Polar Opposites *A Prince Zuko Love Story*

Chapter 5 - Commander Zhao

It's been a week since I was captured and became Prince Zuko's prisoner. Ever since day 1 the prince has been asking me to tell him where Aang is and every time he did, I told him that I didn't know. And every time I answered with that, he just get all riled up before stomping out of the room. I've even met Zuko's uncle Iroh. He's a kind man and I like it when he comes down with a kettle of tea.

Currently, I'm sitting in my dark cell, waiting for either Zuko or Iroh to come in, but they don't come. For about 10 minutes the ship has been stopped, so I assume that we're docked at a harbor where the ship can get repaired. All is silent until I hear multiple pairs of footsteps coming down the hallway towards my cell. Normally it's just Iroh or Zuko who come into the cell so, it's surprising for me to hear that many footsteps out in the hall.

The door opens and the guard that was stationed outside of my cell enters before stepping aside revealing a soldier that appears to be his superior. "Well, what do we have here?" he asks with a sly grin. "Can I help you with something?" I ask him while glaring at him. "Oh, I think you can." he says with a sinister smile.

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One of the guards that the larger ranked soldier brought with him leads me off of the ship and in front of a tent where I hear Zuko talking to someone. "Come on, Uncle, we're going." I hear him say as the soldier leading me to the tent stops in front of the flaps. There's the sound of metal scraping against metal and one of the men enters the tent. "Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody, but let him escape." I hear him say. "Now, remind me... how, exactly, was your ship damaged?" another man asks and from what it sounds like, he's talking to Zuko.

"There's something else too, sir." the guard tells Zhao as the 2 guards holding me lead me into the tent. "We found this water tribe girl in the prison hold of the ship. We found out that she's a waterbender when the crew told us about her." the guard says, making me glare at the ground angrily. "Is that so?" I hear Zhao ask, making me look up at him with a stony glare. "The last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe." he continues. "I had thought the Fire Nation wiped out the waterbenders a long time ago." he says. "But it appears, we did not." he continues. I grit my teeth at him, wanting to give him a piece of my mind but he turns away before I can and starts to interrogate Zuko about what had happened with Aang, Sokka and Katara.

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The guards that had brought me into the tent shove me into a chair next to Zuko. Zuko currently has a hard grip on my arm, silently telling me not to move or else. I wasn't going to move anyway but I don't think he would believe me if I say that to him.

Zuko had just finished telling the real story of how Zuko had Aang in his custody and how Aang had escaped with my siblings. "So, a twelve-year-old boy bested you and your firebenders?" Zhao asks. "You're more pathetic than I thought." he continues as he turns away from Zuko. "I underestimated him once, but it will not happen again." Zuko replies, his grip on my arm loosening for a split second before it tightens again. "No, it will not, because you won't have a second chance." Zhao says his back still facing Zuko.

In the corner of my eye, I see Zuko look alarmed at Zhao's reply. "Commander Zhao, I've been hunting the Avatar for two years and I-." he starts but Zhao turns to him angrily, flames erupting from his hand as he sweeps it an arc from left to right. "And you failed!" he exclaims. "Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager's hands. He's mine now." Zhao continues.

At Zhao's reply Zuko launches himself at Zhao in both frustration and anger; but before he's restrained by the guards behind our chairs. "Keep them here." Zhao orders his men before turning to leave the tent.

Before he leaves the tent however, I see Zhao turn his head towards me. I grit my teeth at him, not wanting him to see that I'm the slightest bit afraid of him. At my death glare, I see him smirk wickedly before he finally leaves the tent. I look down at the ground in anger at Zhao for looking at me like I was a piece of meat. Well, I'm not some helpless girl who can't handle herself. My thoughts are broken when I hear the sound of something breaking. I look up to see the table that Iroh is sitting by laying on the ground in pieces, assumingly by Zuko's foot smashing into it. "More tea please!" Iroh says calmly, as if Zuko didn't just break the table and spill his tea.

I let a small smile show on my face at Iroh's comment before my eyes meet Zuko's who's currently staring at me intensely, with a mixture of anger, frustration and sincerity in his eyes. I give him a small nod in reply before looking back down at the floor, letting my thoughts consume me.

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I don't really know how long it's been since Zhao left but to me it feels like an eternity passes before he enters the tent again. "My search part is ready." he says, his voice filled with pride. "Once I'm out to sea, my guards will escort you back to your ship and you'll be free to go." he continues. "Why? Are you worried I'm going to try and stop you?" Zuko asks. Zhao laughs sarcastically at that. "You? Stop me? Impossible." Zuko gets to his feet in defiance. "Don't underestimate me Zhao. I will capture the avatar before you." Iroh gets to his feet too. "Prince Zuko, that is enough!" he tells his nephew, wanting him to not say anything he might regret later. "You can't compete with me. I have hundreds of warships under my command, and you... you're just a banished prince. No home. No allies. Your own father doesn't even want you." Zhao says. My eyes widen. 'Banished? Why was he-' I think but I can't even finish asking myself that question because Zuko defends himself. "You're wrong. Once I deliver the Avatar to my father he will welcome me home with honor and restore my rightful place on the throne."

"If your father really wanted you home, he'd have let you return by now, Avatar or no Avatar, but in his eyes you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation." Zhao says. Now I feel bad for ever thinking that Zuko was just hunting Aang down to just please his father. Now, I know the real reason as to why he's doing what he's doing. He just wants to go home...

"That's not true." Zuko replies, a little lamely. "You have the scar to prove it." Zhao replies. Now he's going to get it. With a cry of indignation, Zuko launches himself to his feet, bringing his face within inches of Zhao's. "Maybe you'd like one to match!" Zuko exclaims. "Is that a challenge?" Zhao asks. "An agni kai. At sunset." Zuko states. "Very well." Zhao agrees. "It's a shame your father won't be here to watch me humiliate you. I guess your uncle will do." he continues as he starts to walk out of the tent. Just before he walks out though, he stops and turns back to face Zuko again. "And whoever wins, gets to keep the waterbender." he smirks before turning and exiting the tent.

My breath gets stuck in my throat at Zhao's conditions. In a nutshell, I'm a prize for whoever wins... I should be honored, but in this circumstance, it was be Zuko's prisoner or Zhao's slave. None of which I would enjoy very much, but being Zuko's prisoner would be easier.

My thoughts are broken by Iroh's voice as he talks to his nephew. "Prince Zuko, have you forgotten what happened last time you dueled a master?" he asks, his voice laced with concern, making me look at Zuko with soft eyes, since I, in a way, know about how he was banished and got his scar. "I will never forget." Zuko replies softly, causing a frown to come to my face.