Author's Note: I've got an extra chapter today since the first was so short. Enjoy.
13 Years Later
Kai sat on the deck of Zuko's ship as they cut through the freezing waters of the South Pole. She was in the midst of a game with Iroh, the board set before them and multiple pieces were laid with no set winner at the moment. A strange shaft of light burst through the sky, causing her to snap her attention away from the game. Once the strange light disappeared, her blue eyes fell to Zuko, who stood at the edge of the ship, silently observing the sea as he often did. He muttered something under his breath she couldn't hear and then turned to face them, a look of anticipation on his scarred face.
"Uncle, do you realize what this means?"
The old man being questioned looked to Kai with a bemused expression when she returned her gaze to him, seeing that in her moment of distraction, he had attempted to cheat.
"I won't get to finish my game?" he asked his nephew, giving Kai a sheepish look.
"I believe it's finished, considering I've now won," she said with a small smile, snatching her piece back.
Zuko gave them both an annoyed look in their lack of enthusiasm toward what he was trying to say. "It means my search-it's about to come to an end."
A groan came from both Kai and Iroh, and they both looked at the banished prince skeptically.
"Zuko-" Kai began, but he swiftly cut her off.
"That light came from an incredibly powerful source. It has to be him!"
Iroh shook his head as he began to put away the game, accepting of his loss but not of his nephew's words.
"Or it's just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing. Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?" he suggested, gesturing to Kai, who was mid-sip of the fresh brew he had made.
Zuko's expression contorted to fury and he swept the teapot onto the deck with an angry grunt, causing the pot to shatter and tea to slash across the wooden planks.
"I don't need any calming tea! I need to capture the Avatar. Helmsman, head a course for the light!"
Later that night, Kai walked along the bridge of the ship to where she saw Iroh and Zuko speaking on the spotting deck.
"This coward's hundred years in hiding are over," she heard Zuko say, just as she walked up. Iroh shook his head and gave her a cautious glance to warn her that Zuko was in one of his moods. She gave him an almost imperceptible nod and he left, leaving the teenagers alone.
She made no sound as she leaned on the rail beside Zuko, staring out to sea and letting a comfortable silence fall between them. Her golden hair was tousled by the gentle sea breeze as she appreciated the beauty of the moonlight reflecting off of the water and icebergs, making the South Pole look almost magical. She was well aware of Zuko's warm presence beside her, but she made no move toward him.
"You know," she started, finally breaking the silence. "With all of this staring off into space you do, I've been waiting for some sort of epiphany to hit you."
She snuck a glance at him out of the corner of her eye, but his expression remained stoic as he kept his golden eyes focused on the water. She let out a sigh, giving up on the idea that maybe they would have some time to talk.
"I guess I'll just go to bed. I won't wait up for you," she said, turning to leave.
He caught her arm and she paused in her retreat, turning her head slightly to look back at him.
"I want you to stay," he said in a softer voice than when he had previously spoken to his uncle.
She nodded and returned to her position on the rail. He moved closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and getting that far off look he so often had while gazing out at sea. After he had been banished, he had changed. He had grown more distant, his patience waned easily, and he shunned most interaction with others. Despite her attempts to keep him close, she could even feel him withdrawing from her. She looked up at him now, studying his expression. After a moment, he shifted his gaze to her blue eyes. "What?"
She merely shrugged and looked back out to the moonlit sea. Not taking her eyes off of the moonlit water, she asked him a question she had asked on other occasions like this.
"What are you thinking about?"
She heard him elicit a sigh and he withdrew his arm from around her, causing her to look up at him again. He leaned on the rail beside her, mimicking her position but his gaze fell to his hands. She was glad he had moved out of his normal stiff position and he seemed a little more relaxed now, although it was still obvious that he carried a heavy burden on his shoulders.
"My father, my duty, everything."
She studied his profile for a moment and this time he made no move to meet her gaze. She moved closer to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, wishing there were some way for her to take all of his stress and worries away.
"If this really is the Avatar, what are we going to do?"
His expression changed to determination and she felt him grow tense under her hand.
"We'll capture him and return him to my father. Then my honor will be restored and we can return home."
She glanced away from him, a growing feeling of unease washing over her. He seemed so certain that he would be accepted back home, but she had a feeling things were going to be more complicated than that. Not wanting to dash any of his remaining hope, she kept her unease silent.
"Will you come to bed now?" she asked, changing the subject.
He shook his head in response and returned his gaze to her. "I won't be able to sleep and I don't want to keep you up."
She gave him a small smile and leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek before turning away. "Don't stay up too late," she said softly over her shoulder, leaving him alone on the spotting deck.
The next day, late in the afternoon, Kai sat beside Iroh as they watched Zuko sparring with two Fire Navy seamen. The cold air had grown warm from all of the fire and she was growing bored of watching them go through the same sequence repeatedly. She yawned and gazed down at her hands, picking at her nails as she waited for them to stop.
"Again," Iroh commanded, watching them intently as he snacked on a meat of some sort.
She lifted her gaze back to the three men and observed as Zuko sent two blasts of fire at the guards. He missed his targets and they returned their own blasts. Zuko dodged and back flipped over the guards to land on his feet behind them. Iroh sighed and got to his feet while Kai ran the sequence over again in her head, noticing how Zuko's tenseness was affecting his bending.
"No. Power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire." Iroh released a controlled plume of fire that burst in front of Zuko harmlessly. "Get it right this time."
Kai could see the frustration on Zuko's face and she knew things were going to sour quickly.
"Enough. I've been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set. I'm more than ready."
"No, you are impatient. You have yet to master your basics. Drill it again!" Iroh commanded in a forceful voice.
Zuko growled and blasted one of the guards backwards with a sudden burst of fire.
"The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last airbender. He must be over a hundred years old now. He's had a century to master all of the elements. I'll need more than basic firebending to defeat him. You will teach me the advanced set!"
Iroh sighed and sat down beside Kai once more. She could tell he was growing weary of the argument and he gave her a look that meant he was about to give up and leave it to her.
"Very well. But first I must finish my roast duck."
Zuko made a sound of frustration, sending a bout of fire at the other guard before storming away. Kai sighed and got to her feet, following after him. Once she caught up, she placed a hand on his shoulder. He whipped around and fixed her with a glare that made her take a few steps back. Recovering from her surprise, she scowled at him.
"Why are you treating him like this?" she demanded, her hands clenching into fists.
"He doubts me! He thinks I'm naïve and that I haven't found the Avatar."
"You know that's not true. He supports you and he loves you. Why else would he be here?"
"Because you came."
"Zuko, he was coming with you before I told you I was coming."
His jaw clenched and she could tell he was searching for another reason to be angry. Once he was angry, he would fuel the conflict until he won. She knew that was what he was trying to do.
"Then you came because of him," he said in a cold voice.
Disbelief painted itself on Kai's face and she took deliberate steps toward him until she had to look up at him, her blue eyes flashing with anger.
"I came because I love you! Don't you ever doubt that," she hissed, poking her finger into his chest. She turned on her heels and walked away, seething from their argument.
The following morning, an uncomfortable silence had fallen across the ship since the argument the day before. Kai and Zuko had been busily avoiding each other, their tempers ready to explode again at any moment. Kai leaned against the railing, her blue eyes on the horizon. The sunlight was almost harsh as it reflected off of the ice around them and she cringed every time the ship lurched when it collided with small ice chunks. The sound of a fireball shooting up in the distance grabbed her attention and she turned to see a large flare in the sky. That was a Fire Navy distress signal. Curious, she walked to the other edge of the ship, keeping a good distance away from Zuko as he observed it through a telescope.
"The last airbender." His voice caused her glance over, noticing that it wasn't her he was speaking to but a guard beside him. "Quite agile for his old age. Wake my Uncle! Tell him I have found the Avatar…"
She watched as he scanned the shore line for something she couldn't see.
"…as well as his hiding place."
Her eyes widened and she looked out at the shore, searching for what he was looking at, but still unable to see it. If Zuko really had found his target, then nothing would stop him on his quest, not even innocent people. But could she?
A/N: Hopefully that was better. R&R! Action is promised in the next chapter.