Ru: We're back! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews!
Bri: Happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us!
Tawny: (sigh)
Ru: Yes reviewers, yesterday was our birthday!
Bri: Sweet sixteen, sweet sixteen! Yes! Woohoo!
Ru: We tried updating yesterday, but it wouldn't work.
Tawny: Anyways, the stories will becoming less frequently now that school has started, expect them about once a week. We'll tell you if we can't write them for a longer time. If we don't tell you and we don't update for a while, longer than a week, don't think we've abandoned you, we're just busy people during the school year.
Ru: Yes, during the school year most of the time we will be at school doing theatre stuff for most of the week, the only day that we will for sure not be doing anything is Sunday.
Bri: So we will try to update then.
Ru: Thanks for your understanding!
Bri: We love you!
Ru: Now that we've said stuff, on to the new chapter!
Chapter 8: Will You Go With Me?
"Really!" Eriko squealed. Bri, Tawny and Eriko were in Eriko's room the next morning.
"Mhm." Bri returned.
"Are you sure?" Her friend questioned, knowing that Bri sometimes exaggerated the story to make it more interesting for herself.
"Yep, I know what she's feeling remember?" Bri answered matter-of-factly. Tawny sighed.
"Bri, you know that Ru can shut her link to us when she wants to." Tawny reminded her sister. "And she did, and it's still shut now." Eriko glared at Bri, who blushed from embarrassment.
"Um… Look at the time, is it really that late? Wow, I have to go grade exams. Uh, bye!" Bri rushed out of the room.
"Do you know what happened last night? I keep asking Tamotsu, but he won't tell me!" Eriko whined.
"What happened is between them, but I know for a fact that Ru practices abstinence, so it isn't anything like that." Tawny replied. "But sooner or later Ru will want someone to talk to." Eriko looked up knowing that she was the first person Ru would come to talk to. She felt guilty that she had tried to find out what happened from anyone other her friend.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to get done." With that Tawny left the room. Things were so boring, she wished she could go on another mission, but she was needed here. Man, all the other ninja get to go and have some fun! But I'm stuck here! Being a top ninja isn't all it's cracked up to be. She sighed, she wished she could be out there on the field with her other friends and not cooped up here with nothing but paperwork.
"Tawny?" She looked up. Ru was calling her name.
"Hey, what's up?" She answered.
"Tawny, could you come with me, please?" Ru asked in her business tone. Tawny knew it had something to do with their job. She nodded and Ru led her to Ru's office. Once they were inside the door Ru shut it and motioned for Tawny to sit in the chair across from the desk and then sat in the chair at the desk.
"Tawny, the king has ordered me to send another recon group to the Fire Nation capital to see what their planning." She began. "But I've determined that it's too dangerous to send a group. So, as the best recon ninja in the Earth Kingdom, I am sending you." Ru sat as rigid as a post; she did not like the idea of sending her sister into grave danger behind enemy lines, alone.
"What? You are? Do you want me to rescue the three captured ninja as well?" Tawny sputtered; hardly believing that she was being sent out without her sisters, she had never been on a mission without them. Ru sensed her unease and came forward and hugged her sister.
"No, you aren't going to rescue our friends, but don't worry, help for them will be coming soon. I know it'll be hard to be there but not be able to do anything to help them, and I know that you are good friends with all three of them, I also know that you are crushing on Mitsuoki." Tawny stepped back and looked at her sister in surprise.
"You know about that?" Tawny asked tentatively.
"Tawny, it's so obvious!" Ru giggled. "You always stand there and say hi when he passes you in the hall, or quietly look on when he trains with his squad. You're so shy around him and that's not how you are around everyone else! You may be quiet around everyone, but that's not being shy, your kind of shy is when you bring your posture inward and you give the impression that you don't want to be there, or you don't know what to do. Your normal posture shows that you're always sure of everything and know what you want and don't want. When you're around him you draw yourself inwards. So, duh! Of course I know you like him!" Tawny could not believe that she had been that obvious.
"Anyways, you need to get packed you'll leave at noon the day after the festival." Ru said; getting back to business.
"The day after the festival? That's kinda soon don't you think?" Tawny asked.
"I know it's only four days away, but we need you there as soon as possible and right now you're the only person qualified for such a dangerous mission. I wish Bri and I could go with you, but it would be too dangerous for all three of us to go. Besides you always were the best at secret recon missions. No one knows about this mission except the king, you and me. Not even Bri knows about it, that's why my link to you two has been closed all morning. So as soon as you leave this office I need you to close your link to her; we can't have her knowing what we are doing. I know that she doesn't like to be kept out of the loop, but she understands that there are some things that we are not classified to tell her. Just like she and I are not classified to tell you some things. I hate having to keep secrets from the two of you, but it's my job and some things need to be kept secret." Ru said solemnly. Tawny nodded, she understood perfectly, she was, after all, the lead spy ninja. Ru dismissed her and she exited the room, closing her link to Bri in the process. Well, I wanted a mission, be careful of what you wish for I guess. With that thought Tawny went to her room and started to pack.
An hour later, Katara was dreaming peacefully when the sun peaked through her window waking her. Maybe he'll ask me today. She thought as she yawned and stretched. It was a beautiful spring day; the perfect day to be asked and to go out and see the town. Ru had promised that she would take them to see the city today. Maybe Zuko would take her off alone to some romantic location and ask her. She sighed and got dressed, it would be wonderful if he asked her today but she didn't want to get her hopes up. As soon as she was dressed she went out to the courtyard. Outside, most everyone was already there, including Princess Kayoko, Princess Eriko, Prince Tamotsu, and a lady that Katara hadn't seen before.
"Hello, you must be Katara. I'm Saimei." The lady said.
"Oh, hi! How do you know who I am?" Katara said surprised.
"Mom, always knows who everyone is, she hates being kept in the dark about things." Eriko said.
"Mom? That means you're the queen!" Katara said and gave a quick bow.
"I don't bother with titles; I'm just a simple person who happened to marry the king." She explained.
"Sorry we're late; we had to take care of a few things before we left. So, is everyone ready?" Ru said as she walked briskly up with her sisters at her side. When she got to the group she and her sisters gave a bow to the queen, who waved it off, and she went to stand next to Tamotsu. The group nodded and they walked out the castle gates toward the city. Ba Sing Se was beautiful during the spring; the cherry blossoms were in bloom and the decorations for the festival were beginning to be put up. Katara looked over at Ru; she was holding hands with Tamotsu, they were so cute together. Katara sighed romantically and wished that Zuko would ask her to the festival already. She looked over at him; he was walking next to his uncle. She just stared at him for a few moments, not paying attention to where she was going and almost knocked over a young man. He turned around looking angry and almost told her to watch where she was going. But when he saw her face, his features changed, a look of recognition crossed his eyes.
"Katara?" He said. Katara realized who he was and backed away.
"Jet." She said the word like his name was some awful disease that had killed her family
"Katara! It's so good to see you!" He exclaimed.
"Wish I could say the same about you." She spat. Sokka, who had stopped with the rest of the group when Katara had tripped, rushed over.
"You stay away from my sister you dirty, rotten, scoundrel!" Sokka ordered while he placed himself, knife drawn, between Katara and Jet.
"Oh, come on Sokka. I've changed!" Jet said defending himself.
"A rat like you could never change." Aang said as he stood next to Sokka.
"I know I've done some bad stuff…"
"Bad! You think that nearly killing an entire Earth Kingdom village is just bad! It's horrible!" Katara yelled pushing past Aang and Sokka.
"Now Katara, let's not cause a scene." Jet said looking around nervously.
"He did what! And they say that I'm bad!" Zuko laughed.
"Yeah, he's ten times worse than you are." Katara said.
"Who's this punk?" Jet asked, steamed.
"This is Prince Zuko, leader of our armies against the Fire Nation." Ru announced.
"Prince Zuko, as in the prince of the Fire Nation!" Jet screamed.
"Yes, and he's ten times the man you'll ever be!" Katara screamed back at him. If anyone in the group wasn't looking at her; they were now, especially Zuko. He stood there dumbfounded by Katara's words. She likes me! She practically admitted it!
"You'd rather be with Fire Nation scum than with me?" Jet said softly; his tone dangerous.
"Yes, I would rather be with him everyday of the rest of my life than spend one day with you!" Katara spat at Jet. Jet was incredulous; his face was so red that you could have mistaken him for a tomato. Only now did Katara notice that everyone in their group was looking at her. Realizing what she had said; she turned beet red. She looked over at Zuko his face was red as well, she looked away embarrassed. Sokka's face was also red, but not from embarrassment, but from another emotion completely.
"WHAT!" He yelled. "Katara, you like that sleaze ball!" He turned to Zuko. "What have you done to my sister you scud ball!" Sokka yelled at the red prince.
"I haven't done anything to her! I haven't touched her, and don't talk to me that way, idiot!" Zuko scowled. Katara looked at him; her eyes full of sorrow and regret, taking one more look at him she ran off. She wanted to get away from all of them, her brother, her crush, her friends, all of them. Sokka started to follow but Zuko stopped him; putting his arm in front of Sokka, preventing him to leave.
"Let me go!" Sokka yelled.
"No-" Zuko started but his uncle cut him off and finished for him.
"She needs to be alone to think things through, I'm sure this has been very embarrassing, and trying for her. And Sokka you're not helping at all with your negative attitude towards her feelings." Iroh said calmly. Saimei nodded her agreement. Sokka looked down; ashamed that he had not been more understanding of his sister's feelings. But this guy is Fire Nation! Half of him screamed. But he's part of our group now and helping us fight the Fire Nation. The other half argued. In the end Sokka knew that the second half of him… was right.
Katara ran and ran; she didn't want to stop, she wanted to keep running until all her problems went away. She finally came to a stop outside of a restaurant. She sat of the ground and cried; just let everything out, Zuko, Jet, her brother. She just cried until she couldn't cry any more. As her tears were drying up, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" She heard a concerned voice say.
"Yeah, I'm fine; I just needed to be alone for a minute." She sniffed.
"Good, because I was starting to think that you were never going to stop crying!" The voice said jokingly. Katara turned around to see who she was talking to and she saw a man she had never seen before. He was a very handsome, dark haired man. He had a big smile and a sturdy build.
"Do you have a partner for the festival?" He asked; she shook her head. "Because I don't, and since you don't and I don't, maybe we should go together?"
Zuko felt that Katara had had enough time to think things through and, with Uncle's advice and good will, had decided to go look for her and ask her to the festival. He was calling out her name and had walked for a while, when he saw her. She was in front of a restaurant, but who was she was with?
"Katara!" He called. He walked up a little closer; just close enough to hear what they were saying.
"-maybe we should go together?" The man said. Zuko froze; some other guy was asking her to the festival!
"Katara!" Zuko yelled. She turned toward him, her face immediately lit up.
"Zuko!" She yelped gleefully. She started to run to him, but the man grabbed her by the arm.
"Where are you going?" He said into her ear. Her face changed in a flash, she was afraid.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Let her go!" Zuko said his mind racing; what if this guy tries to hurt Katara? But the man didn't let her go.
"No, I think I'll hold on to her." He said. Katara bent the water in her flask that she always kept at her side and managed to wriggle free of the man's grasp, but he realized what she was doing, grabbed her flask and poured the water out. Katara watched in horror as her only way of bending was soaked up by the dry ground. The man came at her again and this time grabbed her by both arms, so she couldn't fight back. Now Zuko was really mad.
"YOU GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF HER, NOW!" He screamed.
"What're gonna do about it?" The man scoffed. This really lit Zuko's temper. He lit his hands on fire, much to the horror of Katara's captor. Zuko charged the man, and without hitting Katara, freed her from the evil man's grasp. The man backed away in fear and pleaded for mercy.
"No, Zuko, don't hurt him, even though he does deserve it!" She stopped Zuko putting a hand on his arm. "We should take him to the authorities, I'm sure that they'll love to hear this!" At her coaxing Zuko stopped himself from hurting the man any further. They took him to the authorities, who put him in jail for threatening Prince Zuko and a friend of the avatar's.
Back at the castle later that evening, Katara was walking through the halls with Zuko.
"You saved me back there." She said softly.
"Yeah, only cause you couldn't save yourself." He smirked. She glared playfully at him knowing that he had been scared for her. They turned a corner and Zuko stepped in front of Katara and stopped her.
"Wait, before either of us takes another step; I have something that I want to say." He began. "Katara, I like you…a lot, and I was wondering…"
"Yes?"
"Well… if you would go to the festival with me!" He said quickly.
"Yes! Yes, I will!" She answered. Zuko smiled and in his excitement, he took her in his arms and kissed her. They just stood there paralyzed in the moment. She melted under his touch. He slid his tongue into her waiting mouth, deepening the kiss. Finally, they parted. Katara, dazed stood there looking into his golden eyes for a moment before finding words to say.
"Wow." Katara said softly. "Who knew that the prince of the Fire Nation could kiss like that!" He smiled and gave her a hug.
"I guess I should be getting to bed… it's getting late." She said giving him a light kiss on the mouth.
"Yeah, good night, Katara." He said kissing her again. And both walked away feeling better than they had in years.
(Party in session, Bri and Ru have noise makers and are twirling them around.)
Bri: Yes!
Ru: Oh, yay! They finally kissed!
Tawny: That's so sweet! (Bri and Ru exchange looks)
Bri: You think something is cute?
Ru: When did this happen?
Tawny: Just say the thing so we can get outta here!
Ru: Fine have it your way! (twirls noise maker around once more) Anyways, I hope that you liked it! (Yay!) Please review!
-Directorchic16