AN: Chapter two! It may be a little slow, but give it time.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender.

The Oni Princess

Chapter Two

Of Truths, Lies, and Bargains

Of all the things Zuko had anticipated, this wasn't it.

He also didn't anticipate her picking up the empty teacup and hurling it towards his face.

Zuko was barely able to dodge, cursing under his breath.

"Who the hell are you!" The girl snarled, another piece of dishware already locked and loaded in her grasp.

Zuko swiftly walked over to her, snatching the bowl out of her hands, earning a gasp of indignation from the girl.

"Hey! Hey!" He had plucked the other discarded bowl from the ground, just for good measure. This one seemed to have a temper.

In retrospect, Zuko realized the optics didn't look too good from her perspective. She was a girl, all alone in a cell for lack of a better word, and in comes a guy wearing a frightening demon-like mask wielding two swords. All things considered, she was reacting pretty well.

Zuko debated talking, but feared being recognized. Not that he recognized her, but he was the prince - former prince, he amended - and it was always likely that more people would know who he was rather than the other way around.

The girl had risen to her feet by this point and stared at him, less with ire and more with consideration.

"So tell me, who are you? Why are you here?" Her eyes bore into his through the mask, and he felt slightly unnerved. "Nobody ever comes down here, save for the guards on rotation. Not even the Fire Lord can deign to come see me himself."

The Fire Lord?

Well, he had to be in the right place then.

"Not gonna talk?" The girl asked, an eyebrow arched.

Well, if Zuko wanted answers, he had to start speaking up.

"Where is it?" He asked, trying to deepen his voice.

The girl's eyebrow arched higher, and she had to hide a small smile of amusement. Did he know how ridiculous he sounded?

"Where is what?" She schooled her expression and set about haughtily rearranging her skirts. "You'll have to elaborate."

Zuko rolled his eyes behind the mask. Water Tribe people…

"The Fire Lord's most guarded possession. I need it."

The girl's eyes flashed with momentary surprise, but it was quickly replaced with indifference.

"And why are you looking for it?"

Oh for fuck's sake…

"Just give it to me!" He snapped. "I know it's here. And I don't need to explain myself to you," he added tersely.

The girl wrinkled her nose in irritation. "It seems apparent you don't know what you're even looking for," She countered. "Kind of sad you went through all the trouble in that getup, knocking those guards out." She peered around his broad shoulders, "Mm. I feel a little bad for them."

"It's supposed to keep the Fire Lord immune from any harm. Practically immortal. Sound familiar?" He hissed.

The girl stared at him for several moments, cocking her head to the side, and once again, Zuko had the distinct feeling he was being scrutinized. A coy smile suddenly graced her lips, and Zuko knew she was about to be more trouble than she was worth.

"Fine. I know what you're talking about." Finally! "And I'll help you...but I expect something in return."

"What?!"

The girl instantly seemed to notice that his voice was not as deep and gravelly as he had tried to make it sound. Her eyes twinkled with something akin to mirth, but it only served to irritate Zuko more.

He coughed, deepening his voice again. "What could you possibly help me with?"

The girl smiled in response. "Because. You're looking at it. The Fire Lord's most guarded possession." She spread her arms wide, almost as if to say 'ta-da!'

Zuko stood there, wondering what his next steps were, but the sudden approach of footsteps made him freeze. The girl heard them too, and she frowned, keenly aware she had two outcomes here, and neither seemed to be the better option.

"Come on," Zuko stated gruffly, grabbing the girl's wrist and deciding for her.

"Hey, wait a minute!" She scowled, trying to snatch her hand back, but the grip around her wrist was iron, forcing her to stumble along. "I'm wearing a dress, you jerk! The least you could do is give me a chance to catch up," she griped.

Zuko only tugged harder, slipping out of the door and rounding down the opposite end of the tunnel, away from the footsteps. They didn't have much time until the knocked out guards were found. One would think he would've planned this better, but he had been on borrowed time. And he hadn't expected to have extra baggage in the form of another person.

They had to get out of here, or else Zuko would be in deep shit.

And all before he'd even had the chance to leave the city!

Tugging his cloak off, Zuko whirled around and swiftly tied it around the girl's neck, pulling the hood up.

"We need to stay hidden. I have a ship ready for us."

Katara stared at the man in front of her, dumbstruck with her recent bout of luck.

This guy just got her out of that damn prison!

She didn't know who he was, but she had to admit, she didn't really care. Still, she wasn't in the clear just yet. She knew that this guy, whoever he was, was after her powers, and Katara had to wonder if she was jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. But what other choice did she have?

At the very least, she could use him to her advantage. He had a ship.

Which was strange, if she stopped to think about it. He sounded young, boyish almost when he wasn't doing that hilariously deep voice, but it seemed he also had quite a few resources. So who was he?

She didn't have long to ponder this, as her new traveling companion was tugging her forward faster than she could maneuver. Katara glared at the back of his head, wishing he would stop to think she wasn't exactly dressed for covert escape missions.

Soon enough, the two were outside, the Fire Nation palace looming not too far in the distance behind them. She wasn't sad to see it go.

The man tugged her along a grassy embankment, leading her toward a small ship...which turned out to be more like a dinghy.

Just as he all but shoved her onto the small boat, shouts came from where they had just escaped.

Katara watched with fascination as he hopped onto the boat, picked up the oars, and began rowing. Where they were at, no light from the torches or palace could reach them, and they easily glided further from the shore.

They continued in tense silence, and Katara took this time to study the moon, relishing its soft, hazy light. Even though it was waning, this was more than she ever had the chance to see most days. Not since she'd been dumped in that stupid prison.

And now, out of the blue, here she was, underneath an open sky again.

But her sense of calm was soon replaced with the fact that she had no idea who she was sharing a boat with.

"So am I ever going to see you out of that ugly mask?" She asked.

He didn't reply, and Katara rolled her eyes.

Why couldn't her savior be a little more...normal?

Maybe she could try a different approach rather than adversarial, even if he hadn't exactly done much to prove he deserved otherwise.

"So, what's your name?"

Waves lapped against the hull of the boat.

Silence.

"My name's Katara," she offered.

More grunts and the sound of water.

Okay...this is fine.

"Like I said...I could help you...if I get something in return." She hoped he took the bait.

At this point, while Katara didn't know what to expect from him, she did know he was after her powers. And she wasn't about to jump from one jailer to another. But he had a boat (a sad boat), and he probably had money. Or at least, enough resources and skills to get him by. Obviously he hadn't planned too far ahead, because he had had no clue that the source of the powers he had been looking for was right in front of him. He probably thought he had to be looking for some trinket or the like.

Who would ever expect a young Water Tribe girl to be the key to the Fire Lord's continued success and longevity as a ruler?

Either way, Katara figured the first step to figuring out her current situation was earning this boy's trust.

The next step was eventually using the poor idiot to get her to the Northern Pole.

How she was going to manage that, exactly, she wasn't sure.

But she would figure it out as she went along. For now, she would relish the fact that she was out of that awful prison.

"...Go on." Bingo.

"Well," Katara chewed her lip thoughtfully. "I could help you," she repeated. "But first I need to know what your plan is. You got me away from the Fire Lord, but that doesn't mean you're any better."

He paused momentarily from rowing the boat, needing some relief anyway.

Katara wished he would take the stupid mask off. It was really throwing her, especially when he sat there, facing her with an empty gaze. She had to actively suppress a shudder at seeing the ghastly blue face staring at her.

"I need to take away the Fire Lord's power." A beat of silence. "And I need to find and capture the Avatar."

She sat there in stunned silence.

Oh god...I've really got a crazy one…

"Why...why are you looking for the Avatar?" There hasn't been an Avatar in ages was the rest of the sentence she didn't dare speak aloud. Even Katara, despite having spent quite a while down in the Fire Nation tunnels, knew this. Furthermore, what did taking away power from the Fire Lord have to do with finding the Avatar?

"It's none of your damn business," he snapped.

"Ouch, okay," Katara huffed. "I guess you don't need my help after all." She crossed her arms and leaned back. Three, two, one...

"Oh, for the love of…" he dragged his hand down the front of his mask in exasperation, and Katara smirked. She'd wear him down soon enough.

"Why not this!" A bright tone and smile to match took over her features. "We'll trade questions. Every time you answer a question of mine, I'll answer one of yours. Deal?"

He stared at her, and she could just tell he had a glum expression on his face. Only someone with that kind of disposition would pick an equally horrid-looking mask.

"And how exactly does that work? How would we know we're telling each other the truth?"

Katara shrugged. "Trust isn't automatically given, so we have to start from somewhere. Me first," she stated primly before he could retort, rearranging her skirts. "What's your name?"

"You've already asked me that," he pointed out.

"And you've yet to respond, ergo…"

Somehow, Katara knew the young man was now rolling his eyes.

After a suspicious beat of silence, "Lee."

"Lee…" she said, rolling the name around her tongue. "Okay, Lee…ask me a question."

Katara expected he would straight away ask why the Fire Lord needed her, a lowly-looking Water Tribe girl. Or what her powers were. Or even how she had come to be in the clutches of the Fire Nation. She looked like a girl barely sixteen years old...she didn't exactly scream 'war prisoner.'

Instead, he asked, "Why do you have that crescent moon on your forehead?"

Unconsciously, Katara's hand flung up to her forehead, feeling the spot where she knew it marked her skin. She often forgot the mark even existed, but then again, she hadn't seen that many people in some years who gave her peculiar stares. The Fire Nation guards barely acknowledged her anyway.

She supposed it wouldn't hurt to mix in some truths, especially if it meant building a little bit of trust.

"It's a mark from the moon spirit," she answered honestly. "I got it when I was young. A near-death experience, and I was saved." Katara shrugged. "That's all there is to tell." Kind of.

Before he could respond, she continued, "So why do you want to take away the Fire Lord's power?"

This ought to be interesting…

Lee didn't speak for a time, and Katara vaguely wondered if he had fallen asleep behind the mask. The way the night sky cloaked them while the boat gently rocked with the waves was soothing enough that even Katara felt lulled into silence.

"He has too much power," Lee finally replied. "And I don't trust him to use it properly. I...guess I never have. I want to show him that he isn't as invulnerable as he thinks he is." His voice was fierce.

Katara appraised him, wondering what gripe he had with the Fire Lord.

A former soldier? A family member? A leader of an uprising? A farmer getting taxed too high?

The possibilities were endless.

It was also odd that he seemed to care about whether or not the Fire Lord could use his power - my power, Katara thought crossly - "properly." Whoever this was clearly wasn't a friend to the Fire Lord.

Interesting.

"So why is a Water Tribe girl sitting locked up in the tunnels beneath the Fire Nation palace?"

Katara paused, trying to conjure up an answer that made sense but didn't give herself away entirely. She didn't actually know this guy, so she couldn't let her guard down.

Perhaps it was best to temper his expectations.

"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time." At his expectant silence, Katara blew out a huff. "I'm a good healer. Waterbenders are masters at it. So the Fire Lord saw an opportunity and took it."

"And so you're telling me that your healing abilities are what forced you to be the Fire Lord's prisoner?" Lee scoffed. "We could grab waterbenders at any time! What makes you so special?"

We?

Katara shook her head. "It's not that simple, you idiot." And for emphasis, she sent a spray of water splashing him in the head and chest.

"HEY!" He sputtered, nearly rocking the boat as he fell back from surprise.

"Watch your tongue," Katara stated haughtily. "Or next time, I'll make sure you get a mouthful of seawater, mask or not."

Wiping some of the water off from his mask and chest, he sighed with irritation. "It still doesn't make sense. You're not telling me everything." Duh, Katara thought with an inward eye roll. Just like you aren't either…

"Well, to be honest, I don't necessarily trust you...in case that isn't obvious."

"Oh." It was apparent that the thought hadn't even crossed him.

Shaking her head, Katara decided maybe she could throw poor Lee a bone here. Besides, something told her she could let some of her walls down. Just a little. Because at the very least, it appeared they shared a common enemy. And the enemy of my enemy is my friend and whatnot.

"The mark of the moon spirit gives me an extra edge," she started slowly, letting her lies and truths coalesce together as she spun her story. "The power to never have a wound you can't heal is a huge asset to any Lord. One could say you'd have a hard time dying..." Katara trailed off, letting the implication lie unspoken between them.

"So you make sure the Fire Lord stays invulnerable?"

"More or less."

"So why keep you in a cell down there and not closer to where he could keep an eye on you?"

Katara bristled, but tempered herself. She needed him to be an ally, more than ever. Mostly because she wanted to secure passage out of the Fire Nation. Perhaps she could eventually make it back to the Northern Pole. That was her home, and where she had felt the most connected to herself. She wanted to get far enough away, to where she could never be used again by the Fire Nation. Or anyone.

And that was why he didn't need to know that she herself could produce spirit water just by touching any water around her. Possessing knowledge like that would be dangerous. Spirit water was hard enough to come by, and to be walking, talking conduit for it...well, it was easy to see why the Fire Lord kept her a secret.

Not as well guarded as he thought, clearly.

"I was a prisoner, not an honored guest," she stated flatly. "You know, I think it's been my turn to ask a questi-"

"And how are you going to help me?"

Katara sat back, straightening. "Well…" she didn't actually know. She wasn't about to give him the same treatment she had given the Fire Lord. Although she hadn't had much of a choice in the matter. And not that Lee needed to know that. "I can help you take down the Fire Lord...if you think my healing is powerful, you should see what else my waterbending can do."

Katara inspected her fingernails, staring out from under her lashes to gauge his body language.

He seemed tense, and Katara didn't have to see his face to know that he clearly felt he had not gotten at all what he had been looking for.

Well, that makes two of us.

Finally, he spoke. "And what are you expecting in return?"

So he was a bartering man.

"I want my freedom. And I want to never be beholden to the Fire Nation, ever again."

"What makes you think I can grant you that?"

Katara smiled.

"You will. You already got me out of there, didn't you?"

And I'll make sure I hold you to it.