Okay this chapter seriously BLOWS. Well it is summer and I have been busy being a normal teenager and stuff and I will soon be giving it away as to WHY I am so nervous for uh school to start. Tehe. Well there is a reason and this summer I have been mentally and physically preparing for it. So anyway, this is one of my shortest chapters and I think the worst. But have fun anyway.
Disclaimer: I am not a man and so therefore I do not own Avatar.
"Zuko, where are we going now?" Katara asked keeping up a steady pace beside him.
Zuko grunted and pushed aside a branch to walk through. Katara would have thought he would be courteous enough to hold the branch aside for them all to walk through but instead of a kind gesture, the branch swung back in her face with a loud smack.
Akiko and Iroh laughed at her causing Katara to blush. Ever since Zuko had shown that one sliver of kindness to her, he was becoming back to the old Zuko she loathed. He had far too many walls that she just barely broke down but he built them up again.
"Zuko, where are we going?" Akiko asked trotting up next to him, her long skinny legs taking awkward strides to keep up.
"We are going to the transportation station." He replied not even looking at her.
Akiko cocked a brow. "You mean we are going to the new-"
Zuko glared at her causing her to stop in mid-sentence, "Will you just shut up for once? I don't feel like listening to you babble on about nonsense." Akiko was stunned for a few moments but glared right back anyway. Akiko was probably about as moody as Zuko when you think about it, only she has a sweet side. "You know you were so nice yesterday buddy," Akiko growled poking him in the chest, "but now you're arrogant, pompous, rude, obnoxious, prejudice, moronic, idiotic, mean, bitter, and you're just being so, Zuko!"
Zuko stared at her for a long time, considering striking her but thought better of it and continued to walk ahead of. "Come on Zuko, strike me, you know you want to!" Akiko called angrily her Fire Nation attitude alive as ever.
Zuko ignored her and just kept walking. Akiko growled and kicked at the earth and looked at Uncle with heavy eyes and red nose. "How have you put up with him for so long?"
Katara curled her face up into an annoyed look and stared down at the ground. Zuko might not have been acting in such a way if she had not said her thanks to him. But she wasn't blaming herself, Zuko was just stupid.
Many hours passed and their feet felt as if they were standing on the sharpest rocks in all the Earth Kingdom barefoot. No one knew where they were going or why, for all they knew Zuko would be leading them over a cliff at any moment.
"Zuko, if you do not tell us where we are going then-" Iroh began to warn but was cut off by the smell of heavy smoke. They all began coughing and sputtering like mad except for Zuko who stayed immune to the odor.
"Ugh-Zuko-" Katara said between coughs, "what-is that horrible smell?"
Zuko led them over a hill where they saw something very foreign to Katara, a train station. I can assure the train was not a bit like the ones we have today but it was a Fire Nation train built for the Fire Nation to specifically show off how advanced and powerful it is. It was also secretly planning to capture slaves in secret while on this train, but they didn't know this at the time.
"Here." Zuko grunted and threw everyone their own disguise. Long brown dresses for the girls and pointed hats for the men. Katara shook her hair down that had suddenly become ratty again and put dirt on her cheeks so she would look like an Earth Kingdom peasant.
"Okay let's go and stay behind me, I am the only one not wanted by the Fire Nation." Akiko said and began taking the lead. But she suddenly stopped and sneezed. She sniffed miserably and kept walking. All the three of them looked at each other but followed without asking any questions.
They came up to a guard that was blocking the train and Akiko stepped up to him with a pitiful look. "Please sir, my family and I wish to get to the seaside to visit our sick relative. If you could please let us through we would be so grateful."
The guard looked at her and then the rest and scratched his chin. "Alright, go on." He said gruffly and they all dropped their change into his hand as they walked by. Akiko smirked back at them before sneezing terribly into her hands.
The train wasn't glamorous in the least. The floors were nothing but dirty metal and the walls were rusty and there were torn seats in all the separate compartments. The Fire Nation made sure that their symbol was everywhere in the train as well, on the doors, walls, floors, everywhere!
Uncle pulled open their compartment and let everyone walk inside before he closed the door glancing down the halls. He settled himself next to Katara and began reading one of his scrolls. Katara noticed they hadn't practiced in a long while and kind of missed it. He was going to teach her some very complicated moves.
Akiko who was sitting next to Zuko lied down on her side in a ball and held her knees close to her chest. Zuko felt her head against his leg and looked down about ready to scold her but stopped when he saw her with her eyes pinched closed and body trembling.
"Akiko, are you sick?" he asked putting a sweaty strand of silvery blond hair from her face to get a better look. Her brow was sweaty and her face was pale. Now he felt guilty…great.
"NO!" Akiko barked miserably. "Agni Zuko, just leave me alone," she whimpered, "idiot." She whispered that last part but Zuko still heard it. She suddenly surrendered into a coughing and a sneezing fit.
"Akiko, you're sick. Why didn't you tell us?" Katara asked now leaning over her trembling friend with Iroh. But Akiko didn't hear her, she was now fast asleep.
"Sick like a dog." Iroh muttered and shooed Zuko away so he could sit there. "I'll handle this."
Zuko growled and plopped down next to Katara who was fiddling with her necklace. "Would you stop fiddling with that thing?" he barked putting her hands down into her lap.
Katara smiled sweetly which slightly took Zuko aback. Wasn't this the part where she was supposed to yell at him, ranting at how insensitive he is? She leaned into him clutching to the trinket in the back of her necklace and batted her eyelashes. "Zuko do you really think I am Fire Nation royalty?"
Zuko started to babble like an idiot and looked to his Uncle for help. Iroh nodded and put a cool clothe on Akiko's head. Zuko cleared his throat, "Uh, of course."
Poof! Little miss I'm-so-sweet-that-I-can-get-Zuko-to-babble-like-an-idiot, was gone.
"Then stop bossing me around!" Katara spat and turned around fiddling with her necklace once again. Zuko looked at Iroh with an angry and shocked expression, and Iroh laughed at this. His advice clearly didn't work all the time.
Well, obviously.
0000
"BWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Little Oliver screamed in his tiny voice. He wasn't sure how long that stick had been pulling him down into the underworld but it would have had to have been a very long time considering how bad he had to go to the bathroom.
"Gah, stupid stick!" he mumbled, "Dragging me down to see the one man I hoped I would never see again."
Darkness blanketed the area after his words were done echoing and little Oliver found himself shaking in fear, people would assume spiders liked the dark but little Oliver was scared out of his wits. But soon enough he felt a large clammy hand squeeze him causing a squeak in reaction and his eyes bulge. That bladder was really starting to make his numb.
"Ah, Oliver." A cool voice echoed. The place was somehow instantly illuminated and they were on…a rock, a big rock in a big empty space of nothing. Wow.
Looking around the tiny spider got the chance to see how utterly…empty the underworld was, wasn't there supposed to be like fire or something? "You know, this isn't how I pictured the underworld would look like." Oliver said rubbing under his chin with one of his furry legs.
"Yes, well I guess they wanted to make this the most miserable experience by not giving me torture and evil but by giving me nothing."
Resbuto frowned and sat next to him stroking down his beard. "Well you must have some reason for coming down here little Oliver. What is it?"
Oliver cleared his throat and hopped up onto his masters' shoulder. "Well I have some interesting news." Oliver said.
"Mora's reincarnated relative is alive. Apparently she is traveling with an elderly man, younger man, and a girl about her age. All are firebenders except one and Mora is a waterbender, a powerful one who has mastered water-lacing without a problem!" Oliver explained.
Resbuto scratched under his chin, "No doubt she is powerful from a little extra help from Mora. There is no way I will be able to defeat her without-" his eyes drifted to the side and he let out a very pleased gasp, "my staff!"
Resbuto leapt to it and stood upon a rock. He positioned himself in a royal stance looking out into the distance. "How dose it look." He asked. The man might be powerful but he is very idiotic.
"Like a true Moses." Oliver commented sarcastically. (Oliver secretly has the gift of seeing the future, but shush, he actually hates his master so that's why he doesn't know)
Resbuto gave him a puzzled look. "Enough of that," Resbuto suddenly cackled. "Now I can truly win the heart of Mora. Show me her…" his long bony fingers gesturing over the staff.
A thick green fog swirled out from the green orb of the staff and created a large ball of energy that clearly showed the inside of the train cart that Katara and company were staying in.
The old man appeared first. "Ah, he is a powerful one but also withering away slowly with age." Resbuto commented. "Not much of a threat."
The vision shifted to the next being a young girl with platinum hair and pale eyes. "Oh what is this? There is a lot of power yet also a lot of inner weakness, useful very useful, yet not in the ways she might think." Queue the evil smirk.
Next the sights settled on a young man with his arms crossed staring hotly at the ground. "Well, what do we have here?" Resbuto scoffed, "Matured beyond his years and stubborn, Mora would love to get her hands on him."
"Forget it, he is a complete imbecile, doesn't even see what is in front of him." Oliver said rolling his eyes.
"Of course." Resbuto commented, "I guess I will have to get rid of her some way or another. Might as well start now." As if he had done this all the time he sighed and picked up his staff and waved a few circles around in the air, a thick green fog outlining the circles. Little tiny green-fog creatures exited the immortal world to cause some trouble.
"Oh, this will be more interesting to watch then the Simple Life!" Oliver squealed with another perplexed look from his master.
0000
"FORGET THE COCA BUTTER!" Akiko wailed her face sweaty and beet red. Iroh shook his head and tried to push her back down but she jolted up again, "I HATE COCA YOU MUFFIN HEADS!"
Zuko growled lowly in his throat and dug his nose into a book as if that would stop the delirious girls wailing and howling. It didn't.
"FOR THE LOVE OF AGNI PUT YOUR GOWN ON PRINCESS ZUKO!" Akiko shouted another ridiculous wail.
Katara had to giggle at that one. Zuko shot her a glare that said; will-you-shut-up-because-you're-going-to-be-next. Of course he was right.
"KATARA, WHY DO I SEE LITTLE MONKEY DEMONS SITTING NEXT TO YOU?" Akiko shouted.
Katara looked beside her to Zuko with a smirk, "Because there is one." Although she was completely oblivious the green monkey demon on her other side. Katara had wanted to help Akiko but Iroh would not hear of it, no need for two girls getting sick and shouting why Zuko was skipping around with all the bunny people. Yeah, this has been one weird train ride.
"ZUKO AND KATARA ARE IN LOOOOVE!" Akiko giggled and leaned her head on Irohs shoulder.
Zuko scoffed and almost threw the book at her while Katara was sitting there with her mouth hanging open at the ridiculous statement.
Zuko was now angry and embarrassed at the statement and decided to take it out on Katara. Men.
"Will you close your mouth you slack-jawed brat!" Zuko hissed clamping Katara's mouth shut so her teeth snapped. A stinging sensation ran throughout her mouth. She glared at him when it dulled, "What's your problem?"
Zuko stood up with Katara following.
"My problem is you, you worthless peasant!" Zuko shouted.
Katara had to admit, that stung.
"Well…" Katara began the hurt obvious in her voice, "I will just leave your presence considering I am not worthy, Princess Zuko." Katara shouted and stalked out of the room and into the next cart.
"Ah, an unseen attraction." Iroh stated happily patting Akiko hand who was now giggling. Zuko was outraged.
"Attraction? For that skinny little brat--are you out of your mind?" Zuko waved his hand dismissing himself and stalked down the hallway muttering things under his breath. He was going to spend the rest of the ride in the restroom. Away from his UNATTRACTION!
Zuko sat on the toilet and crossed his arms muttering this and that. He hated all the people he was with, why wouldn't the train just crash now so he could be done with them? Worst of all, Akiko and that girl decided to be all buddy-buddy while they were at that stupid orphanage and now the waterbending girl was his only ticket back home. If she weren't then she would be a blackened crispy corpse six feet under. No one would miss her.
Meanwhile Katara sighed in her cart and folded her tan hands into her lap. Normally Zuko's remarks and outbursts wouldn't bother her. But now they did, she didn't want to be known as a nothing anymore. She thought that being a master waterbender would help her status but no. She is still a lowly peasant that means nothing to anyone. Zuko didn't even use her name! In her tribe there is nothing more disrespectful then not honoring ones name. But Zuko knows nothing of honor or respect. Certainly not respect. Katara curled up on the old dirty seat and closed her eyes, soon she was asleep.
Zuko was starting to nod off when he heard a man outside speaking to another. Now Zuko wasn't a nosey person but he noticed they were soldiers talking about something that might just concern him in more ways then one. He pressed his ear to the door.
"Yep, so when do we take the new batch of slaves to the Fire Nation again?" one asked.
"When we get to the beach in a few days we force them all on a ship. Things don't know that they are going to be worked to death." And then they laughed. That was why it was so sickening. Zuko needed to get them all into the luggage cart to avoid being seen and marked down. When the voices were gone Zuko sprinted back to the room where Akiko and Iroh were and was gasping and blubbering on.
Iroh chuckled a little. "Why Zuko you sound like Akiko here. Are you sick as well?"
Zuko took in a breath and tried to calm himself. "We need to get into the luggage cart. They are going to sell us to the Fire Nation as slaves if we don't hurry." Zuko said grabbing everyone's things as Iroh scooped the red-faced girl into his arms.
Zuko looked around and counted heads, they were missing someone. But who? Then the idiot got it and ran around cart to cart looking for that idiotic girl. He didn't know (or care about) her name so he had to say, peasant over and over again making a baboon of himself. Finally he opened a cart and found her sleeping peacefully with his brown blanket around her. He didn't even mind that it was his he just needed to get everyone out of there.
He approached and shook her shoulder, "Hey wake up."
Before he knew what was coming, the base of the waterbenders hand flew at him and knocked him square in the nose. He yelped and fell back into the opposite seat clutching onto his sore sniffer. Katara jolted up, "Oh I'm sorry I thought you were—oh wait it's just you." Katara said roughly and made her way to lye back down.
Zuko bolted up and grabbed her. "We got to go into the luggage cart, now. Don't ask your pathetic peasant questions just grab your things and follow me."
Now alarmed Katara did as she was told. She was much faster than Zuko thought she would be and they headed out.
0000
Meanwhile the driver is left to his death under the train by unknown forces…while the train is on full speed.
0000
"This will have to do." Zuko said putting everyone's things down. Katara plopped down on Zuko's blanket and sighed. It wasn't exactly a comfy space but he was right, it would have to do.
Iroh set the delirious girl on a blanket and sighed in relief that she finally was unconscious. He was pretty sure everyone else in the cart was happy too.
When everyone was starting to settle down there was a jerk and a boom. Everyone was thrown back and startled. They looked behind them to see that they had indeed separated from the rest of the train. Zuko got up and shot one of the walls down that led to the coal. There was a long stream of black smoke coming from where the driver was supposed to be.
He leapt up on the coal and staggered around. The rest watched on nervously. When he reached his destination he was taken aback with hot flames blew up in his face. He yelped.
Katara was nervous, why was she so nervous? There was no reason to be worried over Zuko; she shouldn't be worried over Zuko! She hated him, she hated his guts. But now she was worried and was desperately waiting for him to come back.
Suddenly some leapt down before them all, "There is no one driving the train!" Zuko yelled his face black and eyes wide. Katara and Iroh gasped.
Everyone's eyes went straight to the fire that was beginning to grow in size. This was not good. Not good at all. Zuko growled and kicked at the floor. How were they going to get out of this? By jumping?
Zuko had an idea and grabbed a hooked chain. He knew he was being stupid, and this could be the last thing he ever did but he had to. This could be the one chance to save them all. He jumped under the train holding on for dear life as the tracks blurred by under him. He could hardly see from all the wind burning through his eyes.
With a jolt the train was going faster, someone would have to of triggered that, but now Zuko felt himself moving away from whatever he was gripping on. "Uncle, give me the chain!"
Just as Iroh was moving towards him, he fell back into a box with a loud yelp. But Zuko did not notice this, Katara did however.
Zuko looked up, hand extended and saw Katara there lowering the chain down to him her braid flipping around freely in the hair. "Not you!" he hissed. Katara narrowed her eyes, "Uncle Iroh is busy at the moment, take it."
Zuko crinkled his nose and grabbed it anyway. He was surprised the Katara stayed there watching him carefully as if she was watching out for any danger. But he ignored it and leaned under being careful with his movements. He lowered the chain so it would hook on the tracks. There was a clank and loud scraping sounds and the track was being dragged along with the train. There was a crack and before anyone could think there was a chunk of metal from the tracks flying at him. His pupils turned to pinpoints before he heard someone scream and he felt warm hands gather him into their arms just in time.
Stunned Zuko looked up in face of the wide-eyed waterbender who looked as if she had seen a ghost. She had saved him. He was too astonished to move, he just stared at her as she stared back almost heads crying. Obviously she didn't like death. At the sound of a loud crack they turned their and saw the metal break through a tree which made Katara go starch white.
They also noticed Iroh waving his legs frantically in the air in his little box. Now noticing him Zuko and Katara helped him up.
He looked around and saw Akiko slowly slipping to the back of the cart to her doom, "Akiko!" he shouted.
Katara gasped and lunged at her as her head met absence of stability. No, no deaths today.
The waterbender pulled the unconscious girl back and put her behind a box for safety but she felt a tug on her ankle. She let out a yelp and was sliding down to Akiko's past fate but at an amazingly fast speed. It wasn't like she could claw her way up again, something was seriously pulling her!
Her fate was approaching quickly as her body was halfway off the train already, she still continued to claw but it was no use. She pinched her eyes closed waiting for her death as she felt herself beginning to fall. But nothing came, nothing but a safe secure lock around her body. She opened her eyes to look up Zuko who had a mildly amused look on his face, "It wasn't as if I would let you die." He said bitterly. Katara smiled a little as he set her down.
"Now is not the time for smiling!" Iroh said jaggedly pointing out in the distance. They looked over and gasped. The bridge wasn't there! They would be led straight off the cliff. Little did they know the little green creatures that were responsible for it were watching their every move!
"We have to separate ourselves from the engine!" Zuko barked going over to the link. The creatures moved fast into melting the link into a solid glop of metal. Zuko tossed endless flames at it. Nothing worked. He even picked up an ax from a stray tool box but that snapped in half. "NOTHING IS WORKING!" He roared.
He ran over to Akiko and began shaking her. "AKIKO WAKE UP! WE NEED YOU TO BREAK THE LINK!" he was shaking her so harshly her head came up and smacked him in the nose. He roared and dropped her into Katara's lap. He rubbed his sore nose roughly this was the second time he got hit in the nose today. He looked around for Iroh but he was nowhere to be found.
"Zuko!" Iroh yelled, he was on the roof. On the…roof!
Zuko looked up at him slack jawed. "Uncle…what are you doing?"
"I'm keeping the growing fire away!" Iroh barked moving his arms supposedly pushing the fire back to where it came.
Zuko ran a hand through his hair his blood boiling. Soon he felt something being forced into his hand. He looked at the extra tan hand and then the lit explosive. He stared at Katara for a long time thinking she was the strangest person he had ever met.
When he heard her so "GO YOU IDIOT!" he bolted to the link and wedged it in there before running for cover holding Akiko's and Katara's heads under him, Iroh behind them all.
He suddenly looked at Katara, "What do they teach you at the South Pole?"
There was a loud bang and then the roar of a fire. They had broken the link but had started a fire, a large one and they were in a cart with a whole box of explosives. Iroh pulled open the door and they all looked at each other with horrified expressions. Iroh scooped the platinum girl in his arms as Katara gathered everyone's things.
"1" said Iroh
"2" said Zuko
"3" said Katara
"JUMP!" Akiko screamed who had finally opened her eyes for the first time to see what was happening. No one had time to stare at her in disbelief.
They all landed with a thud as the cart and engine went over the cliff and exploded half-way down. They all looked at each other with wide eyes. Katara stared at Zuko who stared right back, had they made a wordless pact?
Akiko looked at them back and forth, "Do I sense a frisson?"
The benders stared at her wishing she was still sick. Zuko was standing up about the same time as Katara was. Just to prove there was no 'frisson' he shoved her down, "Peasants last."
Katara stared up at him with disbelieving eyes.
Akiko murmured a 'never mind' as Katara bolted up getting into a heated argument.
0000
"Well that didn't go as planned." Oliver said as the orb showed the firebender and waterbender going at it.
Resbuto took deep breaths to keep calm, "No matter, I have more up my sleeve."
"I know." Oliver muttered shaking his head.
Nothing special. Nothing funny. This chapter was pretty much BLAH! But I swear the next chapter is the one I have been waiting for! It is very interesting in my opinion and you won't know what hit you! Please ignore this crapiness and PLEASE stay tuned for the next chapter, you'll love it for its creativity and surprises!
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