Crystal POV
Silent treatment… I hadn't spoken to Prince Zuko for a whole week, and he hadn't spoken to me. We gave each other as much space as possible while the ship continued north to find Aang's trail. Over the week Iroh had noticed our distance from one another, and kept trying to get us to talk to each other. We just kept silent and turned from one another.
I assumed we'd both come to our own realization.
We couldn't be friends… We couldn't speak to one another civilly. We weren't supposed to be on equal terms. As far as Zuko was concerned, I was his prisoner and the waterbender he planned to give to his father. As far as I was concerned, Zuko was my captor and the enemy.
Being friends was not an option.
Staring at the water below, I held onto the guardrail wishing I could jump and swim to the nearest land. My mind scolded me for not learning how to swim when I had the chance. I wondered if I could just wing it, but I had a feeling trying wouldn't have a good outcome. I wasn't feeling suicidal quite yet.
It was much lonelier on the ship without my age-mate to talk to, but I was finding ways to entertain me. Iroh was still good company, and had started to teach me how to play Pai Sho. We spent hours at a time over the last few days playing together. The rules of the game were still difficult for me to gather, but Iroh was very patient and willing to answer all of my questions.
It wasn't just Iroh keeping me entertained. Members of the crew were also very civil toward me. Over the week I had met a few of the guards and crewmen who were thrilled to converse with me. I couldn't remember all of their names, but a few of them stuck with me.
Lieutenant Jee was a man around the same age as Iroh. Jee told me about his time in war, and how he had a wife he hoped one day he would see again. He told me he was popular on the ship for his singing voice and pipa playing. When I asked him what a Pipa was he was thrilled to show me. He pulled out the instrument with four strings and began to play it for me. I listened attentively, amazed by the foreign instrument.
Then I met the ship cook who I had poured boiling hot tea on the first day on the ship. I apologized for hurting him, especially when I saw he still had a bandage on his hand. He waved me off with a kind smile. Jiho was in his late forties and had once been a cook in the Fire Lord's palace. He was offered the position to join Iroh's crew, and only did so because he hated serving the Fire Lord food. The cook showed me around the ship kitchen which was huge. He let me help him cook some sweet tarts, and when we ate the delicacies we were pleased with the results. He asked me how I knew how to cook so well, and I explained to him that I did most of the cooking back home after my mom passed away. He told me whenever I wanted to come back to the kitchen I was welcome.
"Ah! There you are! I was beginning to think you jumped ship," Iroh joked.
I cringed. "I almost did."
Iroh stopped beside me, staring down at the water below. He seemed to fall quiet at my words. Then after a moment he said, "Hmm… Well I'm glad you talked yourself out of it."
I nodded, staring out at the horizon longing for my family.
"Well, I came looking for you to ask if you wanted to join the crew and me for music night. Zuko doesn't attend usually, so we'd love to have a young spirit in the circle for a change."
I smiled weakly. "Will Jee be there? I love his Pipa playing."
Iroh beamed. "Why don't you come and find out."
Running a hand through my wind tousled hair, I looked at the water thinking it over. Being with the crew for music night didn't sound all that bad. It kept me away from Zuko.
"I don't know how to play an instrument," I admitted.
Iroh smiled. "I heard you sing the other day on your morning walk. You have a magical voice."
I blushed and muttered, "It's not that good."
Somehow Iroh convinced me to at least show up tonight. After dinner some of the crew gathered up on deck with their numerous instruments. We sat in a circle on numerous crates, while others were plopped on the ground. Jee and Iroh did most of the singing, while other members of the crew played their numerous instruments. Music filled the deck and so did laughter. Some of the crew danced around playfully, while others clapped their hands to canny Fire Nation sea tunes. At some point during the night, I found I was clapping and having a wonderful time. The crew and guards that were with us were treating me like one of them. They chatted with me, let me play their instruments to which I failed miserably every time, and at one point one of the guards grabbed me to show me a traditional Fire Nation dance. After an hour of music, I was beaming with delight and let my fears and worries vanish.
"There's been a request, Miss Crystal," Iroh suddenly said as Jee played a song to the crew. "You don't have to if you don't feel comfortable." I looked over at Iroh with question. "Some of the crew would love to hear a traditional Water Tribe tune. We don't know any songs apart from our own."
My cheeks flared and I rubbed the back of my neck as my nerves shot. "You want me to sing?"
Iroh smiled. "Only if you feel comfortable. There will be other music nights."
I smiled weakly. What would be the harm? These men had entertained me for the last hour. I suppose singing them one song wouldn't hurt.
"Sure, Iroh. I'd be happy to."
He beamed with delight. Quickly, I tried to think of a song to sing and got one. It was a song Katara and I sang together at a dinner our whole tribe held a few months ago. Waiting anxiously, I tried to listen to the remainder of Jee's song. I'd never sung to the enemy before. Singing to Iroh and all of these men would be very different than my normal setting back home.
Please, spirits! Don't let me embarrass myself!
Jee stopped playing, and the group clapped for him with delight. Then Iroh stood and held his hand out to me. I took it and stood from my makeshift seat. "As requested, Crystal will sing us one of her tribe's songs."
The men cheered with anticipation, and I blushed harder than I ever had. When the crew fell silent, I felt Iroh give me a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, and watched him return to his seat. I swallowed again and then spoke.
"Umm… My sister and I usually sing this song together. It was first sung at the beginnings of the war and has been passed on since. It's one of my favorites, so I hope you all like it."
The crew watched me eagerly. Shutting my eyes, I let the wind hit me as the words came to my mind. Taking in a deep breath, I tried to calm down so I could let the song take me away. When I was ready, I opened my mouth and started to sing.
We are children of the moon; we are servants to the sea
While snow consumes our world, there's still warmth and beauty
The ground is wet and cold, but the sky shines bright with light;
there are thousands of stars that shine through the night.
The moon is our hope, and our strength, and our life
It keeps us from the dark and eases our strife.
The world may seem big and something we should fear
But we are always safe in the land that we hold dear.
Our ancestors are with us through the trials we may face
As the enemy continues to destroy our dying race.
We will stay together as one and keep strong through the day
For if we stick together then our courage shall not sway.
The moon is our hope, and our strength, and our life
It keeps us from the dark and eases our strife.
The world may seem big and something we should fear
But we are always safe in the land that we hold dear.
So children who are weary and afraid and lost
Remember who your people are and don't forget their cost.
We are strong, we're a tribe, and our burning hope will stand
And we will never lose our courage as we fight for our land.
The moon is our hope, and our strength, and our life
It keeps us from the dark and eases our strife.
The world may seem big and something we should fear
But we are always safe in the land that we hold dear.
Yes, we are always safe in the land we hold dear…
My song cut off, and at the last word there was nothing but silence. Opening my eyes, I saw the crew was speechless not just by my voice but the song I had sung. At first I wondered if I'd offended the men around me with the song I chose. Most of our tribe's songs were centered on survival and war though, so there wasn't much else to sing. However, Iroh started clapping and the whole crew followed only a beat later with bursts of applause and whistles. I blushed intensely and turned to return to my seat. When I turned though, I caught a familiar young man with burning gold eyes staring straight at me.
Zuko POV
Uncle had told me to come up on deck for music night. At first I wasn't going to. I hated hearing the crew and guards sing their stupid officer songs and play annoying sea tunes. However, after lying in my room and realizing my prisoner was having fun without me, I got a little peeved and made my way up on deck. When I got there I stuck to the shadows not wanting to reveal to everyone my presence. Lanterns were lit where the group sat, and I watched the men dancing and singing through the night air. At one point a guard grabbed the girl from the crate she was plopped on, and yanked her into the center of the circle. I scowled at man, touching her so carelessly. Touching my prisoner so carelessly!
My scowl faltered then, and I hung my head mentally scolding myself. There I went again calling her my prisoner. She had a name… She was a human like me… No wonder she didn't want anything to do with me. I treated her like a prize and nothing else.
The music continued, and I saw the girl had returned to her seat giving the biggest smile I'd ever seen. She laughed, and her laughter sent my heart twisting with a feeling I couldn't describe.
I wanted to be the one to make her smile. I wanted to cause her to laugh.
When I realized what I'd mentally thought, I scowled again and rubbed my hand over my face. What was this girl doing to me? Why did I care if she was happy or not?
Uncle's voice suddenly called through the air with thrill. "As requested, Crystal will sing us one of her tribe's songs!"
The crew broke into applause, while I stared at the girl with amazement. She was going to sing in front of all these men? Wasn't she afraid?
The girl stood so that all the men in the circle could see her. Her eyes were facing away from me, so I knew she didn't notice my presence as I inched forward. Her long dark hair bent in the wind, and the moon above created a radiant glow around her.
"Umm… My sister and I usually sing this song together. It was first sung at the beginnings of the war and has been passed on since. It's one of my favorites, so I hope you all like it."
I inched closer, and Uncle noticed my presence shooting me a smile. I ignored him to the best of my ability, placing my eyes back on the girl.
When she started singing through the night air, I was immediately mesmerized. She sang alone, no music accompanying her, but her voice created the tune on its own. The crew fell deadly silent as her beautiful melody flowed to each of our ears. The song she sang was full of hope, but also full of pain. Through the words I could hint how she truly felt: she was worried; she was homesick; and she was alone.
When the song stopped, I was just as speechless as the other men on deck. Her words still seemed to flow through the air. Her pain still hit me in all directions.
After uncle broke the silence with his applause, and the rest of the men joined in, I saw the girl turn around to return to her seat. As she did so, her moonlit eyes shined toward me. She froze when she realized I'd been in the audience with the others.
"Prince Zuko! Glad you could join us!" Uncle shouted to alert every one of my arrival. "Wasn't that a beautiful song just now?"
The girl seemed unsure what to do as she continued to stare at me. I stood a few paces away from her, not sure what to say myself. Finally, I muttered, "Yeah… It was nice…"
She quickly looked away from me, and I could see from the lantern-light why. She was flustered. I'd flustered her; for some reason that gave me satisfaction.
The girl said something to Uncle, and he nodded with a smile. He then met my eyes. "Have Zuko escort you. It gets pretty dark below deck at this time."
The both of us looked like we wanted to protest, but then decided it wasn't wise to do so to Uncle. With defeat, she headed toward me and I watched her still mesmerized. The girl looked so different in the moonlight. If I didn't know her, I would've thought she was my imagination. There was something beautiful and powerful about this girl that I hadn't noticed before. When she stepped up to me, I saw a fire in her eyes. She wasn't giving up it appeared. She was willing to stay strong for her people.
The music started up again as we headed silently toward the door to return to our room. As we headed to the door, she hung her head and rubbed her arm still blushing furiously.
Say something! Don't just walk all the way back in silence!
Clearing my throat, I rubbed the back of my neck. "I didn't know you could sing." When the words left my mouth, I almost kicked myself. Everyone can sing, you idiot! Even you! Not good, but you can sing!
"I don't sing much," she said softly. "I only did it to repay your uncle for being so kind to me."
I nodded. "What was the name of that song?"
"Oh… Um… Children of the Moon. My dad taught the words to me when I was younger. My mother would sing it all the time when she was alive."
"Your people hold the moon highly then?"
"As much as your people value the sun," she said softly, crossing her arms as she shivered from the cold hall.
"We value the sun because its where we draw our strength," I explained.
"No different than the moon," she stated. "It looks like our people aren't all that different then."
Her words explained it all. Back on deck, the girl had changed. She was drawing power from the moon above. She was at her fullest strength. That's why she looked different. The moon made her stronger both mentally and physically.
We walked a little more in silence, and I cringed as my gut twisted. I didn't know what to say. I wanted to apologize for treating her like dirt, but I also didn't want to sound weak. If I apologized to the girl, I would just reveal to her my emotions were heavy and clouding my judgment. Why should I apologize to her anyway? She was just my prisoner for spirits sake!
"Well… Here we are," she said softly. She reached for the door to open it, but I pressed my hand on the steel to keep her from pulling it open.
"Wait, Crystal," I began. She looked at me with shock, her blue eyes full of question. I'd only said her name once, so hearing me say it again took her off guard. "I- I don't do this much… but I feel like I should since we'll be together for a while…" I stopped, rubbing the back of my neck to try and gather my thoughts. "Um… I wanted to… I mean I'm…"
I sighed heavily, getting frustrated with myself. Why couldn't I just say it?
"What I'm trying to say is, I know I'm not the nicest guy and can lose my temper at times, and I know I don't treat you the way I should, and I can be a jerk, and-"
"Zuko…" Crystal cut me off. She placed her hand gently on my arm, and I looked at her with question. She gave me a small smile, her eyes full of understanding. "Don't strain yourself too much. You'll get wrinkles." Her joke allowed me to actually breathe for the first time since we left deck.
Crystal POV
I couldn't believe my ears. Prince Zuko was actually trying to apologize. As he struggled to come out with the words I assumed he wasn't used to saying, I had to cut him off. For the last week I had been angry and hurt that Zuko only saw me as his prisoner. However, here he stood before me, his face bright red as he tried to say sorry. Zuko had clearly stated earlier I was his prisoner, but when he suddenly said my name I knew he didn't see me that way completely.
For the second time during my whole trip with Zuko, he had said my name. Not 'waterbender' or 'prisoner' or even 'girl'. Zuko had acknowledged me as who I was.
If I were Sokka, Katara, or anyone else from my tribe I probably would've spat in his face and refused his apology. However, over the weeks I'd gotten to know Zuko, I guess I was starting to understand some things about the young prince.
Prince Zuko was lonely and scared. He wanted to go home, but for some reason he couldn't do so until he had Aang in his grasp. He was damaged and hurt. He had no friends, just his Uncle, and the only shelter he knew at the moment was this massive vessel he resided in. Being a Prince, I had no doubt he missed his palace home and his royal life. For the first time I felt pity towards the young prince.
"Why don't we end this silent treatment?" I ran a hand through my tangled hair. "I'm kind of tired of having no one to talk to, and it is very difficult avoiding you all the time."
Zuko seemed relieved by my suggestion. He nodded saying, "Yeah… That sounds nice."
Reaching for the door again, I felt him beat me to it. He opened the door for me, and I saw him stare at the floor red-faced. I thanked him softly, and then started to walk past. However I stopped, wanting to say one last thing.
Turning my head to look at him, I admitted, "I know we're supposed to be enemies… but for some reason I can't hate you. No matter how much I want to, I just can't. I keep trying to tell myself that you and your uncle are evil and incapable of kindness, but you two keep proving me wrong." I took in a heavy breath and brushed my fingers through my hair again. "It's all so confusing."
"Yeah," Zuko said softly. His burning gold eyes met my own. "It definitely is for me too."
I looked away again, feeling my skin burn from a feeling I didn't know. "Well… I'm going to get some shut eye. Goodnight, Prince Zuko."
Walking over to my cot, I heard Zuko say softly from behind. "Goodnight… Crystal…"