Maddy's POV:
It was an uneventful day, to say the least. Zuko and I got back on our training and I was working on controlling and aiming again. It was getting so boring just doing the same things over and over again. Zuko had to tell me again and again that he didn't want me getting hurt and that I wasn't ready to move on to a more advanced course, but screw that! I complied for today, but only today. Tomorrow I will show him just how 'weak' and 'not ready' I am.
Later that day, Iroh kept bothering Zuko to join him and the crew for music night.
"Come join us Prince Zuko. It will be fun and will lift your spirits."
"I don't want to."
"You can play the sumki horn." Iroh tried again.
"I said I don't want to!" He shouted.
"Maddy will be joining us." Iroh coaxed. What was that going to help? Wait a minute...
"I'll be doing what?" I asked. "I was not aware of my schedule tonight."
"She can't play any of the instruments." Zuko continued as if I wasn't there, but he was still helping my bed case of not wanting to go.
"She will be singing for us tonight." He smiled.
"She will not!" I shrieked. "I ain't gonna sing for you let alone the entire ship!"
"I won't go if she doesn't," Zuko stated and they both looked at me expectantly.
"Sorry Iroh, I refuse to ever sing in front of anyone. Your really bad ears are the only ones that have heard me and I'm pretty sure I broke them for a while."
"Well, I've heard you sing." Zuko rubbed the back of his neck.
"What?! I've never sung in front of you! Never ever and trust me when I add another ever!"
"You weren't exactly yourself. It was when you were sick and-"
"And you listened!"
"Well ya. Something about teenagers and then a black parade or something."
"I sang the Black parade in front of you. That's just bloody fantastic! Now I'm mortified as hell and.. and you heard my voice which is bloody awful and..." I quickly turned British. when I was younger, I watched BBC America as if it were the only channel on tv. Whenever I was embarrassed or really excited an accent would appear just to embarrass me further. "Then you want me to sing in front of people? Humans?! You can't possibly be serious."
"Why are you talking like that?" Zuko asked, a bit concerned.
"Its a habit!" I shouted. He took a step back. "Shit. I'm sorry. I was rambling and it was stupid of me to yell at you. Just never bring it up again, okay?"
"Okay, when will your voice be back to normal?"
"Give it an hour." I shrugged. We then walked back to his room to hang out. I laid on the bed with my head hanging off the side and my feet on the wall while he was on the floor looking up at me as we talked. It was all random stuff really, no specific topic. It was almost like I was back home, no war, no Avatar, nothing, and he was with me. Iroh came by every now and again to see if we had changed our minds, but we never did. I saw him open the door again, but something was different.
"For the last time, I'm not playing the sumki horn." Zuko sat up to see his uncle.
"No, it's about our plans. There's a bit of a problem." Iroh sounded sad. Then Zhao walked in and I remembered.
"I'm taking your crew." The evil Commander smiled.
"What!?" Zuko and I asked together.
"I've recruited them for a little expedition to the North Pole."
"Uncle, is that true?" Zuko asked his uncle in surprise.
"I'm afraid so. He's taking everyone. Even the cook!"
"Sorry, you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar. But I can't have you getting in my way again."
"That's nice. Now would you mind getting off my boat?"
"Last I checked little girl, this isn't your boat and you can't talk to me like that."
"True. But you are on this boat that so happens to belong to a good friend of mine. I don't think he would be too against me kicking you out. Not to mention the important fact that I don't like you. Your fair game Zhao. Now I suggest you get off this ship before I throw you off."
Zhao grimaced and turned to leave the way that left him dry, before noticing Zuko's swords on the wall.
"I didn't know you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko." He stared hard at the mounted swords. Zuko's eyes widened knowing Zhao thought he knew his secret.
"He's not. They're mine. I tried to get him into them but he couldn't even hold them correctly."
"So why are they here, in the Prince's room?"
"You expect me to put my prized possessions in the armory? I don't want anyone else's grimy hands on the hilts."
"Well aren't you full of surprises. Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh?
"Just rumors. I don't think he is real." I'm sure Iroh knew the truth, but he covered it well.
"He's just a myth created by some pathetic captain who couldn't keep his stolen goods in place." Zhao got my subtle hints to him and turned angrily to me.
"He's real alright. He's a criminal, an enemy of the Fire Nation. But I have a feeling that justice will catch up with him- or her-" he cast a glance at me, "soon. General Iroh, the offer to join my mission still stands if you change your mind." And he left. Flames erupted from Zuko's hands and mouth in anger, more than anger, he was furious. Iroh left after trying to calm his nephew to no avail. I walked in front of him and looked into his eyes before pulling him into a tight hug.
"Trust me Zuko, everything will work out for you." I soothed.
"How do you know? He took everything from me and is now taking my only way home." He wasn't sobbing, but it sounded like he was about to break.
"Calm down Dorothy. Have I ever been wrong?" He shook his head slightly into my shoulder. "Exactly, now calm down and relax. That evil bastard may have taken your crew but you still have me. I'm not much at all but you also have Iroh which makes everything better. We will always be there for you even when nothing in the world seems right. I can promise you that." He pulled away and looked into my eyes. It seemed like he was leaning in, but that couldn't be right. Subconsciously I returned the motion. There was maybe an inch between us when the door suddenly made a noise, or more realistically someone knocked on it. We both pushed away from one another and ended up on separate sides of the room.
"The crew wanted me to wish you safe travels." Iroh said softly.
"Good riddance to those traitors." Zuko said angrily, covering his blush. Why was he blushing? It was probably imagining it.
"It's a lovely night for a walk. Why don't you join me? It would clear your head" Iroh smiled, but it fell when Zuko refused to respond. "Or, just stay in your room with Maddy and sit in the dark. Whatever makes you happy." The sad man then left and we were alone again.
"Soooo..." Zuko started and rubbed his neck awkwardly.
"I'm going to, uh, walk around a bit." I scurried out. I walked around the boat in silence. I heard some rustling from around the corner and decided to check it out. When I rounded it, I saw a bunch of pirates whom I hoped to never see again. I turned to tell Zuko so he could kick their asses and get them off the ship, but I ran into someone and fell to the ground.
"I remember you girl." He said with a grimace and before I could get away he had his arms around me restricting my movement and walked me out to the deck with the other pirates. "Look who I found." He smirked but kept quiet. Someone almost dropped a barrel of stuff but caught it just in time.
"Careful with the blasting jelly!" The skinny guy who kidnapped me last time barked. My brain then started to work.
"Zuko! Zuko hel-" But I was cut off by a gag placed over my mouth. My muffled cries wouldn't be heard by my Prince. They tie me to the deck so I can't escape and set a trail of gunpowder-y stuff all the way back to the beach. Then they lit it. I was going to die.
Zuko then opened the door quickly and assumed a fighting stance, but then he saw me and quickly untied me. Without a word, I grabbed Zuko's hand and ran, pulling him along with me before pushing him into the water just as the boat exploded. We watched the fire erupt into the sky from under the safety of the water, but I still felt the intense heat. We were dead. Everyone thought we were dead. Another explosion went off, the fuel line was probably hit, and part of the ship flew everywhere. I saw a black object come closer and closer but I couldn't get away in time. I felt a sharp pain then darkness overtook me.
Zuko's POV:
I sat up quickly, hearing Madelyn shout my name. She had probably fallen asleep somewhere and was having a nightmare. I got up and started to search for her.
I had almost kissed her earlier, and she almost kissed me. I had decided to tell her how I felt, that I loved her when I captured the Avatar; but the Zhao took my crew and I had no chance.
I heard some noises coming from outside on the deck and I was suddenly wary of everything. I opened the door quickly and was prepared to fight whoever it was, but all I saw was Madelyn tied to the deck surrounded by barrels. I immediately untied her but before I could speak she took my hand and started running, pulling me alongside her and pushed us both overboard. When we hit the water I gave her a confused look but she stared at the ship.
It suddenly exploded and fire was sent everywhere, enveloping my ship. We stayed underwater for a moment more and another explosion destroyed the ship even farther beyond repair. I resurfaced and watched the fire grow.
"Madelyn. What happened?" I asked. But there was no reply. I turned in the water to see I was alone. "Madelyn!" I shouted then dove under.
I dove down and searched the dark ocean for her, then finally found her limp body floating among the wreckage that had been blown from the ship. I grabbed her arm and pulled her out if the water.
When we reached the beach, she started to cough and gag until a majority if the water left her lungs. I laid on the sand gasping for breath. I then rolled over and put my arm around her, hugging her as tight as I could.
"Why... Are you always... Drowning?" I asked between breaths. Despite the lack of air in her lungs, she started laughing dryly.
"We should get moving." I state, moving to a sitting position.
"Can we just stay here?" She asked innocently, giving me a puppy dog look I'm not sure she was even aware of, and I gave in.
"Ya. Just go to sleep." She fell into the sand and did as I asked. She shivered from the cold and the wet her skin was exposed to. I wrapped my arms around her and she nuzzled into my shoulder and seemed to warm up. I held her close and kissed her forehead before falling asleep.