Clouds ( Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Chapter Four.

Kumo sat on the deck waiting pensively as the ship approached the island. It was small but beautiful with lush green forest top mountains and crags. She was glad to find an island. All the travel at sea had made her sick.

Once they'd docked on island, the front of the ship opened, forming a staircase. Zuko emerged with his soldiers on the backs of Rhinos. Kumo watched silently, unsure of what exactly to do.

"I want the avatar alive!" He commanded, informing his guards. "And, you, girl, come with me."

Kumo sighed, hopping of the deck, using air to soften the landing on the back of Zuko's rhino. She grumbled, even though her injuries were better, she didn't feel like leaving. They weren't bad to her, and she really had nothing else to do. She sat behind Zuko, arms folded.

The rhinos charged up the rocky bay, heading towards the heart of the village. Kumo felt guilt eat away at her, she was aiding the murderers of her people, so why couldn't she leave? The rhino began to run faster, she reached a hand out and grabbed the back of Zuko's shirt.

"If I fall, you're falling with me." She growled, using her other hand to clutch the beast's back. The village came into view. Zuko has never had someone but his Uncle so close to him, it was distracting. The village was quaint and pretty. Guilt washed over Kumo in waves.

They stopped just inside the village, Kumo assumed Katara and Sokka were with the avatar so tried to hide herself behind Zuko, she was a traitor.

"Come out, avatar, you can't hide from me forever." Zuko yelled, villagers hid in their homes, she could hear the cries of babies and hushed whispers of children. She was just as bad as the fire nation, a murderer, a traitor to her own kind, a monster...

She clenched her teeth, tightening her grip on Zuko and the rhino as she silently apologised to her Tribe and the deceased wind benders in a hushed whisper. Zuko couldn't hear what she was mummbling. 

"Find him." He ordered his men, they led the Rhinos forward, aiming to find the avatar. They ventured up the street.

"Zuko, what if he's not here?" Kumo muttered, an uneasy feeling settled in her gut. Zuko rose an eyebrow, glancing over his shoulder to her. "Don't let innocent people get hurt..."

He ignored her plea, turning his attention back to his men. Suddenly, women with painted faces leapt down from the roofs, ambushing the men, taking them out swiftly with gold fans. It was impressive, Kumo stared over Zuko's shoulder in awe, they moved like wind benders.

One ran at Zuko, dodging the balls of fire he shot at her. She leaped at him and the rhino turned, smashing it's tail into the girl, throwing her back. He prepared to shoot a fireball at her but it was blocked by... Sokka... in a dress? 

Kumo didn't have time to think as they were thrown of the rhino. She landed in a cat like crouch, eyeing the warriors with cold eyes.  Three surrounded Zuko, but one went for Kumo, swinging her fan at her. 

Kumo dodged gracefully, twirling out the way while throwing the girl back with a torrent of icy wind. The girl yelled in pain as she landed roughly on the ground. Kumo turned back to Zuko, wind wrapped round the nearest one and flung her across the street. Zuko dealt with the rest using his fire.

"Nice try, avatar, but these little girls won't save you!" Zuko yelled in the empty street. Kumo almost smacked him for being sexist but refrained herself and stayed silent from where she stood.

"Hey, over here!" Kumo's head shot to the voice. The avatar stood tall with his staff. The guilt returned, the word traitor kept replaying in her mind, setting her on edge. Once she had betrayed Katara and Sokka, not to mention the avatar, there was no going back.

"Finally." Zuko murmured, punching fire at the avatar who ducked, before leaping closer to Zuko to fight him. Kumo backed off but faltered as the avatar picked up to fans, sending Zuko crashing back into a building with a gust of wind. She leapt forward.

Here she stood, face to face with the avatar, not fighting with him, but against him. Her calm facade faltered and she let the despair show on her pale face before drawing her own fan, sending gusts of wind at the avatar.

"What are you doing?" He yelled at her as she paused from her relentless blades of wind. He'd been blown to the ground twice now but got back up. "You shouldn't be defending him! He tried to kill you! The fire benders killed our people!"

Kumo chewed her lip. Did he not see that she knew that? Her eyes met the avatars, he watched her wide eyed, dechipering the pain that flashed through her eyes. She didn't want to fight him. She composed herself, putting on the fiercest glare she could muster. 

She swung her fan down again, this time the avatar was blown back and sent crashing through a door. Kumo took this time to turn tail into the burning building that Zuko had been sent crashing into. She coughed as the black smoke filled her lungs.

She waved her fan gently, clearing the air as she spotted Zuko's injured form. She helped him up and scrambled out of the building into the cool air. She let out a breath before spotting the avatar fly off on a bison. God, she'd never get used to how weird that looked.

"Get back to the ship!" Zuko commanded. He clambered onto a rhino, yanking Kumo with him. She growled at him and was about to scramble of the rhino until her tied her hands together. She sighed, she was basically draped over the prince of the fire nation's lap on a rhino.

How fantastic. The rhino ran, fire benders followed Zuko's lead on their own rhinos. 

"You could've just told me to sit still!" She yelled over the loud thundering of rhino hooves on snow. Zuko glanced down at her before looking a head. He found it amusing to see her so helpless yet still screaming at him.

"Shut up before I have to gag your mouth." He snapped when he yelling got to much for him. She shut her mouth instantly, silently fuming at the prince. He'd have hell to pay once she got of the rhino. Zuko stopped the massive beast.

A large, black serpent loomed over the island, it opened it's carnivorous mouth before blasted water at them and the village. Now she was soaked as well. Where was Iroh when you needed him? He would've made some calming jasmine tea.

And true to her word, she did give him hell.