Kitsu sat on the upper deck beneath a green cloth sun shade. Her hands fretted with the cuff of her sleeve. The dress the tailor chose for her was a beautiful pale green, the same color as her green eye, and it was embroidered with buttercream colored lotus flowers all down the back. Her hair was done up in an intricate bun on the back of her head with two golden hair sticks peeking out of her black tresses. Ai picked them, along with the necklace she wore, which was a sturdy gold chain. Kitsu's stomach rolled with the swaying of the ship as she chewed her bottom lip and trained her eye on the stairs where Lee would appear at any moment. She had to repeatedly remind herself not to touch her hair or face for fear of messing it up. The ensemble made her feel like a priss but she would need to get used to it. The sun was nearly setting, and her eyes drifted towards the horizon where the water sparkled with rays of pink and gold. Kitsu picked up the teacup that was set in front of her and took a sip of the hot ginger tea she'd ordered.
The whole day had been spent primping and preening every last inch of her person. Her feet were scrubbed and smoothed, her hands were freed of calluses. She felt like a newborn baby every time she touched something. It made her feel vulnerable and fragile. Kitsu's mind drifted to the wrapping on her leg. She'd managed several painful steps while moving from one chair to another, but she was nowhere near her peak condition. The wound was healing rapidly on the surface, but the muscle beneath was weak, and she was fearful that there was a risk of atrophy. Fine porcelain clinked as she lowered her teacup to it's saucer and sighed.
Her mind, as it seemed to always be these days, was so blurry. Try as she might she could summon little more than splashes of a memory of the time before she woke up. It was maddening.
Kitsu's finger ghosted over the rim of her cup as she delved into her memories, attempting in vain to force something loose that might enlighten her. Half baked images of her husband, wounded and angry came to the surface, but there was no context to them.
Mooshi had given her a very vague description of how she'd come to meet her husband, but like broth to a hungry stomach, it simply wasn't enough to satiate her curiosity.
The miniscule silhouette of a ship against the skyline caught her eye and Kitsu tilted her head as she squinted to make out the shape.
Kitsu's heart fluttered as a familiar mop of unruly black hair came into view. He was scanning the deck for her, not yet aware that she was watching. His trademark serious scowl was plastered on his handsome face and despite herself Kitsu smiled a bit wider.
The prominent scar on his face was made darker by the golden light, but the very same rays made his amber eyes flicker. Lee's withered ear barely peaked out from beneath his black mess of hair and when he turned his head one could almost imagine that he wasn't scarred at all.
She felt her tension rise as his eyes slipped past her, gliding right over her, and then snapped back to her.
Zuko couldn't believe his eyes. There on the upper-deck, looking like a highborn young woman, was Kitsu. The same girl he'd met kneeling in the dirt digging up flowers was cautiously waving at him as he stood there like an idiot. Zuko blinked and shook himself. For once she wasn't dressed in something too big or ill suited for her, and every last detail of her appearance had been attended to. Zuko approached the table she was sitting at and silently took a seat as she smiled at him coyly.
"All this was Ai's idea." She mumbled, unnerved by Lee's silence. His golden eyes were boring holes into her but he hadn't spoken a word yet, and she was only becoming more nervous. "Looks silly right?" Kitsu laughed awkwardly. "I feel like a sheep-pig in a girdle."
How she could possibly say something like that Zuko didn't know. He was mesmerized by her. It was as though every time he saw her he noticed some new detail about her that nurtured the fire in his veins. He drank in her features like a man in a desert. The subtle pout of her painted lips, the color of coral, tantalized him. The sweep of black charcoal that made her eyes look large and deep ended in a catlike point just beyond her lashes. To his relief she had not powdered her face. He could still see the pleasant warmth of her tan skin. He was even enamoured by the single strand of ebony hair that was delicately tucked behind her ear.
"No." Zuko shook his head and grabbed her wringing hands. They were small and soft in his own. "You look lovely." He complimented absently as he unfolded her hands and ran a finger across her palm. The callouses from years of toil were softened, but not gone. He rubbed over the familiar little ridges with his thumbs and despite everything, he smiled.
"Thank you." Kitsu murmured as he caressed her palms. She wasn't sure what he was doing but he seemed to be lost in deep thought.
Zuko looked up into Kitsu's eyes, stealing his resolve, and memorizing every curve of her face. There was no doubt in his mind that he would never see it like this again after he revealed himself to her. He wouldn't be so stupid as to do it in public, but he would need to do it soon. If he waited much longer the part of him that wanted to give in to this new life would win out.
"You okay, Hot Shot?" Kitsu asked in concern. Lee quirked a smile at her nickname for him and looked down at the table with a rueful nodd.
"Better than I've ever been." Zuko thrummed wistfully. It was true. His life had been nothing but agony and misery since his mother disappeared. Even the past few weeks on the run had surprised him by being more pleasant than life as a banished prince. Kitsu bit her bottom lip.
"Thank you, Lee. For everything." Kitsu gently gripped Lee's rough hands the way he had gripped her own and stroked his knuckles sweetly. "I know it must be extremely difficult for you… Having a wife who doesn't remember anything about you."
Zuko's gut turned with guilt but she continued before he could protest.
"Not to mention… having to travel so urgently." Kitsu shrugged, careful not to overtly mention that they were on the run. "Anyway… I just wanted to thank you… for all of that." Kitsu groaned internally as she struggled to find words that would convey her feelings. So often she felt like she was at a loss for what to say. Luckily her husband was no great chatterbox either.
Zuko clenched his jaw. She had no clue that he would be on the run whether he was with her or not. Kitsu didn't even know that he was the one who led his sister, albeit unwittingly, to her compound. He'd caused the destruction of everything she held dear, and that wasn't even counting what his family had ordered to be done to her parents. He felt like he was the scum of the earth.
"Don't mention it." He answered lamely. "It's the least I can do." Zuko rubbed the back of his neck and withdrew his hand from hers. Ruining this feeling was going to be one of the most difficult things he had ever done.
Kitsu shook her head at Lee as she watched his amber eyes gaze at the floor. He looked stressed and unsure. She couldn't put her finger on it but something was certainly bothering him.
As Zuko sat across from Kitsu he felt a deep shame welling up inside of him, the sort that normally would cause him to fly into a defensive rage, but this shame was different. It was colder, and tugged at his thoughts relentlessly. He was no stranger to shame. In his darkest moments it was the emotion that would whisper to him wordlessly. Why now did it seem that his shame truly had teeth? Years in exile, disfigurement, being dishonoured by his own father, none of it had settled in his soul the way he felt now.
"What kind of ship is that, Lee?"
When Zuko looked up he found Kitsu squinting into the sunset with a look of confusion on her face. He turned in his seat to follow her gaze to the horizon behind him.
Shock seized his gut in an icy grip. Between the glinting rays of sunset he could see a fire nation Imperial class ship slipping through the waves. It wasn't flying any colours, but he instantly recognized the sharp design and metallic hull they were known for.
Kitsu watched Lee's face morph from surprise to a boiling anger in a flash.
"Fuck." He growled under his breath. "That isn't good." Zuko stood out of his chair so quickly it nearly toppled over.
All of the blood drained out of Kitsu's face as she gripped the arms of her chair tightly.
"It's them isn't it?" How had they caught up so fast? Would she ever be free of the Fire Nation monsters? She watched as Lee nodded stiffly and took control of her rolling chair. He wheeled her off of the top deck and down to the second where their room was located.
"We need to talk to Uncle." He growled decisively. Zuko's mind was a hundred steps ahead of him, devising their escape. The door to their room swung open so hard it smacked into the wall on the other side, but he barely noticed it.
Kitsu swallowed the stone in her throat and wrung her hands nervously. "Lee…" She was petrified. How were they going to escape this time? Her hands shook as she gripped the arms of her chair.
Zuko shut the door behind them and left Kitsu in the middle of the floor as he began to pace.
"Lee!" Kitsu yelped. Zuko turned to her, a pained look on his stern face.
"What are we going to do?" She murmured.
Zuko could see the fear plainly on her face, but it was entwined with deep rooted resolve. She watched as Lee knelt on the ground in front of her and rubbed his temples in an effort to concentrate.
"I need to think." He chuffed under his breath. "We have a few hours before they will catch up enough to board the ship. That will give us until just after nightfall. We can steal one of the lifeboats and make it the rest of the way. Hopefully we will get a head start while they are searching the ship for us." His mind was firing at a million miles an hour. Every possible outcome was flashing through his head and no matter how well trained or disciplined he was, there was fear behind his facade of control. He felt her hand hesitantly stroke his hair.
"Okay. Then that's what we'll do." Kitsu nodded. Zuko felt a sharp pain in his chest as she looked at him with resolve in all of her features. She trusted him implicitly to protect her which both soothed and terrified him.
"I must go tell Uncle." He gripped his hair and did not move. Cool fingers gently loosened his hold on his hair and entwined with his own. He slid his gaze up to Kitsu's face and saw concern in her eyes.
"Everything will be okay." Kitsu murmured. She was trying to be brave for him, even though she was terrified. "We'll get through this."
Zuko felt his heart thump as she did her best to reassure him. He pinched his eyes shut and pressed the back of her hand to his lips, allowing her scent to clear his mind. Fear was something he hadn't felt in a long time. Having something worth protecting was a vulnerability, but he couldn't help that now. Zuko released her hand and stood.
"I'll be back soon. Send someone to fetch Ai. We need to be together in order to escape as soon as it is dark."
Kitsu watched as Lee rang the bell by the door and slipped out without another word. As soon as he was gone she felt her stomach knot up in fear.
Zuko and Iroh returned to the suite where Kitsu and Ai were waiting for them. Both women looked tense but Ai was attempting to soothe Kitsu by singing an earth kingdom song when they entered.
"My, my Kitsu. You look lovely." Iroh announced soothingly as he took a seat near to her. "The spa suits you nicely." His fatherly grin earned a small smile in return but little more.
"Ai, help me change into something suitable for traveling." Kitsu surprised everyone by standing shakily from her chair.
"Don't strain yourself." Zuko chided as he attempted to help her but she pushed his hands away gently.
"We can't take this stupid chair on a lifeboat." She argued. "Either I go without it or you will have to leave me behind." She took a painful step and swayed on her feet, but her clenched teeth suppressed a groan of agony. "And I don't think you'd like that second option."
Zuko grimaced, but he couldn't argue with her. As much as he hated seeing her in pain, she would have to endure much more of it before they could escape safely.
Ai rushed to the wardrobe and pulled out a tunic and a pair of trousers that had been intended for Zuko. "I think we can make these fit, Kitsu." She hurried to put an arm around Kitsu's waist and helped her towards the bathroom. With each agonizing thump of Kitsu's injured leg, everyone in the room winced, but she never made another sound.
Iroh watched Zuko as the young man followed Kitsu with his eyes. He could see the dismay on his nephews face. "She will be fine, Zuko. Kitsu is as strong as the mountains. Have faith in her."
Zuko slumped into a chair and covered his face with his hands. "She doesn't deserve this."
"And you do?" Iroh questioned solemnly. Zuko did not answer him. He turned and looked out the window instead, gauging the light outside. They would need to move soon if they wanted the best chance at escape.
Ai and Kitsu returned from the bathroom, but this time Kitsu did not accept Ai's help. She limped, but the look of determination on her face hid her pain.
"Lets move." Zuko ordered as he stood. "We'll go down to the second deck and release a lifeboat." If he dwelled on Kitsu's state for too long it would cloud his judgement. She needed him to guide her to safety, not fret over her like a nanny.
Iroh stood and without any fanfare they filtered out of the suite and onto the deck. Kitsu looked at the horizon and tried to make out the ship she saw earlier, but it was already too dark. Hope settled in her chest that they would be able to escape after all. The pain in her leg throbbed with each searing step, but she kept pace with the others.
As soon as they reached the second deck Zuko looked around before uncovering a lifeboat skillfully. Ai and Kitsu watched as Lee and Mushi checked the boat for sturdiness. When it met their standards they waived for the ladies to climb in. Ai clambered into the lifeboat ahead of Kitsu and offered her hand to the older woman, but before Kitsu could take it Zuko wordlessly lifted her into the boat.
"Hold on tightly. We are going to lower you as slowly as we can, but you need to be prepared for a small drop." Zuko instructed them both. The women bobbed their heads nervously in response. Zuko turned and nodded to his uncle. The two men each took up a rope and began hoisting the lifeboat off of the deck and over the railing.
Kitsu dug her nails into the side of the wooden boat as it swung from the ropes out and over the water. Everything in her was screaming not to leave the big boat, but she clung to the lifeboat instead. They began to drop, slowly at first, and then faster as they dipped below the second deck of the boat. The lifeboat cracked against the hull several times before it splashed into the choppy water. Kitsu looked up at the deck, wondering how they intended to follow but was met with the sight of Lee and Mushi sliding down the guide ropes skillfully. If she'd had any doubt that they were seafaring men, it was gone the moment they landed with a thud in the lifeboat.
The group was silent as Mushi took the rudder and Lee took up the oars. They slipped silently away, with nothing more than the splashing of oars to break the night air.
Kitsu watched as Lee's arms and back propelled the awkward boat through the water. He was moving with an explosive rhythm that pushed them farther and farther away from the safety of the big boat.
No one spoke as droplets of rain began to fall, but they all felt a sense of dread settle in as thunder rolled in the distance.
"How far are we from shore?" Ai asked with a quivering voice. She was pressed snuggly against Kitsu and the older woman could feel her shaking. Kitsu looked at Iroh and could see that the answer was not one they would like.
"How about I tell a story?" Kitsu offered, but she did not wait for a response. "Many years ago, before you or I were born, two kingdoms were tangled in a bitter war." The story her mother used to tell her came readily to her mind. "The war had gone on for so long, that entire generations fought and died in the conflict. The red kingdom fought with passion and ferocity, while the green kingdom fought with determination and will." She'd always known what the kingdoms really were, obviously. "For months the two kingdoms fought ceaselessly for a fortress city which belonged to the green kingdom. In the fortress city, there lived a princess. She was so beautiful that many green kingdom men had pledged their lives and gone to battle for her, but despite their bravery she did not love them. The princess still wept for the men though, and when each of them did not return she was beside herself with grief. She was so bitter at the red kingdom for attacking her home, and murdering the men of her fortress that one day she climbed the city walls to see the red kingdom army and curse them."
Iroh and Zuko both frowned in shame, but neither spoke up.
"What she did not know was that a general from the red Kingdom had climbed the wall in an effort to infiltrate the city and when she reached the very top of the fortress walls she was met by a warrior clothed in crimson."
"Did he attack her?" Ai asked nervously.
"No." Kitsu answered. "He was so enthralled by her beauty that he was stunned by the sight of her." Kitsu smiled as the boat swayed and the rain continued to fall. "The princess, frightened by the sight of the enemy, did not turn and flee like many noble ladies would have. She was in fact a powerful earth bender, and was so enraged by the general's audacity to sneak into her beautiful city that she attacked him with all of her strength." Kitsu smiled at the image of a courageous earthbender like her mother. "The General was skilled in firebending, but no matter how she attacked or chased him, he only dodged her advances. He could not bring himself to harm such a beauty, and instead their fight became a dance. The princess would hurl massive stones and crumble the earth beneath his feet, but the General would slip out of the way at the last moment, as nimble as a flame in dry grass."
"Wow." Ai murmured, completely enthralled by the story. "What happened next?"
"The general, while escaping the fury of the princess, plucked a sash from her gown and disappeared off the wall with his souvenir, leaving the princess riled and confused. When she had recovered she left the wall and returned to her home, unable to forget the cocky man who had not harmed her."
"The next day the princess returned to the wall, certain that the General would attempt his plan again and found the General waiting for her. Once again she attacked, and just as before he would not harm her. For days they repeated this strange meeting, never speaking a word to each other, until one day the princess did not attack as she had done before. Instead she approached the general and asked him why he taunted her. The general by this point was enthralled by more than just her beauty. He'd never met a woman so fierce and unmoving as the princess and had fallen madly in love with her."
"Really!?" Ai gasped. "But they are enemies!"
"Exactly." Kitsu nodded. "The general, knowing that the princess would never love him decided that he would be content to see her upon the wall. So when she asked why he would not harm her, he told the truth. 'I cannot harm what I love.' He said to the princess. And the princess became enraged. 'You think you do not harm me when your army assaults my home!?' She yelled in anger. 'I cannot stop that.' The general answered. 'Then you do not love me!' The princess replied in anger and shoved the general off the wall, sending him sliding to a ledge below. Without another word the princess left. Still, despite her anger she returned to the wall the next day. The general was there waiting for her in the same spot as the day before.
'My men will not attack for three days.' he told her. 'That is all my love can do.' The princess, enraged once again by the general's insolence, forced him off the wall with a boulder and left. She returned home, certain that the general was lying, but for three days there was peace, and the men of the green kingdom regathered their strength. On the third day she returned to the wall, but the general was not there, the only sign he left was her green sash that he had stolen on their first meeting. She did not know it then, but she had already begun to fall in love with him, despite her best intentions."
Kitsu could not help but glance at Lee as she spoke. He gave no sign that he was listening as he worked tirelessly. The sound of the oars breaking the choppy water was almost soothing.
"Did they ever meet again?" Ai asked, worry plainly in her voice.
"They did." Kitsu nodded. "They met again when the red kingdom army breached the walls of the green kingdom stronghold. The general feared for the princess and rushed to save her from his soldiers who would surely capture her as a spoil of war. When he found her she was set upon on all sides by his own men, who had grown suspicious of their general. When he ordered them to release her they turned on him and accused him of treachery. It was then that the princess saw the General's true power for the first time. The general became like a ferocious dragon and fought off his own men to save the princess, but he was badly injured in the fight. The princess, so moved by his heroism and devotion to her, secreted him away into the tunnels beneath her family home where they escaped into the countryside together."
"Then what happened?!" Ai squealed. "Did they love each other? Did she abandon him and go home?"
"They lived happily ever after and had a baby girl that they loved very much." Kitu's voice wavered as she spoke the ending line of the tail. When did her voice become so much like her mothers?
"That was a beautiful story." Ai whispered.
"We're nearing the shoreline." Zuko spoke up finally. "I see a light. Maybe there's a town we can find shelter in."
The others nodded and fell silent as they waited out the remainder of their voyage.