The Fifth Element

The room Iroh rented was one of the city's best. It was right on the waterfront and afforded a nice view of the ocean. Truthfully Iroh didn't care to look at the ocean any more, only the enormous wooden bath interested him. He let himself become lost in the richness of the foam and the intoxicating scent of jasmine.

In another part of the city the Prince wandered alone. He was aware of the very real danger to his life here, as this was still Earth nation, but he was certain in his ability to fight off anyone with such aspirations. His thoughts were turbulent and he fought to decide what to do.

What to do with HER.

Alone she was worth a nation's ransom. Surely his father would accept her as a gift to him. Her abilities meant his father would live a long and healthy life, and free from any successful attempts on his life. She would be able to keep his father's nation alive, however she would be a huge target, and her life would probably end quickly. On the other hand, she would also be able to help Zuko finish his own mission. She could be the factor that tipped the scales in his favor. With her, he could find the avatar, and he was certain he could protect her well. The only problem was...she'd have to be near him.

And he wasn't sure he could bear that.

She betrayed him. She left him. His mind shouted at him. When he needed her most, she disappeared. When he was at his lowest, she managed to stomp on what little dignity remained. He closed his eyes and remembered that day.

His face burned still from the blow his father had struck. He did not have vision in his right eye, and he had little time to pack anything. He remembered as he ran through the palace and shouted her name. He reached her chambers and found it empty, only her attendant remained, and he remained behind for only one reason. To tell the prince she had left him.

He had told young Zuko that Taya had gone home. He had told him how, since he was no longer the heir to the Fire Nation, he no longer held any interest for her. He had just stood there, unable to process this, unable to believe what he had heard. It was Iroh who pulled him from his catatonia and drug him to the ship that would become his home for the next three years.

Tiny tendrils of fire swirled around Zuko's hands as they clenched into fists. He didn't want to remember the pain, the betrayal. He hated her. He wanted to forget about her, and he did. His quest for the Avatar became his life, his only goal. It consumed him.

Zuko stopped abruptly and looked around. Twilight had settled. The day had left somehow and he'd never noticed. With a frown and a twinge of guilt he headed back towards the hotel to check on his uncle.

Along the way, as he passed the docks he looked up and his breath caught. There was Zhao's ship, beside his own. The larger flagship dwarfed Zuko's own, and made it look small, inadequate. The prince frowned. What was Zhao doing here? His greatest rival.

He didn't have long to ponder as one of his men ran up to him. "My Prince!" The man exclaimed breathlessly. "Come quick. Admiral Zhao has taken your prisoner."

The prince snarled and he ran towards his ship. He barely heard the soldier speak about the circumstances. Zhao had arrived and demanded to see the prince. When he wasn't there, Zhao went to his room, along the way he passed a soldier who took food to the princess. His curiosity was aroused and he, despite protests from Zuko's crew, went to see this prisoner. Then, once the admiral saw her, he took her. A desperate sort of emotion washed through him. He wasn't sure if it was because she was taken by -Zhao- or it was simply because -she- was taken but he didn't have time to analyze the difference, and didn't care to. He only wanted, needed to get her back.

He kicked in the door to the brig. Emptiness greeted him. He turned to his men who had followed him. "Where did he take her?" he demanded. One of them mentioned they'd heard Zhao say something about the inn, and Zuko was off in an instant.

He did not stop to think why Zhao would take her to an inn, but as there was only one in town, he knew right where she would be. The woman at the front desk quickly told him what room they had taken and Zuko stormed up the stairs toward the room he had been told and kicked that room in too.

A horrific scene greeted him. Zhao, bare from the waist up, held Taya down on the bed. Her shoulders were bare, her kimono ripped away. Her hands, balled into fists, beat against his much stronger frame uselessly. Taya's face was wet, streaked with tears, and her eyes were wide with fright. The rest of her face was covered by Zhao's hand, to prevent her screams.

As Zuko kicked the door in, they both turned to look at him. Zhao turned slowly, as if the Prince interrupted something private and Taya turned towards him quickly, her near hand reached out toward him for help as her muffled cries grew a bit louder.

Zuko was stunned by what he saw, so much so, he didn't move at first. Zhao took that opportunity to smirk at the prince. "Do you mind? My bride-to-be and I are busy." Taya's eyes narrowed at this, clearly showing her denial of that claim. "Let her go Zhao." He said low, his voice level.

Anger he couldn't understand seethed through him. He would kill Zhao for this. The pain on her face ripped at his soul, but he forced himself to ignore it, ignore her for now. He knew that to look at her, he would fall apart. He had to stay focused. When Zhao only laughed away his demand, he repeated it. "I said, Let. Her. Go."

Zhao did not release his captive but he did turn towards the prince. The admiral knew this was painful to Zuko. He liked it that way. His eyes darted back towards the girl he held beneath him, the barest flicker of lust on his face. He knew she would try to fight him off but that didn't matter to him. No, it was better this way. He liked it better this way, besides that, the look on Zuko's face was worth this inconvenience. Still, he thought, she IS pretty, and she would make a good mother for his heirs...with the assumption her spirit could be suitably broken. By the looks of things, and the pain on her face, this simple act of sex would be enough to do just that. "She was given to me by your father, exiled prince. You no longer have any claim on her. She and I have unfinished business, which is none of yours. Leave."

A fireball, fueled by a strength that astonished even the young Prince, streaked out from his outstretched hands. It slammed into Zhao and threw him free of Taya, who immediately scrambled off the bed towards the prince. She did not get far, as behind her the Admiral recovered far too quickly and sent a stream of flame back towards Zuko.

Unfortunately, Taya was still in the way, and it smashed into her back and knocked her forward, to the floor, where she lay still.

A new sort of rage took over Zuko's emotions then. The two masters ran at each other and clashed in a spectacular display of fire and martial arts. Blow after blow landed upon each of the men, but even for its intensity, the battle only lasted minutes. It ended with Zhao laid out unconscious on the floor of the overturned and smoldering room.

His breath came to him in short painful gasps and his chest heaved from the exertion, but Prince Zuko still stooped to pick up the unconscious princess and walked back to his ship with her.

A short while later, as he moved across the deck he debated whether to put her back in the brig, or somewhere safer. One of his men approached him. "My lord, shall I post a second guard at the brig for her?"

An answer did not come immediately; instead he gazed down at her face. It was still bruised from her capture, but it did little to mar her innocent beauty. Her lips were parted just slightly, bruised and slightly swollen. Zuko could guess what from.

"No." he said at last. "I'll...take care of her." He looked at his captain. "Find my Uncle and cast off. Now." As the crew hastened to fulfill his command, he went to his quarters and knelt low to set her gently on his sleeping mat.

Taya woke up just as Zuko set her down. Her eyes flew open with panic and locked onto his. In an instant any reservation she had were forgotten and her arms went tightly around his neck. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she cried into him. As the adrenaline of the situation wore off, her body began to tremble.

Zuko's arms came up automatically to hold her, to pull her against him. The rush of battle began to dull and it left behind only the desperate feeling he had before. The same one he had when he realized she was being hurt. And despite his earlier anger and misgivings, he found he couldn't hold her close enough now.

"My prince. You saved me." She whispered against him as the sobs began to dwindle away. Suddenly she seemed to remember her situation and she pulled back from him, her hands still on his biceps. "Thank you." She said, looking down and away.

One of his hands moved to cradle her cheek and bring her face back up to his. "Taya," he said quietly. "I will -always- be there for you."

The princess began to smile but it was short lived as Zuko leaned forward to bring his lips against hers. His face was hot, flushed still from the battle, but soft. A thousand different things flew through her mind, and a thousand different things were ignored. There was only his mouth, soft and warm against hers.

She tasted like sugar and cream, everything that he remembered. Something like an electric shock flew through them both as the kiss continued. Her arms went from his upper arms to around his neck and his own encircled her narrow waist to pull her body against his. For a moment he believed, once again, that he was back home, and his quest and banishment were nothing but a figment.

All too soon, the kiss came to its natural conclusion and Zuko rested his forehead on hers as he gazed into her eyes. There were still so many unanswered questions. "Taya..." he began softly as his hands moved up to caress her cheeks. "Why? Why did you leave me?"

She shook her head almost imperceptibly. "It was not my choice my Prince." Her eyes fluttered shut. "I tried to find you. I wanted to go with you. But my father would not allow it. He had me locked in the turret." Tears brimmed in her eyes from the memories. "I could see your ship. I tried to call, but you were so distant. I had to watch you leave." A tear spilled over but Zuko caught it with his thumb and wiped it away. The action brought a small smile to her face.

Zuko's eyebrows angled down. "They told me you didn't want to see me. That because I was banished you no longer wanted anything to do with me."

Taya reached up to his hands that warmed her face, "How could you believe that Beloved? You are the first man I have ever kissed. You have my heart, my soul." His thumbs rubbed slow circles on her cheeks and she continued. "It was the next day when my father told me that our parents had nulled our engagement. Instead, they promised me to Zhao..." She winced as she felt Zuko's arms tense up. Quickly she continued. "...which is the reason I ran away. If I don't marry you, then I' will marry no man."

"Taya..." Zuko whispered. The impact of her words slammed into him. He expected a move like this from Zhao, but his own father?! His father knew how much he loved her. For him to give her away like that...it stunned him beyond words. Shocked, and wounded him deeply. Still, he had to thank the gods of fate that brought her back to him now. They were together, and once he captured the Avatar, everything would be fine once more.

Zuko was no fool. He knew things would never be like they used to be, but if they were together, things would be better. A part of him wanted to balk at his newfound emotions. This was not the way that a warrior should act. This useless emotion would not find him the avatar. He knew he needed to get back on the trail.

But right now, his true love lay here with him, and he couldn't think beyond the radius of her arms.

Taya moved forward and laid her head against his chest and drew a deep shuddering breath. Zuko, concerned, smoothed down her hair. "Come my Princess, you're exhausted. Lay down."

She nodded and let him help her lay back on his sleeping mat. He left briefly to get a blanket. When he returned to spread it over her, she grabbed his hand. "Stay here. With me? Like we used to."

A desire to grin at her naivety bore through the prince. He wasn't sure he could lay beside her all night in the same bed like they used to. Things were different then, innocent. Now...now he was afraid he'd inadvertently show her how much he'd grown up since she'd seen him last. Still, he couldn't refuse her, and after he pulled his shirt off he lie down beside her and spread the blanket over them both.

As soon as Zuko pulled off his shirt, Taya knew she'd goofed. They weren't children of 12 anymore. They were young adults of 18, and Zuko had grown handsome and rather well proportioned. Hardened muscled rippled over his body and his facial scar did nothing to diminish his sex appeal. She pretended to ignore the feelings he invoked in her and rolled over against him to share heat. Despite her feelings the excitement of the recent events had finally left her feeling drained and exhausted. Soon she slept fitfully.

Zuko knew it was going to be a long night.