A/N: I know it's been forever since I've updated but you guys should really check my profile every once and again; it says in there that it's hard for me to update this story all the time, especially since I have a life! Because of this my chapter is not the longest today. It's a pretty sad and wimpy chapter and I'm sorry but I do, do other things ya no! and I have others to make happy! I have a lot of stories to update at a time! But you people are lucky cuz my cousins that are actually my age can't come to Branson this year so I'm gonna be kinda bored! So I'm bringing my journals along to write more stuff! Now I'm not promising like other people that I'll update every week or something like that! I will update when you and I please! So if I get reviews, damn straight I'm gonna update! Well enough about me, more about Zuzu! Here we go!
Chapter 3: Decision Made
Her knuckles turned white as she held firm to her pole. She grimaced as a bead of sweat made its way down her right temple.
She was going to win this.
Even though an arrogant 'You're nothing but a peasant' look was traced across the prince's face, she could tell that underneath, his strength was waning.
He was a hider. Xia was not.
She was never afraid to show her true emotion, and at this point she was tired. It was definitely something apparent on her face.
Xia always felt that playing off a fault was unnecessary in a real battle. A trained fighter could see through deception like fake facial expressions, no problem.
His "play-off my waning strength" tactic was useless in her eyes.
She closed her blue orbs with a dry laugh. "I told you it's useless." Their weapons shook against the others weight. "I've already memorized your fighting techniques; nothing can get past me."
Zuko smirked. "That's pretty bold for a peasant, or have I already said that once before also?" he asked, spitting his bitter sarcasm in the air to match her sass.
Her frown returned as she tried to find the strength to keep this up. She was still sore from before, after all.
Iroh was right; she had received a harsh hit to the head. Its ongoing pounding was giving her a screaming headache and her sight was blurry.
Xia was light-headed from lack of food and her limbs were like jelly. How long were they going to keep this up?
She gritted her teeth together with a low growl as she used what little strength she had to push Zuko away from her.
She steadied herself on her pole as she tried to catch her breath. Xia swayed a bit as she seemed to float in and out of consciousness. She had to say strong. She had to fight off the pain until after their battle.
She focused her eyes after the black dots filling them disappeared and stood up straight. "Alright…"she whispered to herself. Xia's stance widened as she shook her head to wake herself up. "Let's do this!"
She charged at him and slammed her pole down on him with all her might.
Zuko gritted his teeth, barely blocking the blow as he pushed her pole over to the side getting ready to attack. He saw and opening and was glad to take it, but it seemed to disappear as she parried his knives.
The prince watched as she spun and twirled avoiding his attacks with astonished eyes. He saw her watching his expression, but to his surprise, she didn't laugh nor did she smirk. Her face showed true determination. She was tired and bored with playing; this was the real thing. When she set her eyes on her goal, they never once came off. She wanted off. And by the way she was fighting; she was going to get it.
Xia swiftly swung her weapon into the prince's stomach. He gagged in response.
He brought his swords up to block one more killing blow and then bounded backwards. She didn't follow, she was tired as well.
Xia was a truly talented fighter. Nothing had gotten through to her. He was sure this battle was lost.
Her fighting style was so unique. One he had never come across before, like it was made up specifically for her. His guess was that she had studied many styles of martial arts and molded them into her own. And with this, she was practically unbeatable in his worn-down state.
He had learned that she was not at her best either by the way she was fighting. She fumbled and wasn't as quick as before.
He frowned. Quick enough to beat me…
Xia's strength was waning and he could tell by the constant dodging instead of blocking. The thing was, she had agility and not enough strength; vice versa for the prince.
He just couldn't keep up.
Zuko tried to catch his breath as he looked into her stone-cold eyes. Her eyes were locked; watching every single move he made.
But even so, how did she know? How did she know how to counterattack when he had his swords?
"You don't get it do you?" she managed to breathe out as if reading his mind.
Even though her stance was strong and unshaken at this point, her insides were torn-up and worn. It was from their previous fight.
A questioning look came across his face.
Xia stood up and took a few long breaths. "How I'm beating you even without your fire…" She limped towards him slowly.
She stopped as she coughed up a little blood, breathing in sharply as she did so. "It's your stance; it's the same as before; wide."
Zuko froze in place as he gazed down at his feet.
"Your moves are like clouds before a storm, I know what's going to happen," she explained as she wiped blood off the corners of her mouth.
His eyes widened; she was right. Whereas her attacks were like hearing thunder after lightning; he never knew what happened until after it actually happened.
She staggered forward and then rushed at him, swinging the right side of her pole at his head.
He finally ducked and spun around bringing his swords around to her stomach.
Xia gasped jumping high in the air and doing a back tuck, landing a little to the side of Zuko. That slice had grazed her clothes.
Her breathing was hard as she eyed the prince in front of her. It was hard to breathe; like something was wrong with her lungs and she knew by the constant taste of blood in her mouth that she had some sort of internal bleeding.
He's improved in only a few minutes…She glared at the boy in front of her. Either that or I've gotten slower…
She groaned as her vision began to blur even more and she hacked up a little blood.
What if Zuko had poisoned her? It seemed pretty possible. She was knocked out and he was in an infirmary with a doctor that knew medicines that could save or kill. It was completely possible.
But why would he bring her on board if he could've just killed her right then and there?
Xia gritted her teeth as he ran at her, flailing his swords around and trying to get his hits in.
She dodged and parried every last one.
Lucky for Zuko, he didn't attack wildly. Instead his stance was wide and his attacks, predictable.
Xia found an opening as she put both hands at one end of her pole and swung it like a baseball bat.
Zuko flew the air and rolled on the ground before bouncing back up into a ready stance. He had blocked the blow, but not quickly enough, so he wasn't in as much pain as he could've been in.
Suddenly he ran back at her as she held her pole correctly and swiped it at him again.
She sucked her teeth in annoyance. She would've called him persistent if she weren't the same way.
Again, he had struck his sword up from where he was squatting on the ground, but it caught something different than flesh. It had caught silver.
Her eyes widened at the sound of fine silver breaking. Her mind flashed through many lost memories and then went blank. Her heart yearned for the comforting weight that had left her chest and neck. Xia's world felt like it was going in slow motion, all except for the devastating blow she had received to her stomach from Zuko. She couldn't move to block it in time, in fact, she couldn't move at all. She felt as if she were not on the ground anymore as she saw a crimson liquid gush out her hip. It hurt.
After realizing herself in a pool of warm blood on the ground, Xia found herself being swallowed by black void.
She had lost...
A.N: Word count: 1,504…guess it wasn't that bad, ne? Well I hope you liked it! The big fighting scene and a miniature cliffy…ooh…the irony! REVIEW AND ASK FOR UPDATES IF U NO WATS GOOD FOR U!!!luv u and laterz!
--SAYURI--
