I don't own ATLA .
.
Chapter 5: Stowed away
Zuko's POV
"What the hell is going on?" I asked.
"Hm. Well, you're tied up and locked in a room. With your sister, and ex-girlfriend, who HATE YOU! Gee, I wonder, Zuko." Mai snapped.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked angrily. Maybe I deserved this, but not Katara.
"Getting our revenge." Said Azula.
"And getting my ex boyfriend back with me." Mai said, getting closer to me. She caressed my face.
"Mhm! Mmmmhmmm! Mou mumming mif!" Katara murmured. I assume her words were full of hate, and swear words.
"Shut up you blasted water-bending peasant!" Azula screamed. She back handed Katara so hard she fell to floor. Azula grabbed her shoulders and dug her sharp nails in.
"You take your hands off my wife!" I shouted.
"And what do you expect to do, ZuZu?" Azula said, releasing Katara, smirking.
Her hair, I noticed, had grown back out. But it looked greasy, and not-taken-care-of. Two greasy, string-like pieces of hair outlined her face. The rest fell freely on her back. She was also dressed in a tattered shirt and sweat pants. Prison clothes?
"I'm not sure, but, you shouldn't be abusing her! She's pregnant!" Mai and Azula's eyes widened, then Azula smiled. Shit. Why did I tell her that? Me and my big mouth!
Azula knelt down and put on a fake-loving smile.
"You're pregnant?" She asked sweetly, "How," Her fist thrust into Katara's stomach, "Nice!"
Katara squealed in pain. A fire ignited in the base of my stomach, or so it felt, and I let out a cry of anger. Fire escaped from my mouth and then a haze of blue came at me. I forced myself onto the floor as low as I could go, smashing my head in the process.
The back of my head was throbbing, but I avoided Azula's fire blast, but then Mai was over the top of me.
"You try something like that again, she dies! You hear me?" She screamed in my face. I felt her hot breath right between my eyes. Mai had me a locked gaze. Her eyes were so bland and grey. So hateful. Why did I ever love her?
And what was I to do? I couldn't break free with fire (because I easily could) or Katara could be and would be killed in an instant.
Mai slowly backed away
"Mother fucker," I said under my breath. Mai glared at me, but kept slowly backing away.
I looked at Katara. She was writhing in pain on the floor. I hoped Azula's punch to the stomach would still make the baby okay. Hopefully she didn't have a kicking plan up her sleeve…
But I didn't have time to think about what might happen, I was worried about what would happen next. Would she kill us? Kill Katara and not me? To make me suffer? Or the other way around? Was Azula really this heartless?
"Wait…" I said, "Why did it take you so long to just pop back up like this?" I asked, "Both of you?"
Azula didn't glare at me(shocker) she thought for a minute then said, "To keep the element of surprise."
"Did you start the riots?" I asked.
"Of course, idiot!" Azula said, "I did it to make you leave. I knew you'd crack under the pressure. I knew you couldn't take it. I figured you'd be stupid enough to put the Avatar in charge while you went to take a break. Something no honorable Fire Lord would do." Azula spat each word at me.
I just glared her. I could feel my eyes burning with much intensity. I felt like holes would burn though Azula any second now. Unfortunately, they did not.
"So," Azula continued, taking a breath to calm down a bit, "When you were officially gone, I infiltrated the palace and found the Avatar and his nasty wife fornicating in one of the royal bedrooms." Azula spoke with disgust. She continued, "Mai took Toph hostage and threatened to kill her if The Avatar didn't tell us where you were." Azula smirked at the thought of the memory, "He told, begged for us to let her go. We said we only would if he'd give us one thing."
"What thing?" I demanded.
"His dead body." Mai said evilly. Azula nodded, "I finally took that bastards life!"
"You're evil!" I shouted.
"And you're next!" Azula snapped.
"What?" I said with confusion.
"I took the Avatar's life because I took his girl captive! Now!" Azula said, grabbing Katara by her hair and yanking her close, "I either take your's or her's! Your choice ZuZu!" Azula said, laughing manically.
"Wait Azula I thought we'd agree on killing the girl and I get Zuko all to myself. You promised!" Mai whined.
"Have you learned nothing? I was lying you twit!" Azula yelled, "I was going to kill Zuko all along!"
I don't know why they were arguing; I didn't even make a decision. Though, they were right. I would die for Katara, and I was probably going to in a minute. My heart raced.
"You bitch!" Mai said, pulling out a dagger.
No, wait, this is perfect! They'll turn on each other. I began heating the roped that held me captive. Hopefully, they wouldn't notice.
"You use that thing on me, I'll kill Zuko, then you!" Azula threatened.
I mentally sighed, Must I be the one to die first?
"Don't you dare!" Mai said, guarding me! "I love him! And I'll stop at nothing to be with him!"
Can't you let go of me Mai? I don't think Mai even loved me, actually, she was nearly obsessed.
And were they seriously fighting like petty girls? Though my life is at steak, I'm sort of calm right now. But I didn't understand why.
"You're a fool! Love! Ha! What a foolish thing! All's it brings you is pain! My god, I mean, I'm about to kill Zuko and because you 'love' him. But since you're in my way, you'll just have to die first!"
Azula began making lightning. Mai stood her ground though I felt like she'd jump and let it hit me. Either way, someone was about to die, and no one would be around to help us.
We, including Mai, were all screwed.
In seconds the lighting traveled the short six feet to Mai's heart. She dropped almost instantaneously. My mouth dropped. Holy shit! Mai was really dead!
Suddenly, my rope tie snapped. I jumped up shooting as much flame as I could at Azula. I heard a female scream(Azula's), a male grunt(me), as I jumped for Katara.
Another grunt(Katara's) as I landed on her to protect her. A shriek(Azula's) and a wall of blue flame. I created a wall of red fire that fought off the blue.
Azula stood a few feet away(it was a small room) over Mai's dead body. Which had a very small plume of black smoke where her heart(probably) used to be. Azula got her, and got her good. The smell of burnt flesh began to fill the small room. My nose wrinkled.
"You fools!" Azula screamed, "You will die! Right here, and right now!" She created lightning quickly shot it at me.
Heart pounding, I stuck my hand out and the lightning shot into my finger tips. It felt exhilarating yet terrifying(like before) but I went through the motion and stuck my other hand, right at Azula. Her eyes widened as the very lightning she created to kill me, went right back in her face.
I picked Katara up and found the door. I didn't want to stick around to see what I had just done.
I ran into a metal hallway. Bolting forward, seeing a lit corner ahead, sweat poured down my face as I carried Katara over my shoulder. I rounded the corner and was surprised to find stairs. I ran up them and came out onto a ship deck.
A lot of confused Fire Nation soldiers looked at us.
"What are you doing here, Fire Lord Zuko?" One asked.
"Have you no idea I was here?" I shouted. They all shook their heads nervously.
"My sister, was keeping my wife and I captive down there, and you didn't even know?"
"Uh, well, no, sir." One said. I sighed angrily. I can't believe my sister and Mai stowed away on a ship and no one knew.
"Wait, where is this ship headed?" I asked.
"The Fire Nation, my Lord."
"Where did you come from?"
"We were ordered to go and get you and your wife but when we got there, a ship was just leaving. We were told they had already got you and Fire Lady Katara and we were sent to go back."
I didn't say anything. I just gently let Katara down, who I had forgotten was over my shoulder. I couldn't believe this!
Men quickly came to Katara's aid.
"My Lord. We apologize for our stupidity. Please, forgive us." One said, bowing before me.
I sighed, "Just give my wife medical attention; She's been punched in the stomach and is pregnant. Make sure she's okay.
"Oh, of course," One man said. Someone came and took the cloth that was covering Katara's mouth. I grabbed her and held her close before they took her away to help her.
"Zuko, I'm fine," She said. Tears welled in my eyes. The shock of almost losing my life was just starting to hit me, I guess.
I pulled Katara away to look in her eyes. She was crying, too. I brushed the hair away, and wiped her tears away. She did the same to me.
"Ahem, Fire Lord Zuko. We need to help Lady Katara," Someone said. I just nodded as they led Katara away.
Suddenly, everything was hazy. Black patches danced across my vision. I passed out cold.
• • •
"Die, Zuko, die!" Someone shouted. Bright flashed burned my eyes. Blue hazes came close to burning me. I deflected each with my own fire.
"Just die already!" Bolts of lighting began hitting random places. I panicked. I stuck my two fingers out, randomly catching some lightning. I took it in and shot it somewhere random.
A girl screamed in antagonizing pain. Finally the bright flashed of fire subsided. It was dark again.
The girl wept in pain. I made fire in my hand. I walked toward the noise. But as I approached, it stopped. I found myself looking at a dead, burnt body. She had a child's face. A recognizable one; Azula.
I looked to my left; A mirror showed the reflection of me. I looked to my right; Mother was there, "How could you do this Zuko?" She screamed, weeping over he child's body.
I back away, falling over. Suddenly, a broad sword was in my face. The culprit holding it? My father.
"You shall pay for your sins!" He said raising the sword. It thrust it downward on my head. I screamed.
• • •
I woke up in a cold sweat, screaming.
"Zuko! What's wrong?" Katara asked. I found myself in a low-to-the-ground-bed. Clearly, we were still on the ship. And Katara sat to my right. She seemed fine, except for her worried expression.
"I had a night mare. . ." I said slowly.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked compassionately. I quickly shook my head. It was much too terrifying to even picture again. The dead Child's body(Azula's), The weeping Mother(My mother), The murderous Father(My father).
"Sweet heart, you have a concussion," Katara said slowly.
"What? How?" I asked.
"When you fell backwards when Azula shot fire at you. You hit your head so hard," Katara lightly caressed my face, "There was blood when they went to get Mai and Azula's bodies.
"But they said you'll recovery. Though you've been passed out cold for almost a week."
"I have?" Katara nodded, "I miss you during those days," Katara said, fiddling with my hair.
I sighed. We were silent for a few minutes.
"But there are good news," Katara said, perking up. I looked at her as a way for her to tell me the good news.
"I know we were 100 percent sure, but, I had them double check. I am pregnant." She said beaming, "And the baby is perfectly fine," She said gently resting a hand on her stomach.
"That's great!" I said. Katara smiled a heart warming smile.
"May I join you? It's a little chilly."
"Of course," I said, making room for her.
Katara snuggled in. I quickly held her tightly. She fell asleep soon enough. But I stayed awake. I was terrified that my nightmare's would return. But soon enough, sleep had a death grip on me.
The nightmare's returned.
A/N: Okay, I'm soooooooo sorry for not posting sooner! :
I was stuck on what to do with it but I finally figured it out. I really liked the Azula/Mai/Zuko back and forth thing. That was interesting to write. Especially Azula and her crazy bitch-y-ness. .
Anyways, More death! :O
Can you believe it? .
Oh and, I promise NO death will be happening to Katara, Zuko, or their baby. I PROMISE.
Next chapter will probably skip ahead awhile. There's not much to put in between. Also, I'm not too sure how I'm gonna end this. Not that it'll be soon buuut ideas? Anyone? None for the upcoming child, I have that planned. But in between? Before? After? Review? Please?