-1Fire in the Skies
-- Your New Friend --
"Prince Zuko, Princess Ursa has requested you join her at the turtle-duck pond."
"When?"
"Lady Ursa said it was preferred now, Prince Zuko."
"Alright, alright…I'm coming." The seven year old prince stated, his golden eyes tearing away from the scroll he had been reading. He quickly turned away from the direction in which the messenger had set out in. He made his way towards the turtle-duck pond from there, taking various turns to find the courtyard. He could see the back of his mother's head, her long black hair flowing in the slight breeze that came from the middle of this day.
He grinned softly as he approached her, the black hair that emanated from his pony tail floating behind him. The prince was dressed in classic fire nation wear, with red slacks trimmed with gold, black boots, and the classic red tunic trimmed in gold. His golden eyes caught sight of another figure sitting with his mother, a young girl around the age of Zuko, however, she looked to be maybe a year or two older than him. He entered his mother's and the girl's field of vision and he bowed to them both, a small smile upon his face as he surfaced from said bow. His mother smiled in return and the girl bowed her head. The older woman's pale hand patted a patch of grass beside her, her golden eyes gazing up at her son with love and affection. Truly Zuko's mother favored him over his little sister, Azula. Their father, Fire Prince Ozai, favored the princess more for her skilled abilities in fire-bending. But Zuko had their mother and that was really who mattered to him the most.
Zuko followed suit and sat down at a forty-five degree angle in front of his mother, smiling up at her. He could feel the girl's eyes upon him as his mother's mouth opened to introduce the pair.
"Zuko, this is Kaida. Kaida, this is my son, Zuko."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Zuko." Her voice was soft, like that of a loose petal or feather floating down upon the breeze. However, it still held confidence in it that was hidden somewhere within that soft drone. It was enchanting, really.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, as well, Kaida" Zuko responded, getting a smile from the girl in front of him. His eyes darted towards his mother, wondering who exactly this girl was, though he was all manners in front of her.
"Kaida has come to live with us. Her mother was a good friend of mine and has recently passed. Her father passed a few years back…"
"I have no where else to go. And Ursa has always shown the utmost kindness to me and my family."
"Of course, you have always been welcome into my life, dearest " Ursa smiled down at the girl, this…Kaida, who was smiling softly as she watched the turtle-ducks in the pond before her.
"So…does that mean she's my new sister…?" Zuko asked, a tad confused.
"Oh no. Not at all. She'll simply be living with us. Her parents were members of the Fire Nation Court, after all…"
"I don't want a new family…just a place to stay." She stated, nodding quietly.
"Oh. Right." He stated as he watched her, wondering where she hailed from. He had never heard of her nor any of her parents in the court. Then again, he wasn't allowed into the court meetings. Especially since he was only seven years old. A messenger came up to the group of three once again, the same one who had summoned Zuko a bit ago. He had a note for his mother from his father. She took it and read over it, something about being requested in the court again with Zuko's grandfather. She nodded and handed the parchment back to the man before she stood, her Fire Nation robes falling down to the grass with a soft rustle.
"Fire Lord Azulon requests my presence. I will get back to you two later." She stated, spinning on her heels with a flare of robes and hair. Zuko's golden eyes watched her go while Kaida simply continued to watch the little flock of turtle-ducks swimming in the pond.
When he could no longer see his mother, he turned back to the girl. Kaida had pulled out a roll from a pocket in her robes and was tearing it apart for the animals in front of her.
"So, how old are you, Prince Zuko?" She asked, holding out a torn piece for the mother of the little family of them.
"Just call me Zuko, please. And I'm seven." He stated, smiling proudly.
"Fun. I remember being seven…" She stated, her voice trailing off into the distance as she continued to feed the animals that were currently clambering over her legs.
"How old are you, Kaida?" He asked, tilting his head slightly in question.
"Nine. I'll be turning Ten in just a few months, though."
"Really? I'm turning eight next month."
"Wonderful." She stated, smiling at him even though her attention was spent on the turtle-ducks.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Little ZuZu got himself a girlfriend? I thought you were saving yourself for Mai." Another female voice could be heard. T'was the voice of little six year old Azula. Both Kaida and Zuko looked up at the mocking girl.
"She's not my girlfriend, Azula!" He stated, blushing fiercely.
"Oh? Then what is she? A slave? You know how father doesn't like it when you mingle with the slaves, ZuZu." She stated, still mocking the pair as Kaida finished feeding the bread to the ducklings. She smiled and leaned back, listening to their conversation and yet still managing to ignore every word the princess was saying.
"No. She's not. Her mom was a friend of -"
"Right, I don't care. Anyway, Dad is holding a council with Grandfather, today. It's about becoming Fire Lord. Interested?"
"No, Azula. You know Uncle Iroh is supposed to be Fire Lord next."
"Yes, well. Since his son Lu Ten died so tragically in the war, the old bat is coming home. And Dad doesn't think it should be that way with no heirs." Her voice was filled with a mock sarcastic poison as she spoke of their father's elder brother.
"Princess Azula, why are you concerning yourself with such matters when you are not the one who will get to rule the throne. You will never be able to do so, will you? So why speak of such treason?" Kaida spoke up, looking up at the three year younger princess with sterling green eyes. Azula stepped back when the calm voice of the older girl began to sound, furrowing her brows with defeat. The princess flipped her bangs away from her face with a pale hand before huffing and turning on her heels to storm off. Zuko turned to Kaida, a look of awe upon his face.
"How…how did you do that?"
"She's your younger sister, right?"
"Um…yeah…?"
"Shouldn't you be standing up for yourself, then?"
"Oh…um…I guess…" Zuko stated, blushing slightly as Kaida made movements to get up.
"And besides, I did it by not letting her get to me. That's something you do way to easily…"
"Oh…um…right."
"Well, I'm off. Have fun avoiding your sister." She stated, and with one swift movement, she did a quick spin to get into a standing position. From there, she turned on her heel and headed back towards the palace, a small smile upon her quiet features.
-- Disappear --
"Dad's going to kill you." The younger girl's voice mocked the prince as he and Kaida walked along the corridors from the kitchen. They had just finished begging rolls off of the cooks and were headed off towards the turtle-duck pond.
"What are you talking about, Azula?"
"Oh nothing. Just Dad's going to kill you. Literally."
"Zuko, ignore her. Keep walking." With Kaida's voice, Azula glared at the older girl as she followed them. That nine year old know it all was becoming too much of a hassle right now. She was teaching Zuko to ignore his sister, which meant that she had to dig deeper to hit his nerves. He head turned eight last week, and now the pair were only a year off in an age difference. Yes, it had already been a little over a month since the girl came to live in the palace, and he and Kaida had grown to be fast friends.
"Right."
"Zuko, I'm not kidding. Dad is really, really going to kill you." With that statement, all seriousness in her voice, it made Zuko stop dead and spin 'round on his heels. There was an expression of wonderment and fear upon his pale face. With the boy's sudden stop, Kaida stopped and turned on her heels as well, her silver-green eyes concerned as she looked from the boy to the girl. Azula had a smug smirk up on her face as she looked at her nails, not really caring that her father had threatened her brother's life.
"What are you talking about, Azula?"
"Just the fact that Dad disrespected Grandpa. And now, Grandpa is going to make Dad kill you, his only son and heir."
"…What do you mean?"
"You remember Dad's meeting with Grandpa last month, don't you?"
"…Yes…?"
"I told you Dad wanted the throne, and now Dad is going to kill you to know what it feels like to lose a son."
"No…he…he wouldn't!"
"Oh, but he would, ZuZu!" With that, the twisted little girl grinned at her older brother and spun on her heels, sauntering off towards the end of the hall opposite both Kaida and Zuko. Kaida hung her head and Zuko looked absolutely mortified.
"I told you to ignore her, Zuko…"
"But…she was…she was serious, wasn't she?"
"Ignore her. Do not worry of the future when it still has yet to be decided."
"…Right…" But he didn't want to believe her, he wanted to believe his sister. No matter how terrible that truth may have been, it was exactly that - the truth. The seriousness in her voice could not be mistaken. There was no hint of sarcasm in that twisted girl's voice. Not like normal.
--
Kaida sat beside the turtle-duck pond, her long raven hair flowing behind her in a soft breeze. The moon had risen high in the sky, and the nine year old could not sleep. She leaned back onto the palm of her hands, though she still held onto a posture that made her back arch forward slightly. Her pale skin glinted in the moonlight above as she closed her eyes, in a sort of meditative sleep. Her eyes were something of a mystical, odd color for a Fire Nation citizen. They were a mix somewhere between being silver and an emerald green. Her hair was something of interest as well. It was definitely a cut that was not seen normally in the fire nation - especially for a girl of only nine. Her straight hair fell down in a waterfall of raven black where it ended in a straight line along the top of her rump. Her bangs fell down to just past her brows, framing her face as they curved around her jaw. She wore a loose silk crimson tunic and a pair of silk black
A sigh escaped her lips as she could hear someone else creeping up on her from behind. Kaida immediately spun round, rising out of her sitting position as she did so. She faced the person before her in a fighting stance, as she had been trained to do by her mother. The moonlight glinted off the face before her and she immediately relaxed.
"Ursa? What are you doing out here this late at night?" The nine year old asked, approaching the cloaked woman with a few steps.
"I could ask you the same thing, Kaida. But I must leave. I have already said my goodbyes to Zuko and I need you to promise me something."
"…Where are you going?"
"You cannot know. I'm sorry. But I need to hurry. Again, can you promise me something?" The girl slowly nodded, eyes holding confusion, question, and the beginnings of tears. Ursa knelt and took Kaida by the shoulders, looking into the young girl's eyes with compassion.
"Take care of Zuko. Do not leave him or betray him. Understand?" Kaida nodded slowly, blinking away tears as she was wrapped up in the fire princess' arms in a silent hug.
"Thank you, Kaida. Now, I have to go. I'm sorry for what I have done, but it was terribly necessary." With that, the woman stood once more, folded the hood over her head and walked away from the garden quietly, to whatever her fate may have been at that point.
Kaida's eyes still held tears in them as she made her way to Zuko's room. Surely he was awake and worried and scared and crying…just as she was. She arrived at the prince's quarters in a matter of minutes, but when she slipped past the large doors to where he lay in his massive bed. However, there were no lights flickering, nor a silhouette of the prince sitting up in his bed. There were no sounds of sobbing or heavy breathing…only the sounds of his deep breathing. What was he doing? His mother had just left them all and he was sleeping. Maybe Ursa never woke him. But no, she said…oh, whatever. Kaida was too upset to deal with it at that moment.
So, the nine year old merely made her way over to the edge of the bed. Her rump sat down on the satin covers as she hung her head, hair obscuring her face. She silently let the tears flow down her cheeks as she awaited the sleeping prince's awakening.
--
Zuko dreamt that his mother had come in late at night, dressed in the crimson robes of the fire nation. She apologized to him for all that she had done and told him that Kaida would be there for him no matter what. Then a kiss came from her lips onto his forehead and she said good bye. Ursa then left her son's room, with a flip of her hood and only one last look back. Then the dream ended and Zuko went back into a dreamless sleep.
Then he awoke and saw Kaida sitting on the edge of his bed. Bags were under her beautiful eyes and she had tear stains down her cheeks. He sat up, concern in his eyes. He crawled over to her, his chest bare and his lower half covered by a pair of red silk pajamas. A pale hand reached over to touch her shoulder, but she turned away.
"Kaida? What's wrong?" The only response was her shaking her head.
"Why don't you go get Mom? I'm -" He blinked slowly as he watched Kaida crumple, falling onto the floor in a heap of crying mess…
"…Kaida…? Where's Mom?"
-- The Meeting --
Kaida and Zuko walked down the halls of the Fire Nation palace. Just like they had done for the past five years. Kaida was now fourteen years old, a tall and gangly thing, having reached her growth spurt the year before. Standing at five feet and seven inches, the girl was still growing and developing. Zuko, on the other hand, was thirteen years old. He had not yet hit his growth spurt and was still stuck at the short height of five feet and two inches.
Zuko kept his shoulder-length hair pulled up in a high ponytail. Where as Kaida was proud of her long hair and let it flow free. They both wore the traditional clothing for the fire nation - Kaida in a crimson and gold kimono and Zuko in the traditional crimson and black uniform of the fire nation nobles. They were on their way to the war meeting…where Kaida had been invited to join Zuko's Uncle Iroh in the matters of war. Kaida was a peaceful person, so Zuko didn't see why Uncle had invited her instead of him…but he would ask his Uncle that he could join as well. They reached the meeting chamber in a few minutes and Kaida watched timidly as the generals and admirals entered. Zuko caught sight of his uncle and began dragging Kaida off towards him and out of her daze.
"Uncle! Please, can I join? I'm thirteen. Kaida's only fourteen and she's a woman. She hates war. Why can she go and I not?" Zuko asked, causing his uncle to look at him and raise his brow.
"You are too young, Prince Zuko. Lady Kaida, on the other hand, has matured far beyond her years and deserves to know what matters of war are going on. She will understand them far better than you would."
"But Uncle, please, I -"
"Hush. If I allow you to come to this meeting, you must promise not to say a word, Prince Zuko. The matters of war should not be in the hands of a thirteen year old boy. Understood?" At this Zuko beamed and nodded eagerly, Kaida was still watching the other generals walking past in the meeting chamber. She sighed and jumped slightly as Uncle placed a hand on her shoulder, the other already on Zuko's, and led the two into the chamber, the guards nodding as they passed.
--
"Zuko! What the hell were you thinking? Hmm? How could you do that? You knew it wasn't your place! What is wrong with you?" The voice of the young Kaida sounded in his room, scolding at him for his stupid actions only twenty minutes before. Yes, those fifteen minutes that it took to get back to his chamber was spent in silence. The past five, however, were spent scolding him feverishly. He sat on his bed and hung his head.
"Do you even know who you're supposed to duel, Zuko? Do you know who challenged you for an Agni Kai?" Zuko looked up, and shook his head. Kaida sighed, she couldn't tell him that it was his own father. He would have to figure that on his own.
"Zuko. You were a complete and total idiot for doing that, do you understand?" She only got a nod from him. Yelling at him for five minutes wasn't going to teach him a lesson, she realized. This Agni Kai was going to have to do that for him…most unfortunately.
"Go. You must train and get ready for your Agni Kai. It is tomorrow morning, remember." Zuko looked up and nodded, standing and bowing at the taller girl. Kaida sighed and wrapped her arms around him.
"You should have listened to your Uncle, Prince Zuko." He didn't answer, only nodded and sighed. Kaida sighed as well…she wasn't looking forward for tomorrow in the least. Sighing, she departed her friend and turned on her heels, leaving his room and walking into the corridor. She would see him in the morning if all else. She was tired and began heading towards her room, arms shaking inside the kimono's sleeves from being nervous.
--
The following morning, Kaida woke up before the sun began peeking over the horizon. She sighed as she watched the sky slowly grow paler and paler over time. Her green eyes hiding beneath heavy lids. She was tired, yes…but she was not about to go back to sleep. Not when she was so nervous. She had barely slept as it was and she simply doubted that it was going to do her any good with only a few minutes of sleeping until the Agni Kai. She sighed once again, thoughts were flying past her head about what might happen during today's battle between Zuko and his father. After his mother had disappeared, he hadn't really been the same person he used to be. And after this, she had a feeling that Zuko wasn't going to be allowed to stay in the Fire Nation Palace any longer. His father was the Fire Lord now, after all.
Another sigh escaped her full lips as she weighed her options. The only current reason that Kaida was allowed to stay in the palace was because of the fact that she was Zuko's friend and Zuko bid that she stayed. It had been like that since Ursa left. And both Kaida and Uncle Iroh were sure that Fire Lord Ozai was going to banish Zuko for his 'treason.' Yet another sigh escaped her lips as she watched the sun creep above the crater's walls. Yes, living in the palace with no sign of the ocean around the island sometimes got to her. But she got through just fine…she supposed. She just missed the ocean. Odd for a fire bender, she assumed. Sighing, Kaida turned round. It was time to intercept Zuko before he went to his moment of truth.
She dressed herself in a kimono, this one was a thinner silk than the one she had worn yesterday and hugged to her form quietly. This one had no obi, either, nor sleeves. It made it lighter to wear…especially this early in the summer day. It would keep her cool all day, thank Agni. It was a crimson silk, with black embroidery reaching up the hem of the skirt and snaking up the dress in a vine pattern. Said vines ended just below the navel…as they slowly dispersed as they reached higher and higher. The dress itself had black trim along the hems and the cross section that she tightened across her supple chest. She combed her raven hair out, removing the tangles that had nested themselves there during her sleep. Her green eyes kept a soft stare at her as she arranged her hair to lay around her shoulders and down her back and her front at the same time. Smiling to her reflection, her eyes gazed out at the sun's steady rising. Her heart raced with a nervous sort of laughter as she realized she would have to practically run in order to walk with Zuko to the duel. Sighing, she quickly slid her feet into a pair of black slippers.
Zuko, on the other hand, was busy staring at himself in the mirror. His smooth porcelain flesh stared back at him and his golden eyes glared hard at the reflection. He, unlike Kaida and his uncle and nearly every other general and admiral at the meeting yesterday, was unaware he would be fighting his father. And not knowing that, Zuko had not followed Kaida's advice about training. He was good enough that he wouldn't need to worry. Or at least that was his thought process…not a very smart one mind you, but it was what he believed to be true. He was, once again, dressed in the traditional fire nation uniform, his hair pulled back into a high ponytail.
A knock at the door pulled him from his trance and he went to answer it. Silently, he hoped in the back of his mind that it was good news. Something like the man he was supposed to be fighting had dropped dead over night and Zuko would have to fight his three year old son instead. But when he opened the door to find Kaida looking lovely as usual, he composed himself and bowed to her. Kaida bowed back and beckoned him into the corridor with her.
"Good. I was afraid you had left already. Come on, let's walk together…" Zuko nodded and hugged her, smiling softly at the thought that she wanted to be with him right now. Though he was expecting to get scolded once again for the previous evening, that was not so. They walked along in brusque silence. He didn't mind too terribly, though…and Kaida was happy for the silence. They reached the room in which the duel was to take place not long before everyone else arrived. Kaida hugged him and he went to join Iroh in preparation for this Agni Kai.
--
"No! Please, father, I didn't know! I had no intention of dishonoring you! Please!" Zuko pleaded, kneeling before his father, the Fire Lord, and attempting to beg forgiveness.
"Rise, Prince Zuko. Defend your honor." The cold voice of Fire Lord Ozai sounded in front of his thirteen year old son.
"No! I won't fight you!" Kaida watched helplessly from the sidelines, shaking with both fear and anger. She sat still at her place beside Uncle, however. She swallowed as the Fire Lord laughed at his son's protests.
"Then I will teach you about respect myself!" He roared, and as Zuko looked up, a flame flew at his head. Kaida and Uncle looked away just in time to hear Zuko's screams and cries, but not to see what had happened to the Prince.
-- The Avatar Returns --
Three years have passed since Prince Zuko's banishment. Still no sign of the Avatar, though he feels we are growing nearer. I'm not quite sure if I can believe that… Iroh and I both agree that he has become…obsessed with restoring his honor. But what good is honor if his father still doesn't give a damn? All Ozai wants is the Avatar dead. And he's been gone for one hundred years. There is no way that the Avatar is still alive. Not after this long. And after three years of searching the globe, I doubt we have much luck anymore. But here we are, on this wild goose-rabbit chase…all for Zuko's sanity and his "honor and place in the throne of his nation." I have told him that his attempts are useless, but he refuses to listen. He's getting slowly better at fire bending, Iroh's lessons are helping. But how does he expect to defeat the Avatar after the hundred years he's had to master all the elements. I don't know what think anymore. It's Zuko's sixteenth birthday today. Iroh is making the crew help celebrate with us. I wrote him a poem that I will share tonight at the celebrations. I hope he enjoys it. Oh, bother…what is that boy up to now?
The sounds of the brush strokes that Kaida made on her private scroll as she wrote all that down diminished as she finished. Zuko was babbling on about something on deck and he was calling her name. Sighing, Kaida wiped clean her calligraphy brush and left her scroll open to dry. Sighing, she stood, causing her black cotton kimono to rustle as she did so. Kaida wrapped her arms around themselves, making sure that the sleeves of the kimono covered her arms. Yes, in the south pole it was really quite cold. The seventeen year old girl hadn't changed much since she was fourteen. She had grown another three inches, so she now stood at a height of five feet and ten inches. Zuko had, in turn, grown since he was thirteen. Though he wasn't nearly as tall as Kaida. He stood at a height of five feet and seven inches, only three inches shorter…but he did still have growing to do.
She surfaced and bowed to the Prince, receiving a bow back in greeting before getting dragged off towards the front of the metal ship. He was pointing towards a clump of icebergs.
"See? Kaida, don't you see?" Kaida raised her brow and looked hard at the iceberg. It looked just like every other iceberg in the damn sea. She turned to Zuko and shook her head.
"What are you pointing at? Another iceberg? It's not like we haven't seen every other damned iceberg in this whole damned ocean, is it?" Zuko looked flustered and quickly looked over to where he was pointing, his other arm still holding tightly on Kaida's thin arm.
"There…there was a light there earlier. Wasn't there, Uncle? I saw it, you saw it. The men saw it." Kaida blinked and rolled her eyes, trying to pull away from Zuko but failed. Even if she was taller, she was still thin and he was stronger than her. She sighed and raised her brow.
"I know it's your birthday, Zuko…but that doesn't mean you can claim glowing lights shining all over. Have you suspected that it was the Southern Lights?" At this, Uncle nodded and she smirked softly. So he had, but Zuko still didn't believe it.
"I'm not kidding. There was. Wasn't there Uncle? And besides, it was too powerful to be the Southern Lights. It had to have come from an extremely powerful source. And who else is that powerful but the Avatar himself!?" Zuko was becoming annoyed now…his temper had been short ever since his accident at the Agni Kai. Kaida watched his eyes quietly, shifting between his scarred and smooth flesh. He could tell she was watching him and he averted his eyes, not looking forward to hearing how it was all his fault that this had happened and they were all on that boat together because of him. Even though it was true, he didn't like admitting it. He had forced himself to forget that fact. It was not one of his favorite things that he had done in his life. Definitely not.
"Whatever you say, Zuko. Anyway, Happy Birthday." She said, turning with a swirl of fabric and hair upon her heels as she went back to her warm room beneath the ship. There she could at least continue her day of solitude in silence. And in solitude. Before she closed the steel door that separated the deck from the rest of the ship, she heard Zuko barking orders to begin heading towards the light. She sighed, shaking her head as she disappeared.
--
Within a few minutes of Kaida finding her solitude yet again, she was interrupted by the sounds of the ship scraping against something that didn't sound like it was supposed to be scraping up against. She sighed as she set down her calligraphy brush once again and let the parchment dry up silently. She grumbled to herself as she made her way to the deck of the ship. Before she could ask someone what the bloody hell was going on, Zuko ran past her, smiling like a damned maniac.
"Zuko! What the hell are you up to?" She shouted after him, slowly becoming a little more infuriated with him at his actions.
"We're at the water tribe where the Avatar is hiding!" Kaida sighed and shook her head. She would watch from the deck, like always whenever they invaded towns to look for the Avatar.
--
Kaida sighed, she was sitting on the edge of the ship with her legs hanging over the edge beneath her. Her hair sat still as she watched Zuko go about his business looking through the small water tribe village for the Avatar. She thought his efforts were useless as she watched him handle an elderly woman roughly. She would have called down to the banished prince against his actions had she not been watching a girl with a braid and looks in her hair trying to hold a boy back. The only boy around Zuko's age at that village was painted as a warrior. This village had a past. And it didn't seem like a good past.
"Where is the Avatar?" Zuko shouted yet again, pushing the old woman away from him and back towards the girl and her brother.
"We don't have him! We don't know who you're talking about! The Avatar hasn't been seen for hundreds of years!" There went the old woman again, turning around in the girl's arms.
"Lies! Men! Search the village!" With Zuko's order, the Fire Nation soldiers assembled around Zuko scattered to look for the Avatar. But before the first soldier arrived at the one of the ice huts, a young boy dressed in yellow and orange clothing floated down from above, landing in front of Zuko.
"Stop!" The boy cried. Both Kaida and Zuko knew from his clothing that he was an Air Nomad. They also knew that this had to be the last air bender. And therefore, the last Avatar.
"The Avatar." Both he and Kaida whispered. Kaida was much more interested now. The boy sent a jet of air at Zuko, causing him to stumble back. Within a few seconds, however, the prince was back on his feet and soon sending a blast of flame towards the boy.
"You're the Avatar! But you're just a boy!" Zuko called, as the boy dodged yet another blast of his fire.
"Well, you're just a teenager!" He retorted. Kaida couldn't help but to giggle at that. She received a glare from Zuko, causing other water tribe natives to look up at her. With a swift movement, however, Kaida hopped back over the side of the ship and landed on the deck with a soft thud. She smiled as she poked her head back over the side. In their distraction, Zuko had managed to get guards surrounding the Avatar. Kaida smirked, her boy was learning.
"Surrender now, Avatar. If you don't want us to hurt your water tribe." Zuko stated, bringing the attention of everyone back to him and the Avatar rather than Kaida and the ship. She watched as the young boy gave up, hanging his head and allowing the soldiers to lead him to the ship.
"Aang! No!" Kaida's attention once again got torn back to the girl, who was leaving her family to protest the boy getting carried away.
"It's okay, Katara. I'll be alright." He stated, sparing a final glance back as the door that had so previously allowed Zuko and the soldiers to invade was closed. Kaida left her perch with a twirl of hair and silk.
Below the deck, Zuko was barking orders to the soldiers, telling them to put the Avatar in his room.
"But, Prince Zuko, what if he tries to escape?" The head of the crew came up to him, bowing before him quietly.
"Then watch him and make sure he doesn't escape!" He shouted, his temper rising slowly. The soldier sensed this and he quickly bowed and began ordering those lesser than him around. Within a few seconds, Zuko was standing alone in the steel corridor. He quickly made his way up to the deck, but Kaida beat him into meeting her.
"Kaida, I finally have him! I have our ticket back home!" The eager voice of his brought a smile to her face. She smiled at him once again, and he actually had the small hints of a smile back at her. They hugged, and before Kaida new it, their lips met.
-- Nothing Happened --
It was a few sweet seconds before either of them realized what had happened and they parted. Kaida's eyes were wide and a blush slowly crept over her skin in a deep shade of crimson. Zuko quickly turned away, hiding a blush from her. Kaida blinked in the silence that came from that kiss. She was stunned, unable to move, and strangely wanting another kiss. She turned on her heels, trying to make sure that it looked like nothing had happened. Other than another bickering battle between the two. She sighed, looking back to him as she thought of what she could say. She opened her mouth to say something - what, she didn't know - but Zuko beat her to it.
"Sorry, Kaida…I…I…"
"It's fine, Zuko."
"As far as anyone else is concerned…"
"Nothing happened. I know." She stated, a tint of sadness in her voice. She took a breath, her heart was racing terribly as she was wondering what he would do if she went in for another kiss. She bit her lip as she nodded in his direction, deciding not to do anything for the moment, no matter how loud her feelings were screaming at her. She would go back to her room and act as though nothing happened. Because no one else was there, so it had to be true…
She sighed. No matter how much she tried to deny it, Kaida really wanted it to happen. Known to other people, not just her and the prince. He had been so…happy before that. And then he had went back to his gloomy self. She sat down on her bed, leaning back against the steel walls and staring at the ceiling, her eyes slowly beginning to glimmer with the hints of tears. She blinked them away…why would she cry over something so stupid as wanting another kiss? Shouldn't she be happy. She figured that her current emotional status was because of the way the whole thing was handled. Lovely…just lovely…
Noise could be heard coming from the corridor outside her room, making her fall from her state of mind back onto the earth. She blinked, standing and going to her door. She opened the door but was quickly shoved back inside by one of the guards. "Stay inside, Miss. The Avatar has escaped." Was all he said before he jerked the door closed and left with the group of people chasing after the seemingly twelve year old boy. She blinked, staring at the steel in front of her for a few moments before she pulled it open and slipped outside her room, walking up to the deck quietly, dodging as a blast of fire came her way. There was that boy behind and above her, calling the attention of everyone on deck. She looked back to the men fighting the boy, they weren't paying attention to her, least of all to anyone in the air. There was a flying bison coming their way, that same water tribe girl and her brother sitting on top, looking a little worse for wear. Kaida smirked quietly before Zuko caught sight of her and tackled her, causing the both of them to fall to the ground.
"What the hell are you doing here, Kaida!" He scolded, gold eyes looking at her with something that she couldn't quite name. It was a mix of emotions really, and for one reason or another, that look caused her heart to flutter.
"I…" She was at a loss for words right now…not that she meant to be that way, but she was.
"Didn't they tell you to stay in your cabin?" He meant the guards. Kaida's eyes glanced upwards, the boy was jumping off the tower, gliding towards his friends and his bison. She then looked at the guards, they were tossing flames at him. "Well?" She was pulled back to Zuko.
"Y…yeah, they did."
"So what the hell are you doing out here?"
"I wanted to help, Zuko."
"Help? How were you going to help, Kaida? You can't even bend!" The words slipped away from him before he could think and the look on the face of the girl that lay beneath him made him immediately regret his decision to speak. Those eyes turned cold and she struggled beneath him.
"Get. Off." She stated, her voice cold. Everyone had given up chasing after the Avatar, he was out of their reach for now. They turned, instead, to the two teenagers on board. The old general Iroh stepped forward to console the two. Everyone had heard Zuko's stinging words. He didn't move from his place, however. "Kaida….I'm…"
"Get off me, Zuko! Just get off and leave me alone!" She struggled but he gave way, she pushed him away from her, glaring and heart pounding in her chest and mind telling her to just show this boy how wrong he was. But she couldn't. Not with everyone watching…
Kaida swallowed and got up, fighting back the urge to just pummel him with everything she had. The seventeen year old turned and stormed off deck, back into her room. She locked the door behind her before she collapsed on the floor, tears falling and lithe body shaking quietly.
-- Happy Birthday --
Zuko didn't move. He couldn't believe what he had just said. He knew that Kaida was more than a bit touchy on the subject of her not being able to bend. He knew that and yet he had still said it. He could tell that she was hurt terribly by his comment. He cursed himself over and over and then over again as he got up, his Uncle Iroh behind him and thinking of what to say to comfort his nephew.
The Prince really did not know what to do. He wanted to go apologize and comfort Kaida. But he knew that she was only going to push him away again…and he didn't feel like trying to explain to a girl who was older than him and who he respected why had been such an ass and why he had said those things. He sighed and moved to a small chair, sitting down as he was followed by his uncle. "Uncle, what do I do?" He asked, his face in his hands as his black ponytail fell forward. The old man shrugged and attempted to give his nephew a cup of tea. The teenager merely shook his head and Iroh shrugged, taking the tea for himself.
"I could talk to her if you like, Prince Zuko." The man stated in his gruff voice, one of his bushy brows raised quietly. The prince merely shrugged, then nodded. "Sure, if you can get her to talk…" He said, but his uncle didn't hear him. Iroh had turned on his heels before the prince could get an answer out.
--
Kaida had forced herself to stop crying when the knock came to her door. She wiped her eyes and glared at the metal. "Go away!" She yelled, her voice shaky with unresolved anger. She took a breath and stepped forward, nearly jumping when she heard Iroh's calm voice calling to her.
"I brought you tea, Miss Kaida. I thought that maybe we could talk about my nephew's -"
"I don't want to talk. And sorry, Iroh, but I don't want any tea." She stated, still shaky with her voice and body as she stared at the metal, eyes puffy and swollen. She waited for a response, but one didn't come for a few seconds. She figured the old man had left, so when she went to sit down on her bed and he spoke again, she almost jumped.
"Fine. We don't have to talk. But I would like to come in and give you tea. It will help calm you." Okay, that got her. Kaida did want some company, anyway. She sighed and shuffled to her door, unlocking it and opening it a crack. "Zuko isn't with you…is he?" She asked, when she received a shake of the head in response, she opened it wider and allowed the old man entrance. She respected him…that was one of the reasons she couldn't turn him away. Plus, he did make a mean cup of soothing tea. And that was probably what she needed most at this moment.
--
Despite how much Kaida tried to refuse speech with Iroh, he eventually coaxed it out of her. And she told him everything…her entire life story took up most of their time. And when their tea was finished, he would refill and wait for Kaida to continue. Nothing else had happened that day to cause them to pull out of their conversation. They were chasing after the Avatar and his friends, and Kaida wasn't too keen on seeing Zuko again for the moment. Iroh was a good listener…he always had been. Maybe that was why he was so easy to talk to. Kaida couldn't talk to Zuko…he interrupted her too much and made her nervous. Something about him always had.
"So why haven't you told Prince Zuko this?" Iroh asked after she had finished with the story of her life.
"Because. I can't. I've never felt like I could tell him. I've always figured he would…do something that would screw me over for the rest of my life."
"Why would he do that?"
"…Because, no offense or anything, he was born and raised a Fire Nation Prince in war. What are they supposed to do to invaders and whoever threatens their throne? Eradicate them…"
"But you don't threaten his throne, and you aren't an invader. And I was born a Prince in the time of war. Do you see me sauntering down to my brother with you in tow?"
"…No, I'm not. And no, you're not doing that. But still. You and Fire Lord Ozai are completely different. He screwed you over and brought his family into it. He raised a crazy, psycho little -"
"Alright, I get it. I understand. Have you ever told him why you can't bend?"
"I told you that I can't…it would -"
"Yes, I know. Ruin your life. So you said. I didn't mean directly…what does he think the reason is?"
"He thinks that I can bend, but I don't because it could kill me…" There was silence as Kaida finished her reply. Iroh blinked and raised a confused, bushy brow at her.
"…What? You told him that?" It was then that she realized how stupid it had been of her to say that. Only once in the recorded history had a bender been killed by his own bending. And that was an accident. "What does he think it is because of?"
"Yeah…haven't told him that. After I told him that it would kill me, he pretty much backed off…" The candle on her table spluttered, there was wax spreading slowly all over the surface. It had burnt out in the time the two spoke. Kaida sighed and blew out the dying wick, a fresh aroma of cherries and their blossoms spread. Yes, the candle wasn't necessarily there for light, but for smell. She smiled softly as she removed a knife from underneath the forearm of her kimono. She began scraping up the quickly drying wax with the dull edge of the blade, focusing on that rather than explaining her reasoning more to Iroh.
"Well, I think we have spoken for long enough, Kaida. And would you please join us for Prince Zuko's birthday celebration? I know he would enjoy it if you showed…" That made her pause in her work, looking up as the old man stood and made his way to her door.
"I'll think about it, Iroh…I don't know yet." With that, Kaida was left alone. What was she going to do? She did want to go to his little party…but she didn't know if that would make it seem like she had forgiven him. And she most definitely had not.
--
Zuko had been holed up in his room for the rest of the day. He simply lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering what Kaida was saying to his Uncle right about now. He had stopped by her door before continuing to his room. She was talking about something with her family. He had decided not to disturb them. Of course, that was best considering the look he had received from the older girl earlier that afternoon…
A knock came to his door and he sat up, looking at it and silently hoping it was Kaida. "Come in." He called, sitting up straighter and moving so that his legs hung over the side of the mattress, gold eyes watching as the door opened. His heart sunk as he saw it was his uncle. He sighed and lay back down. "What do you want?" He stated, cold in his tone.
"I just finished talking to Kaida, she's really quite upset, Prince Zuko." Iroh said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed at his nephew's feet. Zuko raised his brow and lifted his head, glaring at his uncle with his good eye.
"Really? Because you know, I really couldn't tell with that look she gave me earlier." He said sarcastically as he brought his head back down. "I take it she wants to get off at the next stop, and never speak to me again." Iroh smirked and chuckled at his nephew's reaction.
"No. Actually, she said she would think about coming to your dinner tonight." Zuko looked up at his uncle, hope hiding somewhere in those distorted features of his. Iroh merely nodded before standing up.
"Come on, dinner will be ready soon, Prince Zuko. It's your birthday, come celebrate."
-- Competition --
Kaida, Zuko, and Iroh walked down the ramp jutting from their ship's prow. They had docked in a fire nation naval yard, trying to find someone to repair their ship. Yes, the fight with the Avatar a few days before had caused the bow of it to be nearly destroyed. Wonderful…just wonderful. And now here they were, waiting on the docks while their ship was repaired. Both Iroh and Zuko wore their Fire Nation armor. Kaida was dressed in a plain crimson kimono, the golden obi quietly signifying her allegiance with the fire nation. Not that she really wanted to show that at this point…but whatever. She couldn't help her nationality.
She had forgiven Zuko for his 'slip up' the other day. Not entirely, but she was at least talking to him now and everything between them wasn't too terribly awkward. Until Uncle Iroh said something about that stupid kiss they had shared in front of the entire crew at Zuko's party. Kaida and Zuko both glared at the old man, though Zuko figured that Iroh had seen something rather than heard anything from Kaida. For that, she had been grateful. She looked over to the boy as he addressed his Uncle about getting the ship fixed as soon as possible. He then got angry and Iroh for something…Kaida hadn't been paying attention so she didn't know what it was about.
"Getting in the way of what, Prince Zuko?" A cold, hard voice that made Kaida jump sounded from behind them. The group of three turned 'round, surprised looks upon their faces.
"Captain Zhao." Both Kaida and Zuko spoke his name at the same time, surprised to see an old face. Despite the fact that they really did not want to see that.
"Actually, it's Commander now. And General Iroh." The man bowed at this point. "Ah, and Lady Kaida. It is good to see you again." He took her hand and kissed her fingers. Zuko glared at him quietly while Kaida seemed really quite disturbed, a small blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"It's Retired General now, Commander Zhao." Iroh stated, not showing that he was surprised to see the man here.
"Well, what brings you here? Not that you aren't welcome. The Fire Lord's brother and son are welcome anytime." At this point, Kaida felt really quite worthless in the eyes of such an…important man. Not that it should matter anyway…
"Our ship was damaged. We're waiting for repairs." She said, distaste in her voice as her eyes stared at him quietly.
"Oh?" Zhao looked up at their ship, a small smirk on his face. "That's a lot of damage. How did it happen?" Zuko turned frantic slightly before he hid his distress by looking at his uncle rather Zhao.
"Tell him, Uncle. Tell him how we crashed into an Earth Kingdom ship." It seemed as though Zhao could smell the fear leaking away from Zuko's form. Kaida pulled at the prince's sleeve as the commander invited them to have a drink.
"I'm sorry, Commander. But we really must be going." She stated, her loathing for this man pouring from her tongue. The two teenagers turned on their heels, starting to leave until Iroh stopped them both.
"Prince Zuko, Lady Kaida, show Commander Zhao your respect." He turned back to Zhao, teenager's arms in both hands. Kaida silently glared at the older, shorter man as she thought about pulling away. Zuko only glared at him and began following along reluctantly as Iroh agreed to the invitation.
--
Both Kaida and Zuko were tired of hearing Zhao go on and on about how he was going to have the Earth Kingdom capital under Fire Nation rule. They both sat in really rather uncomfortable chairs, neither sitting properly. They both exchanged glances as Zhao turned towards them, a malicious grin on his face. "The Fire Lord will finally have his victory and his place in history as the only man who has conquered the world."
"My father is a fool then." Kaida passed Zuko a worried glance, scolding him silently for his tongue. It was his tongue that had gotten them into this mess before and now it was his tongue digging them all in deeper. "That is, if he believes everyone will follow him willingly." Zhao only smirked and sat down in a chair in front of the two, elbows on his knees as his torso protruded forward.
"Two years at sea and I still you have still yet to learn respect…" He looked at Kaida before smiling, a seductive glow in his dark eyes. She only rolled the eyes of her own and looked away, completely appalled. "How is the hunt for the Avatar going, Prince Zuko?" He asked, turning his attention back to the banished prince.
"We haven't found him yet, Commander Zhao. Still searching." Kaida interjected, not wanting Zuko to dig them in deeper. Zhao smirked and leaned back, nodding softly.
"Of course…a hundred years since he's died. There is no way that he could still be alive. Is there, Prince Zuko?" Zuko shook his head, watching his Uncle browse a weapons rack on the adjacent wall to the group of three.
"No. We haven't found anything. Nothing at all."
"Prince Zuko. You will tell me what you have found if you have one speck of loyalty left in you. Or would you prefer the Avatar bring the Fire Lord down?" Zhao stood, scooting the chair backwards as he did so. Both teenagers stood as well, Kaida looking Zhao dead in the eye.
"We told you. We have found nothing." She stated through gritted teeth, she allowed herself to be pulled away by Zuko, towards the entrance of the tent and back to the ship. However, before they could even think about getting through the tent entrance, they were blocked by guards, as one of them came forward, Kaida gave Zuko a look that held slight worry in it. They turned around as the guard had finished his report, stepping aside as Zhao came forward, a smirk upon his broad face.
"Tell me again, Prince Zuko. How was your ship damaged?"
--
Zhao had forced the prince to tell him everything he knew about the Avatar. And when all was said and done, the commander had left them in his tent, guards blocking the entrance. Kaida was sitting in the chair, her chin in her hands as she glared after both the guards and Iroh. Why did he have to drag them along? She looked up and over at the boy sitting next to her. He had defeat written all over his face. She sighed and moved, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Don't let him get to you, Zuko…he's just like your sister…" She stated, enjoying the contact with him for right now. Maybe a little too much. But no matter.
Zhao entered once again and Kaida sat up, watching his movements quietly. "Once I am out to sea, my men will escort you to your ship, Prince Zuko. You are free to go then."
"Scared of a little competition, Commander Zhao?" At this, the man laughed.
"Me? Scared of you? Hardly. You're just a banished prince. Your home is your ship. You have no allies. Hell, your own father didn't even want you." Kaida put a warning hand upon Zuko's arm as the boy stood up. Spirits bless, that commander really knew which buttons to push to get Zuko over the edge.
"Once I return home with the Avatar, father will welcome me back with open arms. I will have my throne." Kaida sighed and leaned back. Trying to keep this boy from doing anything stupid was utterly useless at this point.
"Really? But if he wanted you back, wouldn't he let you come home. Even if you didn't have the Avatar? And don't try to deny it, Prince Zuko. You have the scar to prove it."
"Would you like one to match?" The prince growled, stepping closer to the Commander slowly. Both Iroh and Kaida exchanged glances that spelt 'Doom' across their faces.
"Are you actually challenging me, Prince Zuko?" Zhao seemed unperturbed when Zuko nodded.
"An Agni Kai. At sunset."
"Zuko!" Came the voice of Kaida as Zhao agreed and walked away. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You're a bloody idiot! Don't you remember what happened last time?" He turned on her, golden eyes cold.
--
Zuko had won. He had beaten Zhao at an Agni Kai. He began walking away from the arena, towards Kaida and his Uncle. He heard a yell coming from behind him and turned around, Iroh had just flipped Zhao onto the ground, Kaida standing over him in a stance that just spelled she would attack at any moment. The girl spat on the Commander and the prince couldn't help but to laugh to himself. He watched them quietly, wondering what they were doing. Then he heard his uncle speak words of praise. "Even in exile, my nephew has more honor than you do, Commander Zhao." He beamed inside, though he didn't show it on his face or in his emotions. It was then that his companions spun on their heels and began walking towards him. "And thank you for the tea, Commander. It was delicious."
He could tell that Kaida was excited for him, she was smiling and soft looking. What he didn't know was that Kaida wanted nothing more right now than to jump on him and hug him. She was proud. He smiled back at her softly before looking at his uncle. "Did you really mean that, Uncle?"
"Of course. You know tea is my favorite." He stated, smirking softly as the three made their way back to the ship. Kaida smiled and chuckled at Iroh's answer, watching Zuko from the corner of her eyes quietly.
-- The One Who Got Away --
It had been three days since Iroh had came with the news that they had no idea where the Avatar was. Zuko had been meditating - calm, cool, and collected he had been. But since then, he had been tense and grumpy. Kaida had steered clear of the teenager since then, choosing to spend her days on the deck of the ship or in her quarters. Currently, they sat on the deck of their ship, sitting around a low table and enjoying their lunch of fresh fish. Well, except for Kaida. She was one of those odd balls that didn't like fish. She instead had a plate of fruit sitting in front of her. She smiled softly as she picked through the different berries native to the village that they had recently stopped at. Zuko looked up and his ears shot back as he picked up something about the Avatar.
"The Avatar is on Kyoshi!" Zuko stood, ready to turn on his heels and head back to the ship to get everything ready to capture the Avatar.
"Prince Zuko. Are you going to eat that?" Iroh piped in as he pointed to the unfinished food. Zuko turned around and stole his plate of fish back, Kaida snickered softly.
"I was saving it for later. Now come on. We have to get going. Didn't you hear? The Avatar is on Kyoshi island. We cannot let him escape!" He stormed off, his food in hand. Kaida smiled and began laughing despite however hard she wanted to just shut up and not make Zuko's temper any worse than it already was. But his defensiveness over his food and the face that Iroh was giving right now was really too much.
--
They landed in Kyoshi two days later. And though Kaida was ordered to stay on the ship, she told Zuko that he owed her for saying that she couldn't defend herself. And so, here she was, dressed in a silver kimono with daggers hidden in her sleeves. She didn't expect to fight…she was sure that Zuko was going to keep her sitting pretty on that Rhino-lizard they had her sitting on right now. Not that they weren't already