Chapter 40:
Freya sat on the floor and stared up at the earthy celling. She was leaning against a glowing green crystal in which the cave was filled with. Katara had been pacing around trying to force her way out of the earth by pushing on certain spots and getting frustrated when it didn't move.
The cave was a glowing green colour thanks to the thousands of crystals and Freya had moved to counting them all just to pass the time.
"Come on Freya! Can't you explode us out of here?" Katara demanded for the dozenth time.
"I could but the problem is Katara anything I do could cause a cave in. Lightning would be the most effective but it'd explode a lot and it's dangerous. And it's take me forever to blast through with just fire. By the time I managed it the Dai Li and Azula would probably have worked out and would be gathered around to stop us." Freya expressed monotony
"So we're just going to sit and do nothing."
"Katara, Aang, Sokka and Toph will all be back eventually, no later than a week."
"Azula could do more damage in two days." Katara believed as she kicked another crystal.
"Katara, be patient. We'll be fine." Freya said
"Fine? How can you say that?"
"I'm positive and I'm calm." Freya said as she sat up and put her hands into her lap, sitting up straight. "Now shush,"
"You're meditating!?" Katara demanded
"Meditation does a lot of things Katara." Freya said before she took a breath.
Katara paced some more as Freya took deep breaths and with her eyebrows closed she drifted through her mind.
Both girls suddenly stopped as shaking sounded and Katara looked up as Freya jumped to her feet and stared up a bank into the celling. There was a hole and a black figure was on the other end as the earth was moved aside.
"You've got company." the Dai Li agent expressed and someone was pushed through the hole and tumbled down towards them.
Freya gasped at the cries before she moved forwards and caught Zuko before he hit the ground.
"Zuko!" both girls exclaimed. Freya looked concerned and Katara's expression contorted.
"Are you alright?" Freya asked worried. Zuko rubbed his head before he looked up at the girl as he lay across her lap.
"Freya, what are you doing here?" he asked her, slightly surprised
"I'm assuming the same as you; Azula got to you I guess." Freya frowned.
"You knew she was here?" Zuko asked
"Only just." Freya admitted as Zuko sat up before her.
"Why did they throw you in here?" Katara demanded, drawing the two's attentions. "Oh wait. Let me guess. It's a trap. So when Aang shows up to rescue me, you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches."
"Wow Katara. Master of plots." Freya said sarcastically. "He's in here because Azula hates him and has dubbed him a traitor! He's a loose end! He's just as much a prisoner as we are."
"I can't believe you're defending him!" Katara snapped
"Not like it's anything new." Freya responded to which Katara growled and threw her hands up in frustration.
"Now you're playing with Freya!" Freya looked at the girl angrily but she was still ranting. Zuko simply turned to glance at Katara slightly before turning away again. "You're a terrible person, you know that? Always following us, hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the world's last hope for peace!" Katara was pacing as she complained "But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood."
"Katara." Freya said surprised, looking disappointed but the Prince spoke up.
"You don't know what you're talking about." Zuko responded
"I don't?! How dare you!" Katara snapped angrily. "You have no idea what this war has put me through. Me personally." Freya frowned as Katara turned her back on her and Zuko and crouched herself to the ground. "The Fire Nation took my mother away from me." she confessed, tears building in her eyes as she touched her necklace. Freya sighed and Zuko turned to look at them both in which Freya nodded, confirming it.
"I'm sorry." Zuko turned to face the girl as she cried into her knees. "That's something we have in common." Katara looked up surprised and turned to the boy, glancing at Freya. She nodded again.
"Even the Fire Lord's son has problems." Freya said as she looked at Zuko beside her, brushing his hair lightly in comfort. They both shared a glance between one another and turned to face Freya who looked at them both.
"We're all going to be stuck here until someone shows up, we might as well stop having a go at one another." she said turning to Katara. The girl frowned and turned her gaze downward, looking slightly guilty.
"You really think someone's coming then?" Zuko asked Freya
"Of course, Aang, Sokka and Toph will notice our absences just as much as Iroh will miss yours." Freya smiled "How did Azula know you were here anyway?"
"I don't know, Uncle and I were invited to serve tea to the Earth King, but it was a trap." the prince confessed. Katara looked guilty, bitting her lip as Freya hummed.
"Well, Iroh knows for sure you've been captured then. He wont leave you here Zuko, he'll do what he can to save you." she smiled "So even if Aang hasn't returned, or Sokka, or Toph, someone's looking for us. Iroh's resourceful, I'm sure it'll be fine." Zuko looked at her before he smiled
"Thanks Freya."
"It's only logical, no need to thank me."
"No, for always believing in me as well. You have every right to treat me like she does, but instead you don't." Zuko said glancing at Katara who turned her gaze away instantly.
"Not true, I've had my moments were I'm blunt and I've stood between you and your goal more times than I can count. I've shouted at you for your beliefs and what I believe is your stupidity." Freya said as she got to her feet. Katara watched them surprised. "But I'm hoping you'll do what's right, instead of what might seem easy." Zuko turned away, frowning slightly.
"And if I disappoint you?" he asked her. Freya paused and thought.
"Well, you can't learn from your mistakes if you don't make them but, I don't really know. I guess it depends on what you do." she admitted and Katara frowned as Freya looked unsure. "For now at least though, you seem to be on the right path. You seemed so happy just being with your uncle." Freya smiled. Zuko did as well.
"He helped me through my fever, the least I could do was help him when he got his wish granted to own a tea shop." Zuko believed and Freya nodded.
"I think he's been through enough to deserve it." Zuko nodded and Katara looked between them both as Zuko got to his feet, taking her hand in his as she smiled at him.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you before." both of them turned to Katara who stood up and placed her hands behind her back as she looked at the floor.
"It doesn't matter." Zuko decided as he gazed at Freya. She smiled at Katara as she apologised.
"It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face." Katara admitted guiltily.
"My face. I see." Zuko turned away, released Freya's hand and reached up to touch his scar.
"No, no, that's not what I meant." Katara said regretfully as Freya frowned.
"It's okay." he admitted and the two girls shared a look. "I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realised I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark." Freya smiled
"Destiny is what you make of it after all."
"Uncle said that." Zuko smiled and she nodded
"He's good with words."
"You're not too bad either." he said and she shrugged.
"Maybe you could be free of it." Katara spoke up and Zuko and Freya looked at him confused. A glimmer of hope flashed through Zuko's eyes as he turned back to her.
"What?"
"I have healing abilities." Katara admitted
"It's a scar. It can't be healed."
"Gonna say Katara, if it was that easy I'd have given it a shot already." Freya admitted
Katara however reached into her top and pulled out an amulet from around her neck. Freya noticed it immediately as the vial Master Pakku gave her after they left the North Pole. In it was special water as it came from the Spirit Oasis, the most spiritual place amongst all the ice.
"This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I have be saving it for something important." Katara walked closer to Zuko and turned to face him as she held up the amulet. "I don't know if it would work, but…" Zuko closed his eyes and Katara reached up to touch his scar.
The three of them suddenly turned as an explosion sound through the earth and crystal and dust clouded up through the cave.
The dust cleared and suddenly Aang was standing in the cave and Iroh walked out behind him.
"Aang!" Katara called and she ran forwards to hug the boy.
"Told you." Freya said and Zuko shot her a look as Iroh ran forwards to hug Zuko. At the same time Aang glared at the prince. Iroh moved and pulled Freya into a hug and she accepted it happily as Zuko gave Aang the same look in return.
"Aang, I knew you would come." Katara admitted
"No you didn't, you needed convincing." Freya said and Katara poked her tongue out at the girl.
"Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar!" Zuko asked upset as he pointed at the boy.
"Saving you, that's what." Aang returned and Zuko lunged forwards, being caught by Iroh and Freya to stop him.
"Zuko, it's time we talked." Iroh decided before he turned to Katara and Aang. "Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you." he instructed. Aang bowed and the two shared a look before Aang ran back through the tunnel he'd created and Katara followed. She frowned as she glanced back at Zuko who looked upset.
"Freya, it's best you go with them." Iroh thought. She looked at them both, her eyes lingering on Zuko before she nodded. She placed a hand on Zuko's cheek and he looked at her before she smiled and turned to follow the other two benders. She looked at Zuko who watched her and couldn't tell how he felt.
"I'll see you later." she assured before turning to run off down the tunnel to try and catch the other two.
Freya came out into a giant room that could have been a court yard. There was a stream that ran in a rectangle and a waterfall to one side. The room was filled with pillars and millions of crystals. Freya looked around it in amazement before she saw the two a little ways ahead of her, running through the room.
"We've got to find Sokka and Toph." Katara shouted. Freya heard rushing and the hairs on her neck stood up as she felt the heat. She spun around, waving her hand and water rushed up to block blue flames which were shooting at Freya, along with Aang and Katara behind her. Aang and Katara turned to see Freya as she dropped the water. Behind them was Azula, coming from the tunnel they'd exited, her fingers smoking. Freya took a stance and faced the princess before Katara acted from behind her first. She drew water from the stream in the courtyard in which she threw at the princess, who blocked it with blue fire and then made an explosion as more blue fire stopped a wave Freya sent. The older girl didn't stop though and she shot forwards through the steam and fire towards the princess who had to jump back and out of the way to block the girl's throw of spears.
Azula responded by jumping out of the steam and onto a crystal to throw more fire at Katara and Aang. Both moved in sync to create a water barrier that the fire collided with and Freya blasted herself up after the princess in which she pulled water out of the stream to grab the princess around the ankle. Freya fell back toward the ground and pulled the firebender with her, yanking on the stream before throwing her hand and throwing Azula down. Azula's arm's went down first before rolled along the floor, got her bearings and blue fire shot quick from her fist. Freya didn't stop, missing the fire before waving her arm for the water to splash and dive at its opponent. The princess dodged before she was standing between the three benders, Freya before her, Katara on one side and Aang on the other. Azula held her hands up at the two on either side of her and her eyes darted between them all.