Blazing Crystal (Revised Version)

Chapter 12: Raging Storm

Chapter 12: Raging Storm

The fish sizzled in front of me as I watched it on the stove top. It was very strange cooking on metal instead of above a flame, but I was getting the gist of it. Jiho stood beside me, his eyes watching my cooking with thrill. I was making the crew dinner, which consisted of steamed fish soup. My mom and Gran-Gran shared the recipe with one another, and after mom passed the recipe was left in my hands. Jiho was excited to have me serve the crew, and I was happy to do so. They had all shown me nothing but kindness over the last few weeks of our journey. Also, Zuko had been down in the dumps since his defeat with the pirates twenty-four hours ago, so I wanted to do something to cheer him up.

"You seem pretty content tonight, Miss Crystal. Any reason?"

I blushed. My hand faltered as I went to drop more spice on the fish. "Just glad to help out everyone, that's all. I haven't been able to cook for a while, so it's nice to get back into the routine."

"You cook a lot for your family then?"

I nodded. "I usually cook dinner. My little sister is in charge of our breakfast."

"And your brother?"

I smirked. "He attempts to catch us food for both. Usually I would sneak behind him and help him out."

The man laughed. "You're a good sister."

His words made me frown slightly. Yeah... A good sister who never told her family she was a waterbender because of her fear... I was the sister of the year...

Another hour passed and dinner was ready. I'd made enough for the whole crew, to which Jiho helped me distribute in multiple bowls. The crew was in the mess hall, and I heard that Zuko and Iroh were there as well. I'd asked Iroh to convince Zuko to come to dinner with everyone else, to which the old man eagerly agreed and did so. When it was time to distribute the food, Jiho and I carried as much of the bowls as we could. A few other men helped us in our distribution, and eventually everyone in the large hall had their supper.

There were no tables in the mess hall, but the men were seated on the floor in circles chatting. Once the bowls were distributed, Jiho handed me my own portion and I walked over to join Iroh and Zuko. They were already digging in when I arrived, and I wondered if Zuko knew I'd prepared it. When I sat down in front of the two, Iroh smiled widely, swallowing a mouthful of the fish soup.

"This is delicious, Crystal! The finest soup I've ever tasted."

"I'm glad you like it," I said softly with a blush. "Don't say that to Jiho though... I don't want to outdo him as the ship cook."

Iroh chuckled. "Of course I won't... It is very tasty though. I'm so glad you can share your cooking with the crew."

Zuko glanced over at me in surprise. He must've not realized I'd cooked the food. He stared back at his bowl picking up another spoonful. He muttered softly, "That explains it then." I looked at him with question, but he refused to look my way. He continued eating the food, and I saw with utter relief that he was enjoying each mouthful.

Eating my own portion, I was relieved to find it tasted quite alright for using different ingredients and cooking methods. The fish tasted a bit spicier than I was accustomed to, but I knew the Fire Nation was a fan of spice... especially Zuko... Zuko loved spicy foods. With a few tips from Jiho, I was able to give the fish just enough spice to satisfy the crew. It burned my tongue and mouth, but I didn't complain. I cooked the meal, so the least I could do was eat it too.

"I hope there's enough spice in it," I said, trying to bring conversation to our quiet group. "I wasn't sure how much to use."

Zuko was surprisingly the one to answer. "It's perfect. You did a great job."