Note: Does any ever read these notes or what?
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: Last Airbender.
Chapter Fourteen
Ebony blackness danced through the air with the swirls of promising gold and fiery red. In the center of the swirls was a young man wearing the traditional royal clothes of a prince to his right was a large blue dragon and to his left was an equally as large red dragon. The image of the blue dragon and the red dragon slithered around his body in a feverless battle trying to convince him that their way was the correct way.
"Riches," the scarlet reptile hissed in his left ear her breath burning his face as she spoke.
He clenched his fist his royal robes of crimson and amber flowing about his form as if he was underwater.
Water, the term seemed familiar enough as if he had an unspoken duty toward it.
The blue dragon danced around his right side it's gentle speaking for it while it's mouth remained such, "Your heart, Fire Prince, tells you other wise."
"Do not listen to that bubbling old fool, think of it, power," the crimson demon hissed darkly.
"She will only lead down a path of corruption and hate, my lord," the indigo reptile warned him urgently.
Clenching his fist, the fire wielder spoke, "The water seems familiar."
"What water my lord?" whispered the devious dragon nudging his cheek with her muzzle rather roughly, "There is no water here."
"The water," his eyes began to slowly close as his vision dimmed, "The water girl…"
"There is no such girl here the water benders were all wipe out ages ago by your grandfather you know that," it lied.
"No," his eyes widen some, but the world around was hazy almost dream like, "There's girl…a water girl…"
"If there's such a girl then what is her name?"
"Her name?" the world around him was now shadow by another.
"Your tired my prince, why not sleep and let me take over?"
"NO!" the cobalt dragon roared, "If she takes over then all will be lost. The girl, what is her name?"
"I-I-I don't know her name," the young lord stammered his eyes snapping open.
"Remember her name," he urged, "Think my lord, think."
"I can't remember," he whispered his eyes now fully closed.
"Zuko…"
"Who's calling me?" he asked startled his eyes reopening at the familiar voice.
"No one, now sleep."
"Do not heed the scarlet dragon, follow the voice my lord," the blue dragon advised.
"Zuko…"
His body began to shake violently, snapping him involuntarily awake; he could hear the female dragon screeching in protest as his body was lifted upward toward a light. Before he was thrusted through the small pool of like he heard the old dragon whisper:
"Goodbye my lord."
"Zuko, wake up," Katara hissed at him her voice tainted with desperation.
Where am I?
The fire bender sat up his body stiff from the stone floor that he had been laying on; he stretched his arms half way still inside his dream and half way awake. Yawning, he said almost incoherently to his companion, "Where did they go?"
Even though he wasn't facing her he could tell by the tone in her voice that she was confused by his question, "They who? Laia and Jade?"
"No," he turned toward her slightly annoyed by her ignorance toward the blue and red dragons, "The dragons."
"What dragons?" the manner in which she inquired this snapped him fully out of his dream and back into reality.
He let out a low groan and then said to her, "Never mind."
The air between the two was filled with an awkward silence, neither able to look the other straight in the eye. But the thought of the green eyed child that so adamantly clang to him earlier on urged him to speak to her first, "Where are the others?"
"Jade and Laia?" she questioned surprised, it seemed, that he had spoken to her at all.
"Yeah."
Who else could I possibly mean? But now is not the time to argue, he thought inwardly.
"Caine took them some where but I have no idea where," she paused then hesitantly added, "Zuko I'm sorry I really…"
He didn't want to hear the rest of her apology knowing very well what ever she had to say it wouldn't matter. Not that he didn't appreciate her attempts, but at that moment it only seemed to make him feel somewhat depressed.
Deep down in the pit of his heart he had wished, not that he'd ever admit it, that she had been right about Caine. If she had been right then maybe he could have gone back to Azula's side and fought for his father, but now it was different.
Now he had to choose between an unknown future full of unknown outcomes and a life that he had always believed was to be his.
"No he doesn't and now its time for you to choose your plan of action."
He glanced around the cell that they were being held in as his mother's words flowed through his body entangling themselves with his blood.
"Will you continue to try and win a futile battle for your father's affections or will you do your people right and the people of the world right and help the avatar and his friends complete their journey?"
He glanced at the water bender whom's head currently rested on top of her knees so that her face was hidden from him; he spoke softly trying to imply to her that he wasn't mad at her, because the real person he blamed for this mess was himself, "Katara…"
"How do you know that is your destiny?"
She looked up at him her tan cheeks streaked with salty tears, "Do you believe in destiny?"
Can't your destiny be also, to help the avatar gain peace and serenity?
"I-I-I never thought about it really," she stammered her confession, then taking in a sharp breath added, "Not really."
To stop this war that only destroys happy homes and smiling faces?
"Once, I believed that it was my destiny to take my father's place as Fire Lord."
Isn't it possible that your destiny is to take your throne back through the aid of the avatar?
"And you don't believe that is your destiny now?"
Isn't it possible that your destiny is to teach the avatar to fire bend so that needless killing can end?
"I don't know any more," he stood up and walked in her direction until he was stand right in front of her, she looked up at him questioningly. He could see Caine's betrayal in her eyes, and it made his heart hurt for her.
"Why must your father have to give it to you?"
Kneeling down so that they were eye to eye, "Maybe it is my destiny to rule the Fire Nation, but just not in the manner in which I had previously thought."
She gave him a surprised look, and then said, "What do you mean?"
Reaching out he wiped a tear off her cheek and said, "I don't know."
Her cheek was warm under his touch; he hadn't even realized what he was doing until it was done. He glanced up at her eyes to see if they were disapproving but to his surprise they weren't.
They held an opposite emotion in them, an emotion he had never seen her give him before.
An emotion that made him feel as if he wasn't worthless as so many people he had come across believed.
An emotion that made him hope that his decision was the right one.
"What is it?" he questioned her as her eyes filled with tears again, "What is it?"
"Your not the person I thought you were," she mumbled so low that he had to lean in to hear her.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," she sighed allowing her tears to fall freely onto her knees, "I can't hate you."
He gave her a small smile.
"What? Why are you smiling?" she wiped her cheeks furiously with her sleeve.
Leaning so that his face was hardly a centimeter from hers he said, "I can't seem to hate you either."
She pulled back some so that there was a little space in between them, "He's going to kill you."
"No," he replied leaning forward again, "I wont let him harm anyone, I promise. Now stop crying it wont help us any."
Though he knew his words were harsh, his voice remained as gentle as he could make it.
He looked into her sapphire eyes that seemed to have become brighter through her tears.
They were beautiful…
She was beautiful…
She leaned forward so that there lips were almost touching, and he knew then it was okay to advance. The door to their cell opened with a fierce force making them jump apart in fright before they could actually kiss.
Walking in with a smile on his lips, Caine said, "It's time."
Behind him they both could see several men and women holding numerous elegant bathing products including soaps, garments, and other necessities.
"Get up," he barked, jerking the Katara up off her feet.