Avatar The Last Airbender: The Sins of the Past [Katara x OC]

Chapter 1-11: Assimilation/Escape

I wake up, spend hours burning coal in the furnace, and finally get pulled out for a meal and rest in the servant's quarters with Crystal, and fall asleep with my hand in hers. That's been my routine for the last week. It'll only be another week before we finally arrive back on dry land, and then Crystal and I can escape and find my friends and her family. Today, however, my day started differently.

Zhao woke me up personally, saying, "Wake up, traitor. You have a new assignment now that the boilerman is finally recovered. You've been granted special permission to roam the ship, staying by my side from dusk until dawn. You'd better get used to me."

I nod, following him. He first sends me off to grab his breakfast from the kitchen, and I briefly consider poisoning it before deciding not to. If he's dead, there's no way I'd be able to avoid suspicion since I'm the one serving him. Zhao smiles at me as I set his meal in front of him, and he takes out his chopsticks.

He placed his hand on my shoulder and forces me to kneel on the floor next to him as he eats, and I can smell his minty breath while he talks military plans with the men at the table with him and sips his tea. I keep my head down and let my bangs cover my eyes, sneaking glances at the men across from me.

I replenish his teacup once it's empty and take his plate once it's empty, and I go to stand up to take it to the kitchen when Zhao asks, "Where are you going, servant?"

I say quietly, "I'm taking your empty plate to the kitchen, Commander."

Zhao's eyes narrow as he asks, "Did I ask you to do that?"

I stay silent, shaking my head no.

Zhao sneers, "You do what I say, when I say it. Now, sit down, and keep your mouth shut! You'll take my plate when I say to take my plate!"

My eye twitches in anger, but I kneel back down next to him.

Zhao chuckles, saying to the men across from him, "Can't get good help these days, even if it's Roku's own daughter."

They laugh with him while he makes fun of me to my face, almost daring me to snap. I fight to keep from growling, and my hand curls into a fist in my lap. It was better when I was working in the boiler room. At least then I was alone and could release my pent-up anger through firebending. Now I just have to stew in my anger while the man who imprisoned me mocks me.

Once he decides he's finally done with breakfast, he orders me to take away his plate and clean it. I take my sweet time with it, heating up the water with my firebending to release a bit of anger. The cooks around me look at me in suspicion, but I ignore them. Once I'm done and I'm able to take a deep breath to steel myself, I return back to Zhao, who's now on the deck.

He raises an eyebrow at me, saying, "You sure took a while. Never had to clean before?" I don't respond, instead staring at the water, and he says, "Well, you'd better get used to it, girl. If you go as slow as that next time, You might end up in that water you're so intent on staring at."

I nod, and he just stands there for most of the day, ordering around his men while trying to find Appa. He's less scary now, more so annoying. I know he could hurt me at any moment, but he seems more intent on keeping me in line than doling out punishments. As long as I just do as he says, I'll be fine.

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After their encounter with Jet and his Freedom Fighters, Aang and his friends started growing more scared for Ryuza. If this ragtag group was so dangerous and hellbent on killing firebenders, what would that mean for their kidnapped friend? And, more worryingly, was she okay?

They could only hope she was, and that they'd see her again. They just didn't know when, where, or what condition she'd be in. They were fast approaching the Great Divide, and were intent on just passing over it until they met an annoying group of warring refugees from the Earth Kingdom.

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After another week of serving under Zhao, we finally made it to shore, docking in an outpost somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. He ordered that I stay on the boat while he conducted a meeting with a man named Colonel Shinu at the Pohuai Stronghold. We must be somewhere near the Southern Air Temple, then. It's a bit of a backtrack, but once I get back to Omashu I can send word to my friends.

Once the coast looked clear, I exchanged glances with Crystal, who was serving some of the men on deck some tea. Once they took sips, they immediately collapsed. Our plan is working so far. Her especially strong lavender tea worked even better than I thought it would.

I grab her hand, and we take off into the forest, guards that saw what happened from the watchtower chasing after us. I laugh, pulling her with me up high into a tree. We place our hands over our mouths to keep silent as the guards pass right by underneath, and we're safe.

At least, I thought we were. The second the guards were out of sight and hearing range, I hear the distinct sound of an arrow flying through the air. I move my head, just barely missing an arrow that would've hit me directly in the throat.

I say to my girlfriend, "We've got to get out of here. The Yuyan Archers are here!"

The Yuyan Archers are an elite group that have been around for centuries, silent but incredibly deadly. That must be why Zhao docked here, so he could recruit them! We start climbing down the tree as fast we can when Crystal is hit directly in the heart by an arrow. I cry out in fear and sorrow as she falls limp almost immediately, blood gushing out of her wound.

She barely has enough strength to hold onto me for a moment until the blood loss catches up to her, and she breathes her last breath into my shoulder. I hold her, shaking her gently, pleading for her to get up, but I know it's of no use. I pray to whatever spirits may be listening to help her, but it's too late. I hear someone approaching and set Crystal down against the base of the tree before creating a fire dagger in my hand, facing my enemy as tears blur my vision.

I hear Zhao's voice say, "A pity. And here I was hoping you'd have at least a little loyalty for your Nation. Damn shame, really."

I choke out, "Why? Why her? Why couldn't you just let me go?"

I can't tell his expression through my tears as he responds, "Because, my dear. She's from the Earth Kingdom, whereas you still have some value left, even if you're a rotten traitor. I suspected this would happen. As for why her, specifically, I knew you two were getting too close. She had to go."

He makes a gesture to where the Archer is stationed, but I can't make out clearly what it is. Only a second later, I feel an arrow embed itself deep in my shoulder. My bad shoulder. I cry out in pain while Zhao just laughs. I can feel myself going numb, and my legs betray me, making me kneel before this horrid man. I fall onto my chest, unable to move. I can barely even keep my eyes open as I'm forced to stare at my dead first love. Zhao grabs me by the back of my shirt and lifts me into the air, my head dangling.

He says smugly, "You know that numb feeling you're experiencing? That's Shirshu venom, concentrated so that it's effects last for days, even weeks in some cases. You won't be able to move at all, much less keep your eyes open for much longer. I'll make sure your imprisonment is full of so much pain you won't even want to be awake for the short time the venom will allow."

He laughs, but I can hear his voice fading into nothingness as I'm unable to stay awake, only one thought resounding in my head as I pass out. It should've been me, not Crystal. Then at least she'd get to be with her family. Mine is long gone, and my friends have probably forgotten about me by now. It should've been me.

~1.5k words