CHAPTER 10

"Are you sure this will work?" I questioned. His plan was smart, but I was beginning to doubt that it would actually work. We stood with Iroh and a few other guards at the back of the ship. I looked at the old man and he shrugged.

"Are you doubting me?" Zuko asked.

"Not at all," I replied. Under my breath, I muttered, "This is going to backfire." I saw Iroh nod.

"Kiara, you're coming with me. Uncle, keep heading north. Zhao will follow the smoke trail while I use it as a cover." We both nodded and I was helped onto the smaller ship by one of the guards. Not long after, it was deployed into the water. All I could do then was pray that Zuko's plan would work. I prayed that Zhao wouldn't catch us and have us thrown in prison.

~~~
It was only an hour later that I was following Zuko up a spiral set of stairs. The room leading to the sanctuary was where they were. The Avatar, Sokka, and Katara. The boy was perched on the dragon's tail wrapped around the columns. I pointed him out to the prince as he inched his way to the floor. The fire sages thought he was inside the sanctuary so they opened the doors with blasts of fire, none of them noticing the prince or the young boy behind them. I watched as they were confused at the lemur inside instead of the Avatar.

"It's the Avatar's lemur!" one of them shouted. "He must've crawled through the pipes! We've been tricked!"

And then my siblings jumped out of their hiding places, grabbing two of the fire sages and pinning their arms behind them.

"Now, Aang!" Sokka said.

Katara followed up with, "Aang! Now's your chance!"

That's when Zuko revealed himself. He stepped out from behind a pillar, holding the Avatar hostage. "The Avatar's coming with me!" he declared. I was conflicted with what happened next. The sages that my brother and sister held returned the favor and reversed their roles. "Close the doors! Quickly!" Zuko said as he led the boy to the doorway that I stood in.

But with no warning at all, Aang got away from the prince and knocked him down the stairs. Zuko fell past me, tumbling down the steps. "Go!" Katara shouted. I knew the Avatar would make it in somehow... I ran down to help Zuko up and he looked at me as if I were mental.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I questioned.

He opened his mouth to say something but I guess he decided against it. Instead, he told me, "Come on. Before he talks to Avatar Roku." I nodded and followed him back up the stairs. My brother and sister were chained to one of the pillars, rejoicing at the fact that the boy made it into the sanctuary. "Go talk to them."

It was my turn to look at him like he was mental. "I can...?"

"Yes. I don't want them to know about what happened a few weeks ago, though. Let them know that you're fine, at least." He gave a nod and I took that as my cue.

I ran to my siblings, shocking the two fire sages that were fastening the chains. They reached to grab me until Zuko told them to stop. When they asked why, he explained that I was his servant and he gave me permission. They didn't seem to thrilled but nodded anyway and left my siblings to help the prince.

"Kiara! Why are you here?" Sokka asked. I pointed to the prince. "Hothead forced you?"

Shaking my head, I replied, "No. He told me to come and I had no objections. If I would have said 'no' he wouldn't have made me come. He respects if I don't want to do something."

"So he knows respect?" Katara asked. "TThat's surprising."

"Guys, he's really not that bad. He went through a lot." I received a scowl from Sokka and a scoff from Katara. "Really. I know he seems like the most angry person with no sense of remorse, but..."

"You're defending him?!" Sokka exclaimed. "I don't understand, Ki. If he's so great, why didn't he bring you back home years ago? Why has he kept you from seeing your family? Why?" He sounded hurt.

I was shocked. Why didn't Zuko do that? "I don't..."

"You don't know? Good, because we don't either. Ki, he's brainwashed you. You should be fighting him, not defending him! The Fire Nation stole you away from us and he hasn't once mentioned bring you back, has he?"

"Sokka-" Katara started.

"I'm not done. Has he done something to you? Is that why you're so defensive? Has he threatened you to the point that you are forced to do this?"

"No! He's not like that! He let me come talk to you. I didn't ask. He hasn't threatened me."

"Has he hit you?" My hesitation set him off. "That bastard. I'll kill him!" Before I could say anything to shut Sokka up, I heard a voice that made me freeze.

"What a moving and heartfelt performance. I'm certain the Fire Lord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him."

As I turned, my arms were restrained behind my back and I was forced to approach Zhao. How had he followed us?

"Commander Zhao," one of the sages said.

"And Prince Zuko, it was a noble effort, but your little smoke screen didn't work." I was now beside the man. "Three traitors in one day. The Fire Lord will be pleased."

Zuko was restrained by one of Zhao's soldiers. "You're too late, Zhao. The Avatar's inside and the doors are sealed," Zuko said.

"No matter. Sooner or later, he has to come out. In the meantime, I think I'll talk with this one." Zhao grabbed my wrist and walked away while Zuko and my siblings protested.

"Let her go!" Sokka shouted, along with Zuko.

I fought against him, digging my heels Iinto the ground, but it was no use. So I did the one thing that came to my mind. I bit his hand, making him release me with a curse. Zhao turned and his eyes narrowed at me. In one swift movement, his hand collided with my cheek. Next, my hair was grabbed and my face was brought close to his.

"You're going to belong to me one day, girl. And I'll have fun with you whether you like it or not," he hissed.

I spat in his face. "I'd rather die," I said angrily. If at all possible, his eyes narrowed even more. "You have something on your face, old man."

With an angry look, he threw me to a guard and said, restrain her with the others. Watch her closely."

~~~~~
"What just happened?" Zuko asked, his eyes showing concern. They had chained me up with Zuko, across from my siblings. "Why does it look like he hit you?"

"Because he did. I bit him, he hit me, and I spat in his face," I replied. I received and approving nod from him.

"But it's not the first time you've been hit, is it, Ki?" Sokka pressed. He glared at Zuko. "Why'd you do it? What did she do to deserve that?"

"Sokka, stop-" I began.

"No, I wanna know. And I want the truth," he hissed. He looked at Zuko expectantly.

"I was angry-"

"At her?"

"No. I don't know what I was angry at, but she was there, and I took my anger out on her."

"Prince Zuko, you don't have to explain yourself," I said.

"Yes, I do. They're your family and they care about what happens to you."

"Let me guess, so do you?" Katara asked.

"I do. I know that you hate me, but Kiara has been there since I was a child. We grew up together when she should've been with you. She should've been in the South Pole when she was in the palace. I understand that I've done wrong by hitting her, but..." He trailed off, thinking.

"But what?"

"Actually, I don't have an excuse for that. I think about it every day and I still regret it."

~~~~~
It was strange, this feeling. It almost felt as if I was important. When the Avatar came out, the chained were burned, freeing us, and Zuko grabbing my hand, pulling me along with him as the temple was burned to the ground. We ran to the small ship to escape the lava that was spreading across the island. Once there, we set sail, heading to the actual ship.

"Prince Zuko?" I whispered.

"What is it?" he asked.

"About what you said in there..."

"I didn't just say it to seem like a good guy, Kiara. I mean it. We'll talk more at the ship, but for right now, I want you to get some sleep. Uncle will be wanting to know what happened when we get there."

I nodded and went below deck, leaving the prince to himself. When my head hit the pillow of the small bed, I was instantly asleep.