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"Sokka you need to rest." Akaya sighed as she led him back to his sleeping bag for what felt like the 100th time that day. He had been adamant all day he was fine, but with every cough and sneeze the others stopped believing him. "Being out in that storm made you sick. Now rest."
"I'm not-" He was interrupted by a large sneeze, Akaya stepping away to keep from getting hit. "Ok maybe I'm just a little sick. I think I'll lie down." He crawled into the sleeping bag, bringing it up as chills overtook him.
"You sure we'll be ok up here?" Katara asked, glancing over at Aang as he fed Appa.
"Yeah. These ruins are high up and out of the way. Plus, I didn't see any Fire Nation flags when we flew over. Will stay here until Sokka gets better." Aang said, moving over to the small fire.
Akaya walked over to her bag, digging her water pouch out. Unscrewing the lid, she peeked in, finding it empty. "I'm out of water. I saw a stream when we were flying in. I can go down there, get some water, maybe get a bit of practice in."
"I can come with you if.." Katara stopped, her shoulders shaking as she let out a deep cough, one that sounded like Sokka's. Both Akaya and Aang shared a look before looking back at her.
"Katara, you may have gotten what Sokka did. You need to rest, too. I'll go get water for you and Sokka ok?" Katara nodded as she grabbed both hers and Sokka's water pouches before making her way out of the main structure.
Aang followed behind her. "You get the water and I can find some help. The map we have said there's an herbalist up in the mountain. Maybe she'll have something to cure them." Aang said as Akaya nodded.
"Ok just be careful." Akaya said as Aang smiled.
"You too. I'll be back as quickly as I can." With that he sped down the steps, the wind rushing past him. Akaya chuckled before making her way in the opposite direction. It took her nearly 30 minutes to get to the small stream. Looking around and seeing no one around, she crouched beside it, starting to fill both pouches up. She smiled as she moved her hands, watching the water rise from the river and into the pouch. Her bending was getting better and better by the day along with Katara's. They both scoured the waterbending scroll every chance they could, working on the moves along with Aang who was picking up quickly.
A whooshing sound whizzed by her head, making her look up. Her eyes widened when she saw an arrow embedded into the tree trunk beside her. She moved to her feet, crying out when another arrow whizzed by, lodging into the sleeve of her trunk, and pinning her to the same tree. Her other hand shot out, bending the water but before she could really do anything, another arrow joined its brother, pinning her other sleeve to the tree.
"Well, well, well what do we have out here?" Akaya watched as red armor moved from the tree lines, the fire nation soldiers moving aside as a man stepped forward. He was older, his armor showing he held some significance in the army. His face was framed by greying sideburns, his hair short and held up in a top knot. His smile was an evil one, showing malice and glee at the same time. "One of the Avatars companions I assume?"
Akaya glared, trying to keep her face from giving anything away. "I don't know what you're talking about. Now let me go."
The man moved closer, picking up the discarded pouches, dumping the water to the ground. "It is known that the Avatar is traveling with three companions, two of which are waterbenders. Your outfit is clearly water tribe, that and your obvious waterbendng my men and I observed. Now you can tell us where he is, and we can let you go."
Akaya stayed silent, looking anywhere but at the man in front of her. She cried out at the heat of a flame licked her side, a soldier having shot out, nearly striking her. When she kept silent, the man chuckled, something that unnerved Akaya more than anything. "I take it you don't break easy. No matter. You will be brought back with us. If anything, you will make good bait for the Avatar." She flinched when his hand brushed against her cheek, not realizing how close he had moved towards her. "As well as good entertainment." Before she could say anything, pain radiated from the back of her skull before darkness took over.
Zuko silently made his way through the fortress, keeping as much to the shadows as he good. His hand moved up to the mask he wore, making sure it was still secured. He knew how stupid of an idea this was. It was treason of the highest order but as soon as he had received word that Zhao had captured the Avatar, he knew he had no choice. He couldn't let the last chance of going home slip through his fingers.
He moved over the roof, peeking in through small windows and openings looking for where the Avatar was being kept. Looking through one had him pausing when he saw a figure inside. The body was slumped against the wall, their wrists secured above them to the wall by shackles. Their head was hanging low, dark waves falling over their face. He couldn't see the face, but the clothing was instantly recognizable. He knew it wasn't the younger waterbender, her hair was slightly lighter in color. This was Akaya, he remembered it was the name she had given his uncle.
He knew he should keep moving. Every moment he wasted was one where Zhao would win. But something kept him rooted to the spot as he saw her slowly stir, lifting her head up slightly. He rationalized he needed to help her. The stupid Avatar wouldn't leave her behind so in the end he would have to help her if he wanted to get him out of there. Zuko went to slip inside when the door opened. He stepped away from the opening, keeping close to the darkness as he watched Zhao enter the room.
"I see your waking up. That's good. I was afraid I may have hit you too hard." Zhao laughed as Akaya scowled at him. "It seems we never needed you. We captured the Avatar early this evening."
"No." Akaya whispered, looking at Zhao, hoping she could tell if he was lying. The grin he sported told her he wasn't. She glared, her hands pulling at the restraints, wanting to desperately to wipe the smirk from him face with a good water whip. "Aang will get out, we both will. He's stronger than you."
Zhao chuckled as he moved to pour himself a drink, taking a small sip. "He may be the Avatar, but he's still a 12-year-old boy. Unlike that banished prince, I won't lose him." Zuko's hand itched to grip the handle of one of his blades. It would be satisfying to bury it in that bastard's chest.
"Banished?" Akaya looked at the commander with genuine confusion. Akaya really didn't know why she was curious. All Zuko did was cause them more grief than she could count. He still had her mothers' necklace. But it did nag at her why he was so intent on catching the Avatar.
Noticing her confusion, he continued. "It's quite an…interesting story. Four years ago, he spoke out in a war meeting against an honorable general. He brought shame and dishonor to his family, to his nation. He was to duel in an Agni Kai, a fire duel." Akaya flinched slightly as she watched the sadistic smile cross his face. "The fool thought he would face the general. But it wasn't him who he dishonored; it was the fire lord. It was quite amusing to see his face when he turned and saw his father standing across from him."
"He had to face…. his father?" Akaya felt bile rise in her throat, fighting back the urge to vomit.
"The fire lord wanted to teach him respect. But the Prince was weak. He fell to his knees and pleaded with Ozai, begging for his forgiveness like a coward. He wouldn't fight like a man. So, the Fire Lord taught him a lesson." Zhao finished, downing the rest of his drink.
"The scar? His father did that to him." She felt her eyes water. For the first time since the angry firebender had started chasing them, she felt sad for him. He was still a child at the time. She couldn't imagine her own father being so cruel.
"It was the least he deserved. He lost his honor that day and to restore it he was tasked to find and capture the Avatar. Until then, he can never return home. It was a fool's errand really. Hs father just wanted him gone." Zhao continued as Akaya felt her body vibrate with fury.
"HE WAS A CHILD YOU MONSTER! HIS FATHER IS A MONSTER, JUST LIKE YOU!" She snapped, not thinking of what she was saying. She immediately regretted it as she felt her mouth fill with blood, her cheek hot from sting of Zhao's hand. He buried his hand in her hair, yanking her head up. She watched in horror as he brought his lit hand up, closer to her face that she could feel the heat licking at her skin.
"You will watch your mouth. You are my prisoner, and I would hate to scar this beautiful face." Akaya closed her eyes tightly, wanting to pull away from the heat, Zhao keeping her where she was. After what felt like an eternity, she felt the heat dissolve as he moved his hand away extinguishing the flame. He brought his hand back up, his thumb brushing across her cheek in a soft caress that made her skin crawl.
"I will bring the Avatar to the Fire Lord. I will get every glory that comes with it." She winced as the hand in her hair tightened, making her neck arch uncomfortably. "You are just an extra prize I have conquered." He moved, moving his hand from her hair as Akaya slumped back against the wall, trying to get as much distance from the firebender as possible. "I will be back later this evening to claim that prize." With that he was marching out of the room, the metal door slamming behind them.
Zuko stayed where he was, his body ridged with pent-up anger. He had nearly burst in when he had seen the man bring the fire up to the waterbender's face. He felt the skin around his scar tingle, remembering how the flames had felt against his own skin. He could almost smell the burning flesh still to this day.
Akaya curled her legs up to her chest, letting the tears she had been holding out as she wept. She was utterly helpless and scared. She concluded in that moment she would fight to her last breath if it came to it. She would die before she let Zhao dishonor her in the way he intended.
She quickly looked to one of the higher windows. She could have sworn she saw a blur move past, but nothing was there. She moved her eyes back down, a scream catching in her throat. There stood in front of her was a man. He was dressed head to toe in black, his face obscured by a blue mask that resembled some type od monster with two duel Dao swords strapped to his back.
Akaya watched as he raised a single finger, holding it up against his mask, asking her to remain silent as he pulled a sword from its sheath. She slowly shook her head, watching as he moved closer before swinging the sword forward. She heard the clanking of the shackles, her hands falling from their previous position. She stood to her feet, rubbing her red wrists
"Come on, we need to help my friend before-". She jerked as a gloved hand grasped her arm, pulling her from the metal doorway. She watched as he silently pointed to her and then to the window he had come from. "No, I'm helping you get Aang back! There's too many guards here you- ".
"No." Akaya paused when he spoke, the voice low and raspy. It didn't sound like one she had heard before. "Get you out….come back for him."
"No! Aang's my friend I'm just as capable as you." She gasped as the same hand gripping her arm pulled her closer. She found herself starring up intently at the demonic grin of the mask as she heard the heavy breathing from the person beneath it.
"You…distraction. I will get your friend." His tone was one of finality. She wanted to keep arguing but knew that time was limited. She bit back any retort she had, begrudgingly shaking her head as the stranger pulled her over to the wall where a rope hung. She starred up at the rope, wondering how they were getting up it. She was never the best climber if she were honest.
Her savior must have read her mind. He turned to face the rope, glancing over his shoulder at her before pointing to his back. "You want me to get on your back?" He gave her a small nod, his body moving to crouch before her. Akaya hesitantly moved forward, having no real choice. She moved her arms around his neck and shoulders, careful of the swords still strapped to his back. She yelped when his arms swept her legs up, Akaya quickly locking them around his waist. She was now more certain then ever he was a man, her hands feeling hard muscle beneath were they were clasped together.
Zuko sucked in a small breath the moment her body was locked around his. His hands had grasped her thighs as he had pulled her up, feeling the slender muscles beneath his fingertips. He tried to ignore the way her body molded to his, her breast pressed tightly to his back as she clung to him. She was still the enemy. The only reason he was getting her out was to get the Avatar out and into his custody he kept repeating to himself as he hoisted himself up the rope and started climbing.
She tightened her arms around his neck as he continued to climb. She blushed as she felt the muscles under his back bunch together a he scaled the rope effortlessly. He continued to climb before reaching the window and pulling them both through. Once through the opening, Akaya disentangled herself from him as he started pulling the rope up. "Hope I wasn't too heavy." She tried to break the ice but was met with silence.
Once he secured the rope, he silently nodded as he started to move. Akaya followed close behind, keeping to the shadows as he did the same. They moved in silence, making their way to one side of the wall of the fortress that was guard less.
"I will lower you down, run to the woods. Don't get caught." The man whispered, taking the rope again as he helped her secure it around her waist. She moved over to the side of the wall, glancing down, and seeing just how high up they were. She took a deep breath, gripping the rope as she hoisted herself over.
She yelped, quickly covering her mouth as she jostled once she released the wall. The man held steady to the rope, slowly starting to lower her down. It took a few moments but finally her feet touched firm ground, the rope suddenly falling to her feet. "Hey wait how are you-"She looked back up to where the mystery man had been, seeing him gone. "-going to get out?" She quietly finished. Looking around, she dashed for the forest that lay before her, finding coverage within the trees. He had told her to keep running but she wasn't. She turned back to face the fortress, her hands wringing as she anxiously waited for any sign of Aang and the masked man.
Akaya was sure she has made a permanent dent in the ground beneath her as she continued to pace. Her eyes darted towards the fort every so often, hiding within the trees as not to be spotted. It felt like hours had passed (when she knew it was much shorter) since the masked stranger had helped her escape and she had not seen either him or Aang. The fort remained silent, the only movement coming from the guards patrolling the wall.
"That's it! I'm going in." She couldn't wait any longer, knowing her friend was in there and needed help. A commotion from the fort had her turning in the direction. Akaya moved to the edge of the woods, watching as the sounds of fighting grew louder. She noticed the gates slowly swing open as a figure moved from within. Akaya's eyes widened when she saw the stranger moving backwards, his swords held precariously against Aang's neck.
"What are you doing!" She yelled, sprinting from the trees and towards the two, scared for her friend's life. The noise brought the masked man's attention to her as he turned his head slightly in her direction.
The next few moments happened in a blur. Akaya watched as an arrow flew from one of the lookout towers, slamming into the side of the stranger's mask. The impact knocked him back, the swords falling from where they had been at Aangs neck, joining the man who now lay unconscious.
"Akaya!" Aang called, finally seeing his friend. Looking back to the fort he brought his hands up, a large cloud of smoke and dust cutting them off from Zhao and his men. Akaya moved to her knees beside the man, letting out a sigh of relief as she watched his chest rise and fall. The arrow had only knocked him out. Aang joined her, noticing the mask laying loose on his head. They both looked at each other in silent agreement as Akaya reached down, carefully pulling the mask back.
She gasped, dropping the mask as she moved back, Aang doing the same as they starred down at the scarred face of the Fire nation prince.
"Zuko?" Aang whispered, confusion in his voice as he continued to stare down at him. The friends turned their heads when they heard the guards, knowing they needed to move quickly.
"Aang we can't leave him here. He saved out lives." Akaya said, quickly grabbing the mask as she looked at Aang pleading with him. He looked hesitant at first but after taking one last look at Zuko he nodded, helping hoist him up before the trio disappeared into the woods.
When they felt they had traveled far enough away from the fort they came to a stop. Aang carefully set Zuko down on the floor, the latter still unconscious. Akaya took a seat on a log, catching her breath, starring at Zuko.
"Are you ok? When Zhao told me he had you…." Aang was the first to break the silence, taking a seat beside Akaya, a look of concern crossing his face.
"Yeah I'm ok. I mean thanks to…" she trailed off, still looking at Zuko.
"Why would Zuko save us?" Aang questioned, glancing over at his friend. Akaya could see the simmer of hope in his eyes, one she did not want to diminish. Zhao's story replayed in her head. She knew how important it was for Zuko to be the one to capture Aang. He had not saved them out of the goodness of his heart. He had done it to make sure he was the one to capture the Avatar.
"Aang we should be heading back to Katara and Sokka, before Zuko wakes up." She stood to her feet, noticing Aang remain where he sat. "Aang?"
"You go ahead, I'm going to wait here, make sure he's ok. It's the least I can do." Akaya went to argue but the look on Aang's face told her it was pointless. "Oh here!" Aang jumped from his spot, digging into his pockets before producing two brown lumps. "Get these to Katara and Sokka before they melt. You need to have them suck on them to get better."
She tucked the frozen frogs away before glancing back to Zuko's still unconscious body. "Be careful Aang, please." With that she turned, heading in the direction of the ruins that they were camped at.
Akaya looked down at the forest below, her eyes trained for any sign of movement. The sun had barely just begun to rise and Aang still hadn't returned. She had only gotten back a good two hours ago, immediately going to Sokka and Katara to give them the frogs. She had chuckled when they had instantly spit out the frogs as they began to melt, the creatures already having hopped away. While disgusting, it had worked wonders, the two siblings now sleeping peacefully by Appa.
A flash of yellow and orange caught her attention, watching as Aang broke through the tree line before climbing the crumbling steps. As he grew closer, Akaya couldn't help but take note of the solemn expression on his face, worrying the waterbender slightly.
"Hey, everything ok?" She asked as Aang made his way over, collapsing into a sitting position were Akaya stood. The young waterbender joined him, sitting beside him as they both started out towards the horizon.
"When he was waking up I was talking about the time before the war, about my friend Kuzon. He was from the Fire Nation and one of my best friends." Aang smiled sadly, recalling the fond memories he held of the past. "I wondered if him and I could be friends, you know if the war wasn't going on."
"Did he give you an answer?" Akaya had a sinking feeling she already knew the answer, her confirmation being the slouch in his shoulders.
"He threw a fireball at me. I took off after that." He said quietly, dejectedly.
Akaya moved closer, moving a comforting arm over his shoulders. The two friends stayed they're in silence, watching the world wake up as the sun grew higher in the sky.
"Well it's his loss because you're a pretty amazing friend." Aang smiled slightly at Akaya's words, turning to look at her.
"Thanks, so are you. Um do you think we could keep are little mishap to ourselves. I just don't want to worry the others." Aang asked as Akaya. She smiled, moving her hand up to her lips and miming locking them closed.
"It's our secret."
Zhao continued to pace his office, papers crumpling under his boots as they lay at his feet. Broken glass lay scattered around the room, having been on the receiving end of his rage. He had already sent a messenger hawk with the description of the bandit. He wanted his masked face plastered from here to the Fire Nation. He would make sure to deliver not only the Avatar but whoever lay behind that mask to the Fire Lord personally.
Looking around the destroyed room, his eyes landed on a hint of blue. He strode over to a small table, still up on all fours and intact. He reached down and grasped the water skin, looking over the details and markings that were stitched into the fabric. His hand curled around it, thinking about the waterbender. She had been a surprise, almost a gift for his troubles. He could still feel her skin beneath his fingers, still see the defiance behind her eyes as he had starred at her.
He felt the heat rise in his palm, watching as the pouch caught fire, before turning to ash in his hands.
'If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?' The words played over and over in Zuko's head as he starred up at the metal of the ceiling. He had tried to shake the words away, but they stuck around like a melody he couldn't escape.
If he were honest, he couldn't say. If a war wasn't being waged, maybe he could see himself and the airbender as friends. But he couldn't think that way. He needed to keep his focus on the task at hand, capturing the Avatar and regaining his honor, his birthright. He didn't have time for what if's. He didn't have time for wondering.
He glanced at the fire tapestry that hung on the wall before turning away, facing the other way. Doing so he came face to face with the blue pendant that laid on the small table by his cot. He starred at it, tracing over the markings until exhaustion finally took over.