A/N: Hi peoples! Yay! Chappie Five!

I dedicate this chapter to airgirl555: thanks for the review with the idea for Aang and his fish.

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Calming Ice

Chapter Five

Again, I couldn't sleep. Again, I tossed and turned. Again, I crawled out of my sleeping bag.

I didn't understand why I couldn't sleep. Wasn't it just two hours ago that I had nearly fallen asleep on Appa's back? I had just dozed off when my annoying, stupid, inconsiderate brat of a brother shook me, telling me we were about to land. Jerk. I mean, I knew my thoughts ran wild every time I attempted to sleep. That was probably what was keeping me awake for all of these long nights.

I looked over the shadowed forms of the snoozing boys. Sokka was mumbling in his sleep, as usual. Zuko lay away from the group, near a lone tree trunk and without a blanket. Aang had not moved from his spot unless he got up to go to the bathroom. Strangely, he'd gone at least eight times that night. But then again, the fish he ate might have had something to do with it… I smirked to myself and decided to take a short walk to the stream about a hundred yards off.

I walked as quietly as possible, as not to wake the others. I pushed past the tall prairie grass, stepping over holes and stray stones. Tiny lightning bugs flew threw the air with occasional dim light coming from them. The grass seemed to buzz with life. Crickets chirped contentedly and lightning bugs fluttered over me, circling each other. The moon and stars shone brightly above me. I smiled, inhaling the sweet smell of the grass and whispering a greeting to Princess Yue, the Moon Spirit.

I rarely talked to the moon before Princess Yue sacrificed herself to be the moon. But now, my friend was up there and I wouldn't ever see her again. We didn't know each other incredibly well, but all the same, I thanked her for her decision. Sometimes I found myself wondering what it would be like to be in Sokka's position. I had creeping suspicions the two had a secret relationship going on. My brother would sometimes go off on anyone or anything for the stupidest reasons. Sometimes he wouldn't even speak to us. He'd go off on his own for a while, staring at the dark sky. I knew he was watching her. Yue, I mean. I knew he missed her.

I looked up at the moon again. "It's hard, Yue." I said. At first, I thought myself stupid for talking to the moon. But I didn't think of it as the moon. I'd never think of it that way again. The beautiful, shining white orb in the sky was Yue. And I spoke again, knowing she'd hear me. "You're afraid to love someone you can't." The crickets' song filled the void in my one-sided conversation. "…or I'm afraid to love someone that was once my enemy."

I pushed a stray strand of chocolate hair behind my ear and continued walking. "Why did he do that? Why did he kiss me?" Absentmindedly, I pushed aside some of the grass. "He knows that even if I did love him we could never be together." It might have been my imagination, but I thought I saw the moon shine brighter. "Are you mocking me or agreeing?" A grin spread across my face.

"We're opposites. Water and fire. Light and dark. Good and evil." I paused and thought my words over. "So he isn't evil. Not anymore, anyway. But how can anyone forgive him for what he's done?" I made my way over a small slope. "Just look what he did to- Kyoshi." I stumbled slightly, remembering the "little incident" of Zuko nearly burning down the village. "We can't go back there. Suki will kill him."

I finally found a small clearing next to the stream. Exiting the grass, I let it fall back into its place. I took a seat by the quiet-flowing brook, submerging my hand in it, breathing deeply. I slid off my shoes and rolled up my pants. My ankles hung over the short bank and greeted the cool of the refreshing water. I sighed. I looked heavenward to pick out constellations, though I was thinking of everything else but the stars.

I wondered how the village at the South Pole was doing. My heart panged with homesickness for the millionth time in the past week. Were the people alright? After all, Sokka was the oldest boy left in the place. He was supposed to protect it. And I was supposed to help Gran-Gran govern it. Guilt spread through my veins like dye on fabric. Sokka and I had left our village with only a few boys and women to protect it. I shut my eyes, trying to block out a surge of guilt.

If you help Aang, you'll save them and the rest of the world. A voice inside my head piped up. But what if the Fire Nation attacked? Sokka wouldn't be there to help. My eyelids clenched tighter. Sokka couldn't do any better than the children and you know it.

And something hit me. The children. If the village was attacked by the Fire Nation, what would happen to them? Would the Fire Nation soldiers abduct the adults and leave the poor kids there to fend for themselves? Would they become slaves? Or… I bit my lip. Would they be killed? My stomach turned a series of summersaults. No. The Fire Nation wouldn't kill innocent children. No one could kill innocent children. Not even a ruthless, heartless nation like theirs.

You're doing it again. A voice scolded me. You can't judge a nation because of their ruler's decisions. I sighed a shuddering sigh. Hot tears prickled at the back of my eyes. I pulled my arms around myself to block out the sudden chill conjured by my imagination. It was a warm spring night.

"Cold?" I turned to see the shadowed figure of the muscular Prince Zuko pushing past a few pieces of grass. He came forward, draping a blanket over my shoulders. Heat surged through me with his touch and I suppressed an involuntary shudder.

"Oh. Hi." I replied meekly, looking back toward the stars. He settled next to me. Heat radiated from him, warming me as our arms brushed.

"Can you ever sleep?" I was half-startled by his sudden question. I looked over at him, but looked away quickly.

"Not really." I pulled the blanket around me in nervousness. My tan skin was covered in goosebumps with the feel of the fuzzy fleece. An eerie silence began. Even the crickets seemed to stop. My ears filled with the droning quiet.

"You said you'd still like me even if I wasn't handsome. You lied." Zuko's voice wasn't accusing me, but rather informing me. I looked up at him, face barely visible in the poor light. We both looked away like embarrassed children. I hoped he couldn't see my blush. I broke the silence.

"It's not that I…" I struggled to find suitable words. "It's just…you've been…" I sighed, closing my eyes. I couldn't sum all I was feeling into a few simple sentences. I'd have to write a book for gods' sake!

"Chasing you around the world and you don't want to fall in love with a prince from your enemy nation." My heart skipped a beat. Enemy nation? Love?

"No, Zuko. I mean… It's just strange that you disappeared and then when you come back, you want to suddenly help us." I told him, fiddling with my fingers. A pause. "Where were you?"

"Places." He flicked a bug from his shoulder.

"What happened?"

"Am I right in my assumption?" he asked, facing me. Why was he avoiding my questions?

"What assumption?" I tried to play dumb. I really didn't want to answer that.

"That you don't want to fall in love with a prince from the enemy nation." My spine tingled. He just sounded so… calm. It was as if he were talking about the weather rather than a relationship with a peasant waterbender from the South Pole. Another short pause ensued.

"Zuko, the Fire Nation isn't my enemy. The Fire Lord is. There are inn--"

"Just say it, Katara." he cut in. His voice was filled with sorrow. "Look me in the eye and say it." He turned to me. I felt his hot breath on my face. I felt his eyes lock with mine, but I tried to look at anything but him. My stomach flip-flopped and my breath hitched in my throat. He took the silence as his answer. "I was afraid you would think that."

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"This way, princess." the captain said quietly. He held Princess Azula by her manicured hand, leading her to her room. She'd only had four sips of that damn rum and she was drunk as hell. Oh had the mighty had fallen. Akuzo opened her heavy steel door, pulling her in and closing it once again with a thud. He led her to her bed and sat her down.

"What are you doing?" she asked. She looked up at him with confusion but smiled. "You know, your hair is adorable." Azula smiled drunkenly as her golden eyes sparkled. The captain blushed furiously. Great. A drunken Fire Nation princess was just what he needed right now.

"Come on, princess. You need some rest." He pulled back the red and gold silk sheets so she could crawl under. He looked up at her golden gaze when she didn't.

"What's your name, anyway?" Azula asked, seeming to take no notice to what the captain was actually doing.

"Akuzo. Come on. You need your rest." he insisted. The princess giggled.

"I like it." Azula commented with a small hiccup.

"Thank you. Now you really do need to--"

"How old are you?" Akuzo figured the sooner he answered her questions the sooner she'd go to bed. This meant he could, too. It was worth a shot.

"Eighteen. Get under the--"

"Really? I thought you were younger." Azula watched him, swaying slightly.

"Just turned. Now will you--" Once again, he was interrupted.

"Will I what, Akuzo?" The captain's heart sped faster than a race car (not that they existed, or anything). To his shock, pleasure, and dismay, the princess leaned in and kissed his cheek. She leaned on his muscular chest with a contented sigh. The young man was frozen in place. That didn't just happen. That didn't just happen. That didn't just happen. No matter how many times he told himself that, Akuzo couldn't block it out. The princess of the Fire Nation had just kissed him- him- him- of all people. And now she was…was she hugging him? She was three years younger than he, though he believed her birthday was fast approaching. And the scariest part was that he liked it. But his duties came first. It would be inappropriate to have a relationship or…do anything. Azula was drunk; she didn't know what she was doing.

"Princess, you're drunk. You don't know what you're saying or doing. It will all be okay in the morning. Just get some sleep." He pulled away from her, wishing he could just stay in the embrace. He'd only known the girl for about a week, but her softer side was rather appealing.

"Is that an excuse?" she asked. Her eyes were watering. Oh shit. "You don't like me?" she squeaked pathetically.

"Princess, I do," Azula smiled until he continued. "But not in that way." Akuzo thought for sure Azula would lash out with a vicious flame, but she didn't.

"What?" Princess Azula was baffled.

"You don't like me that way either, princess. You're just drunk. You--"

"I'm not drunk!"

"Princess--"

"Don't call me that!" Azula stood up and tore the traditional red flame-shaped comb from her bun. "It's Azula! I never asked to be a princess!" She let the comb fall to the cold steel floor and she collapsed on the bed in tears for the second time within the span of a week. Wow. He hadn't seen that outburst coming. Akuzo watched the girl for a moment before rubbing her back to comfort her.

"It's okay, Azula." he sighed. How do I get into these messes? He thought. I'm going to kill whoever gave her that damn rum! Azula sat up and threw her arms around the captain, sobbing into his shoulder.

Agni, help me. Akuzo pleaded.

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"Zuko, I--"

"Save it Katara." Zuko said fiercely. I recoiled slightly. I hadn't heard Zuko take that tone all the while he'd been traveling with us. That sounded more like the stuck-up, snobby, determined, Avatar-catching prince. "We both know you couldn't stand to "betray" your family and nation by loving a firebending prince." He stood up and turned to leave. No! My mind screamed. I gripped his arm and pulled him back. He wrenched his arm away with unnecessary force and kept walking. I leapt to my feet and followed him into the field of the towering grass.

"Zuko!" I said, gaining enough ground to walk beside him. Ignoring me and my pathetic pleas, he went on ahead at a faster pace. I hurried up again. "Zuko, listen to me!" He walked faster, hands swaying at his sides, fists clenched. I jogged to keep up. "Please, just listen!" I threw up my arms exasperatedly, stopping in my tracks. He continued ahead, pushing through the grass. That was the last straw. Running forward, I tackled him to the ground. Ignoring the pain in my shoulder, I turned him over so he was facing me.

Shock was etched into his face. I didn't blame him. It's not every day that a girl tackles you and ends up straddling your waist (unless you have a raving band of fangirls).

"Listen to me!" I hissed in his ear. When he didn't struggle, I took it as my sign to speak. I sighed. "Zuko, I… That first night, I thought that a relationship might work. But then when you stepped out of the trees…… My brother would never accept it."

"So?"

"It's a tradition in my tribe that the father agrees to any relationships. But since my dad is away, it's Sokka's job." I said, getting off of him. I sat on the ground, looking up at the stars. I wished Yue would give me a sign of advice. Zuko sat up slowly behind me. He was probably in pain too.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." His warm strong hand found my shoulder. Was he always this warm? I figured it was a firebending trait. I turned to face him. We both leaned closer to one another and I collapsed in his chest.

"Life is so confusing." I complained. I looked into his eyes, though I could hardly see them. And against my better judgment, I leaned closer to him and placed a soft kiss on his lips. When I pulled away, my eyes widened with realization of what I'd just done. It had been tender and I loved it. But I wanted to take it back. Zuko only took it as a sign that it was alright and pulled me close. I looked up at Yue with tears pouring down my face.

Help me, Yue.

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A/N: Yay! So how was it?

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