed and sank to the floor, holding onto the bedpost to keep me from crashing to the floor and injuring myself

"Don't think about him!" I gritted my teeth as I tried to pull myself back up, "He's gone!"

'But he is coming back.' Said a cold voice deep inside my mind. A voice that resided with the horrible memories.

'No! No he's not!'

'He will stop at nothing until you're either his…or dead.' Master grinned at me from the memories of my mind. Why am I remembering all of this now? Why now?

'Stop crying you little bitch!' Master snarled at me. I could almost feel the blow I would receive from not obeying, 'You weak little slut. Here, I'll give you something to cry about!'

I opened my eyes to banish the image, "Leave me alone!"

; Zuko;

"Leave me alone!"

Zuko paused in the hallway, his ears catching the terrified shout from Koima's room. Who was she yelling at?….Zhao! Did he sneak on the ship? Was he in her room now! Zuko dashed to Koima's room, fearing the worst.

But when he staggered in, all he saw was Koima leaning against her bed, in her nightgown, her arms wrapped around her knees and shaking uncontrollably. Her eyes were wide in untold fear, 'What was going on?'

"Koima…Are you alright?" Zuko kneeled beside her on the floor, cautious to keep his distance as not to frighten her further. She nodded, "I'm fine." But Zuko could tell she was lying. Her eyes averted away from his gaze. He knew the reason of her fear, Zhao, but that wasn't all.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Zuko mirrored his Uncle's words whenever he wanted him to talk about what was troubling him. Zuko always felt a little better when he and his Uncle talked, he hoped it would work with Koima.

Koima shook her head, "It's just bad memories. I'm fine." She stood up shakily, "I'm sorry I disturbed you."

"You're worried because of him," Zuko figured out, "Aren't you?" Koima stopped in her tracks, she didn't face him. Koima's reply was monotone, not expressing any emotion despite what she said, "I'm afraid that he'll find a way to get me back. He has sources; he would always tell me if I ever happened to get out of my cage he would always find me. My punishment would be worse than anything he had ever done to me before. He would lock me in that cage for days sometimes when hew as gone away on voyages, leaving me there with no food or anything. He said that when he got his hands on me after I escape he would leave me to rot in that cage and get another girl to become his 'Bird'" Koima's voice hitched, "That thought…of another girl going through what I had that made me behave the best I could, trying to survive on what little I had so he wouldn't do that to other girls." Koima hugged herself and Zuko saw her shoulders shake. He got up and laid a hand on her shoulder...she didn't shirk him off, "I never want to see him again, but if it meant I would be saving some girl the pain, then I'd go to him willingly."

"Don't." Zuko said, turning her around to face him, "He's a monster. I'll kill him so he doesn't hurt any more people. He won't get you. I promise." Zuko paused, "He can't have you, you 'belong' to Uncle now. Since you killed one of his soldiers. What I don't get is, why you killed that one soldier."

Koima looked at him. Her eyes were dry, but full of heartache and sadness, yanking at Zuko's own heart. She smiled faintly, "Two, actually."

"Huh?" Zuko couldn't have heard right. Little Koima…killing two soldiers?

"I killed two. Admiral only saw me kill one, outside my house. The other on I had killed was inside…in my room." Koi looked away and it dawned on Zuko. It felt as if someone was squeezing his chest, choking the air out of him.

"Y-you were…" He couldn't form the word…it was too horrible to say. Koi shook her head, "Not that time. He tried, right after he killed my mother right in front of me, saying that she was too old." Koima took a shaky breath and Zuko could see that she was trying very hard to keep her composure for him, it was very hard for her. Koima went on, but in a more hushed tone, "I had begged him, but he would only laugh. I got my hands on the dagger that was in his armor, a-and.—" Koima choked, "I-I st-stabbed him…not in the chest…but in –in the eyes."

Zuko swallowed back the lump in his throat. He had the image of a 13 year old Koima with a dagger in her hand, stabbing the man who was going to rape her, stabbing him in the eye and blood splashing onto her…Zuko never would have thought Koima would be someone that would hurt someone…kill him even. Terror could make you do the most horrible things.

Koima shook her head to get rid of the memory, "I'm sorry. I'll stop."

"No." Zuko said, "Continue. I want to hear." He knew she had to get it all out, it had worked for him. Zuko regretted telling her to continue, for what she said next….he closed his eyes.

"A-after he died, I went to look for my father. Outside was horrible; fire everywhere, people screaming for each other and the sound of men, women, children…dying. I saw bodies of my friends in the dirt…" Koima's voice became husky with tears, "The girls…. close to my age…Leya, Fen, Alie, they had their skirts yanked up…ripped clothes…their eyes." Koima couldn't stand, her knees gave way and she sat down heavily on the floor, shaking as images of her friends filled her mind, "Their eyes were open, but there was no life in them…horror terror, was in their eyes. I couldn't stop to cry, I had to find my father. Another soldier came at me, grabbing me from behind. I screamed and slashed at him. I got him in the throat," She shivered, "That was the one Admiral saw me kill. He had my father in his hands. I was screaming for him to let Papa go…Zhao only squeezed, making my father paralyzed—" Zuko noticed that Koima didn't say Master or Admiral, she had used Zhao's name, "—Zhao saw that I was Papa's daughter. Papa apologized to me right before Zhao broke his neck…Zhao kept me as prisoner ever since." She finished softly. Zuko already could guess all that had happened after. 'And only when she was 13.'

Koima didn't cry, she only stared off in space…breathing shallowly. Zuko sat down beside her, "I'm sorry…I never knew."

"No one did. Now you do." Koi looked away from him, "But thank you for listening. I felt like I had to tell someone I trusted."

"Thank you for trusting me." Zuko said. He sighed, "Is he the reason why you don't sing?" He surprised himself by even asking. Koima looked up, "You have a nice voice. I can tell you can sing." Zuko was hesitant saying that last part when he saw Koima blink and a single tear rolled down her cheek and fell onto her lap.

She nodded, "Yes, I can sing. He's the reason I don't like to anymore."

Zuko saw that she didn't want to talk about it, he didn't press the matter further, but said this, "One day, I wish to hear you sing."

Koima didn't say anything, only nodded, not saying she will but he could wish all that he wanted.

"Will you be alright tonight?"

Koima nodded, "I'll be fine. Goodnight Zuko."

Zuko got up, taking her hand and pulling her up also, "Go to bed Koima. You'll be safe." She got into her bed and stared at him from the covers, her amber eyes gleamed almost predatory in the firelight. "Thank you." He almost didn't hear her, her voice was so soft.

"You don't need to thank me. Goodnight Koima." Zuko extinguished the flames and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Sir?" Zuko saw Jin. He came up to Zuko, glancing at the door of Koima's room, "I-Is she alright, sir?" So Jin didn't mind Koi being an Earth bender…

Zuko nodded, "I believe so. Why do you care?" He tested. Jin gulped, "S-She's my friend, sir, and I was worried about her."

"She's an Earth bender, you know, you're enemy." Jin stood fast, "That may be so, sir, but she is still my friend. It makes no difference to me that she is an Earth bender, a Water bender, or an Airbender. She is still the same person she was yesterday."

Zuko smiled faintly, "Very well. I want you to guard this door, no one goes in except Iroh and me. Understood?"

Jin saluted, "Yes, Sir!"


My fingers hurt! Yes… Zuko's a little OOC. Sorry. You see, Iroh had to put on an act for Zhao, or he would've been in danger also. I love Jin. He is awesome. I can put him in any story and he's the same character, acts the same way, is as kind and funny. I want him for a brother!

Here's a question for ya'll. Which character in this story do you like the most. A character of my making. No Zuko or Iroh. Sorry. Let's see if I can name them all…..

1. Koima (Koi)

2. Jin

3. Col

4. Icharu (Ichi)

5. Konan

6. Nihoku

7. Homeru

8. Akina- (Akiro's little sister)

9. Hatus-(jeweler, Akiro and Akina's father)

10. Akiro-(boy who broke his arm)

11. Risa-(Hatus' wife. Mother to Akiro and Akina)

This is just to see if I make likeable characters. Please tell me! I'll keep a tally.

Thanks for all the reviews! The same rule goes for this one! Come check out my myspace ya'll. It looks good and I got music! Brandon put it on for me!

my name is theblackenigma, look for me.

The title for the sequel is in this chapter. In the first section before I put the second chapter in there. The exact words. Whoever can guess it….will get a prize. He or she will be able to read the first chapter of the sequel before anyone else can. Let the guessing begin. You each have two guesses. Good luck.

I won't be posting for awhile, I'm leaving and won't have computer access. So I'll talk to y'all later. Bye! I want lotsa reviews! -Amy