Sorry for the last chapter - it was incredibly short. I'm writing each chapter as a submission to my tumblr 30 Day Writing Challenge, so each chapter will be about the size of a drabble, not a normal fanfic chapter. Sorry.
"Wash them," a dry voice spat. "Now." The palace maid turned on her heels and strode away, leaving the scrawny girl alone in the corridor.
Katara stared at the giant heap of clothes in front of her with clenched fists. She made no attempt to fight back, knowing all too well what would happen if she did. After years of working as a slave in the Fire Nation, she'd learned that hard work paid off a ton more than rebellion. Swallowing hard, she gave a tense nod, and pushed up her sleeves. Getting used to being pushed around wasn't exactly an enjoyable experience, though there was nothing she could do. No one was going to come save her.
She was on her own.
Reluctantly, Katara lugged the pile of garments down the staircase to the laundry room, and plopped it into a large washing basin. A pang of disgust rushed through her as she remembered once more that she was working hard for her enemies. She should be retaliating - she should be refusing to work, or planning a rebellion with the other slaves, or something. Something more than this.
Something more than washing clothes and polishing floors day after day. But what was a fourteen-year-old to do? She was young and weak. Weak, and alone, with no where to turn. Hope had long since disappeared. The flame that once flickered wildly in her chest had been put out violently.
After washing the royal family's clothes in the basin, Katara loaded the basket and hauled it outside to a small courtyard to dry. As she pinned the deep red gowns and tunics to the web of clotheslines in the back, a wave of jealousy rushed over her. These... these criminals were sitting inside a grand palace, drinking tea and laughing with their family as their armies killed thousands of innocent people. Children were raised with the idea of being superior than the rest of the nations, simply because they wore red clothes and were protected by Firelord Ozai. Such ignorance, she thought gruffly, as she sulked down the path leading to the indoors of the palace.
"You! You - water girl! Theif! THEIF!" The shout echoed in the giant hallway. Katara jumped and turned around cautiously, only to be pushed to the ground by a red-faced palace guard. "Filthy girl!"
"What - what's going on?" Katara shouted back.
The guard let out a vicious laugh. "Don't play dumb with me." His voice was tainted with disdain. "Just hand over the Fire Lady's necklace. I really don't think you wanna play any games with me, kid." The guard knelt down at her waist and held his fist at Katara's throat, just waiting for an excuse to strike the girl with flames.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Her voice rang out with a strength that surprised even herself.
"What'd I say about playing dumb?" He scowled and pressed his fist to her neck.
"I didn't take any necklace. I haven't been anywhere near the Fire Lady in weeks." She raised herself to meet the guard's intense glare, pushing his fist onto her neck harder.
The guard let out a raging sound and hissed, "Wrong answer."
Just as Katara felt his fist warming, she kicked him as hard as she could in the gut, and scrambled backwards from him. A crescent of flame was released from his hand just as he was flung back onto his side. Katara swore under her breath and hastily pushed off the ground with her sore feet, and ran through the corridors, ignoring the shouts from the guard behind her. She just needed a place to hide - now.
And just as she was beginning to think she'd be caught, a small wood door presented itself to her. It was far less ornate than any of the other rooms in the castle. "Perfect," she huffed. She flung the door open and slammed it behind her, not caring to glance at her surroundings before the darkness closed in. The thin girl quickly sat down in a corner and hugged her knees, only to jump at the sound of a voice.
"Um... you're sitting on my leg." Katara let out a small yelp as she jumped from her sitting position. She turned around to face the source of the voice, but she couldn't quite make out who she'd sat on.
She had only a few seconds to realize who the boy was when the door swung open, and a menacingly gleeful voice rang out. "Found you, Zuzu!"