When Worlds Collide: Book One, Water

Zuko and I were in the corridor, waiting for news from Iroh.
It didn’t take long before Iroh was whispering in our ears. “We’ll be landing soon. Do you have a plan?” he asked.
Zuko took off his mask so he could answer. “We’re working on it, Uncle,” he said. I winced at all the cuts and bruises on his face. If that’s what he looked like, how did I look?
“We have a couple of ideas,” I said, removing my mask also, “but they’re still on the drawing board.”
Iroh nodded before walking off.

On deck, we could hear the soldiers throwing fire balls at the North Pole tribe.
The sun was setting when we felt the ship stop.
I look at Zuko confusingly, and he answered my unasked question. “The water benders draw their power from the moon. Zhao is probably holding off until day break.
I nodded. “So that means we have until day break to work out the kinks in our plan.”

Later that evening, Zuko and I were preparing a small boat. Well... mainly Zuko was, because I was having a miniature freak out about our plan.
Iroh came to say goodbye, and said a proverb I didn’t understand.
“I don’t need your wisdom right now, Uncle,” Zuko said softly.
“I’m sorry,” Iroh said, “I just nag you so much because, well... ever since I lost my son...” Iroh looked away, and I saw a tear run down his cheek.
“Uncle...,” Zuko said softly, “you don’t have to say it.”
“I think of you as my own,” the general finished.
I turned away from them, letting them have their moment while I did my best to finish the small boat. A few minutes later, Zuko was getting in the boat. I gave Iroh a quick hug, then climbed in after him. As Zuko was pulling the ropes, taking the boat down, Iroh stopped us.
“Remember your breathe of fire, both of you. It could save your lives,” he said.
“We will,” Zuko promised.
“And put your hood up. Keep your ears warm,” he called.
I chuckled. “We’ll be fine Iroh.”
Zuko landed in the water, and we were off.
Since there wasn’t much room, I had to sit in front of Zuko, between his legs.
Thank goodness that I had a mask thing covering my face, because I was blushing the brightest shade of red ever. Zuko was rowing, and his body heat was radiating off onto me, keeping me warm.
We kept to the icebergs, doing our best to keep hidden. We peeked around a corner to see guards patrolling the ice wall that surrounded the tribe.
“It’ll be impossible to get in that way,” I whispered.
He nodded, then turned. “Look,” he said, pointing to some animals diving into a small water hole. “They have to come up for air sometime,” he said.
My eyes widened. “You don’t mean...,” I trailed off.
Zuko took my hand. “I know you can’t swim. But I promise I won’t let you drown,” he said, looking into my eyes. “I haven’t let you drown yet. I’m not gonna start now.”
My eyes watered as I looked at the hole. “Zuko... I...,” I trailed off, shaking.
He kissed me, and I closed my eyes. When I pulled away, I whispered, “I’m scared.”
“I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I hesitated before sighing and nodding. “Okay,” I said and held my breath as Zuko and I jumped in together.
Zuko was holding onto my waist, and moved his arms, propelling us forward. What if I could water bend under the water, to help us go faster?
I thrust my arms downward and we shot forward. I grinned to myself, and in seconds, we burst from the water, and we laid upon the floor of a cave, gasping for breath, and freezing.
Remembering Iroh’s words, we both did the breath of fire thing. I felt warmth go through me, and I started laughing.
Zuko gave me an odd look. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“I did it. I faced my fear,” I said to myself.
Zuko chuckled, and I tackled him. “Thank you,” I said, and kissed his cheek. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled. “Now, come one. We should get going.”
I nodded, and got up off of him. “Lead the way,” I said.
He chuckled and started walking towards what looked like a sewer. He looked at me. “Are you ready to face your fear again?” he asked.
I nodded.
He motioned for me to go first, and started to climb.

Climbing up was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. A few times I would slip, and almost fall, but Zuko always caught me.
Finally, the drain ended, and the water was still. Zuko grabbed my hand and helped me swim up to the surface, only to find that we were trapped.
“Now what?” I asked in between breathes.
He took a breath, and went back under, only to come back up a few seconds later. “There’s a tunnel down there. Right now, it’s our best bet.”
I nodded. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
He looked at me. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” I assured. “Now let’s go before the shock wears off, and I start to freak out.”
He chuckled. “Alright. Let’s go.”
He grabbed my hand and we dived back down. It was a short swim to an ice top.
Great, I thought. We’re trapped.
Zuko started banging on the ice, but it wouldn’t even crack.
I blinked a few times, trying to clear my vision. I wasn’t used to holding my breath this long. I grabbed hold o f Zuko’s arm and he looked at me, worry in his eyes.
My own eyes started to close, and next thing I know, I’m being pulled upward into fresh air.
I gasped, and my eyes flew open. Zuko was gasping for breath also, and he turned to me. “Are you okay?” he asked.
I nodded. “Super,” I croaked.
He chuckled laid down next to me.
“You know... if I ever went to my world, this adventure would put me in a mental hospital,” I sighed.
Zuko smiled. “Well maybe it would be best if you just stayed here,” he said, all joking gone.
I smiled. “I wouldn’t really mind that actually.”
“Good,” he said, and helped me to my feet. “Now come on, we gotta find him before Zhao does. I have a feeling he has a trick up his sleeve.”
I nodded. “I think you’re right.”
We kept close to the wall, hidden by the shadows. “I don’t know how we’re gonna find him,” I whispered.
“How about we go through here?” Zuko asked, pointing to a small door that was left open.
I shook my head. “Of course. Right after I say that...,” I muttered, and Zuko chuckled.
He lead the way into a hidden room, that felt surprisingly warm compared to the frigid cold air that we had been enduring. We were just in time to hear Katara say, “...he’s my friend. I’m perfectly capable of protecting him.”
“Well,” Zuko said from in front of me. “Aren’t you a big girl now?”
I peeked out from behind Zuko to see Katara looking at us worriedly. “No,” she said.
“Yes,” Zuko said, crossing the bridge over to where Katara was standing. I followed closely behind him, not wanting to be alone. “Hand him over,” Zuko said, “and I won’t have to hurt you.”
“Zuko...,” I said, tugging at his sleeve.
Katara noticed me, and glared. “You,” she growled.
I shrunk back, away from her gaze.
“Leave her out of this,” Zuko snarled.
Katara looked shocked for a moment, before taking a defensive pose. Zuko did too, pushing me away while doing so. He attacked, and Katara defended. My eyes went back and forth, worrying for both of them. Soon, Katara went on attack mode, and Zuko went to the ground.
I started to run to him, but he met my eye and shook his head. “Nice trick,” he said menacingly, “but I didn’t come this far to loose to you.”
Then he threw a fire ball, and Katara blocked it, sending a blob of water after him. Ice formed at his feet, and he fought for balance. Katara then made a huge ball of ice around him.
“No!” I shouted.
They ignored me, to caught up in their game of glares. “You little peasant,” Zuko growled. “You’ve found a master, haven’t you?”
The ice around him began to glow red, and it disappeared in a cloud of steam. Their fight was back on, and my eyes struggled to keep up. Eventually, Katara pinned Zuko up to the wall with ice, and he sat there unmoving.
“No!” I screamed, and charged at Katara.
Her eyes widened, but she took a defensive pose anyway. “I’m not going to fight you, Sam,” she said.
“And why not,” I growled, taking a basic Fire Bending stance.
She narrowed her eyes. “Even if you’re an enemy now, you used to be a friend.”
“Enemy?” I asked. “Since when am I an enemy?”
“Since you joined him!” she shouted, pointing to Zuko who was watching me with weary eyes.
“I get kidnaped by him twice, and suddenly I joined him?” I demanded. “We’re friends. That doesn’t mean that I agree with him on everything.”
She groaned. “Oh, please, Sam!” she shouted, coming out of her stance. “Remember when you had that fever? And you were talking about all that nonsense, stuff that we didn’t understand because you’re from...,” she glanced at Zuko, “Kangaroo Island?”
I froze. She was still keeping my secret. She didn’t know that Zuko knew I was from another world. “You aren’t going to say it?” I asked.
She shook her head. “We may not be friends, but I still keep my promises.”
I took a shaky breath, then looked into her eyes. “He knows. You don’t have to worry.”
Rage boiled in her eyes. “You told him?”
Before I could say anything, she charged, and water was flying towards me. I ducked, and went through my memories, trying to remember all of Iroh’s lessons.
I manifested a fire ball, and threw it, purposely missing her head by a foot.
She looked shocked, and hurt.
I took a step back. “Please, Katara,” I whispered. “I don’t want to fight.”
“It’s too late for that,” she said, and just beyond her shoulder, I could see the sun rising. As Katara raised her hands, Zuko melted the ice that surrounded him, and attacked just as she was about to attack me.
She turned, and tried to use water to defend herself, but was a second late, and was thrown into the tree behind her.
The smoke cleared, and I could tell that she was just barely awake.
“You rise with moon,” Zuko told her. “I rise with the sun.” Then he picked up Aang, and grabbed my hand. “Come on,” he said, “lets go.”
Zuko dragged me along with him, and we were walking in the snow.
“Look,” I said, pointing over to a small cave. “We can go in there to warm up a bit. And make a plan.”
He nodded and lead the way. Once we were inside, Zuko lay Aang down, and tied up his hands.
“Zuko... is that really necessary? I mean...he’s in the Avatar State.”
Zuko shrugged. “You never know.”
I sighed and sat next to him.
“I finally have him,” Zuko said, looking up. “But I can’t get him home because of this blizzard. There’s always something,” he said, standing up and walking over to the cave entrance. “Not that he would understand. He’s like my sister. Everything always came easy to her. She’s a fire bending prodigy, and everyone adores her. Our father says she was born lucky. He says I was lucky to be born.”
“Zuko,” I said, walking over to him. “You know that’s not true.”
“I don’t need luck though,” he said, almost like he didn’t hear me. “I don’t want it. I’ve always had to struggle and fight, and that’s made me strong. Its made me who I am,” he said, turning to me.
I smiled softly to him. “I may have never met your sister, but from what I know, I would much rather be with you,” I said, pulling him back into the cave and sitting him down.
He smiled at me, and wrapped me up in a hug.
“I guess we’ll be here a while,” I sighed.
Zuko sighed. “It looks like it.”
We sat in silence for a while, until a bright light came into our little sheltered cave. I covered my eyes, and when I opened them, Aang was awake. He sat up, looking at Zuko and I.
“Welcome back,” Zuko said, and I rolled my eyes at him.
“Good to be back,” Aang said.
I sighed, and the monks eyes landed on me.
“Sam,” he whispered.
I winced at his glare. “H-hi Aang,” I said. “I’m sorry. I truly am, I thought I could stop him before we got this far, but Katara started accusing me of things, and then one thing led to another, and now...,” I trailed off, avoiding his eyes.
“How can we trust you?” Aang said. “This is the second time.”
I sighed. “I don’t deserve your trust anyway,” I whispered.
Aang gave me an odd look, and I made a move to step forward, but Zuko grabbed my arm and pulled me back. Aang glared at him, and took a big breath, and blew. He shot out of the cave, sending Zuko and I back.
Aang started to crawl away, but Zuko caught him. “That won’t be enough to escape,” Zuko said, grabbing him by the collar.
“Zuko,” I snapped. “Remember your promise.”
“What promise?” Aang asked, as I saw Appa flying over us.
Once the giant bison landed, Katara jumped down.
“Ready for a rematch?” Zuko asked her, throwing Aang to the side.
I huffed and ran over to him, making sure he was okay. Zuko and Katara were fighting behind me, but I was focused on Aang. “Are you okay?” I asked.
He looked at me strangely. “I’m confused,” he said. “Are you on our side, or his?”
“I told you,” I said, untying him, “I’m Team Avatar.”
He smiled at me, and once his arms were free, he hugged me. “I missed you,” he said.
I chuckled. “I missed you too.”
I then turned just in time to see Katara throw Zuko on the ground. My eyes widened and I ran over to him. “Zuko? Zuko are you okay?” I asked, brushing the snow off of him.
He was unconscious though, and I panicked. “Come Zuko wake up,” I said, slightly shaking him. “If not for me, then for Iroh. Please, Zuko,” I begged.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sokka walk over to Aang. I pulled Zuko’s head to my lap, still asking him to wake up.
“Stand up Sam,” Katara called.
I froze, and turned from my position on the ground. “I’m not fighting you Katara. I didn’t want to the first time, and I’m not doing it again.”
She glared. “Don’t you want to show them your bending?” she asked tauntingly. “I’m sure they’d love to see it.”
I glared. “You can’t trick me. No matter what you say, I will not fight you.”
“Why?” she asked. “Afraid I’ll beat you like I did Zuko?”
I turned back around, facing Zuko. “I know that you would easily beat me. I’m no where near as skilled as Zuko, so you’d beat me in a heartbeat. I just don’t like fighting with friends.”
“Friends,” she scoffed. “We are no longer friends.”
I sighed. “Well I’m sorry.”
“That’s enough girls,” Aang said. “Now we have to get to the oases. The spirits are in trouble.” Aang got up and ran over to Appa, climbing on. The others followed, but I stayed with Zuko.
Maybe I could drag him back into the cave, and build a fire. Once he was warmed up, and got some rest, we could make our way to the ship or something.
“Well?” Aang called out to me. “Are you coming?”
I looked, and shook my head. “I can’t just leave him here,” I said. “He protected me. Now it’s my turn to return the favor.”
Aang sighed. “You’re right. We can’t just leave him here.”
“Sure we can,” Sokka said, “lets go.”
“No,” Aang said, looking at me. “If we leave them, they’ll die.” then he jumped off Appa and came over to us.
“Aang,” I said. “Really, it’s fine. I can-“
“No,” he interrupted. “Both of you are coming with us.” Then he grabbed Zuko and carried him up onto Appa.
He then helped me up, and I smiled gratefully at him.
“Well, this makes perfect sense,” Sokka said. “Let’s save the guy who’s trying to kill us, and the girl who betrayed us.”
I looked away, putting Zuko’s head back on my lap. “He’s trying to kill you. I made him promise that he wouldn’t hurt Aang. And he’s not after you two,” I said softly.
“You still betrayed us,” Katara spat.
I winced. “I’ve said it a million times. I’m Team Avatar. And I’ve been trying to change Zuko’s mind about chasing you guys. There was a few times where I got him off your trail too, by the way,” I told them.
We took off, and it was silent for a while.
“We can’t trust you anymore,” Katara said. “Especially since you’re a fire bender.”
“What?” Sokka asked.
I sighed. “I would never hurt any of you, and you know that.”
Aang turned to look at me. “H-how long have you known that you were a fire bender?” he asked.
“Since... since the time I came back with you guys, after the whole pirate ordeal,” I whispered.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Sokka shouted.
“Because I knew you would react like this! I knew you would immediately jump to conclusions like you are now. Do I have to remind you that I’m also a water bender?” I shouted back. “I don’t know why I can bend two elements, and I don’t why I’m here. The only thing I do know is that I’m on your side.”
Everyone was silent, staring at me.
“You guys,” Aang spoke up, “I trust Sam. I don’t know why, but I do. And she really is on our side. I know it.”
I sighed, and looked away, avoided the eyes of everyone. “I suggest,” I said finally, “that we go a little bit faster if we want to stop Zhao.”
Aang nodded. “Yip, yip,” he said, and I felt Appa speed up.