The spirit in the iceberg10
Ha ha! Finally an update! Wow it's been forever has it not? I'm not even going to utter an excuse, so here is a well deserved, long over due chapter. But be warned, a lot of emotional outbreaks in this chapter and Jack lets his hair down. This might be the longest chapter I've ever written, and I'm sorry in advance for any errors, because of the length my phone has been glitching out. (That's right! I write and post fan fiction on my iPhone.)
Zhou stood straight in the Captain's deck, only half listening to the bumbling Captain Liu Che's report. The lower ranked man was overweight, lazy and in Zhou's opinion a burden to the Fire Nation's military. But when a high ranking officer crossed paths with the fire navy caption, Liu straightened up. The stains vanished from his uniform, which became wrinkle free, and his bald head slick with grease seamed to grow stubble. Even his behemoth of a belly seemed to shrink, creating the inspection passing illusion of a respectable ship and a respectable leader. Zhou wasn't fooled. He had crushed men like Captain Che under his thumb with little effort during his long continuous rise to power, and would likely do so again. Albeit he left Liu be, for no matter how shocking he was in favor of those above Zhou in status, and in order to maintain his steady promotion rate, Zhou humbly accepted Liu as the captain of this ship. "Sir." Liu stopped his report and Zhou turned to see a bowing solider. The masked man straightened and formally handed Zhou a tied roll of paper, keeping his trained posture all the while. Zhou, a smile beginning to lift the corners of his lips, paid no heed, and opened the letter, reading greedily. "Our spy has updated on the Avatar's whereabouts? On Zuko's progress?" Captain Liu Che guessed, his expression a mixture of hunger and anticipation. Zhou shot him a glare, hypocritically snapping "You will respect the Firelord's son, banished or not!" and the man cowered, momentarily forgetting that Zhou wasn't liable to punish him. Immediately regaining his cool, Zhou dismissed the other solider and rolled the paper shut, smirking. "However, Captian Che, your guess was correct. It seems our Prince has lost any amount of progress he had made." He tossed the scroll to the captain, who despite his fumbling catch read it avariciously. "He was hiding a woman on board?" The captain questioned, thinking Zhou would provide an explanation. Gritting his teeth at the reminder, Zhou turned to the chamber's window, his arms behind his back and said cryptically,"so it would seem."
A white knuckled Rapunzel gripped the saddle tightly as Appa landed, no longer used to riding she breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't carry many people for very long, so they landed somewhere in the earth kingdom, in the middle of the woods. Dismounting, Sokka said,"we're still close to the coast, but this forest should provide some cover." She quickly followed suit, and a wide smile split her face when her bare, wiggling toes touched the cool forest earth. Lightly skipping, Rapunzel made her way to the head of the Sky Bison, and lovingly scratched behind his large ear. Embracing below his head lovingly, she murmured,"Thank you." The beast's throat hummed in pleasure at the appreciation and Hiccup muttered halfheartedly about him getting too spoiled.
Turning around, Rapunzel found Katara with her things in her arms. "We saved these for you, figured you'd like them better than what you're wearing." "Thank you!" Rapunzel gushed, acting more and more like her old self. She hugged Katara and quickly took her things, ready to get out of her filthy earth kingdom attire. She had been wearing the same outfit for weeks without wash!
"There's just one thing," Katara objected, raising her hand to stop the blonde. Despite her happy demeanor, Rapunzel's green eyes looked tired, worn, and Katara waved her away. "N-never mind, we'll deal with it later." She walked away, leaving the girl to change behind Appa.
Rapunzel took off her earth kingdom clothes, the ones her mother raised her in, and put on her sun warrior apparel. It exposed more skin than she was used to, despite the higher collar, and was embroidered with gold.
Slipping on the decorative cuffs that hid skin rubbed raw from shackles, her mind arbitrarily wandered to Jack, and her eyes lowered. He had been unconscious for half a day, and the only reason Sokka didn't try to leave him by a tree was because he had helped her escape.
Apparently, she had discovered, Jack had occasionally sent a frosted letter to her friends, telling them to wait, that Rapunzel was guarded. They had worried enough about her to risk their lives in a rescue mission.
She smiled, warmth filling her belly at the thought of knowing her friends cared, and moved to Appa's other side, where she found them huddled in a circle, around a small fire, talking with one another quietly. Hiccup, who had been speaking, quickly shut up as Katara elbowed him in the ribs. He cried out with an alarmed "Hey!" But was shushed by Merida and Sokka, whom pointed indiscreetly in Rapunzel's direction. "Hi Rapunzel!" Aang said sunnily, rising on a small gust with a whoosh from the huddled circle he had been a part of, hoping to distract her from the others obviousness.
Crossing her arms, Rapunzel sassily demanded,"ok, what's this about?"
Sokka, always quick to answer, patted his stomach and said,"we were just telling Aang that there's nothing wrong with eating meat. That the animals are content with being in our bellys." They all nodded and smiled nervously, hoping that the blonde bought it, while Aang shot the water tribe boy a glare.
Groaning, Rapunzel uncrossed her arms and exasperatedly said,"Guys, I thought you knew me better! You can't lie to me."
She walked over to Sokka, and remembered something a certain fire prince did. Concentrating, she lit a small bubbling flame in her hands, then with a deep, steady breath it grew, and soon her hand was encased. Then she held it up to Sokka's tanned face, taunting cheerily, "I learned a lot on the fire nation ship, including how to get answers from someone." In reference to Jack, she flashed a wicked smile, and Sokka backed up comically, sweat droplets dripping from his nervous face.
"Ok ok!" He looked around, then ducked behind a bewildered Hiccup, exclaiming "dragon boy will tell you all about our conversation!"
Rapunzel sighed then put out the flames, changing tactics. "I just thought that after my friends rescued me, the secrets would stop." She rubbed her arms, smoothing feigned goosebumps away. Glancing up, she smirked inwardly at her friends regretful and pitying stares. "Ugh!" Merida exclaimed, tossing her red locks in exasperation. "Fine we'll talk! Yore jst like me wee brothers at home, battin' those ayelashes and getten wha ye want." They all sat down again, this time with Rapunzel.
"We were talking about him." Katara begrudgingly admitted, not looking the fire bender in the eyes.
"You mean Jack?" Rapunzel asked, not seeing the problem.
"No matter his heritage, he was working with the FireNation. We can't trust him." Sokka bluntly stated, gotten over his paranoid fear of firebending.
Rapunzel laughed, and said,"guys! You didn't have to say that behind my back! I don't trust Jack either." Her mirth faded when she noticed that the others still weren't looking her in the eyes, instead exchanging nervous glances.
"That isn't what it's about, is it?" She asked, her smile fading.
"We.." Katara started, then looked to the others for assistance.
Hiccup sighed, then with his green eyes locked on Rapunzel's, he said,"what we were concerned about is your feelings towards him, we don't want you to get hurt when he betrays you."
Rapunzel grew enraged at her friend's unjust musings, and her skin heated in response, the fire's flames flickering. Aang, sensing her anger said,"what Hiccup was trying to say wa-" interrupting the twelve year-olds lengthy explanation, the fire gave a puff, then doubled in size, making the others back away. "You all are making quite an assumption." She growled, her fists clenched in her lap. Merida, never easily fazed, especially by innocent Rapunzel, accused,"don't ye be actin' lik ye don't kno wha'were sayen! It's the way ye look at 'im!"
With renewed confidence, largely due to Merida's courage, the others nodded and murmured their agreement, Katara saying,"we've all saw how worried you were,"
"and still are." Hiccup solemnly finished.
Rapunzel calmed, but the hurt remained. She once more rubbed her bare arms, this time in need of real comfort. "I-I guess that I have some things to work out, huh." Her green eyes flashed from the earth's surface littered with deciduous tree leaves, to her friends range of expressions, then back to the ground. The fire release one last gasp of protest before dying out completely, a trail of gray smoke dissipating from its last breaths.
"We need to keep moving." Sokka said stiffly, walking past Rapunzel to board Appa, refusing to look her in the eyes. Everyone followed with the blonde in tow, her mind a whirlwind of mixed emotions and unanswered questions.
'Wake up, frost child..'
Jack shifted in his unconsciousness, his dark lashes fluttering as the wind spun around him. It's voice the soft whispers of old and distant words it snatched up. It carried the sent of mint, and disposed it on him, the air he breathed now filled with refreshing aromas.
'Please wake up, we wish to play!'
Jack opened his eyes, his nose scrunched up at the strong smell, and saw an orange sky with blue patches around him. The wind tickled his face playfully, glad to know that its favorite was awake.
He heard another voice, this one close, cocky, and obviously human. "Look who finally woke up." Jack sat up, his FireNation cloak wrapped around him as though to keep him warm. He laid eyes on the owner of that voice and saw a boy about the Fire Prince's age. He was garbed in blue attire that looked water tribe, his blue eyes and dark skin contributing even more.
Sitting next to him was a girl in an elegant yet simple earth kingdom dress, but her hair was red and wild like fire and her eyes were blue like water tribe. She had a mean, mistrusting glare that settled deeply into her features and a strung bow in her lap. Noticing Jack's stare, the red head let out a disapproving snort, crossed her delicate looking arms and turned the other way.
He shifted his gaze over to the girl sitting next to her, and was relieved to see the blondes familiar face. His smile disappeared before it came, however, for Rapunzel wore a scowl and new attire of the ancient sun warrior. She wasn't looking at him, she was looking a pretty much anything and anyone except for him. "You're a Firebender." He accused, his brow furrowed in betrayal. She narrowed her eyes and continued to ignore him, scowling.
Jack felt a flare of anger but it dissipated as he caught sight of the boy with Airbender tattoos.
The male from the water tribe cried out and fell over humorously as Jack lept into the air and rode a light breeze to the Avatar, standing his staff next to the boy. Aang seemed delighted to see some one else flying, and he excitedly asked,"you're an Airbender?" Jack shook his head and telepathically told the wind to set him atop his staff. His pale toes curled around his link the the spirit world and he crouched there, perfectly balanced. "Im not a bender. I don't force the wind to obey me, it's here of its own free will." he stated, drawing skeptical yet confused stares from all but the familiar blonde, who tightened her crossed arms. The red haired archer, in an attempt to keep them focused on the matter at hand, said, "why did you send us thoose l'tters?" Jack had so much to say and to explain in his anticipation and excitment that it came out in a jumbled mess. He groaned inwardly at the limitations of using a mortal language.
"Ifimcorrectthentheavataristhebridgetothespiritworldwhichiwasbanishedfromandmymoontakefromandineedyoutotakemebackbecauseimissthetreesandyhepondandtheiceflowersmyfrostwouldmakeandohihatethemortalrelm."
Blinking, Aang and the others gaped at him, the brown haired boy with the dagger spoke, his voice dripping with sarcasm,"could you repeat that, you were speaking much to slow for me."
Jack shot him a frosty glare and then turned back to Aang. His blue eyes were solemn and he summed up his last explanation.
"I need your help to get back to the spirit world."
The boomerang boy spoke up, his eyes skeptical and his arms crossed. "You're a spirit?" The group eyed him incredulously and a few snorted in disbelief, the water tribe boy's condescending tone raked at Jack's nerves and offended his pride.
Angrily, Jack stood and the bison stopped its dutiful trudging with a groan. The wind tugged teasingly at the bisons fur and ruffled Jack's clothes.
'Is it time to play frost child?'
Chilled by the breeze, a small, furry lemur shook its fist at Jack and let out some rude chirps. Aang scolded the little animal, saying,"Momo! I'm pretty sure we had a discussion about that kind of language. And Jack probably has enough people insulting him." Jack tightened his grip on his staff, glaring at Sokka his mouth curled into a smirk,"no no, it's fine. If its proof you want, Water tribe, then it's proof you'll get." Impatiently, the wind howled in his ears, whining.
'It has been so very long!'
This time, flashing a wicked smile, Jack answered, surprising those around him with his words. "Yes wind, lets play." It swirled around him and picked him up, embracing him lovingly before they flew. Then its gusts empowered and tossed him around like a rag doll, igniting bubbling, contagious laughter. A low thermal allowed him to glide upwards, above the trees and towards the clouds, Jack letting out a loud whoop.
"you think we're high enough?" jack laughed, unable to make out the forest below. The winds clever retort was blasting a biting breeze at Jacks face, then dropping him in a free fall. He yelled joyously, and centered his shoulders, falling faster with his arms by his sides. Just before he hit the ground below, it caught him in a jello like hold, twisting him around then tossing him back up. He tackled the wind, and steered it back to the children and the grounded bison.
With Jack's red cloak flapping behind him, he rode the wind in circles around the others. A wave of his staff, and thick snow fall quickly had all of them cold and wet. Jack let out a chortle and he bounced on the tree branches, coating them with frost and dropping the forest temperature.
The bison, not enjoying the feeling of frost on his fur, groaned and his tail took a swipe at the giggling spirit. Jack, albeit laughing, stopped the unseasonal weather and directed the wind to set him down.
It complied, seating him next to a water tribe girl and tugging at his cloak. "Katara! Get away from him!" Her brother demanded, waving his boomerang around for emphasis. Katara crossed her arms and said, "why? So you can pulverize him?"
Then, Jack broke down in uncontrollable laughter.
He laughed at the winds play, at the awestruck/disgusted faces around him, and he laughed just because it felt good to fly again.
The wind picked up, pulling at the FireNation garment harder. Jack reached up and unclasped it, watching it disappear over his shoulder with a smile. He briefly wondered what the wind would do with it, and he hoped it would bring him a new one. He liked to wear something able to hide in, the shame of his mortal flesh being to great to let other spirits see. He unnoticeably paled, his smile slipping, mortified at the idea of some one seeing him in this state. The humans didn't matter, their lights flickered on and off as the years rolled by, but spirits were another concept completely.
"JACK!" Someone yelled, snapping him out of his daze. Adapting a cocky grin, the winter spirit hid his embarrassment and said,"you knocked?"
A boy native to the earth kingdom, with brown hair falling in his eyes said,"you have some explaining to do."
With the familiar wood of his staff under his tapping fingertips, Jack exclaimed,"you're the kid with the dagger!"
The brunet crossed his arms and snorted. "My name is Hiccup, and yes, a dagger is my preferred weapon."
Jack was still hung up over the name. "Hiccup!?" He sneered, a playful smirk twisting his mouth. "What named you?" Jack snorted, raising an eyebrow.
"Um, my parents. And like you're one to talk, Jack isn't exactly normal either."
The sarcastic teen's words made Jack's smile grow somber. He spoke softly, the wind playing in his sliver hair. "The moon named me. Watched over me since the first winter, and my banishment from the mortal realm. But one day, my moon left me. Ran away with the ocean to bargain with Humanity." The venom in his voice dripped from the vile spirit's name, his smile becoming a disgusted grimace.
Everyone listened to the odd teens story, some with skepticism others with awe.
"The day my moon left I was too upset to think straight, and she knew. That's why she lead me to the one way door of the spirit realm. If I left, I'd turn human. And just when I was coming to my senses she pushed me in," with wide blue eyes the spirit tried to defend himself from imaginary accusations. "I froze the water best I could!" Jack put his head in his hands,moaning "but look at me, I'm almost mortal!"
With fingers twisting into his hair, Jack tried to remember how it used to feel, the spirit energy that once resonated freely through him. But he couldn't remember, and he vainly pulled his hair harder, as though pain would extract hidden memories.
Albeit before he broke down completely he was startled to feel warm slender arms wrap around him. Rapunzel's blonde locks pooled on the saddle and fell like curtains in between them, some how emitting warmth from the lengthy strands. Feeling on the edge of despair, like a young child Jack embraced her back, fingers curling in the loose fabric added to her skirt, and his shaking shoulders more evident against Rapunzel's still body.