Wow, I actually really like this story, maybe it'll be one of the first to get past the second chapter...hmmmm
I do not own Avatar or any of these characters except Ana
"Oi..." Zuko looked down on the sleeping girl who seemed more like a sleeping log. "Oi" He said a little louder. The girl replied by laying over and hiding under the blanket. Zuko squinted as he became annoyed. He bent down and went up to her ear. "OI!!!" he jumped back as the girl shot up.
"What's going on?!" She said pratically shocked out of her wits, her hair sticking up all over the place in a matted fashion. She was wringing the fabric of the blanket in her hands like she was trying to kill it.
"Were leaving" Zuko said and started walking away. "Are you coming or not?" Ana gathered her stuff hurridly and ran to catch up with Zuko. Iroh was sitting on the emuhorse holding the reins.
"Ana!" He said smiling. "You are coming with us?" Ana shrugged.
"I guess so by the looks of it." She said grinning at Iroh, she yawned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "After that lovely wake up call." She said glaring at Zuko once she'd stopped. Zuko simply ignored her exspression.
"What did you want me to do, kick you until you woke up?" He hitched himself onto the horse and took the reins from his uncle.. Zuko looked round jokinly. "Oh look! No room for Ana, looks like she'll have to walk!" He said emphasizing the last bit.
"Zuko!" Iroh turning to him. "Show some respect!" Ana decided to but in.
"No no Iroh, I'd rather walk then get on that ... thing..." She pointed at the emuhorse that showed no interest and simply nibbled some leaves on the bushes.
"Hm, well, if your sure child" Iroh turned to face forwards. "And were'd you think your going?" Iroh asked Zuko as he made the way into the forest.
"Ba seng se!" Said Zuko as if Iroh was mad.
"No you're not, your giving back this emuhourse." Zuko scowled and kept heading towards Ba seng se. "Zuko!..." Iroh said warningly. Zuko growled and turned the horse round. "Good." Said Iroh content as he put his hands in his sleeves. Ana pointed at Zuko.
"Ha ha!" She was cut of fast by the large whip of an angry exspression in her direction. She crossed her arms and walked.
"Are we there yet?" Ana asked.
"...no" Said Zuko rubbing the cramp he had in his right leg.
"Are we there yet?"Ana asked again.
"Were the same distance away as we were a few seconds ago." Zuko said sitting up.
"No were not..." Ana said confused.
"Yes we are" Zuko said getting annoyed.
"No we are not!" Ana said turning her head to face him.
"Yes we bloody well are!" Zuko shouted gripping the reins harder.
"Language.." Iroh murmered from under his hat.
"I think this is a nice place to stop for some food." Said Uncle Iroh after about an hour of silence.
"Uncle, we don't have any food..." Said Zuko not stopping. "Besides I want to get this over with.
"Where are we going anyway?" Asked Ana. "And get what over with?"
"Were going to the old earth kingdom village just a few miles away from where we are now." Iroh said to Ana. "You'll see the answer to the other question soon anough." Ana looked confused, but kept walking. The emuhorse was getting restless and started trying to stop.
"Stupid emuhorse!" Snarled Zuko as he pulled on the reins to keep urging the emuhorse to go forward.
"I think were getting closer!" Said Iroh trying to cling to the saddle. While Ana thought about how glad she was that she wasn't on the thing. "It must know that it's close."
"Well I wish it was happy to go rather than it getting reluctant!" Shouted Zuko as he strained with the steering of the horse.
"You guys are mad!" Said Ana laughing at them as they struggled.
The emuhorse, still struggling, brought them into a clearing, suddenly the reins snapped and the pair fell on the floor as the emuhorse galloped away. Zuko sat up and looked angrily exasperated as he looked at the broken reins, he slapped them down on the ground.
"Well that just made everything easier didn't it?!" He shouted with a great deal of sarcasm. "What the fig are we going to do now!!" He asked angrily standing up.Iroh and Ana just staredd as he stomped around.
"Someones got temper problems..." Whispered Ana decidely.
"Tell me about it..." Iroh replied.
"Why does stuff like this always happen to me! Why can't it happen to someone else for a change?!" He ranted on.
"Typical teenager behaviour..." Ana carried on. "Boy, do I know what he's feeling..." Iroh just nodded. "Maybe we better leave him alone..." She said walking away, Iroh followed as they left through a gap in the bushes. They pushed through some plants until they noticed they weren't in the forest anymore. "Where are we?" Ana said as she looked round, it seemed to be a town, bustling crowds of people with strange looking livestock and food, dusty roads and traditional looking houses.
"This place is a total dump!" She said yawning as she and Iroh walked through the market, with a consibrable amount of people looking at her outfit. 'What? None of these people seen a pair of jeans before?' Thought Ana bitterly. Iroh was keeping his head down a little.
"I don't think that's the only reason there staring child, Ana looked round expectantly, only to fix her eyes on a board with posters on it. She ran up to it and looked down the coutless pictures of wanted citizens. Suddenly something caught her eye as she looked to the right.
"Hey Iroh! Heres y-!" Ana gasped and pulled at the hand of Iroh as he covered her mouth to stop her. Everyone was staring even more.
"Errrrr..." An idea suddenly came into Irohs head. "Never mind my granchild she's the cooky type if you know what I mean!" He said making a signal to say she was crazy. "She comes up with the stangest things sometimes, isn't that right um... Kaay?" Ana's eyes became confused, but then understood, suddenly she ripped his hand away.
"Chickens!" She shouted, acting half-convincinly, and then started crouching down to pretend to peck the ground.
"Come Kayy, let us go home and get your medicine!" He dragged her of the scene while she shouted all the way. Convinced, the townsfolk got back to their work.
"Phew! That was close!" Iroh stated from behind a cart, wiping his forhead.
"What have you done?" Ana asked looking at him. "You didn't kill someone did you?!" She asked wide eyed. Iroh chuckled a little dispite the current situation.
"No, no, no child, were just...in a bit of trouble" Iroh decide and went on with walking back into the woods. Ana looked after him and followed, deciding not to ask any more questions. Soon they found Zuko, who was looking in some bushes. "What are you doing Prince Zuko?" Zuko startled almost landed in the bushes, but straightened himself out and composed himself just in time.
"Where have you been!" Zuko questioned.
"Been? We were only gone for a moment." Ana replied to the sixteen year old. "You sound like my mother!" Zuko's eyes narrowed as painful memories flew through his head at the word. He shook them out and started again.
"Well you could of told me first!" He replied not exspecting an answer. "Where'd you go anyway?" Suddenly there was a galloping sound as some twigs snapped and leaves fell all around them.
"Huh?" The group looked around them to see what had happened. Suddenly a voice rang through the air.
"Good boy Appa!" Zuko's widened.
"The avatar..."
Ana was about to ask who he was talking about until suddenly a hat got shoved on her head. She struggled to look from under it as Iroh tied the knot under her chin to keep it on.
"What are you doing now?!" She shouted as Zuko gave out commands quietly not wanting there targets to hear.
"Uncle, quickly get a robe out the bag!" He then slapped a hand over her mouth, Ana's eyes widened again and she started pulling at it. "Shh!" He held his finger infront of his mouth quickly and grabbed the robe of his uncle. He quickly wrapped it round her as his uncle kept her still, he tied the knot and they stood back to admire there quick handy work. Ana was looking a disgruntled and was pulling at the tight knot on the hat still. "Do you think they'll buy it?" Zuko whispered briskly. Uncle Iroh cocked his head to the side a little.
"The robes a little big but it'll have to do..." Iroh decided.
"Can someone please tell me what the heck your going on about!" Ana sneered quietly while loosening the knot on the hat, she gasped finally being able to open her mouth properly.
Zuko pulled the two into some bushes and they ducked down into the damp undergrowth where they wouldn't have such a big chance of getting heard.
"You!" He said pointing at Ana. "Are going to go out there and pretend your a lonely traveller." Ana raised an eyebrow.
"Why?" Ana asked more confused then ever. Ignoring her question Zuko turned to his uncle.
"Well need to give her a bag or something to make it look convincing." Zuko decided sharply. "Otherwise we might lose our chance!"
"Chance to what?" Ana butted in, but was ignored again. Iroh nodded and went to go get there supply bag. Zuko turned round to Ana again.
"You know that voice we heard?" Zuko gestured to where they had origanally been standing. Ana nodded slowly. "That's the avatar, me and my uncle have been chasing him for years." Ana raised her eyebrows again.
"Years?!" Zuko carried on.
"But now we've got an advantage." He smirked. "A person they don't know!" Ana looked consideringly at the ground then raised her head as Iroh walked back into the bushes carrying a bag.
"So you want me to go out there and pretend that i'm a traveller so you can capture a guy youv'e been chasing for a few years?" Zuko nodded. "But what do I say when they ask me questions?" Ana asked as a bag got slung round her neck from above. They both stood up.
"Just say your from Omashu and you ran away from the firenation." Zuko said pushing her out of the bushes. Ana turned round again.
"But what if they want a name?" She asked quickly. "And what's the firenation?!"
"Too many questions! I know that you can make something up." He said as he urged her to go through into the neighboring clearing. Suddenly Ana got a sly expression on her face.
"Wait, why should I do this for you?" She asked turining round to face them. They seemed to hesitate on this question. They had no money what other reason was there? Iroh smiled hopefully.
"Because were your freinds?" He asked. Ana crossed her arms not convinced.
"We gave you free clothes." Zuko said sharply. Ana made a doubtful expression.
"You call these clothes?" She said pulling at the uncomfy robe. Zuko became angry with waiting.
"Because we didn't kill you at first sight?" Anas eyes widened. She turned to Iroh.
"You told me you haven't ever killed anyone!" She said pointing at him.
"He's just joking." Iroh said with shifty eyes. "Besides, we would never think of such a thing." Iroh said waving his arms infront of him to show his dissagreement. Even Zuko didn't know where that had come from. He let go of his anger a little.
"Please?" He asked. Ana looked towards their targets again.
"Fine." She said. "But, how long have I got to stay with them for?"
"Not that long, just stay there till nightfall, then come and get us." Ana thought about this for a little bit then started going towards where the avatar was meant to be.
"Okay then." She straightened the strap of the unfammilliar sling bag. "See you guys later!" She said with a uneasy grin and a wave in they're direction, and she went through the bushes.
"Aang, that is not how you throw a bommerang!" Sokka said taking the weapon of Aang and aiming it up a little to a tree. "This is how you throw a boomerang!" He pitted his feet in the ground and threw the boomerang. It hit the tree and came spinning back, he caught it and handed it to Aang. "You try."
"Okay!" Aang said smiling, he planted his feet on the ground and threw it in the direction of the tree. He grinned until the boomerang flew into the bushes, suddenly they heard a large thumping sound. Sokka glared at Aang who shrugged. "I'm a beginner." He suddenly ran of to the boomerang. "Besides, I think I hit something!" Sokka groaned remorsefully and ran after him. Katara, noticing the lack of noise looked over the rim of Appas saddle. Where'd Aang and Sokka gone?
"Oh boomerang!" Aang shouted jokinly.
"It's not like it's gonna reply Aang!" Said Sokka laughing. Aang ran to some bushes and pulled the leaves aside.
"It's worth a try!" Aang grinned, and he let the leaves fall back in place to look somewhere else. Sokka smirked as he did the same, he turned to Aang as he pulled some bushes apart.
"Aang, sometimes your such an idiot!" Aang smiled goofily. Laughing, Sokka turned to look through the bushes at the ground. His eyes widened suddenly as he spotted a slumped up gather of cloth in a tiny pool of red liquid. He crepped over to it silently. "Aang!" He whispered, and signaled for him to come over, Aang landed on the ground silently next to him.
"What is it Sokka?" Aang asked stil grining, he looked at what they were staring at and gulped. "Oops..."
"This is it Uncle!" Said Zuko actually smirking for once. "Were gonna catch him for sure this time!" He punched the air, though Iroh didn't look as happy.
"I'm wondering if that was such a good idea after all..." Iroh contemplated, scratching his chin. "Should we of really sent that girl in with no experience? And it's not like you to trust people like that, are you feeling okay?" Iroh went up to feel his nephews forhead only to get it swiped away.
"I'm fine, and she'll be too, you worry too much!" Zuko replied and sat on the floor to wait till nightfall.
"If you say so..." Iroh said sitting down next to him and putting his hands in his sleeves.
Ana tried to open her eyes, but closed them immidiately when a strike of pain went through her head. Ana reached up to rub her pulsing cranium.
"Ouch..." She said wearily. She tried to open her eyes again and realised the left seriously hurt, but caught a quick blur before snapping them shut again. She sat up on her elbows and realised she wasn't wearing the choking device of a hat anymore. She felt around for it, seeing as it was still painful for her to open her eyes, her hands ran along what seemed to be a table until they met up with the brim of her hat. She picked picked it up and shoved it on her head only to flail and shove back off again as an even deeper sensation of pain went to her head. She felt around her head and suddenly realised that half of her head was in bandages, all across the top left of her head down to her jaw.
"Well this sucks.." Ana said decidedly. She felt footsteps behind her and faced the direction it was coming from.
"Are you alright there?"
Ana tried to open her right eye a little squint to see what was happening, as she struggled to keep it open, she caught a glimpse of peach and white until she had to stop, but she listened intently, not giving anything a chance. The figure walked over a little more and sat infront on her on some sort of seat from the sounds she was hearing.
"You had a bit of hit to the head there." Ana felt the uncomfortable bandages again. "You've been asleep for two days, we thought you would never wake up!" The stranger said jokinly. "By the way I'm Song." Ana felt her hand get grasped and get shaken in a freindly how'd you do. "What's your name?" Ana thought for a moment, something stuck in her head was telling her not to tell the truth.
"Um..." Ana hesitated for a bit trying to think, but got a mild headache instead.
"It's okay." Song said. "You can tell me later, I have a feeling your going to be in here for a while." She felt her hand fall back down as the handshake ended. "By the way, your freinds are very responsible, taking you straight to me" Ana wondered who she was talking about, which freinds? "Anyway, you should get some rest, I'll see you tommorow" Ana waved and assuming she was gone laid down on what she assumed was a bed. Despite her apparantly two day long sleep, Ana sunk into her pillow and fell asleep.
"I told you this wasn't a very good idea!" Iroh told his nephew. "Now weve lost her!"
"Why weren't they there? I specifically told her to wait there till nightfall!" Zuko snarled, angry that his plan had been ruined. "But does she? No!" Iroh rose a eyebrow as a noise came from the bushes. "Ruined it, she ruined a perfectly good plan!" Irohs expression became happy as he walked over to the bushes. "Stupid girl! I'm go-!"
"Hey, Prince Zuko!" Zuko turned, a bit peeved his rant was suddenly interupted. "Atleast weve got this!" Iroh walked out the bushes holding a emuhorse. Zuko growled.
"Oh joy!" Iroh walked up his short tempered nephew.
"Come, we must go" Zuko turned t ofollow his uncle.
"Go where?" Zuko asked curious. "We have no food, no money, no anything!" Iroh turned round to face him.
"Then it must be easy to know where!" Zuko wondered for a moment than realised where he meant.
"Eat this." Song said handing a bowl of food to her patient. Ana took it and and got handed a spoon.
"Thanks..." Ana said and started eating, it was kind of soggy but she pushed it down, it was better than nothing. Song noticed that the girl was looking straight at wall instead of the bowl of food in her hands.
"Hmmm..."
"Uncle! I won't do this!" Zuko said irritabllyas he pushed the emuhorse back into his uncles arms.
"Zuko, I'm not the one who stole it in the first place. You should take it" Zuko glared at his uncle and marched through the gates towards the house, tied up the emuhorse with some rope they had gathered and marched back out. He put on a scowl when his uncle crossed his arms.
"What?"
"Now go apologize"
"Why don't you come with me! You took it too!" Iroh groaned, there wasn't ever going to be an easy way out of this.
"Fine..."Iroh replied and they walked up to the door and knocked on the panels , and were startled when it shot open almost trapping there hands. A wrinkly face was poking out, suddenly, there eyes narrowed.
"You..." She said frowning. Iroh waved meekily.
"Hi?" She scowled even more and opened the door a little more.
"What do you want now?"
"We came to say sorry" The women heard something farmilliar and looked round the backs of them to see her emuhorse safetly tied back up on the pole.
She pulled herself back round smiling.
"Apology accepted."
"Would you like to come in for some tea?" She asked smiling and opening the door a little more to allow them to come in. "I'm afraid my daughters not here for the moment"
"We would be honoured." Iroh said smiling, he looked at Zuko. "Wouldn't we?" He asked nudging him slightly.
"Yes!" Zuko snapped back from his thoughts, and they walked into the house.
Ana was twidiling her fingers, there wasn't much else she could think of doing since she had not been able to see clearly. She pushed her index fngers together.
"This sucks" She said slipping a bracelet of her wrist and stretching it back and forth between her hands. "It's so boring here!" Suddenly Song walked into the room, though there was more people coming in. Ana lifted her head out of habit, even though she knew seeing them properly wouldn't be a option, all she saw were blurs, she'd finally got her right eye to open a slit, though it was painful. Theres was alot of blue and orange, it started to hurt so she closed her eye.
"Hi!" That voice was farmilliar, her brain clicked, that was the avatar guy they heard back at the forest! she lowered her head so her was in the fringe.
"Hi..." Ana said slipping her bracelet back on.
"How you doing?" Ana would have rolled her eyes if she could. Wasn't it obvious?
"Fine thanks..." There was a moments silence as Aang leaned on his heels uncomortably.
"My names Aang" He said suddenly sticking his hand out, but shrunk back when she didn't bother to take notice. He decided to try a different approach. "What's your name?" Ana bagan fiddling with the bracelet again.
"...Ana..." Aang backed up to his freinds and pulled them over.
"Meet my freinds, Sokka and Katara!" He said making a quick escape.
"Hi.."
"Hello..." Katara and Sokka started awkwardly. Ana looked up at them and opened her eye a little. She inspected them, though all she could see was blurs, then closed it and countinued fiddling.
"..Hi..." Song barged in before it started all over again, they could see they weren't getting anywhere, but these people brought the girl in, didn't she remember them?
"Ana needs some rest now, maybe you should come visit her tomorow instead" she pushed them out the door hurridly and closed it behind her. Ana laid back on the bed. What had happened?