ACT ONE. a game of cat-deer and mouse!
CHAPTER ix. ❛ TURN THE OTHER CHI. ❜
zuko's ship,
99 ag.
"RISE AND SHINE," PRINCESS JING-HAI GREETED her worst enemies, strolling out onto the deck with a fresh smile. The Fire Nation repays her with a sneer, but she pays it no mind. Instead, she stretches lazily and moves to her favourite spot on the hellish ship. There was a wooden dip at the very tip of the boat that she liked to linger at, feeling the splash of the waves on her face. She liked to sit and think on that spot of hers ━━━ but most importantly, she liked to practice. What better place to waterbend than in the middle of the ocean?
"I wouldn't get too comfortable," Prince Zuko spoke, his arms behind his back. "There's been an Avatar sighting."
"Where?"
"An earth-bending town not too far away. It won't be hard to find," he told her, as though not even caring she wasn't on his side. Perhaps he didn't think her a threat.
Oh, how wrong he was.
"How long is the journey?" Jing-hai asked as if he was her friend and not her captor.
"Two or three days."
Jing-hai smiled.
"He'll already be gone."
Zuko scowled. "We'll see."
Jing-hai returned back to her position and looked down at the waves. It was time to waterbend. With great concentration, the girl snaked her arms in the air and commanded the water to rise. It was only after the third try that it actually obeyed. Rising from the water in a magnificent fashion, she smiled. She got to her feet now and dared to juggle it even higher. In one great swoosh, it rose and descended back into the waves. The girl struggled and fumbled back to take control, but it was too late. She groaned with frustration and sighed.
"Ah...you need to cleanse your mind before harnessing your Chi," Uncle Iroh noted as he strided over.
"My what?"
"Your Chi! It's the metaphysical energy that runs through your body. Through my body too. It's the root to all bending, you know."
"Uncle, don't help her. She is our enemy, remember?" Zuko scoffed.
Iroh only swatted him away.
"You must have a clear mind, Jing hai. Let the energy flow through you," the old man advised. The girl scrunched up her face in frustration but listened all the same. And though it took her a few humiliating minutes, she came out triumphant. It was as if she had been struck by lightning for a moment ━━━ her whole body setting alight in a wildfire of goosebumps. That was when the water accompanied her. Rising in a wave large than the ship, the ocean flew at her command, and danced upon her wish. Jing-hai watched in amazement as she dragged the element through the sky and reduced it to swirls and waves. She laughed and felt the energy pump through her body, keeping the sea in a chokehold. And, when she let it crash back to the ocean floor, she laughed in awe of herself.
"Wow! Did you see that?" she gasped, and Iroh grinned, proudly.
"Did you feel your Chi?" he called, amusement on his gentle lips.
"I did!"
Even a few of the Fire Nation guards let out an impressed round of applause. Not even they had seen had waterbending before.
But despite her fun, Jing-hai felt the burning daggers at the back of her head. She turned, briefly, and watched Zuko practically implode ━━━ almost beside himself in anger. All the princess did was smile sheepishly, and watched his fists clench until his knuckles turned white. Growling, he stormed away and retreated to his chambers.
Jeez, Jing-hai thought.
What's up with him?
∘₊𖦹─── ·࿐࿔· ───𖦹₊∘
zuko's ship,
south sea.
BY THE TIME ZUKO RETURNED FROM HIS DAY TRIP to a now abandoned prison for innocent earthbenders, the Fire Nation slept. He came back empty-handed, of course, and Jing-hai was grateful. The moon was high and the waves, calm. Nethertheless, she was curious as to what he found. So, climbing across the railings of the ship and silently unfurling onto the deck like a feline species, she crept up on the Prince. "Didn't get lucky?"
The firebender jumped, startled.
"What are you doing awake?" he muttered, irritated by her presence.
"We're night people: me and my tribe," Jing-hai shrugged. "Besides, our powers get stronger with the rise of the moon."
Zuko dared his eyes to wander over to her.
"And which tribe would that be? The one you abandoned or the one you...oh, yeah, abandoned?" he taunted. The Lost Princess rolled her eyes and leaned back against the side of the ship.
"Both."
"Right," Zuko replied without a care in the world. "Well, my power gets stronger with sunlight. So, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to go to bed and wish away anything to do with you and your people."
Jing-hai raised her hands in defence and let him pass. However, when he did so, she stalked him silently, whistling in a totally not suspicious manner. A passing guard warned her with a stone cold look. All she could do was smile. It wasn't exactly like she was doing anything. No plotting, no scheming, no...nothing. She was simply having a midnight stroll that just so happened to pursue the Prince! So, slithering out of the firebender's sight, Jing-hai returned to her place in the shadows. And she crept upon him until the final steps into his chamber, ready to pounce. Zuko ignored her irritating closeness and slammed the door in her face. She had to knock twice before he opened up.
"What?!" he cried out.
Jing-hai batted her eyelashes innocently. "I just wanted to know if you saw them."
Zuko sighed. "No, I didn't see your stupid friends. They left Zhao's prison before I could get there."
"Wait, wait, wait. What does Commander Zhao have to do with this?" Jing-hai shivered.
"It seems like one of your friends got themselves arrested. The Commander has an oil rig nearby. Close to the Earthbending village. He uses Fire Nation to arrest all the benders he can find and imprison them. There, he forces them to work for him. But the Avatar freed them all. All that was left behind was...this," Zuko explained dryly, lifting a familiar blue necklace in the air.
Jing-hai gasped.
"That's Katara's. She would never leave anywhere without it," she said, her heart lurching. The girl reached for the pendant and Zuko snatched it away. "Give it to me! You don't understand. It's all that's left of her mom. I need to bring it to her."
Zuko snarled.
"If the traitor wants her necklace, she should offer up the Avatar for it."
Jing-hai recoiled from the boy, disgusted. "You people really are monsters," she muttered in abhor.
Zuko swallowed thickly.
"So I've heard."