Zuko is Called Names

Won't give too much away... but Tora is the main character again.

Disclaimer: I only own Tora, Moro, Amaya, Kui, Fenris, and Accalia. Unfortunately, nobody except Tora will be appearing for a while... so sad. T_T

Zuko groaned in annoyance as his uncle raced from stall to stall, looking like a kid in a candy store. Iroh was currently looking for a replacement lotus tile, to replace the one Zuko had tossed over the waterfall a few days ago. They were in a seedy looking Earth Kingdom town, full of tough looking guys with tattoos and earrings and teeth missing giving them funny looks and glares.

"I found it!" Iroh suddenly yelled, sounding more triumphant than he should have. "They have a Lotus tile in stock!" He ran over to the banished prince of the Fire Nation. "I need two gold coins."

Zuko held in his groan this time, and handed over the coins. Iroh ran back to the stall, conversed with the owner for a minute or two, before he finally came back, looking proud of himself.

"Can we go now?"

Iroh did not answer, for he was looking at something over Zuko's shoulder with some curiosity. "What are you looking at?" Zuko demanded.

Iroh shook his head. "Oh, it's nothing, Prince Zuko. We may leave now, and I suggest we hurry." Iroh made to grab his nephew's upper arm and pull him back to the ship. Although this was what Zuko had originally wanted to do, his uncle's sudden attitude was making him suspicious, and he pulled his arm away and turned around. He saw what his uncle had been staring at.

Standing a distance away from them, looking through the scrolls at a stall, was the Fire Nation girl that had been travelling with the Avatar.

His golden eyes widened for a moment, before they narrowed. "I see."

~~Water~~

Tora's Point of View

"What do you mean, you don't have any money? What good are you to me?!" The vendor yelled at me. He was a crabby old guy, with brown eyes and thin hair combed over his larger than average bald spot, and with a potbelly. He was kinda gross looking.

"You need an attitude adjustment." I snapped. "I'm just looking! There's no law against that!"

"It's called loitering!"

"It's called browsing."

Wow. His face could get red. I mean, like Fire Nation red.

"JUST GO BOTHER SOMEONE ELSE, WILL YOU?!" He finally lost his temper, snatching the scroll from my hands. I was seriously tempted to roast him.

"Okay, okay, I'm going!" I yelled, walking away. "Jeez..." I grumbled to myself.

It had been a few days - maybe a week, I wasn't good at keeping time - since my separation from the others. Kui had gone back to Moro as soon as I left the forest that held the Freedom Fighters. Ever since, I had been heading north, following various reports of a large monster with six legs and an arrow on it's head, while taking various jobs so I could buy food and stay alive. I would have bought a new sword, but I knew it wouldn't have the same feel as mine did. I hoped that I would find it. Or maybe make a new one. I'd rather not do that, though. Maybe whoever wants Katara to find her necklace will help me find my sword...

I was so lost in my thoughts I didn't even notice I was about to run into someone until I ran into them. "Sorry." I said immediately, not even looking up. I felt someone grab my wrists before I could get away, and I realized that I had run into something hard. I looked up, and was immediately met with the awful sight of pale skin, gold eyes, and an angry red scar.

"Zuko." I cursed myself silently. Zuko didn't say anything, but he started dragging me somewhere. "Hey, let go!" I yelled, pulling the other way.

"No!"

I narrowed my eyes. My skin started heating up, and soon I was practically on fire. Zuko let out a yell and let go, and I sprinted off in the opposite direction. I heard Zuko yelling after me as I ran away, and when I turned a corner, the worst possible thing that could happen did happen.

I tripped. Agni damn it all!

I started cursing myself in every possible way, in all the languages I knew. As soon as I hit the ground, I was up again, but Zuko had caught up with me and grabbed me by the waist, slinging me over his shoulder. I started kicking wildly and pounding on his back, but all that did was make my hand hurt whenever I hit his armour. Does he ever take it off?

Out loud, I yelled, "LET ME GO! YOU BASTARD! YOU SCUM! YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU-" I started calling him other names that were... less "polite".

"Watch your language." He snapped.

"YOU WATCH WHERE YOU PUT YOUR HANDS, AND I'LL WATCH MY LANGUAGE!"

"Let's go, uncle."

"BASTARD!"

"Zuko, you really shouldn't be doing that."

"Uncle, the Avatar is too far away by this point for me to catch up. The girl's my only way of finding him."

"I SWEAR, IF YOU DON'T PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW, I'M GOING TO WATERBEND YOU OUT OF EXISTENCE! AND THEN I'M GONNA ROAST YOU TO A CRISP! AND THEN-" My threats weren't heeded, as Zuko continued on his way to his ship. I would have firebended at him, except with his fire-proof armour, I would have to find a chink in his armour to hurt him. And in the position I was in, I couldn't really do that. I seriously wished I had some water with me. Or that someone would help out. But from the looks of this town, this kind of thing was normal.

Finally, we had reached Zuko's ship. He walked up the gangplank, with me kicking and fighting the whole way, while Iroh walked behind us, shooting me apologetic looks. When we reached the deck, Zuko pulled me off his shoulder, and immediately I was fireblasting at him. He blocked all of the blasts, and waved for some soldiers to grab me. Two soldiers came over and grabbed me by the wrists, so I couldn't bend.

"Take her to my room." Zuko ordered. I was having the weirdest feeling of deja vu.

Only this time, Aang didn't come to save me.

I sat on Zuko's bed, with a disgusted look on my face, and my arms crossed over my chest. I didn't know what Zuko wanted from me, but I wouldn't do it. Whatever it was.

He came in a few minutes later. I glared at him. He glared back. "What, no fighting? Finally learned your place?"

I glared again. "Hardly."

Zuko scowled. Someone else would have been scared of him, what with his scar and the angry scowl. I wasn't. He didn't scare me. "Let's get right to it. Where is he?"

"Where's who?" I asked innocently. He wasn't getting anything out of me.

"You know who!" (You-know-who! Ha! I didn't even plan that!)

"No, I don't know who."

"Him!"

"Him who?"

"You know! Him!"

"How can I know him if I don't know him?"

"THE AVATAR!" He finally yelled, losing his patience (not that he had any to begin with). Flames exploded from his mouth and hands, steam literally shooting from his ears.

"You mean Aang?"

"YES!"

I shrugged. "Don't know." And I was telling the truth.

Zuko didn't believe me. "Don't lie to me! Where is he?!"

"I'm serious. I don't know." I said clearly and slowly, as if Zuko was too dumb to understand me. "They think I'm dead. They left without me. I don't know where they are."

Zuko glared at me for a minute. "I don't believe you."

"And I really couldn't care less what you believe."

"You must know where he's headed at least." Zuko said, trying to pry the information out of me.

I tossed my hair over my shoulder. "The North Pole."

"But that's miles from here!" Zuko exclaimed. "It would take weeks to get there! You couldn't get there without stopping!"

"That's where they're heading. I don't know where they are right now. You didn't ask that."

Zuko's face got even redder than that scroll seller's. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!"

"THE FEELING'S MUTUAL!" I yelled back, getting to my feet. "NOW LET ME GO!"

"No. You'll stay here on my ship. You'll be my bait." Zuko said, crossing his arms.

"I can't be bait for someone who thinks I'm dead! Idiot!"

"Don't call me an idiot!"

"IDIOT! MORON! BASTARD! … VAMPIRE!"

"SHUT UP!" He threw open his door. "GUARDS! Get her out of my sight! Take her to the brig!"

"Idiot!" I half-sang as the soldiers came into his room. I felt pride when the candles in the room exploded and almost burned down the Fire Nation tapestry on the wall. As the soldiers were pulling me out of Zuko's room, I heard the sound of a flame growing, and Zuko giving a startled yelp. Apparently, he had set his tapestry on fire in his rage. The soldiers had soon reached the brig, and I walked inside. The walls were completely flat and made of metal, and the only thing that looked remotely "homey" was a block of metal that was raised out of the floor in the corner of the room.

"I'll have someone bring you a blanket. It get's cold at night." The soldier said. I turned and smiled at them. "Thanks."

With a crash, the door slammed shut, and I was left alone in the darkness. I heated up a flame in the palm of my hand, giving off an orangish glow that filled the whole room.

"Come on, Tora. Look on the bright side. You don't have to deal with paying for motel rooms anymore. You don't have to worry about getting enough money for food, or getting caught when you steal food." I told myself.

It sounded lame, even to myself.

I was trapped.

The only bright side?

Zuko's stubbornness would be what brought me back to the others.

~~Water~~

I had been taking a nap when Iroh came in. My arm was covering my eyes, and my knees were bent since the bed was too short for me to stretch out. So it was very uncomfortable. When I heard the door open, I lifted my arm off my face and turned my head to the side to see who had come in. When I saw that it was Iroh, I quickly swung my legs over the side of the bed and sat up.

"Hey, Iroh." I greeted him. He didn't deserve any of my hatred. And he was carrying a blanket, which I assumed was meant for me, so I didn't want to anger him too much.

"Tora. It's been a long time." He said, smiling. I smiled back. "But what were you doing with the Water Tribe? Where's your father?"

I grimaced. I didn't want to talk about that - especially not here. "Haven't you heard?"

The Dragon of The West shook his head. "I haven't had contact with any of the Order in three years."

Of course. That meant I would have the honour of telling him. "Well, to make a long story short," I began to tick off my fingers. "I overheard a White Lotus meeting two years ago, couldn't hear too much, heard Jeong Jeong pretty much order my father to send me away, he sent me away, didn't tell me what he was doing. So I ended up in the Southern Water Tribe, lived there for two years, and, well…" I shrugged. "My friends found the Avatar."

Iroh blinked at me for a moment, before giving a deep chuckle. Honestly, if it had been anyone else, I would have been upset. But this was Iroh - the guy gave off a very relaxed air, and so didn't upset too many people, whether intentionally or unintentionally. "Well, you've certainly had an interesting two years! And this is certainly not a suitable room for a young lady!" He smiled warmly at me, and put a hand on my shoulder. I found myself smiling back up at him, despite the circumstances. "We should find you a better one. After all, you're going to be with us for a while."

~~Water~~

To be honest, I didn't know what the difference was between the cell I took a nap in and the other rooms - at least, until I saw my new room. It looked a lot like Zuko's room, with an actual bed, but less... dark. There was a red tapestry with a black Fire Nation insignia printed on it, and underneath was a small shelf with a row of small, lit candles.

"Wow." I was being completely honest when I said this. When was the last time I had actually gotten to go to sleep in an actual bed? I think a few weeks ago... after the Spirit world fiasco. "Thanks, Iroh." I suddenly grinned. "Zuko won't be happy about this."

Iroh laughed. "My nephew should really be more considerate to our guest. I'm sure he won't mind."

I grinned at him. "So, what do you do around here, anyway? Besides chase down the Avatar and train." I asked, flopping down on the mattress.

Iroh's eyes lit up. "Music night!"

"What?"

"Music night! Everybody sings a song or plays an instrument or dances! It's fun!"

I was silent. "Everybody?"

"Everybody!"

"Even Zuko?"

"He plays the tsungi horn especially well!"

An evil grin started to spread across my face. "When's the next music night?"

"We have one every two or three weeks. The next one is in two weeks, I believe!"

This is going to be fun.

~~Water~~

"UNCLE!"

"Prince Zuko! So nice of you to join me and Tora! We've just begun a game of Pai Sho, would you like to join us?"

"What are you doing with the girl?! She's supposed to be in the brig!"

"Oh, that damp, dark, dirty place? That is no suitable room for a young lady!"

"She is not, in any way, a 'lady'!"

"I gave her a much nicer one, anyways."

"Yeah, Zuko. Why'd you not give me that one before?"

"You - gave her a NEW ROOM?!"

"Is there a problem with that, Prince Zuko?"

"Of course there is!"

"If there's no problem, Tora shall remain in that room until she manages to escape! And I don't doubt that she'll find a way to escape sometime soon!"

Yeah, yeah, lame chapter ending, I know. But it's just giving you the rundown of what's going to be going on for the next few chapters. And, lame chapter ending for a lame chapter.

Iroh's fun to write. Of course, I might not be keeping him in character... tell me if you think anybody is out of character, okay?