I don't own any of the characters or places mentioned. They belong to Nick.
OoOoOoOo
Waves crashed over the bow of the ship, jolting it and causing the crew to slip. The rain fell so thick from the sky that it was almost like swimming when you walked. All the men on board were rushing around, fighting to keep the ship from sinking and racing for their lives. One man stood still in the middle of the deck while chaos reigned around him. He stood tall and proud despite his less than regal outfit of training clothes.
"Sir, this storm is too powerful. I'm afraid that this ship won't be able to handle it. Even if we do get out of here, we still have to deal with the Admiral."
The addressed man kept his eyes on the edge of the storm. "I know Lt. Jee," he turned to face the other man. "But I can't ask the men to fight, not with these odds."
"They will fight for you, my lord. For you are the rightful heir and you are the only one able to stop this plot."
The man looked at the lieutenant. "Very well. Command the men to turn this ship around. We'll face Zhao and his cronies." Jee saw the hardened look in the man's eyes and the lighting lit up the younger man's face, showing the scar that spread across the left of it.
"It will be done, my Prince."
Zuko turned and looked at the following ships. "Come and get what you deserve, Zhao. I'm not running anymore."
As the ship swung round in the water, Zuko looked out at the clouds. They were moving in faster. Rather than being gray or black, they were purple with occasional green parts. At times, you could see lighting flash from them and the prince could feel the electricity in the air.
Zuko thought about his life as his ship charged the others. He could remember his mother, where had she gone? Then he remembered his sister and his father. Neither liked him (that was an understatement) and he believed they were both insane. Mad with power, really. He reminisced on how he came to be fleeing from his home nation, preparing to fight a man he despised for his very life. If only he had not spoken out against his father. But, he was the only one who could carry the knowledge of war to the rebels in the Earth Kingdom.
He looked back up at the ship, his golden eyes fierce with determination, as he spotted Zhao at the prow of the first ship. With a yell, Zuko commanded his ship to be turned broadside to Zhao's flagship. Behind him, he could hear the men preparing the catapults. Who knew if firebending would even be an option in this downpour? The catapults were launched; the flaming missiles hit their targets. As the helmsman attempted to turn the ship, a gust of wind slammed a wave into it, shoving the prince's ship against the Admiral's flagship.
With a battle cry, Zuko leapt from his own ship onto Zhao's. "Ah, the banished prince decided to give himself up. How noble," the Admiral drawled sarcastically.
"Sorry, Zhao. The only one giving up today is you."
"You can't be serious. I outnumber you and out power you. How can you think that you can win?"
"It's madness to be fighting in this. Just let my men and I go."
"Let me think. Ah...no. Why would I ever allow the traitor prince to escape? Do you think I actually care if you die?" With a snarl, Zhao lunged at Zuko, tackling him to the deck. Zuko head butted him and then shoved him off with his knee. As he stood, Zuko realized that his crew was joining the battle. Turning back to Zhao, he was forced to block a punch. Grabbing Zuko's shirt, Zhao jammed his leg into the prince's stomach. Dropping the prince, the Admiral sent a wave of fire from his feet, knocking Zuko onto his back. As the Admiral prepared to scar the rest of Zuko's face, the prince rolled over and spun, causing Zhao to stumble back. He sent fire punch after fire punch at the Admiral, before the older man fell to the deck. As Zuko prepared to send the death blow, the ship jerked.
"What's going on," he screamed over the winds. Looking out to the sea, he saw a massive whirlpool forming, and it was starting to drag the ships into it.
"My lord," Jee panted, running up to Zuko. "You must get out of here. Go and find the rebels. Please you must, you are the only one who can stop Ozai's plan."
Zuko looked at the man. The older man respected him so much, even though he had no idea if he deserved it or not. He knew he was right. As much as it pained him to have to leave his crew, he had to find the rebel's lair and stop his father.
"Go, with the grace of Agni. Defend your homeland and fight for your freedom." It was a traditional saying, but it meant more coming from a man like Jee.
"Thank you, lieutenant. May Agni protect you." And with that he jumped over the side of the ship, into the freezing waters below.
OoOoOoOo
"My lord," the commander said bowing. "We found Admiral Zhao. Apparently, his ships were destroyed in a storm. One sunk, the others were towed into the harbor. He says that he caught up and fought with the traitor, but, before he could kill him, the prince jumped overboard. No one has found his body, but it is very unlikely that he survived."
"Ah. Send out scouts to the areas surrounding the battle site. I want Zuko found, dead or alive," the Fire Lord stated venomously, the flames surrounding his throne growing taller.
"Yea...yyess, Fire Lord," the anxious commander stammering. With that, he turned and rushed from the room.
"So, Zuzu escaped again, father," said a girl entering the room. She was tall and lean, her features delicate, but there was an air of danger around her, much like that of a black cobra. Her raven hair was up in a bun, the royal flame decorating it regally.
"Ah, Azula, my prodigy. No doubt Zuko did survive his jump. When the patrols find him, I will send you to capture him. Also," he added, a vicious grin on his face. "Don't worry about bringing him home. Just make sure that he never find the rebels and that no one finds him."
The girl looked up at her father, the same sardonic grin on her face. "Oh, it will be my pleasure, father."
OoOoOoOo
A girl dressed in blue was walking along the beach. Her hair was tied back in the front but fell loose, down her back. Her skirt, leggings, and top had all seen wear, but were in good condition. As she walked, she kicked a stray stone along the beach. Glancing out at the bay, she wondered if the Unagi would show up soon. Few had seen it recently, a rarity considering its carnivorous appetite. As she looked down the beach for a place to waterbend, she spotted a shape laying part way in the water. At first, it looked like a log. Looking at it again, she realized that it was a body.
Gasping, she ran to it. Sure enough, it was a body, that of a man. Rolling him over she gasped; his clothes were ripped and would be bloody, if he had not been laying in water. He looked dead, but she felt for a pulse. She found a weak one, but it was there, he might still survive. Feeling for the water in his lungs, she pulled it out using her waterbending. The man exhaled, rolling slightly. Staring at him, the waterbender, Katara, flinched. A scar dominated the left-hand side of his face. It covered his eye and spread back to ear in the shape of a flame. Silently she traced its edge as she looked into his face. She believed that she could save him. And she had never let anyone die under her care.
Standing, she reached under his arms and wrapped her arms around his torso. Slowly, she began dragging his back to the village. She imagined that he weighed more than he currently did, as it was fairly easy to drag him.
She didn't know how long it took to get him to the village. It seemed to take forever, but it probably only took her fifteen minutes to get him back. Reaching the village she began to yell for help.
"Katara," her brother, Sokka, asked, stepping from one of the nearby houses. His eyes widened as he saw what she had returned with. He ran over to her and grabbed the man's legs, lifting him. Together, the siblings rushed the stranger to the town's medical house.
Bursting in the door, other healers looked up startled. The siblings put the man on the bed nearest the fire. Quickly, Katara began pulling his wet clothes off.
"Katara! What do you think you're doing?"
"Sokka, we have to get these clothes off him. They are far too damp and I have to heal his wounds."
He grumbled, but Sokka began helping his sister remove the man's clothes. After reaching his underclothes, they stopped. The other healers had brought towels and water over to the master healer. Slowly, she began healing his wounds. As she worked on him, she found that he had broken several bones, including ribs and his arm. After tending to the major cuts, she began raping his torso while her brother splinted the man's arm.
They stood back looking at the man after Katara had pulled the blankets over the man. Her brother stood looking at her, expectantly.
"Katara, where did you find him?"
"I went to practice waterbending and I found him on the beach. He was half drowned. Frankly, I'm surprised he made it this far. Who do you think he is?"
"I don't know. He looks Fire Nation. I'm sure we can find out who he is; not many men have a scar like that," he said, gesturing at the man's have burned face.
"Whatever happened, it doesn't look new." They were silent for a bit. "Sokka, I'm going to stay here tonight and watch him. He doesn't look good and I'm not sure if he'll survive the night."
"Just be careful. I'll be with Suki if you need anything."
"Thanks, brother," she said, hugging him. "Goodnight." He smiled back at her as he walked from the house.
The healer turned back to the man. Who are you? She wondered, brushing his raven hair from his eyes. It wasn't everyday that a strange, foreign man washed up on Kyoshi Island. And this man was fairly good looking, even with that scar. Drawing a chair up to his bed, Katara prepared for a long night and readied herself to fight for the man's life.
OoOoOoOo