Chapter 9: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

So the general consensus seems to be that I should hurry up and update already. Fine, well, I would have done that yesterday, but well, I had stuff to do. And you know what is really creepy? Azula and Katara are the same age. Shudder. Ahh. Well, anyway, to make the story more realistic, I doubt these things happen to fourteen-year-olds, so maybe go with sixteen-ish, use your imagination, ok? This chapter is much longer, so only one today, but I totally love this chapter.

Azula woke with the sun. It was hot. The stupid rebel had kept his distance. He snored away on the other side of the extinguished fire. Sweating a little in the heat, Azula took off the armor she had fallen asleep. The shoulder piece, arm guard, shin guard, the heavy boots. All of them fell in a pile on the sand. She was left in a tank top, a wrap skirt, and loose pants. She sighed a little. Better. She swept her loose hair off her sweaty neck and tied it up in a simple knot.

Azula glanced around, wondering what to do. A stack of wood caught her eye. She piled some of the grey ashes of last night's fire and lit them with a flick of her finger. Deciding that she wasn't hungry enough to wake up that stupid rebel, Azula walked towards the water's edge. "So much for born lucky," she muttered.

She breathed deeply, settling her chi. She began with the basics. The voice of her old tutor echoed in her head. Every time she had been drilled the man would shout, "Again," and she would pour forth more flames.

"Again," Azula muttered along with the echoes. Right hand. "Again." Left hand. "Again." Right. "Again." Left. "Double." Right. Left. "Again." Right. Left. She finished the arm sequences. She breathed again, settling her chi.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Jet had woken up. He watched the Princess at the water's edge. He watched her firebend. It was another reminder of who she was. She was a firebender. A good one. She was the Princess. She would kill him as soon as she got the chance. He had to be careful. He was playing with fire. If he slipped, he would be burned, literally. Fire. It was something so essential. So beautiful. So deadly.

Jet looked away. He was hungry.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Azula came back to the fire a bit sweatier, but more relaxed.

"Heads up."

Azula caught a small, red fruit the stupid rebel threw to her. She didn't say anything. She just ate.

"Your welcome, your Highness," the rebel mocked.

Azula ignored him and got up. She walked a small distance away and looked into the trees. She climbed a small palm tree several meters to the top. Azula took a knife from the folds of her wrap skirt and cut down some palm fronds. She let them fall to the sand below and climbed back down. The she looked at the bamboo-like trees around her. She cut a few stems and piled them next to the palm fronds.

"What the hell are you doing?" the stupid rebel shouted at her from down the beach.

She ignored him and found one last thing she needed; some twisting vines.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Jet stood and went closer to the Princess. He watched her amusedly. She had little idea what she was doing. He watched her kneel down and watched her knife flick as she bound the bamboo-like stalks together in an awkward looking frame. She tried to piece it all together, but couldn't get it to stand up.

He smiled and shook his head. Jet walked over and grasped the frame. "Let me help."

The Princess glared at him.

"I've lived in a forest my whole damn life. I know what I'm doing."

She didn't say anything.

"Let me help."

"I don't need your help."

"Last time I checked, you do." Jet smirked. He's won this one.

"Fine. What do I do?"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Azula sulked while the stupid rebel ordered her around. The shelter was her idea. Why'd he have to know all this junk? Now he'd probably want to sleep in the shelter too. Azula took a deep breath, telling herself to calm down. As soon as she found a way off this island, she'd kill the fool. He knew that. It wouldn't last.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Jet watched her walk away. Her stupid shelter was done and now she ran off into the jungle. He planted himself down on the sand. Sweat had form across his brow. Probably because the sun was at its highest. Maybe the shelter wasn't such a pointless idea, he thought as he took off his shirt.

Jet climbed up into one of the trees and knocked a few coconuts down. He had just cracked one open when the Princess came back. She was wet and looked refreshed. "Found a spring," she muttered, jerking her thumb back at the woods. She tied up her hair and walked out to thee middle of the beach. Jet sat by himself and watched as she poured out flames. Blue fire. Electric fire.

Even with these reminders of who she was, he couldn't help but wonder what things could be like. What things could be like if they were different people. If there was no war. If they were equals.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Azula flushed a little. That stupid, bare-chested, rebel was watching her again. She released a particularly violent burst of flame. It scorched the sand. Why did he make her so uncomfortable? She'd seen built men before. That's what happened in war, people get fit. So, why him?

Azula let a lightning bolt out into the sand. The sand sprayed up and fizzled. Azula peered closer. A twisted shape of glass emerged from the sand. Lightning glass.

She glanced back at the rebel. He was eating something. Even with the reminders of why she kept him alive, she couldn't help but wonder what things could be like. If he was a Fire Nation noble instead of a rebel peasant. If there was no war. If they were equals.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Sokka still didn't understand why they wanted to save Azula, but he waved anyway as Ursa, Zuko, Katara, Aang, and Toph left on Appa. Actually, Ursa was the one who wanted to save Azula. Zuko went to protect her. Katara went because Zuko went. Aang went as a student. And Toph went because Aang went. It was much quieter in Ursa's home, even with Raan and Iroh.

Sokka had chosen to stay here with Crin. He wanted to give her a necklace. To ask her to marry him. It had taken a long time to carve it just right, but now it was perfect. He thumbed the pendent he carried in his pocket. It was pale, milky white, carved, with a little help, to look like the wind meeting ocean waves.

He felt a gentle tug at his arm. He turned to see Raan at his elbow. "Crin says she wants you to meet her on the beach in an hour."

"Which beach?"

"She said the one out of the west trail."

"Thank you, Raan."

Well, once again a chapter has come to an end. Read up and we'll see about the next chapter, probably not tomorrow. Sorry but I've got things to do. Busy time of year. But you'll get the chapter soon, so no nagging. Also a thank you to Black shadow in your room, I think it was. You caught my nasty typo, which is weird because I usually catch bad ones like those. But thanks, and to all of you, if you catch my typos, please tell me, I know how annoying it is to read something with a lot of typos, because you have to stop and think, "well what did they mean here?" and it takes away from the story. I try to catch my typos, but I'm not perfect, so if you see any bad ones, feel free to tip me off and I'll fix them. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter, it's one of my personal faves, except maybe one of the funnier ones. Muhaha. But you find that out later.