A/N - Hey guys here is chapter two. A few things to note. In the first chapter right after the first paragraph/prologue thing it says one month earlier. I'm realizing it is way more than a month. Sooo will be changing that in a few chapters when i find out just exactly how many months it is before that prologue chapter. This chapter takes place a little after the end of the last chapter. I will say exactly when the prologue takes place when it comes to that chapter so you know. [edit: read author's note at end of chapter one]
A/N - Also some chapters will be shorter than others, and written oddly it may seem because I'm still a budding writer. And also some updates may be sooner than others. I have 2 jobs so yeah it is hard to find free time sometimes.
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Chapter 2
The full moon shined brightly in the night, reflecting off the water as the waves gently crashed against the sides of the ship. Xiang could just barely make out the shoreline and the twinkling lights of the fire nation. His hands gripped the railing tightly as he looked out at the ocean.
"It's nice out isn't it?" He turned to see one of his fellow soldiers approaching. She was dressed casually for their arrival in a pair of dark red pants and a lighter red halter top that showed off her bare midriff. Her hair was pulled over to one side of her shoulder in a loose braid and a smile on her face as she looked at him.
"It is." He replied simply.
"It'll be nice to be home. I've missed this heat." She had walked up to his side and leaned her forearms on the railing, her hands clasped in front of her.
Xiang leaned back against the railing, crossing his feet and arms. A few moments of silence passed between them before he spoke. "Meena, about…last night, I'm sorry that I left like that." He didn't turn to look at her as he continued talking. "It's not that, I don't have feelings for you, it's just that things are complicated in my life right now and…I have some things I have to deal with."
"Xiang," he turned to look at her then and much to his surprise, she was actually smirking. "You're such a gentleman. That's what I like about you. You don't…have to apologize for last night. It's ok. Really." She looked away then. "But I do stand by what I said. So…when you get things sorted out, you know where to find me." She turned to him then, stepping closer. His eyes watched her as she planted a chaste kiss on his lips. He blushed, averting his eyes as she walked towards the ships entrance. She turned back to him then saying, "I can't promise I'll stay available until you're done finding yourself or whatever it is that's complicating things. I'm not the kind of woman who waits around forever, you know." Her head tilted to the side with a smile as she added "Do us both a favor and hurry up with things, ok?" He smiled back, nodding to her as she turned and went back into the ship.
A few minutes passed before Xiang did the same and returned to his quarters. He shut the door behind him and kneeled before his bed, pulling a heavy bag out from under the bed to reveal a small form huddled against the wall. He held out his hand talking quietly to her. "Ok Katara, it's time to come out now. We're almost to shore and I have some things to go over with you." A small hand reached out for his as the rest of the body came crawling out with it. He pulled her up helping her stand.
It had been a month since he first took the little waterbender. In that time she had started to grow quite thin. Xiang had been splitting his meals with her, sometimes willing to go without but she didn't seem to want to eat much. It didn't help that the meals he ate weren't of the highest quality sometimes.
Katara stood there quietly in front of him, still holding his hand. "Do you remember what I told you Katara? About what we have to do when the ship gets to the fire nation?" For the past week he had been telling her every night what they would do when they got to the fire nation. He didn't know if her young mind had quite grasped the concept because she very rarely talked to him.
She nodded then.
"I need you to tell me. I want to make sure you understand because this is very important. I don't want anything to happen to you ok?" Xiang hated to admit it, but in the past month he had grown somewhat attached to the girl. She didn't talk much but when she did she was sweet. After the first week of silence, she had finally started speaking to him. He asked about the things she liked, learning that her favorite color was yellow and that her favorite food was catfish jerky. He never asked about her family and he tried to stay away from asking about her home. She asked him the same things and they fell into a small friendship. Xiang imagined that if his parents had ever had another child other than himself, the relationship would be much like that of the one he had formed with Katara.
"You said I have to go in the bag. That I mustn't make any noise or the very bad men will find me and take me away." Her voice tore him from his thoughts.
"That's right. You mustn't move either. You have to be very still, remember?" She nodded again. "Now it's going to be very hot in my sea bag ok? It might even be a little hard to breathe in there but you must still remember everything I told you. I promise you won't be in there for very long ok?"
"Ok," she replied quietly. She tossed herself at him then, her arms coming around his middle in a tight embrace. He hugged her back, picking her up as he stood to sit on his bed. Her face buried in his chest he barely heard her as she said; "I'm scared."
He leaned back then looking into her blue eyes. "I'm sorry Katara." Pulling her back into a hug he rubbed her back. "I know this is scary but I promise I won't let anything happen to you or let anyone hurt you ok?"
She nodded against his chest as he heard a muffled "ok" from her. He set her down on the bed then and went to retrieve the bag she would be in. Just then he heard the sound of the ship's horns going off, signaling that they were now docking.
"Ok, we're here. It's time. Are you ready?"
She looked at him her eyebrows set in determination as she nodded at him. He smiled his reassurance at her as he walked over to her with his bag in his hand. He could only hope everything would go as he planned.
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A/N - Some of these minor characters are really just to add to the world I see in my head. Xiang had a life before Katara so I intend to weave some more of his story because he is my OC and I love him :) Read and Review please! Next update will be sooner than this last one. [edited this chapter a little, nothing major]
