-Chapter 18- I Know What's At Stake
"It was like I was stuck dreaming the most horrible dream, until that swirl of flames broke me free to focus on living."
.
"Yes!" Zuko grinned from the private balcony he sat in with Lu Ten. They gave each other pleased grins as they watched Katara walk away from her sixth match. "She won."
"You expected different?" Lu Ten joked. The two princes stood and left the balcony, their two silent guards trailing after them. Had Zuko been alone, he doubted that anyone would have required him to have the extra protection, but with the heir apparent Prince Iroh still recovering and Lu Ten being his only son, he understood the need. Not that he cared about being followed around, it was only when they were outside the palace walls anyway.
They walked back to the palace at a leisurely pace. Zuko had nothing planned today other than watching the Arena matches. It was a typical day in the life of the youngest Fire Nation prince, yet it was different from what it had been only two months ago.
Yes, he had to find one of his father's servants to take over doing his laundry, but that was not the issue at hand. He missed coming back to his room and having someone there. That night after Katara was taken away to the Arena, Zuko returned to his room and felt the emptiness for the first time. He realized how much he had come to rely on her presence in his room. Even if he had not known it at first, Katara had turned out to be a pleasant surprise in the end.
And it wasn't just the sex; though he would be lying if he said it didn't matter at all to him. He envied her curiosity as well as the unbridled passion she had. The fact that she was a waterbender, thus his elemental opposite was not lost on him.
He was pulled from his thoughts when Lu Ten paused outside a doorway. The youngest prince had not realized that they had made it back to the palace. They walked into Iroh's room; the bed was empty but the room was not.
"How did she do?" Iroh asked.
"She won," Zuko grinned. "I was worried Uncle. I wasn't sure he was going to throw the match like you said."
Lu Ten frowned. "He could have attempted to at least look like he was trying to win."
"Acting was never Chang's strong point," Iroh laughed. He moved away from the open window and sat back down on his bed. He touched his chest where the doctor had wrapped it to keep him from moving too much.
"Are you ok?" Lu Ten questioned. "You know the doctor said you need to stay in bed to regain your strength." Iroh sighed, but cooperated as his son moved the blankets aside.
"Don't worry about the doctor. I'm not about to wait around to get better while you two are off rigging Arena matches. How many more do you need?"
"Four more," Zuko answered. "And I know a guy who will throw a match for enough gold, so we have next week set." Lu Ten nodded.
"As long as we keep getting our fighters to request her, she'll fight each week against one of them and not get paired up against one of those animals again," Zuko stated. It had not been an easy match to watch. He was sure she was dead when the tiger-ox attacked, but somehow, she had defied the odds and won. He doubted that animal would ever fight again after what she did to it.
At first, the two youngest princes weren't sure their plan would work. As far as they knew, no one had ever asked for specific prisoners before. Since both Zuko and Lu Ten played the role of the Blue Sprit, they knew how the Arena worked, or thought they did. Noblemen could leave their opponents up to the discretion of the guards or request certain types of prisoners and how many.
They had both done just that on multiple occasions to test their skills and to put on a show for the crowds. It was only a matter of time before someone tried to ask for a specific prisoner. With Katara it was easy. All they did was ask for the female waterbender. She was the only one they had seen fighting in years.
Ever since the last raid on the Northern Water Tribe four years back, the influx of new waterbenders was nil. The old ones were still fighting, hanging onto life, a dying breed in the arena. The Fire Lord had moved the entire strength of the military to the earth kingdom, thus the earth benders vastly outnumbered the waterbenders as prisoners. The crowds seemed to notice.
"That's only her next match," Iroh said finally. "What about after that?"
Lu Ten shrugged. "I'm sure we'll find someone. You don't have any more friends with Pai Sho debts, do you Dad?" Iroh chuckled.
"No, he was the only one. I bet he'd thought I'd forgotten about that one, it's been years since I've played for coins."
"If we need to, I'll fight as the Blue Spirit. It's about time we retired him anyway," Zuko added.
"Fighters don't retire after they've lost," Lu Ten scowled. "Especially with our track record. The blue spirit never losses."
"He will if we need him to," Zuko stated. He watched his cousin set his features into a deep scowl.
Even though Zuko wore the mask just as much, the Blue Spirit had originally been Lu Ten's invention. It was only a matter of time before one of them slipped up and the city found out who was under the mask. With the throne about to pass any month now, the royal family could not afford any mistakes. Both boys knew Azulon was watching his son's every move, including his grandchildren.
"What are you planning once she wins all ten matches?" Iroh questioned. "She'll be free. And not just from the Arena. She won't be forced to come back here."
A knock at the door saved Zuko from having to answer. After Katara's admission of love in the prison, he hoped she would return to him. He did not want to imagine a world where she didn't.
An ordinary servant bowed and announced the meal was all but served in the dining room. Iroh would be brought a tray so he would not be forced to move, but the two younger princes headed out. They promised to keep Iroh updated.
...
The next week, Zuko stood alone in the Fire Lord's private balcony. No guards came with him this time; he was not supposed to even be out of the palace. Azulon was ill once more and the rest of the family was into the palace watching over him. His father, oddly, was the most attentive to the ancient Fire Lord's needs. Zuko thought it was somewhat strange. He was under the impression that Iroh was the obvious heir to the throne and nothing his father did would change that.
The man Lu Ten hired to fight stepped out into the Arena. He was a low-ranking noble who had crossed the prince at a celebration once after they had both been drinking. He was a decent firebender, though it did not matter today. He would lose like he was paid to.
The moment Zuko saw Katara walk into the Arena, he saw the change. The prince knew that she only had the one set of clothing, made obvious since the rip at her shoulder from the tiger-ox attack was still unfixed, but she looked different. She moved slower walking out to the water trough that had been set up for her. The prince stood at the railing; his knuckles went white. Those guards had better not have forgotten his warning. When she turned to pull her first string of water Zuko saw why she looked so different. She had lost weight, a lot of it.
The fight was fought almost in slow motion, but Zuko was only half watching. She was hidden under her baggy grey tunic but the shadows in her face were dark. When she turned her torso to deflect a fire blast the amount of extra clothing bunched around her frame was shocking. She took a hit and tumbled, rolling backwards several times. Luckily, this was not a normal competitor, and the noble did not exploit her moment of unbalance.
Gold eyes closed as he lowered his head in thought. What had happened that could have affected her so much? Yes, she had lost weight initially when she was sent to the Arena, but the prisoners were only feed enough to keep them able to fight. Katara's condition now pointed to her not eating at all, or at least very little. Something had happened that he was unaware of, something important. He was going to find out; she could not give up now. There was no way he was going to let the fire he had seen in her fade. Nothing like this.
He sighed and felt the flames curl at the end of his breath. He waved them into nothing, focusing on reigning in his thoughts. It had been a while since he'd let his own fire slip through uncontrolled like that.
A shout woke him from his musings. Katara stood once more with water in her hands. The noble attacked back, kicking blasts of fire at her. A water shield turned flying ice wall did both offense and defense along with winning her the match. The nobleman surrendered and Katara dropped the water in her hands. At the last second, she looked up, locking gazes with the youngest prince.
She gave him a sad smile before turning and walking herself to the guards who took her away. The prince was even more confused now. He was sure she had completely given up; what had changed her mind at the last second?
Zuko left the balcony and headed down to the Arena floor. He would get to the bottom of this. He walked with the purpose towards the entryway that the nobles used to access the arena. Not paying too much attention to where he was going, the young prince nearly collided with someone headed the opposite way. Katara's match had been the last one of the day, so the hallways buzzed with people. The prince was surprised who he had bumped into.
"Prince Zuko, please forgive me," the man bowed. "I wasn't looking where I was going." Zuko recognized the man as the Arena medic, his uncle's friend. He was curious what the man was doing in such a hurry, but soon realized maybe he could answer his questions about Katara.
"Its fine," Zuko stated. "Have you seen Katara recently?"
"No my prince," Shiyu shook his head. "I only see the fighters if they need medical attention. She's escaped her matches unscathed, for the most part." Zuko scowled.
"Well something happened to her," he said bluntly. "Did you hear anything?"
"Someone died who she cared about, or so the guards say it appeared," Shiyu answered. "She was highly distraught."
"Who could she-?" Zuko asked and paused, thinking. "Did she have any family here?"
"She mentioned a brother when she worked with me. But he was bought by the nobles as a contract fighter. Maybe news of him got to her."
Zuko nodded, spun on his heel, and left the medic alone in the doorway. He had to see for himself if it was the death of her brother that had caused her depression. Personally, he wouldn't mind not having Azula around, but he would not wish her dead. Even with the fact that she had become more intolerable then usual to be around, he could not imagine life without her.
Zuko had never been to the compound where he was headed, but he knew where it was located, roughly. While it would had been easier to simply ask Katara, he could not risk another trip to see her. The guards all knew why he would be there this time. It was only a matter of time before word got back to his father. And if Ozai knew how his son was passing his time: fixing Arena matches and visiting a certain prisoner, Zuko was certain Katara's life would then be forfeit.
Which brought him to the thought of why he was doing this. At first, he had been ok to let fate run its course. Arguing with this father had yielded nothing, so he assumed Katara was lost to him. But eventually, the guilt, something he had never felt anywhere near this strong weighed on him. He had been the one to ask Katara to heal his uncle. If she had not used her bending, she would still be here, in the palace, with him.
The prince wondered why it mattered so much, what did she mean to him that he wanted her around so badly. Her own admission of her feelings shocked him. He had heard her say she loved him. Did he love her back? Zuko was not sure. All he knew for certain, was that he wanted her out of the Arena and somewhere where he could protect her, where she could life without fear and be happy. Did that mean he loved her? Why else would he be standing before a door to try and find out why Katara was depressed and not eating? He knocked.
A guard dressed in a cream tunic with crimson padded armor opened the door. Zuko realized he had no idea what he should tell the guard in front of him. He did not have a description or the name of the man he was looking for.
"The master is out," the guard announced. "If you were looking to purchase one of the fighters, you'll need to wait until he returns." Before he could look too confused, Zuko processed the man's words and said,
"I'm not ready to buy without getting a good look at them first." Zuko had not been aware that the group of nobles who had bought up their contracts could sell them afterwards. He was slowly realizing the whole business of the arena was a realm shadowed in secrets. It was naive of him to think that the prisoners just stayed there, safe in their cells until their next fight or even that they could not be sold off like the property they were considered. He realized that if Katara had not been a bender but had ended up in the Arena, she would not have been there long before someone snatched her up. His blood boiled, but he tried to keep it contained in front of the guard.
"Of course sir." The guard opened the door and let Zuko inside. The title the guard used to address him was odd. There was no way anyone in the capital city would not recognize him. His distinguishing scar was always on display, and the manner in which he received it had been highly public. Either the guard was truly an idiot, or he was attempting to respect his privacy.
"What skills were you looking for?"
"I'm not sure," Zuko answered. "I was hoping to find one of them that I'd seen fight." He added, "you haven't had any deaths recently? Have you?" The question sounded forced. The guard shrugged.
"Not within the month." He lead him underground to the cells. "But, if you're looking for a certain fighter and haven't seen him, he might have been chosen already." The guard unlocked the door to the cellblock and let Zuko inside. The information did not make sense to him, the death would need to be recent, within the week.
"Look around though, the master is due back soon. I'll send him down if you're still there." Zuko nodded and looked down the hallway. It was the same set up as the prison cells Katara lived in, only the atmosphere was different. As he walked, the prince noticed the bedrolls and ample lighting, how there were only two fighters in each cell. No wonder these fights were more entertaining, these men were better off, somewhat.
A few men came to their cell doors when Zuko walked by; he had no idea when to look for. Water tribe: He knew where she was from. It was not much to go by, but it was all he had. Zuko swallowed his pride.
"I'm looking for a man from the water tribe," Zuko stated, talking to the two men in the cell to his right. One looked away with a frown.
The second man laughed "You've got to be more specific than that. That statement could apply to almost half of us down here."
"A young man from the Southern Water Tribe," Zuko clarified, hoping he remembered the correct one. "One who has a sister here in the capital. Is he still alive?" The quiet man growled out an answer.
"Of course he's alive. No one dies under our captors' care." His words held acid.
"He's further down the hall," the first man answered, "Keep asking for Sokka. You'll find him." Zuko nodded. Even though he knew her brother was alive now and not the cause of her change, he found himself headed down the corridor.
"Sokka?" Zuko asked aloud, every few cells he passed. "Sokka?" He felt more stupid the further he walked until finally he paused. In the next cell on his left, a young man his age stood at the bars waiting. Blue eyes watched him approach.
"Sokka?" Zuko asked.
"Yes," the boy answered.
"You're Katara's brother," he stated dumbly. Sokka's eyes widened.
"How do you know my sister?" he demanded, gripping the bars. Zuko felt the boy give him a quick once over. The prince was almost glad for the bars between them, just the tone of his voice made it obvious how much he cared for her.
"How do you know Katara?" Sokka repeated, enunciating her name. "Why were you looking for me?" Sokka's cellmate sat on his cot, silently watching the boy's knuckles whitening on the bars.
"I thought you were dead," Zuko admitted. "I had to see for myself... she's not well and I wanted to find the cause of it."
"Dead?" Sokka questioned. The second part of Zuko's statement seemed to register with him then. His tenseness loosened to concern. "What's wrong with Katara? And how do you know? She's with the arena medic."
"She's not," Zuko stated. Since he could not ask Katara, the guards were no help, and Shiyu had only had this single lead, Zuko figured this was his only way to get closer to the truth. To do that though, the boy had to get caught up to speed.
"Katara was caught bending," he explained. "She's in the arena." He watched the boy's face go white.
"No." He fell to his knees. The rest of the men around them who had been listening to the conversation tried to hold back gasps, some succeeded, but a good deal failed. Zuko crouched by the bars and was reminded of a similar scene, only now it was Katara's brother who he looked at, not her.
"I'm sorry," Zuko sighed, bowing his head. "Do you know why she would suddenly give up? Its' not like her to-"
"Why?" Sokka demanded. "Because being sent to the Arena isn't enough? She's probably learned firsthand what happens to all the women prisoners by now. Are you so selfish that you want her to live like that for the rest of her life?"
"You don't give her nearly enough credit," Zuko growled. Now, tt was the boy should be thankful of the bars. He rose, leaving Sokka on the ground.
"Yes, the guards got to her before I could order them not to touch her. But even then, she was willing to fight, to keep living with the hope that things would get better. But something's changed this time. She's thinner and doesn't look like herself. I heard that someone close to her died. I thought it was you, but it's obviously not." Sokka looked up, mulling over Zuko's words.
"Now, can you think of anyone else whose death would have affected her this way?" The prince asked. Zuko stood while he let Sokka think for a moment. The water tribe boy blinked away the beginnings of tears.
"Our father." With that admission, Zuko knew he found the answer. The death of her father had hit her hard, and she was still mourning his loss. Sokka bowed his head once more; droplets hit the ground from his hidden tears. Zuko had not realized how close this family was. He would have felt the loss if Ozai had died, but it would not be so uncontrollable that he would have cried in front of a stranger. Maybe if he lost his mother, but that was a whole different thought that he refused to even let cross his mind.
"I'm sorry," Zuko said again, moving to leave Sokka to the semblance of privacy he had in these cells. He only took four steps before he was called.
"Wait!" Sokka called, his voice cracked. "Why do you care so much about Katara? You never told me how you knew her." Zuko did not turn around fully, only enough to make eye contact. Sokka's cellmate had joined him on the floor, a hand on his shoulder in comfort. If the boy didn't know who he was, he didn't need to start now.
"She served my family and I, and I promised to keep her safe. It's a promise I intend to keep." Zuko walked down the hall and out the door, right past the guard who let him in without a word. He needed to speak with Lu Ten.
...
"You want to get a message to her?" Lu Ten asked, shock evident in his voice. "Why can't you just visit her again?" Zuko shook his head. He had told Lu Ten about his first visit. It had been a last second decision on his part at the time.
"I don't think I can get past the guards again without news of it getting back to my father," Zuko admitted.
"What about the Blue Spirit?" Lu Ten offered.
"I'd rather get caught as myself before I risk revealing who's under the mask."
"What did you do the last time you showed up that the guards would want to get back at you?" Lu Ten asked incredulously, though his smile was more mischievous then confused.
"You don't want to know, and I don't want to take any chances," Zuko admitted. "Can you get her next opponent to deliver the message?"
"I think I can do one better," Lu Ten offered. "One of the maids has a brother who works in the Arena. She was complaining to one of the chefs about how he just lost his last two weeks pay gambling.
"So?" Zuko shrugged.
"So the man could use some coin," Lu Ten grinned. Just give me the message you want her to get and I'll take care of the rest."
Zuko grinned. "I'll write it up tonight then, but what makes you so sure that he'll do what you ask without asking questions? Why would he listen to you?"
"Because I didn't storm into the break-room threatening bloody murder if so much as a hair was out of place on a certain waterbender's head." Lu Ten grinned. Zuko gapped at his cousin. The older boy knew exactly what happened; maybe he had more strings to pull then Zuko was aware of.
"Also," Lu Ten added. "I'm giving him money. That always helps." The two princes laughed aloud and went back to their lounging in the gardens in silence. With the palace buzzing with guards and the doctor's assistants, there was hardly any room to breathe.
At least Iroh was doing better. All the focus was on Azulon now, so Iroh had time to himself to get up and walk the palace with his son. He was recovering much faster and almost completely healed according to the doctor. Iroh insisted Katara had done an excellent job, and if he had been allowed, he could have been up and about a month ago.
Azula and Zuko were swept aside as thoughts turned to protecting the heirs until the crown passed or the Fire Lord recovered. Zuko knew not how his sister was taking the lack of attention, but he would enjoy every second.
That evening, he wrote up his note for Katara. It took him several tries, but two empty ink pots and a pile of crumpled parchment later he rolled up the note and sealed it with the royal insignia, a dual tipped flame.
He knew not to tell her the plan in case the letter was read by someone who could expose them, so he kept it short and concise, expressing his concern for her as well as acknowledging her need to mourn.
He finished the note with the fact that he missed her and that he knew she had the will to win her last few matches. He wanted to say more, but the words were lost to him. He had never been one to easily express his feelings with words; that was Azula's thing, she knew exactly what to say and how to say it.
Though, her intentions were less than pure. Even though it was not the best, Katara would understand his message and not give in. He was sure her father would have wanted her to win and get out, something he had made sure to include. He handed the note to Lu Ten and hoped it made it to Katara unharmed.
...
Neither Lu Ten nor Zuko were able to see Katara's match the next Arena day. It worried Zuko, but the meeting that had been called was for more important than he could have originally guessed.
The entire royal family, minus Ursa had been called to the war room to meet with Azulon and a handful of officers who were headed off to the Earth Kingdom the next morning. The Fire Lord was visibly thinner after his illness, but he was no less powerful. The flames around his throne burned high.
"-with the newest weapons we're sending tomorrow, this will be the beginning of the end," concluded the engineer. He pointed to the schematics he displayed. It was a rendering of a war balloon, but it was armored more like a tank. The drawing showed where fire benders could stand to attack, shielded by defensive plates of metal. It was a good design, but Azulon voiced his disapproval.
"You've been telling me your inventions would end this war for years. What makes this machine any different?" Zuko almost felt bad for the man as he wrung his fingers to counteract his nerves, except his grandfather had a point.
The man croaked. "Well, It's how you use the machine."
"So your saying my armies aren't using these balloons to their potential?" Azulon questioned accusingly. "Caption Shaw, how would your diversion use this balloon?" The officer hesitated only a moment. He was much more used to the hot seat then the engineer.
"To transport our men across enemy lines faster for surprise attacks." Azulon accepted the answer as a bored school teacher would. The engineer looked as if he wanted to melt into the floor.
"Is that what you envisioned for this war balloon?" Azulon asked. His tone suggested he had his own opinions but liked putting the nervous man on the spot.
"Well I-I," the man stuttered. "Y-yes, I suppose that would be a good use." Zuko turned to the table in front of him, the map of the world stared back on him. In the reflection of the polished wood, he caught his father and his sister share a glance. Zuko was about to turn and try to read his sister's intentions but did not need to. She rose to her feet and bowed to Azulon.
"If I may," she offered, her grin concealed from her grandfather, but Zuko could see it. He was sure Lu Ten could too since he sat on Zuko's other side. "I have a way to use this balloon that may be of interest."
"Speak," Azulon ordered. He waved her free of her bow and the princess of the Fire Nation took the stage.
"Instead of using the machine simply for transport, we can use them to attack." The engineer scurried out of her way when she approached the schematic.
"If we position our benders at these openings, we can fly over the Earth Kingdom armies and send waves of fire down over them. The metal shields here should be able to protect against any rocks that are flung to try and take down the ships. No one will be able to escape your armies might as you rain fire over their lands and conquer the world." Azula turned to face his grandfather.
"Hmmm," he nodded, his hand on his chin in thought. The smile Azula wore was devious. Across the table, Ozai and Iroh's expressions could not be more opposite. Ozai glowed with pride where as Iroh tried to conceal his shock at Azula's blatant hunger for full-scale devastation and suffering.
"Caption Shaw. Keep this idea in mind as you head back to the front. I will send an order when I feel it's the correct time to unleash it."
"Yes, your majesty," the officer replied. The meeting ended and the room was dismissed, but Azulon stayed in his throne, the flames rising and falling with his breath.
"Ozai, Iroh," he said. "I'd like to speak with you for a moment." The three grandchildren were waved away and the doors closed behind them.
"What was that Azula?" Zuko asked. "Where did you get an idea like that? What if grandfather had not-"
"But he did. I know how much he wants to win this war. Father's been telling me about his ideas while he took care of him when he was ill." She frowned and looked to the doors. The sound of fire snapping in the air was the only noise.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Zuko finally asked.
"The succession of the throne," was Lu Ten's answer. It was so blunt, that both Azula and Zuko were thrown.
Zuko tried to sound sure of himself. "But Uncle Iroh is next in line. What's to discuss?"
"Maybe grandfather's having second thoughts about leaving the throne to a-"
"Don't start Azula," Zuko interrupted. Lu Ten had cringed for the impact of her words but kept his gaze on the door. It was no secret that Azula disliked her uncle.
"Whatever it is," he stated. "It must be important." The three grandchildren stared at the locked door, only guessing what transpired inside.
...
The next week, Zuko found himself standing in the vestibule where the masked nobles gathered before their matches. Lu Ten and himself had not found a match for Katara that week, but the two of them knew that they had to keep her streak going. When they learned she had won the match they missed due to the meeting. Their hand had been forced.
Zuko stood against the wall, alone, dressed as the Blue Sprit. He would lose and give her a ninth win. It would buy them enough time to find someone to be her final opponent. Someone who didn't mind being unmasked before the entire kingdom when they lost.
The guard entered the space that the four masked fighters waited in. Zuko was out of the way towards the end, so he had to wait while the others gave him their Arena aliases and asked for whatever bending opponents they wanted. There was no rush to anyone's movements, they still had maybe half an hour until they would go on and conclude the fights of the day. The guard approached Zuko last.
"Who would the Blue Spirit like to challenge today?" he asked. There was a benefit to constantly fighting, the guards knew who his alias without asking. Anything to talk less under the mask was a positive.
"The waterbender. The girl." The guard smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. Apparently, Katara was known by the guards just as well as he was.
"Finally!" The guard laughed. "A real challenger, someone to break her streak." Zuko nodded to keep up the charade. He had every intention of losing the match, though he would make it look like he was trying. From what he'd been watching over the last few months, Katara was a far different fighter then the one he faced in the training room at the palace.
"You'll go last then," the guard said as he composed himself. "This is a big match. I'm sure the stands will be packed to see how this girl does on the biggest match of the year." Zuko could only nod as the guard walked back out the door to the Arena floor. He assumed he was getting the requested fighters, but the prince was not truly that interested.
He was more curious about what the guard meant by this fight being the biggest match of the year. Unless Katara had gained a following of citizens in the stands, he was not so sure why everyone would want to watch her in this fight. Sure, he knew the Blue Sprit was a crowd pleaser, but that alone could not have been the reason.
The first man was called into the staging area to get a feel for the crowd and prepare his weapons if he needed. Zuko touched the two swords on his back and leaned his shoulder against the wall once more. A deep breath calmed him somewhat, but he felt a seed of doubt grow in him. Something was off.
Minutes faded until almost an hour had gone by. Finally, the waiting area was empty, and the guard waved Zuko over. He had spent the time doing a small warm up that included light swordplay. As he walked to the door, he made sure his mask was on properly, so it had no chance of slipping. This was the one match he needed to keep under wraps. He stepped out in the sunlight. The crowd went wild when they saw him.
Before the door could close, a shout echoed down the corridor behind him.
"Wait!" Zuko flinched when he recognized the voice. He turned back and looked to Lu Ten. The guard leaned in to see who was causing the disturbance, but Zuko put his hand up to block him. Lu Ten moved closer, there was panic in his eyes.
"We miscounted," he hissed, trying not to talk to loud. Under the mask Zuko frowned. He felt his heart race.
"How?"
"Hey, Blue Spirit," the guard called. "The girl is here. The match is starting." The man put a hand on Zuko's shoulder and tried to shut the door. Zuko wedged his foot between the frame and motioned for Lu Ten to explain. He spoke quickly.
"She fought two matches in one day, after we left," Lu Ten said.
"But-"
Lu Ten interrupted. "It doesn't matter how. It happened, and now you're the deciding opponent. This is her tenth match."
(Original Author's Note)
Ok, big scenes in the next chapter. Get excited! What do you think will happen?
I hope you all liked Zuko's chapter. It was hard to write at first, but after a while it came much easier. Sorry for the delay. If you find any mistakes (or more then usual, its because I wanted to upload this as fast as I could)
The chapter title is from "Whatever it takes" by Lifehouse*