𝐓𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐋 𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 ❖ PRINCE ZUKO

blasting jelly

It didn't matter what Umeko had heard or how true it was -but when Lieutenant Jee came rushing into her chamber, explaining through quick pace words that were mostly mumbled, that Prince was to be arrested for Treason, Umeko leapt off her bed and sprinted through the narrow hallways towards Zuko's room.

"Prince Zuko!" Umeko literally barged through the door and fell slightly before regaining composure. "You're being arrested!"

This easily got Zuko's attention as he stood up. "What?"

"No -not by me," Umeko swatted her hand.
"I overheard the guards on Zhao's ship." Jee came running into the room, glancing at Umeko for a split second moment.

"Slow down." Iroh was also in Zuko's room, but he was just as equally concerned. "Lieutenant Jee, please explain what you heard."

Jee took a deep breath, turning his head to Umeko for a brief moment before turning to his superior officer. "I was just on Admiral Zhao's ship going over the latest...fuel usage figures -Lieutenant Dang and I were burning the midnight oil. Dang stepped out to take a message...I overheard them discussing new Orders from the Fire Lord himself. He sent his personal guard to bring Prince Zuko back to the Capital City where he is to stand trail...for treason!"

"Treason?" Zuko repeated, confused over the claim.

"Are you certain?" Iroh pressed further, wanting to make sure that it wasn't some phony tale.

"Yes, sir." Jee nodded his head. "I heard Dang order his men to wait and meet the guard on the shore."

"Tonight?" Umeko asked and Jee nodded his head once more. "They'll be here any second now..."
Umeko glanced to Zuko, who looked just as lost as ever.

"This is Zhao's doing..." Iroh scoffed as he turned to the window of Zuko's room, peering outside of it and he thought through what he's heard. "Somehow, he's convinced Ozai that you've turned against him..."

Looking to Zuko, Umeko saw his labored breathing as it set in that he as being charged for treason. That his own father was wanting to put him in jail. That the weight of everything was now coming crashing down on him.

"Pohaui!" Iroh said as it dawned on him. He spun around and made quick paced steps towards his nephew. "Zhao's figured out that you were the one that freed the Avatar."

Umeko blinked harshly, as it probably was treason that Zuko went to Pohuai and freed the Avatar. However, she didn't know that he was the one to do it. But, now that the thought was in her mind, it wasn't just a coincidence that Zuko left the ship the same time the Avatar was freed by a 'blue spirit'.
The black haired girl glanced to Zuko and saw no effort on his part to try and decline the claim, meaning his dumbass probably went and did it.

"Prince Zuko, you need to leave." Iroh advised. "Now."

Umeko went with Jee to the top deck to prepare the boat.
"He infiltrated Pohuai?" Jee asked as he and Umeko both used their strength to lift the boat.

"Zhao stole the Avatar off us." Umeko said as she quickly grabbed the rope that fell. There was a strange smell coming from the boat but Umeko was unable to tell what it was. "I didn't think he was stubborn enough to go after him."

"You haven't known him long enough." Jee shook his head. "He once ran into a canyon all by himself and didn't return for a week. There was a rumor the Avatar as hiding out amongst the caves."

Umeko shook her head. True, she was new to the crew and she didn't know the Prince or the General for as long as Jee did, but she wasn't sure why the recklessness of the Prince surprised her any more than it should.

"Do not start the engine until you are clear." Iroh was making haste over to the boat with Zuko at his side as he firmly dictated on what the Prince should do. "Stay off the main roads and travel only at night."

"Uncle, I can't let my father believe I've turned against him." Zuko slipped a few words in through Iroh's intense instructions.

"I know, but first you must get to safety. Let me sort things out with Ozai." Iroh promised, and Umeko and Jee both pushed the ladder over the edge of the boat to where the second, smaller boat was floating.

"Umeko!" Iroh stepped forward, gently grabbing the girl's arm as she turned to him. "I want to you travel with the Prince. His safety is the most important thing, and I know you'll guarantee it."

Umeko nodded her head and was the first to descend down the rope ladder. Once she got on the the boat, she started to detach it from the hooks of where it stuck to the side of the ship. Once Zuko got down, Umeko pushed the ship and in turn made the boat begin to float away.

The cold, icy air of the night was bitting at Umeko, but as long as she didn't fall face first into the waters surrounding her, then she should be fine. While the two were escaping out, Umeko went around the boat and fixed minor things while keeping a lookout.
But there was something strange to do with the scenery. There were two ships -Zuko's and Zhao's. And they were next to each other like they were before, but that was it.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked once he noticed Umeko's fixed gaze.

"Treason is a pretty serious claim...and if Firelord Ozai sent word himself, then you'd expect something fancy to show up...but there's no boats or ships...or anything." Umeko observed. It was like no one was coming.
Umeko knew the fire-nation could be sneaky, and she wasn't doubting that, but there was literally no one around. If Dang's men were ordered to meet the guard on shore, then they should be here by now, or at least in plain sight.

But there was nothing.

Zuko blinked, thinking for a moment before going over to the engine. "We're far enough away, I'm lighting the engine."

Usually, this should've been Umeko's job. Royalty shouldn't have to do this work, but Umeko was not a fire bender and if there was anything Zuko was not, it was patience.
There was a noticble warmth in the air when the fire was light, and with nothing much else to do, Umeko glanced down at the small fire in the little metal box.

But, there was something else that caught Umeko's eye. A weird liquid was on the boat -and one might think it was just water, but it wasn't really absorbing the boat's wood like water would, it was just staying on top. 
Zuko's foot was just over it, so she moved her hand and gently nudged him away from it when she noticed it.

Zuko, now seeing the weird thing, followed it's trail while Umeko reached out with two fingers to touch it. It was green and it had a sweet, jelly like smell to it. She wasn't going to taste it, so that was already out of the question.

Zuko pulled the fabric off the butt of the boat around the same time as Umeko realized what the jelly-looking substance was.

"Blasting Jelly."
It was a tie between the two on who said it first.

The same time Umeko shot to her feet was probably also the same time the fire from the engine caught light on the blasting jelly. Saving the prince, royalty, serving her country, her nation, that was what mattered. 
So Umeko yelled at Zuko, warning him to take a breath before she lunged at him, tackling him into the water's below.

The explosion happened nearly the same time, and the icy sting of the freezing night waters bit harshly at Umeko skin as she pulled with all her might to bring the Prince back to the air.
But it was cold.
It was really, really cold.

So cold that Umeko felt like she could no longer breath.