Okay, Chapter Three is up and Chapter Twelve is halfway done. I hope people will reread since I made some changes from the original. No big notes for this one, just some thank yous to all the people reviewing! Okay, Zuko's evil plans come to fruit! Dedicated to Onepen who is soo cool!
Chapter Three: The Light Before We Land
Prince Zuko drummed his fingers against the table impatiently, as he sat in the galley for some food. Uncle Iroh had insisted that Prince Zuko have something to eat and keep his strength up. After threatening to use more proverbs, Prince Zuko had finally agreed to get a meal.
No word had come in from the Maidens about the Avatar's location. His own men had reported that there had not been a single sighting of a flying White Bison! He was growing impatient, how could he catch his prey if he could not find it? He also had to keep paying for the cost of the hostages, which was quite a lot of money. This venture was costing him a good deal of time and it had better work!
Seeing Hotaru and Captain Sakura again had only increased his nightmares. At this rate, he was happy if he received a few hours of sleep. He had resorted to allowing Uncle to convince him to drink some tea. It did little to soothe his spirits. In fact, seeing the pair again had forced him to remember parts of his past even he thought buried. The image of a little boy, sobbing himself to sleep, trying to hide the pain by day haunted him. His entire childhood had been an ocean of tears.
Speaking of tears, the little Water Tribe Peasant was sniffling pathetically in the corner. His hands were handcuffed together, but Prince Zuko had removed the rest of the chains. It was demeaning to put such high security on such a weak pathetic little prisoner. Besides, that constant rattling of the metal was quite annoying. At least, that is what he told his crew when giving the orders to treat the boy gently. He did not want to appear weak, after all.
Prince Zuko did not see any reason for the brat to keep crying. He was being treated well, given three meals a day, a bed to sleep on and all he had to do was sit there and wait to be used as a hostage. He was even untied for meals and the cell he was given was not even that bad. "Will you be quiet!" he finally growled. That blubbering was spoiling his appetite. He did not like having to feel bad!
The chubby little face drained of blood and curled into the corner silently, clearly frightened out of his wits. The look in his eyes was a familiar look. It was the same face he had worn in the presence of his father's, the terrified look of a mouse in a serpent's den. He was torn between feeling happy that he was getting the respect he deserved and hatred at acting like his father. He had to remedy the situation.
"You have nothing to cry about. If all goes to plan, you'll be back in your frigid little homeland in two moons or so. If you are a good boy, I'll even give a lovely parting gift. I said I would not hurt you! Have I broken my word?" he asked smugly, walking over to the boy. He rolled his eyes when the brat flinched, before shaking his head very quickly. It was good and proper to show respect, but this was just strange.
A nasty bruise on the boy's cheek gave Prince Zuko pause. He did not remember seeing that when the boy had been brought in. "What happened to you?" he demanded angrily. Beating children was wrong, it was immoral and it was not going to be tolerated!
The boy shied away, clearly flinching to avoid a blow. Prince Zuko had ducked enough of his father's own blows to recognize the gesture. "Answer me!" he snapped, grabbing the boy's blue furry jacket. He only realized then that he was making the situation worse. "Please."
"One of the people hit me," the boy finally responded, a tear falling from his cheek. He looked so pitiful, a child all alone with no one to help him. In his strange blue and white clothing, he looked so isolated.
Prince Zuko felt his temple throb. He would not stand for the abusing of children. He wiped the tear away gruffly off the boy's cheek, just like Uncle Iroh did for him. "Come on, I want you to show me the one who did that to you," he commanded, unhooking the chain and dragging the boy after him. He would get to the bottom of the situation.
"Please no," the little mite begged, tottering to keep up with Prince Zuko's long stride. The prince sighed, he was probably afraid that telling on his captors would cause more retribution. All right, he could show a little bit of kindness. He realized the boy was trembling with fear. He imagined the little peasant had been brought up to fear Fire-Benders, so every moment with the prince was terrifying.
Prince Zuko looked around the hall before picking the boy up so that they were face to face. "It will be all right. I won't let anyone hurt you. I will protect you," he said softly. He felt very strange about doing this. He did not spend very much time around young children.
"Just let us go home. What did we ever do to you? Why did you attack our village again?" the boy wept, looking up at him with large blue eyes. Yes, this was one of the children who had been threatened the day Prince Zuko had meet the Avatar. The Fire Nation royal did not know the answer. This bothered him.
"My lord, did he try to escape again?" a voice asked. It was Shin, one of the finest warriors on the ship. His fighting skills had saved Prince Zuko's plans on many occasions.
Escape? Prince Zuko had not been informed of that fact. In his arms, the little brat was cringing. "Are you the one who struck him?" he asked in a low voice.
Shin nodded, bowing his head. "I wanted to give him a reminder not to disobey again. I hope I did not anger you, my lord. He had stolen a knife and was trying to pick the lock," he explained in a calm tone.
Prince Zuko shot the captive in his arms a poisonous look. "Well, that is something you neglected to mention," he snapped.
"You locked me up, of course I would try to escape. Anyone would," the boy whimpered.
Zuko did not have a response to that either. "Well, there will be no more beatings. Surely you can control a child without resorting to savagery," he said in a menacing growl. "As for you, there is no where to run to on a ship. So you might as well behave yourself, and take advantage of my hospitality. I am not going to hurt you. If you behave yourself, you will find yourself home again."
"My lord! Captain Sakura just sent word; the Avatar has been spotted in the city!" Jee interrupted the conversation, looking breathless.
Prince Zuko smiled. A good deed had apparently given him the favor of the spirits. He shoved the boy into Jee's arms. "Gather up the men and make sure this one is secure. The day is ours," he said, with great glee in his eyes.
Prince Zuko sat in the backroom of a teahouse with Uncle, waiting for Captain Sakura's and his own men to find his cornerstone of his plan. Uncle of course was indulging in the beverages and breakfast provided, but Prince Zuko was too excited to take a bite.
This plan could not fail, he could taste victory, he could smell it in the air and no, Uncle, that was not the smell of ginseng tea! Soon, he would make everything right again. Sitting on a plump pillow, he drummed his fingers on the table again. The light pink and yellow walls were making him nervous. Nothing should be this cheerful!
"Patience is a virtue, Prince Zuko," Uncle Iroh reminded him, between bites of a pink frosted cake. He pushed the white porcelain plate of sweets towards him.
"I never said I was virtuous!" Prince Zuko fired back, feeling like a coiled snake ready to pounce. Where was his prey? If he did not see some action soon, he would explode! A knock at the door and the sound of scuffling saved the teahouse from being burned down. Two of his men, Daisuke and Seiji had the Water-bender braced between them. Cloaks covered their uniforms, just as he ordered. Perfect!
"Did you make sure no one noticed her disappearance?" he asked, rising to his feet.
"Yes, my lord. She entered a shop on her own and we arrested her," Seiji said, bowing his head as he tried to keep a hold on the struggling captive.
"You have no right to arrest me!" she was protesting, when her eyes fell upon Prince Zuko. Her tanned face paled and she stopped struggling for a moment.
"Don't worry, I just wish to speak with you," Prince Zuko said, smiling politely at his prisoner. She was pretty, but so different from the refined women he had known in his homeland. There was a rugged strength to her that made Prince Zuko feel respect for her. With a little polish, she could make a fine warrior. She had a strong spirit. It would be a challenge to make her cooperate.
The Water-bender sneered. Prince Zuko had never seen such blue eyes; it was like staring into the ocean. What an interesting looking girl. He would have to bring her back home as a present for the Fire-Court. "You are barking up the wrong tree," she spat angrily, struggling against her captors. "I'll die before I let you hurt Aang,"
Prince Zuko sighed. Why did people always feel the need to be so dramatic? It was a simple fact that he had the power to kill her at that second and nothing could stop him. Why was she being so difficult?
"I hope it won't come to that. Allow me to try again. I want to speak to you and you need to listen. Your little monk broke a deal with me. He said if I would not hurt your village, he would come quietly. I suppose that gives me the right to break my side of the deal," Prince Zuko said calmly, walking around his prisoner. He watched the blood drain from the girl's face as realization filled those large blue eyes of her.
"You are a liar!" she spat, but the fear was clear in her face. A bead of sweat went down the girl's face as the information ate away at her soul. She was scared now.
"Allow me to present you with proof. Might I show you my latest purchase?" Prince Zuko said, keeping his temper in check. He had all the pieces in his hand; he could afford to be patient. He knew he was being cruel, but he had no choice. He had to regain his honor, at all costs. He tried to pretend this was a play. Yes, this was just pretend. He could be tortured by his conscience later.
Lieutenant Jee walked out of another room, carrying the squealing Water peasant brat, who had been trussed up like a fowl. Lieutenant Jee had not put the neck chain on the boy, but Prince Zuko was confident the seasoned warrior would be able to keep such a small boy from bolting. That little brat had been warned about what would happen if he tried to escape. Prince Zuko could be kind, but only to a reasonable limit.
"Katara!" the little boy cried, bawling. Zuko felt sorry for him, but tried to ignore that. So that was her name? Katara? That was good information to know, it would make him seem more close to her, make her subconsciously trust him.
"Aiiro!" Water-bender Katara cried out in shock. Tears filled her eyes, which made Prince Zuko very uncomfortable. Even Uncle Iroh looked like he pitied himself. Another memory Prince Zuko would have to suppress of everyone hating him.
" Don't worry, I'll save you. It will be all right," Katara whispered, trying to break away from the guards restraining her to get to the little boy. The pain on her face was clearly displayed. Obviously, this girl had never been forced to hide her emotions. "If you hurt Aiiro or anyone else, I'll make you regret it," she hissed angrily. Her eyes flashed with stormy fire which was interesting for a Water-bender.
"Don't worry. Unlike your air-bending friend, I won't break my word. The boy and the entire village are being held by pirates. They have been divided up between three separate locations, so you won't be able to find and save all of them. The pirates want to sell them into slavery to the mines," Prince Zuko informed her, turning the screws even more. All those days in the interrogation chamber had definitely taken its toll.
"NO!" Katara breathed, her face terror-stricken. "I beg you, don't do this! Have mercy," she pleaded. Prince Zuko could almost imagine her knees knocking in fear.
Prince Zuko had to admit, he was glad he had never begged for mercy. It looked so demeaning. He wished he did not have to force the girl to do it. "Of course I will prevent that from happening, but it will require payment. I want you to help me capture the Avatar. I can't trust him to give himself up again," he explained, moving closer to his prisoner.
"You monster!" Katara hissed, her eyes filling with tears. Her face was creased with pain, indecision and agony. It was a painful choice, give up her friends or give up her family. He had given up a chance to hunt the Avatar to save Uncle Iroh. He wondered what the girl would do. It was easy to give yourself for something, but far harder was to betray someone else. It was strange how eagerly people were willing to sacrifice themselves for those they cared about, but how hard it was to sacrifice others.
Prince Zuko felt an odd twinge of regret at hurting her so badly. He had no idea why, but he felt it was wrong to be cruel to women. Although the fierce Flame-Maidens of his land were trained to be warriors and assassins, Prince Zuko had started feeling urges to be protective of women around the age of twelve.
"I know this is hard for you, but as I said before, try to understand. I must regain my honor and for that, I need your help. The Fire-Nation will make it worth your pain. I swear it to you, the moment the Avatar is at Azar; your tribe will be amply rewarded for their pains and sent home in comfort. Just cooperate with me and your village will never suffer another Fire-Attack again. You'll be a hero," he said soothingly, trying to seal the deal. He would have to repay her and the town for what he had done to them. "Think of the safety you will be bringing your people."
Katara seemed lost in her own thoughts. "I don't have all day, my good Water-bender. The pirates sail at the next tide. I need your answer now," Prince Zuko reminded, smiling. The things a prince must do for honor! Well, he was a prince, his needs came before others!
"Please, don't make me do this. Do what you want to me, just let my village go. You can hold me as prisoner," Katara pleaded, sounding so broken-hearted.
Prince Zuko took a deep breath. One prisoner was too easy to recapture. This was his last evil act, he promised the spirits. He was a prince, they would have to understand. "If you aren't willing, we can be off," he said calmly, snapping his fingers for his men to follow him. He hoped she would not force him to send back the villagers.
The girl shuddered for a moment, before calling out to him. "All right! But you will not hurt Aang. Capture him but you will not be cruel to him. Swear it to me," she hissed, her voice breaking with sobs. Her body trembled as waves of misery past over her face.
"A wise choice. I swear that I'll treat the prisoner with all the respect given to something of such value. Now, listen carefully. You will return and attack the Avatar. Use Water-bending and make as much noise as possible. Scream at him, tell him you hate him, and play along with everything I say. Keep him distracted while my men apprehend him. I am afraid I will have to detain your brother to prevent any rescues. Then he can return with his tribe. I hope you understand." Katara nodded mechanically. "Good. I wish you good luck. Fair warning though. Betray me and you will never see your family again. A young child such as this could fetch a good price," he said, feeling torn between triumph and regret.
Katara nodded, her eyes glazed. Prince Zuko could see the defeat in her stance. He nodded for Daisuke and Seiji to set her free. "She won't run." Katara's lip trembled and she nearly collapsed when the guards released her. Prince Zuko was quickly at her side to steady her. She nudged him away, her eyes filled with hatred.
"I suppose we should get this over with. Can I offer you some refreshments?" Prince Zuko asked, holding out the plate Uncle had just offered him. She shook her head. "Then let's be off. Seiji, Daisuke, follow her. I and the rest of the men will follow behind."
Katara was beginning to vacillate. Prince Zuko nodded to Jee, who began taking Aiiro back into another room. His pitiful tears returned Katara to the proper frame of mind. "All right," she sniffled, as she shuffled off. Her two escorts accompanied her.
Prince Zuko motioned for the rest of the men to follow him at a distance. Soldier Jiro was ready with the net gun. Waiting a few moments, he lead the charge, feeling quite exhilarated. The sky seemed bluer, the air seemed fresh. Soon, he would make everything right again, he would regain his rightful place and he would win back the affections of his family.
He ignored the looks of fear on the city-dwellers faces as he listened for the sound of arguments. He had more important prey then them today. A jet of water launched into the air, followed by the sounds of loud voices arguing.
Running around the corner, he could hear Katara tirade against the monk, loudly decrying him in the clearest terms. She was shooting balls of water at him, screaming how he was holding her back.
"Katara, why are you doing this?" the monk was pleading, looking so devastated by the verbal onslaught.
"Katara, is it that time of the month?" the water peasant was asking, looking just as furious. "Fire-benders!" he gasped, looking up at them. A strange little club appeared out of nowhere. Prince Zuko smirked. He would enjoy humiliating that yokel.
"That would be us. Capture them," Prince Zuko ordered, a smirk on his face. His eyes fell briefly on Katara who winced but nodded. She let out another stream of water that knocked Aang off his feet.
"I hate you, Aang. I wish I never met you!" she hissed, her hands shaking with rage. "Here, take him, Zuko! I'm tired of risking my life for him," she challenged. Avatar Aang looked absolutely overwhelmed with sadness. The betrayal had paralyzed him. He looked so confused and helpless.
Jiro fired the net and easily captured him. The Avatar did not even struggle or try to fight back. Prince Zuko had calculated properly. His spirit was truly broken. The peasant had tried to fight back but had been pinned by two of the warriors. Katara stood alone.
"Thank you, my lady. Your service to the Fire Nation will not be forgotten," he said jovially, feeling exhilarated.
"Katara, how could you?" the peasant was yelling. "You traitor! You aren't my sister anymore, I have no sister!" The anger on his face was almost terrifying 'in and of itself, but the apathy on the Avatar's face was truly scary. He was completely emotionless at being captured.
"Why Katara?" the bald little monk asked through the net in the most pathetic voice possible. A flicker went past Katara's icy façade.
"Knock them out!" Prince Zuko ordered, before Katara broke the charade. A swift whack to the heads and both boys were out cold. At that, Katara screamed. It was too late anyway. "Put the leash on the Avatar and take them back to the ship," he continued, happily. He had succeeded. He had won the day!
Katara was still standing alone. She was staring at the ground, tears silently falling from her eyes. "You did what you had to," he offered her what comfort he could. Katara looked up at him hatefully before offering her hands. "Just chain me up and be done with it," she hissed hatefully.
Prince Zuko nodded. "I still thank you for it. You'll calm down once you see the wisdom of your actions," he said lightly. Katara, head held high allowed Seiji to tie her hands behind her back and lead her away. "Give her something to eat and see that she's comfortable. Take the Avatar to the holding cell I prepared. As for the peasant, just chain him up somewhere," he directed.
Prince Zuko walked back to the ship in triumph. He had won! He was going home, he was going to save everyone and correct every damage his father had caused. Uncle would return to his favorite teahouse and the Maidens would become welcome at every Fireport. He would be able to see Hotaru. He hoped she would be there at the ship, so he could tell her the good news.
Sadly, only Captain Sakura was waiting inside his chambers. Her golden eyes were so cold and empty. They were nothing like he thought he remembered. They were still the same ones that haunted. "I take it you succeeded?" she asked curtly.
"Yes. I thank you for your help," Prince Zuko said, holding out the money to Captain Sakura. Her golden eyes met his own and softness filled them. A shy smile filled her face, making her seem more beautiful then anything Prince Zuko had seen. A familiar memory stirred inside him. She reached out a weather-beaten hand almost to touch him, before withdrawing sharply.
"Don't think this changes anything between us. You are still his son," she spat, her eyes returning to its usual coldness. Her face returned to the former look of indifference, a look he recognized so well.
Prince Zuko flinched but nodded coldly. He would not bend or break. He would be strong. "I understand," he whispered as she turned on her heel and left the room. Prince Zuko listened to her footsteps walk out of his life again, and he could not help but stare after the proud Pirate Captain. Power still radiated from the former Priestess of the Flame Maidens. He hoped she would look back and smile at him, that she would give him another sign of recognition. When she grabbed the rope to board her ship, Prince Zuko slammed the door to his chambers closed.
His fists clenched as his breathing increased. With a cry of rage, he let loose a flame of fireballs. Not mindful of the damage he was wrecking, he let lose every ounce of rage he could, shooting burning embers in every direction. The hatred poured of him in screams, in waves of bright fiery fury that exploded from every fiber of being.
Prince Zuko screamed and raged, tossing objects about and using his Fire-bending until he was exhausted. His room had been charred black as pitch and everything had been chipped and broken. He fell to his knees, breathing hard. He had lost control like he had never done before. He had not seen Captain Sakura for years and yet, she could still bring out these feelings in him.
"Even a blind calf knows it's own kind," Uncle Iroh had once observed.
"But sometimes, the kind doesn't want the calf," Prince Zuko hissed angrily, his mind filling of the image of Captain Sakura, the woman who cared nothing for him. He had nearly stopped thinking of her as anything more then her title on the ship. He remembered when she was so much more to him, when she was the world to him. Perhaps he should try to forget her. She had not even said good-bye. This was the second time she had abandoned him like that.
Well, he would make things right and say goodbye, even if she could not hear him. "Goodbye, Mother" he whispered again, becoming that scared child who had cried himself to sleep after she had walked out on him, taking his beloved sister Hotaru with her.
"I still love you." The worst part was he still did.
In cases such as these, I'd like a hand
Don't wake me up without a master plan
With black & white instead of colour
Don't you understand?
When things that once were beautiful are bland
And when I feel like I can feel once again
Let me stay awhile, Soak it in awhile
If we can hold on we can fix what is wrong
Buy a little time, for this head of me
Haven for us
In truth there is no better place to be
Than falling out of darkness still to see
Without a premonition, could you tell me where we stand?
I'd hate to lose this light, before we land
---The Delgados