Note: This is going to be a long chapter just because my other one was so very short; so I need lots of reviews! Also, if anyone likes Naruto and actually reads my notes I have two fanfictions I'm working on.
Disclaimer: I don't Avatar: Last Airbender nor do I own the story line.
Chapter Sixteen
Pulling off the ratty clothes that he had been wearing when he had save Katara he tossed them to the side of the baths and entered the hot water sinking into its warmth.
How long had it been since he was able to take a bath such as the one he was taking now?
Not since he had been banished, and even though he was allowed to take a cleansing one now the looming ritual floated on his subconscience, not leaving him alone. He longed to be back in the palace with his mother, uncle, father, and, yes at this moment, even his little sister. At least when he was home he didn't have to worry about his pending death, well actually not to his for sure knowledge. There had been that time...
He had forgotten for so long about that one time...
Well truthfully not a long time, but sure seemed like a long time since he had spoken to his mother about destiny, and the avatar; he took the gray bottle that the bearded man had given him and rubbed the skin on his arms with it then rinsed it off and scrubbed in other various areas his mind still poundering. Glancing at the two men with their backs turned to him, he ducked under the water.
She leaned forward so that there lips were almost touching, and he knew then it was okay to advance.
He broke the surface of the water, the memory of their near kiss taking over his mind; he couldn't help but to allow a small smile to stretch his lips: they had nearly kissed!
She even said that she couldn't hate me, he recalled running a hand through his short messy hair spraying water in nearly all direction.
Next he took the green soap and scrubbed himself down with it; the soap turned white as it touched his skin, he frowned.
"Whats wrong with your soap?" he demanded sounding slightly irratated, if they were trying to trick him-
The man that he knew to be the one with blue eyes spoke, not turning around as he did so, "Did it turn white?"
Glaring at the man's back as well as predicting a set up, Zuko growled, "Yes."
The man chuckled and responded with some humor in his voice, "It turned white because your still pure within your body."
"Why are you laughing?" the prince demanded of the man, jumping up to his feet, only to slip on the green soap and fall back into the bath.
He saw, through the water that splashed into his eyes, that the man who was talking to him had turned his head ever so slightly to see what happened; he let out another chuckle, "Not very elegant for a prince are we?"
Zuko, through all his rage, manage to get out his earlier question that, due to the soap, he couldn't ask, "What do you mean pure?"
"I mean," the man smirked, "You haven't been with a woman."
Zuko sank back into his bath, embrassment weighing heavily in the air, of course he hadn't been with a woman he was to busy trying to gain his honor back, he had no time for girls. After he had washed himself with the now white soap he rinsed off and got out of the bath; he dried off with a soft towel made from a material he had never seen before. He took the clothes that the men had given him and began to put them on, one by one.
When he was finished he stared at his reflection that his bath water had allowed him to see; he wore crimson silk pants embelished with gold thread with a matching shirt that had gold clasps down the middle of it. He wore two lairs of robes, the first of crimson and the second of gold, that reach down to the middle of his calves that also sported traditional gold clasps; the collar of the robes rose to the nape of his neck. Staring at his reflection, he realize that this would be the attire he would wear if he was at home; this was the attire of a prince.
Are they mocking me?
"You can turn around," he told them without hiding his anger, once they had he added, "What is the meaning of this?"
The bearded man spoke, "Of what?"
"Of these clothes," the banished prince informed him, "Are you mocking me?"
"No," the blue eyed man informed him, handing him a pair of shoes.
"Then why?"
"Because," he explained, "We had to make sure you were pure in both mind and body, your friend is recieving the same kind of treatment, otherwise the ritual wouldn't work."
"Why wouldn't it work?" next they handed him a comb so that he could control his unruley hair.
"In order for this curse to be broken the lovers have to be pure to ascend, otherwise they would be stuck on the island with us; their sins and impurities make them heavy and their souls can't lift to the heavens."
"And the clothes?"
The men chuckled, "No reason for that really we just thought we'd let you get cleaned up after all your going to die."
After he had put on the shoes they gave him they placed chains around his wrists and ankles and lead him outside the door toward the mountain; the dust swirled around the silk crimson and gold shoes that Caine's two men had given him to wear, Zuko sighed his eyes focused on the red dust below his feet, his mind pondering. The men had told him that in order for the ritual to do right he had to be cleansed of all his transgressions- he had to be pure in both his body and spirit, otherwise there would be no point. This made him wander, was she pure too?
A faint blush rose to his cheeks but he couldn't help but wander; he knew that the case was that she was indeed innocent, she had to be. If he had to be pure in his body, then surely it had to be so, the parallel to him.
If he was pure and she was wasn't or viceversa then they wouldn't be used but in the stead of being in the ritual they would be killed.
Which in theory makes since, he thought his gaze lifting up as the red dust become ebony black rock.
They were at the volcaneo now, and only a few minutes until dawn; the ritual would start soon.
His eyes followed up the rise of the volcaneo, he gulped; he had no plan and if they did manage to escape, which he knew to be a slim chance, then he'd have to make a plan as they went. He tried for his third attempt to call upon the fire that was often assiocated with destruction, but also passion, but it didn't come. No matter how hard he called or even begged his body to produce those life changing flames they never came.
They never came as the chains around his freshly scrubbed wrists tugged themselves agaisnt his robe sleeves; they never came when as he was prodded up the deadly volcanoe. They never came as the man with the beard whistled happily as his freedom, from the hell that the young fire prince's ancestor created, came closer with each second, and they never came as the sapphired eyed spirit held a smile on his face.
Once ontop they positioned him near the edge and waited for the others to arrive.
Caine's face appeared over the side that was oppsite to where the Fire Nation's prince stood, following him in glowing yellow chains was Laia and her son Jade, in her arms. On his right Zuko saw the women who had taken Katara away appearing one by one and then finally Katara herself.
Her hair was let down flowing over her shoulders and back, framing her tan cheeks, her hair was declorated with blue and white flowers making those sapphire orbs known as her eyes brighter than ever before. The women had dressed her in a long flowing blue gown with several robes ontop of it that was made of some kind of translcent material; the sleeves of the gown were tight against her skin to start out with but from the elbow down slowly began to fan out. She wore a silver necklace made up of sapphire roses that hung elegantly from her neck.
Prince Zuko couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Katara, and he didn't try to either.
Caine clapped his hands together making the prince avert his eyes from the water maiden to the demon in front of him dressed in all black; he glanced at Laia and Jade noticing that they too were dressed in formal clothing.
"Shall we get started now that everyone is here?" Caine laughed as the dawn peaked through the night.
Zuko watched it with awe, how come light only seems to defeat the dark in fairy tales?"
"Lets begin," Caine smirked taking a few steps toward the middle of the volcaneo.