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Borealis: A Zutara Story	By : jaded_priceless Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 33555 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, any historical figures or events, or easily recognizable persons, places or things. I make no profit from this work of fanfiction

Chapter List
- 115
- 116
- 117
Chapter 114
Sokka was wrong. Zuko was doused four more times from head to toe before Appa got better.
He rated the middle of the night as they were headed into day 3 of Appa’s medical treatment as one of the most entertaining things he’d seen. He was sleeping on the mat next to his sister and Appa lowed, the usual indication something bad was about to happen. Katara squeezed his hand and winked at him so he knew she was awake. When Appa roared in pain Katara jumped up, screaming as if she were having a nightmare.
She flung her arms into the air and flailed them wildly while running in circles around him as if she were trying to wake up everyone in the house. The ship lurched and spun to the right. Those who had been on standby in case she tried something came rushing over and those waiting below deck ran out just in time to be rained on by the foul liquid.
Sokka forced himself not to laugh as his sister screamed in Water Tribe as though she were terrified, “Hey Sokka, they were right, water is an inferior element. We should have let Toph cook the morning of the invasion and made Appa eat it. I didn’t think Firebenders could move this fast. Hey, you wanna bet I can make that bitch Chu-hua dance? What about that guy over there? How far do you think I can make this stuff go?”
It turned out Chu-hua did a fantastic Chin, a dance popular on the island of Kyoshi which mimicked Chin the Conqueor’s attempts not to fall off the cliff; so did a few of the members of the escort ships. Katara had ramped up the feigned terror and was able to share Appa’s misery with the smaller escort ships as she made the much larger Ursa spin around in circles.
The parasites which Mu had correctly feared Appa had eaten were coming out of him partially hatched; at that stage they were harmless to animal his size as long as he expelled them before the covering came of the large hooked tail. However, they were dangerous to smaller creatures such as humans who did not have fur to keep the small anterior pinchers from grabbing onto tender skin and start burrowing.
The best remedy for the parasitic worms was salt water but the ocean around them had been dirtied. The entire convoy had to weigh anchor to reach water suitable for medical treatment and washing. They had to change course frequently and got farther away from the Earth Kingdom but Sokka and Katara didn’t care. For the time being they were able to be in each other’s company and plot their escape.

Zuko watched as Katara laughed and joked with her brother. Her service requirement had been extended and she’d spent every night on deck with Sokka. She’d barely spoken to him except to call his name when she was falling. She’d only gone back to their room to bathe and change clothes. He had not been given the chance to apologize to her. Every time he tried she’d square her shoulders, narrow her eyes and frown.
If he tried to hold a conversation the bison would get sick, her brother would walk over or one of the Zhao twins would attempt to use him as a human shield. Mu was still angry about the giraffe-flamingo comment and was flinging shovelfuls of Appa’s best at them. Not that he was a good person to hide behind. In spite of how hard and how often Katara landed on the hard metal deck he no longer harbored the belief so much filth was tossed his way by accident.
Zuko admitted he deserved to have shit thrown on him the first day after what he’d done to her. He felt so terrible about it he probably would have crawled up the bison’s butt or done an ostrich-swan dive head first into the thick of it if she had asked. Even he had to admit the second time was pretty funny. He really didn’t appreciate having it muck dry on him until they reached water clean enough to jump into the ocean but it was worth it seeing Azula flailing and spitting lightning bolts beside him. Perfect Azula had thought it would be a good idea to use her Firebending to keep it away from her. It worked for rain, the drops evaporated before they reached her. Instead her armor was splattered with flaming droplets
Ty Lee had been “asked” to spend the night topside monitoring Katara. If the Waterbender tried something in the middle of the ocean a chi-blocker was their best hope of survival. Mai had come along to keep her company but Zuko agreed with Mu’s assessment she was hoping for an opportunity to throw poisoned daggers at Katara. In spite of the terrible way Azula treated her friends she did not like to be alone so she had spent the night on deck with them.
He could even justify the third time. She’d was in the restroom undressing and he accidentally walked in on her. She’d left the deck with Ty Lee and he’d erroneously assumed they were going to the spa room to shower. He had undressed in the bedroom and she began screaming the moment she saw him standing naked in the doorway. She tripped over her pants and banged her elbow against the toilet. It was still bleeding when he decided it would better if he stopped trying to help her and left as she had requested.
The fourth time he saw her smiling and nudge her brother before the foul liquid mess hit him. This time he recognized her supposed groans of pain as laughter. It also explained her awkward side to side moving which he had misconstrued as struggles to get up. Enraged he stomped over to her, “You bitch! You’ve been doing it on purpose!”
“Took you long enough to figure it out, Moron!” Katara replied. She bent another wave at him and laughed, “Since you’ve finally figured it out, I guess there’s no use pretending!”
Zuko threw a fireball at her. Katara was still smirking when she rolled to avoid it. She bent a stream of water at Zuko forcing him back several feet as she got up. He kicked a stream of fire her way which she easily deflected into the ocean. This time he charged at her. She froze the water from her earlier attack and turned it so he slid away from Appa. Katara didn’t wait for him to regroup before forming an ice wall and pushing him back several more feet.
“Get the Admiral! All hands on deck! The Waterbender is attacking Prince Zuko!”
Chu-hua had been watching the entire exchange from the bridge. She raised her right fist signaling her subordinates to halt. When Azula attempted to rush by she snatched one of her free hanging bangs, careful not to disturb the crown she’d tucked inside it and growled, “Little Bear Cubs will not interfere with this. You have too much of your parent’s impatience in your blood. Watch and be still.”
Azula bristled but obeyed when the Admiral’s hand clasped around her the back of her neck, forcing her to be still and watch. Chu-hua was the true neice of Li and Lo and heir to their clan. She only spoke to her in that manner and referred to her in terms of their shared bloodline when the lesson was far too important to defer to her status as princess.
Zuko called fire to his fingers and hooked them into the ice wall. He pushed it to the side, partially melting it as he spun around it and charged toward Katara. She was waiting and blasted him with a jet of water. Zuko backpedalled but still landed on his rear. He rolled over to avoid the ice spikes coming down at him and kicked fire at her as he got up. Katara whirled to the side, letting the fire continue on toward the life rafts and crew hiding behind them, as she flung fist sized balls of ice toward Zuko.
He melted those with fire bursts which he immediately sent towards Katara. She called up a wall of water to protect herself as she ran towards the front of the ship. Zuko chased her and she drew water over the side of her ship and froze it beneath their feet. She used the ice to fling Zuko sideways into the wall as she Katara spun them around so she was now behind Zuko. She continued to push him backwards as her eyes moved back and forth across the deck.
Zuko stomped hard enough for the heel of his boot to draw sparks as it broke through the ice. He sent fire racing down his legs and propelled himself forward. He exhaled a large stream of fire and shot it from the open palms of his hands to melt any ice barrier she would have put up.
“Wasteful. He’d go much faster if he only shot the fire from his feet,” Azula commented dryly. She huffed and looked at Chu-hua, “Is there a reason you are making me stand beside you to watch the Waterbender kick Zuzu’s butt?”
Chu-hua released her and politely instructed, “Make yourself useful child of Fire Lord Ozai; go get the Waterbender’s brother.”
Azula’s eyes narrowed. She had been called child of Fire Lord Ozai and granddaughter of Fire Lord Azulon enough times to recognize the polite wording was its own form of insult. She was about to protest but Chu-hua had already turned away from her. Her maternal cousin was leaning slightly forward; a mixture of a scowl, frown and smile was on her face as she studied them. Azula looked out of the window again and wondered what she was missing.
“Go child,” Chu-hua barked harshly and Azula quickly left. She also recognized the tone of the word “child.” It was not a term of endearment.
Once Azula was gone Mai moved closer. Chu-hua cast a sideways glance at her, “Do you see? Niece of Niu, neice of Suno and Sano?”
Mai thought carefully before replying. Those particular uncles had distinctive military careers and were friends of the Admiral. If she was referring to her as their niece there was something worthy of being seen that most people missed. She needed to see what about the Waterbender’s actions had captured Chu-hua’s attention. Each time the admiral sparred with Azula the younger stronger princess was always defeated. Securing the throne would not be easy and she needed every edge she could get to become Fire Lady. Mai watched for a bit longer than spoke, “She’s herding him.”
“Go help Azula get the boy,” Chu-hua muttered dismissively before giving her attention to Ty Lee, “And you, grandchild of Khan?”

Ty Lee didn’t answer. She was too busy watching Appa. The bison had turned in the direction of Katara and Zuko. He was lifting his legs one by one but didn’t seem agitated. If anything he looked as though he was excited about the prospect of escaping. He faltered and roared in pain when he reached the leg hit by Azula’s lightning.
Ty Lee turned completely around when Azula brought up Sokka. The water at the front of ship was choppy. She could see disturbances in the waves on either of the ship’s sides and understood why the signalmen on the smaller escorts were sending the message to fall behind. The water near the back of the ship, where Appa was chained, was calm. The fresh water barrels and trough next him were completely still even though the life boats could be heard slapping the side of the ship as they swung in their moorings. Mu was standing just as still and surefooted as the much larger Zhao twins.
Chu-hua’s terse, “Give me the boy” drew Ty Lee’s attention. The admiral smiled and patted her shoulder, “Pity you aren’t more like your father and sister.”

Zuko and Katara were still fighting when Chu-hua emerged, “Waterbender! I have your brother. Do you wish to continue or stand down?”
“Leave him out of this Chu-hua! This is between me and Katara!” Zuko yelled as he and Katara continued to square off.
“Fine, I’ll leave him out of this,” Chu-hua replied kicking Sokka’s feet from beneath him and drawing her sword.
“No, I’ll stop!” Katara raised her hands and the water around them stilled.
Zuko turned around. His eyes narrowed when he saw the way Chu-hua was threatening Katara’s brother. He waved Katara over, “We were just sparring. There is no need to threaten him.”
Katara kept her eyes on Sokka as she walked over to Zuko. She placed her arm around him when he pulled her to his side. She forced herself to smile when Zuko kissed her forehead. “We were only sparring, as you can see Katara means me no harm.”
She laid her head againg his chest and nodded, “It was all in fun, I wouldn’t have hurt him.”
Chu-hua inhaled and exhaled deeply, “Your little fun was very close to damaging the property of the Fire Lord. We are already several days off course. If you feel the need to burn off energy I suggest using your bending to propel the ship forward.”
Katara moved to the back of the ship and took a bending stance. The Ursa and its escorts began to glide forward. Chu-hua looked at Zuko and spoke louder than necessary, “She is still a member of the navy and a seamen recruit under my command. No harm will come to her or any of my other subordinates on board my ship.”
Several of the crewmen muttered and dropped their heads in agreement.
“And you,” Chu-hua continued looking in Zuko’s direction, “Seeing as how her naval service is preventing you from engaging in your usual form of entertainment may I suggest going below deck, standing next to the furnace and blowing off steam?”
Chu-hua continued to bark orders as Zuko stomped towards the stairs, “Mu! Come get this Water Tribe boy and find something for him to shovel. Azula signal the other ships to send two of their best benders to the furnace and get some of your pets below deck. The rest of you get to work! This ship won’t get to the Earth Kingdom by itself. Full steam ahead! Heads are going to roll if I have to spend another month on this Agni forsaken ocean!”
- 115
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Borealis: A Zutara Story