Hello to all my Lovely readers.
I'm sorry this chapter took so long, I've actually had it done for a while but couldn't remember to upload it. Next time I promise a double chapter update-it may take a while but it will be worth it. And the good news is that I haven't forgotten about the story, Zhrek has NOT been discontinued, and I'm not dead (yay!)
Chapter 7
Slowly coming awake Zuko first notices his entire body is in excruciating pain. Flying through the air and landing full force through a roof can do that to you. Even his teeth hurt, but pain was good, pain meant he hadn't been injured too badly. He raised himself to his elbows and nothing seemed broken, same result as he got to his feet, though he was a little light –headed. Then again the light-headedness probably explained the sight that was before him now.
Sunlight was coming in through the hole in the ceiling where Zuko crashed through it, and that light was shining on a wrought iron four poster bed hidden under a gauzy white canopy. And lying on that bed, looking like the proverbial angel was a girl-the princess. As Zuko slowly approaches he gets a better look at her, she has pale brown skin and chocolate brown hair pulled back harshly from her face making her appear ever child-like...
'I must have hit my head harder than I thought.' He thinks to himself, wondering where that train of thought had come from.
What really bothers Zuko though, is that through all the commotion she seems to have been completely unaffected. Thinking about how long she's probably been stuck in here alone, Zuko fears that she might in fact be dead. Leaning in close he listens for any signs of life, but with his helmet on all he can hear is the sound of his own heart beat and breath. Suddenly very afraid he takes the helmet's face plate off and leans even closer.
Thankfully he hears her breathing as well as something else...looking down he sees that the princess' lips are slightly pursed. The cheeky little princess was only pretending to be asleep to try and get him to kiss her. Leaning back he replaces his faceplate and gently grabbing the princess be the shoulders, gives her a good rough shake.
"Hey, hey, cut that out!" she says grabbing Zuko's wrists and roughly removing his hands from her shoulders. "WHAT!"
"Are you Princess Katara?"
"I am, awaiting a knight so bold as to rescue me."
'Great, I must have shaken her too hard,' "That's nice, now come on we've got to get out of here."
"Hey-wait, sir this be-ith our first meeting. Should it not be a wonderful and romantic moment?"
"…Seriously? We don't have time for that, we're leaving now!" Zuko walks across the room and begins inspecting the door, searching for some kind of handle or lock.
"You're wasting your time, there's no way out that door's mostly for show," Katara says coming up behind him.
"I can see that, that's why I'm going to break it down."
"Hey wait, you're supposed to sweep me off my feet out the window and down a rope to your valiant steed."
"You've had a lot of time to plan this haven't you?"
"…Yes."
"Okay step back," as soon as Katara gives him some space, with a single blow Zuko kicks the door almost off its hinges. In the center of the door there is now a smoking, black scorch mark.
" Impressive,"
"Yeah, the fire-bending helps, now let's go." Grabbing the princess' wrist Zuko drags her behind him taking the stairs two at a time. Surprisingly the princess manages to keep up.
"Do I at least get to know the name of my rescuer?" she asks indignantly.
"Zuko."
"Sir Zuko,"
"It's just Zuko, I'm not a knight."
"Alright then Just-Zuko," As Zuko turns to tell the princess off the stairs beneath them begin to shake and the two of them fall to the ground.
"You didn't slay the beast?" The princess yells indignantly.
"It's on my To-Do list; right after Save the Cranky Princess so let's go!" grabbing the princess Zuko runs down into the castle towards the source of the thunderous shaking.
"But wait this isn't right!" the princess whines, "You're supposed to charge in swords drawn, banner flying; that's what all the knights did!"
"Yeah, right before they were pounded into a slimy paste." Once again in the grand foyer, Zuko releases the princess and heads to where he last saw the dragon.
"Wait the exit's over that way, where are you going?"
"I have to pick something else up before we go."
"Ah! What kind of knight are you?"
"One of a kind."
His exit being blocked by the beast's ulking frame, Aang has no choice but to sit back and "enjoy" its attention. Things could be worse though; he could have been smushed to death, instead of sitting on a bunch of silk rugs on top of a mountain of gold and jewels.
"Uh, you know," Aang says backing away, "I believe it's…healthy to get to know someone, for a very very very long time, before they get in a relationship, don't you?"
In response the beast grunts and continues to lick Aangs head like an ice cream cone,
"I mean, call me old fashioned but I just don't think I'm ready for that kind of commitment, living together, you know?"
Ignoring him the beast continues its minstrations, holding Aaang tihgter between its front legs. Sighing Aang looks around the room and spots something. It's Zuko, climbing along the remains of a balcony towards a large winch holding a chandelier up above them all.
In his head Aang wishes Zuko Godspeed as he continues to inch closer and closer.
Closer and closer Zuko inches towards the winch, he has to get there without being noticed or else go flying once more, but he has no intention of leaving Aang. Slowly but sure footedly Zuko continues on all the while listening to Aang sits in the cluthes of the beast.
down below Aang tries to slip out of the beast's grasp but it simply grabs him again, letting out a loud howl causing the whole castle to tremble and Zuko looses his footing and begins to fall. But as the castle shook, the old chain in the winch snapped and the end of it swung into Zuko's path. In a last ditch attempt to save himself Zuko grabs onto it, but his weight is too much and the chain begins to unwind sending Zuko right over the beast's head.
With a mighty heave Zuko pulls himself up just in the nick of time and sails silently over the beast's head. As he swings back he can see that the beast fly up a few feet, plucking a piece of fruit from a nearby shelf. If this thing could really fly then a chandelier collar wouldn't really work. Thinking to bail out he proceeds to climb the chain, but the winch creaks and slowly gives way, causing the chain to jerk.
'Oh crap,' he thinks as the winch breaks apart and Zuko begins to fall to his inevitable doom.
"What was that?" Aang asks aloud, not expecting any answer, but the beasts seems to have noticed it too and looks around.
As Aang says this, something comes crashing down from above, landing right between Aang and the beast on the old rugs sending up a large dust cloud. The chandelier comes crashing down as well, encircling the beasts neck. As the dust clears it turns out that the 'thing' is actually a man in fire nation armor.
"Zuko!" Aang exclaims in horror, now that the beasr has seen him all hell was sure to break loose. Aang watches silently as the look on the creature's face transforms from shock to anger, and it starts moving forward, snarling and growling.
Raising himself up on his elbows Zuko is greeted by the same awful sight.
"Aang, I think it's time to go. Come on!" leaping to his feet Zuko grabs Aang and the drags him out of there.
"Sorry, hate to run but he's my ride!" he calls back.
"You're sorry? Maybe I should have just left you behind then, this is no time for sorry." The two of them speed through the halls back to where Zuko left the princess and still going full speed, Zuko scoops her up and throws her over his shoulder and continues running.
"You found the princess!" Aang says happily.
"You found an air nomad?" asks the princess.
"Yeah, the real trick is getting him to leave me alone!" they continue running and for a moment it seems that they've lost the beast, but that is short lived as it crashes through a wall not far behind them. Looking around wildly for some way to stop it, Zuko happens to glance up and see that the castle housed a wrought iron gate above the entrance. With an adrenaline fueled burst of speed Zuko runs to the entrance hall and sets Katara down.
"Aang take Katara and get out of here," he says shoving the two towards the door.
"Zuko what're you doing?"
"Taking care of the Beast." Thinking it better than to question him, Aang takes Katara's hand and leads her towards the door.
Turning back to the task at hand Zuko frantically searches for whatever's still holding the gate up, and thankfully its rope and not a chain like a chandelier. Quickly taking aim Zuko shoots a fireball at the rope and it slowly begins to burn, he can only hope that he's timed this correctly.
Wasting no more time Zuko goes and catches up with Aang and the princess, the beast close behind. As the reach the bridge to safety, time seems to slow down and everything is happening at once; as the guys are crossing the bridge, their combined weight is too much and the bridge breaks in half. Luckily the three of them are on the other side already and manage to hang on as the bridge falls apart.
Just as the beast is ready to fly after him, those extra moments Zuko took pay off. The slow smoldering rope holding the gate snaps sending it crashing down traping the beast inside, on a short leash because of the chain from the chandelier. As the beast roars and fights against it's prison, the three on the ladder/bridge heave sighs of relief and continue climbing to safety.