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AN: Just so you know this was written by LittleMissMartini but uploaded by me, LadyFireCat. R&R People!
Chapter Two: The Prince and the Peasant
Two yellow eyes had appeared, blinking slowly, in the shadow of the trees.
"Who's there!" he shouted, dropping the fish to the ground and holding himself in a ready stance. "Get out here!" The growling stopped, the eyes suddenly vanished, and the rustling grew louder. Out of the Azenberry bush stepped…a striped lion cub. It bounded up faster than Zuko could react, and happily started to feast on the fish at his feet.
"Hey!" Zuko protested angrily, "That's mine!" He squatted and tried to tug the fish from it. The lion cub growled and tugged it back.
"Don't make me kill you," Zuko said to it. "Because I will!"
The lion cub licked its chops and sat back on its haunches, gazing at the Fire Nation prince through large golden eyes. Zuko frowned, and lifted his had threateningly.
"I mean it! No, seriously, I will!" he said. Apparently losing interest, the cub leaned forward to take another bite of his meal. Zuko grabbed it by the thick fur at its neck and held it up in front of his face.
"No," he said firmly, "bad kitty. Very bad kitty. You do not take people's food."
The cub licked his face.
Katara fought her way through a dense wall of trees, shrieking as a spider landed on her torso wrap. There had to be a few extra branches lying around somewhere.
She paused. The sound of flowing water was nearby. Good. Maybe there were fish she could catch and fry or boil. Sokka had always prided himself in being one of the best fishermen in their village. Katara smirked. Wait till he saw how many fish she had caught.
Peering through the trees, she gasped at what she saw.
Prince Zuko.
Talking to a lion cub.
She blinked and rubbed her eyes, then opened them again. Yep, still talking to a lion cub. Not even about to kill it or drown it in the water. Maybe her brain was waterlogged or something, but she swore he sounded reproachful. She crept closer. He had grown more hair on his head than she had remembered, and it made him look younger and…well, cuter. He was wearing brown peasant trousers—part of his disguise, no doubt—and no shirt. Katara's eyes followed his nicely toned and muscular chest, sprinkled with small cuts and scars.
While she was staring at his chest, so unlike Aang's scrawny one or Sokka's…brother-like one, he had dropped the cat. Apparently, it chose to ignore Zuko's manner lessons and began to once again eat the fish. Zuko sighed and flopped onto the ground beside it. Katara clapped a hand over her mouth to stop from laughing out loud. He looked like any ordinary teenage boy, grumpy with his cat. Is that ordinary?
Now, if she could sneak carefully back towards Aang and warn him. The cat stiffened, and turned to look through the dense shrubbery. Katara froze. The cat dropped the fish and started to creep towards her, its brown eyes trained eerily on something Katara hoped wasn't her.
"Hey," Zuko called, "where are you going?" With one swift leap, the cub had propelled itself through the bush, and had shot past Katara faster than she could gasp. Zuko frowned, and kicked the fish after it.
Splat.
Katara held her breath so as not to scream out loud as she viewed the half-eaten fish slowly sliding thickly down her chest, leaving a trail of slime, blood, and a long internal organ.
But Zuko had heard the splat. He narrowed his eyes.
"Who's there!" he shouted for the second time that day. Katara squared her shoulders. If it was a fight Zuko wanted, it was a fight he was going to get.
She burst through the trees, skidded on a rock, and went flying into Zuko's chest, sending them both tumbling into the stream and Zuko lost his balance from surprise.
"What the hell!" Zuko shouted, soaked and dripping. Katara swiftly drew water from the stream and shot a powerful wave at Zuko, who was immediately washed downstream.
Frustrated, Zuko was about to shoot a fire blast when his uncle's voice flitted through his head.
"The Fire Lord Ozai has sent warrants of our capture to even the remotest village on the tiniest island."
"ENOUGH!" he bellowed, extending his hand. A forceful stream of water whipped him across the face while another twisted around his ankles, causing him to stumble and fall again. Stupid peasant girl. This will mean the end for the Avatar as well if she keeps this up!
His face stinging, Zuko scrambled up and dove out of way of an oncoming torrent. He shot a small fireball at Katara, large enough to forcefully knock her back but not powerful enough to harm her badly.
Katara was confused. Why wasn't he fighting back like he always did? He had probably been through more training than when she had met him last. Perhaps it was a new tactic she had yet to learn. Pondering this, she was suddenly knocked back. Ah, so now he chooses to fight, Interesting technique. She began to push herself up, but Zuko was at her side faster than she could say a four letter word.
"Stop!" he hissed urgently. "I'm not fighting you, you dunce! Azula and her friends could be here at any moment!" Katara moved away from him and stood, her eyes flashing with contempt.
"So? If they show up, we'll fight," she said fiercely, meaning her, Aang, Toph, and Sokka. Her fierce look suddenly gave way to amusement. "Or is Prince Zuko afraid?" she mocked. Zuko flared up and a powerful blast of fire wiped the smile from her face.
"Never say that." He towered over her, his hands clenched into fists, his eyes narrowed. "Never say that," he repeated, eyes blazing like the fire that was just a moment ago dancing about his fingers.
"Zuzu's afraaiiiddd," Azula singsonged. "He's afraid of everything. He is weak."
"Shut up!" Zuko screamed, picking up a stone and heaving it at her. Azula lifted a hand and the stone burst into flame as she laughed.
"Zuzu's afraiiiiddd. Zuzu is weak. Zuzu's afraiiiddd, Zuzu is weak," Azula chanted, laughing, her cold gold eyes dancing with enjoyment.
"Yes," said a quiet voice. Azula stopped chanting as Lord Ozai drifted towards them.
""Your brother Zuko is weak. He is afraid. And he always will be."
"You're wrong!" Zuko shouted. Katara, startled, stepped back. Zuko was trembling, and she had never seen him this way before. It frightened her.
"You're wrong," he said again, and then again, his voice breaking. Katara had seen this in her village when Sokka had said a something scathing to a small boy, causing him to scream and shout and cry.
Katara, thoroughly alarmed, reached out with uncertainty and made to touch his shoulder. Her hand was roughly knocked out of the way as Zuko stumbled back, shooting a blast of fire at her, which she blocked at the last second.
Fine. It was a fight he wanted. A fight he'll get. Katara narrowed her eyes and a large wave started to form silently behind the prince.
Fine. We'll fight. And the Avatar will be captured, and Azula will win again. Zuko flexed his fingers, knowing from the expert tingling on the back of his neck exactly what was behind him.