Chapter 13: Like Ripples in a Pond…

Dear Diary,

Once again it's been a while between entries and once again it's because I've been physically impeded.

Oh I haven't gotten burned again thank goodness, but I have been under house (or room) arrest again ever since the incident at Crescent Island.

But for once I'm not really complaining. Almost drowning after inhaling toxic volcanic fumes really took a toll on my lungs. Seriously for two whole days I was coughing non-stop twenty four seven. Thankfully Shen had the bright idea of sneaking me out of my room to sit on deck in the fresh air.

Well sneaking isn't really the right word since everyone can see me out in the open. Oh well! What's done is done and I'm actually feeling much better sitting up here in the fresh air than down in my small stuffy room.

It's a good thing we're now reaching warmer waters, the crew is quite happy to be able to kick back a little bit in the sun when it comes out, and that includes Zuko.

I'm not sure what's going on with him nowadays. He's still obsessed with tracking down Avatar Aang (who managed to escape safely with his two friends, thank goodness), but he's not as prickly as before.

Well at least he's not as prickly with me. He still is pretty stern to most of the crew, though with my father he tends to be more cautious and wary. Bot that I blame him considering that he had to spar against my father in training the day after we got out of the Fire Nation.

Father didn't hurt him, but he did fight hard enough to give the prince a little warning. Actually "little warning" is an understatement. He took him and all the other soldiers down in every match, no matter how hard they tried, and boy did they try.

The only match Father did lose was to Lord Iroh, but even then it was a fairly even match. I don't think I've ever seen father fight like that before. I mean I know he's good, but to keep on par with the dragon of the west is just…WOW!

What with Lord Iroh's power and patience I'm just astonished as to why his younger brother is sitting on the throne instead of-

A shadow fell over her page and she looked up blinking.

There standing before her, standing in the light of the sinking sunlight was Zuko. He was dressed in his more casual (and yet still far more expensive) dark tunic and pants, that oddly highlighted his stronger physique as well as the small apprehensive frown on his face.

"Hey" he muttered softly.

"Hey…" Jade couldn't help but gulp a little as she quietly shut her diary and shifted it back into her satchel beside her. "What's up?"

"Nothing! I-I mean" Zuko blurted out a little too quickly to be normal. When she raised her eyebrows he sighed.

"Listen. I just wanted to talk to you about a few…I just wanted to clear up a few thin-"

"My earth bending" Jade muttered quietly.

Zuko shut his mouth and nodded, doing his best not to meet her eye.

It had already been nearly a whole week since they'd last really talked…a week since they had both escaped from a raging volcano in the Fire Nation.

He could not believe that although he had somehow found the strength and courage to get through such a catastrophe, he could not just casually approach one normal girl to just sit and talk. Even now doubts and anxieties were swirling in his head.

Is ordering people about the only way you know how to ask for something?

That was what she had asked him once and though it loathed him to admit it (even to himself), she had been right.

I've screwed up. Just say no and turn me away.

He pleaded in his head as he watched her contemplate his rather awkward request.

Finally after a long pause that felt almost an eternity to him, she gave him a small timid nod, patting the spot next to her.

He sat down, a little uneasily.

He wasn't used to obeying others orders, and even now as he made to seat himself cross legged he found himself very nervous as to what to do next.

Whether she had noticed it or not, she had bade him to sit rather close to her. No not close, but rather shoulder to shoulder.

Zuko gulped a little as he felt the skin of her shoulder brush by his own, causing small goosebumps to rise where they had made contact.

Even Jade was looking a little anxious as she curled into her knee.

But with steely determination, she steadied herself and took a deep breath.

"My mother was an Earth Bender. When she was younger she lived in the village of Yu-Hé on Shān yùnqì up in the North East of the Kolau Mountain range"

"Mount Shān yùnqì?" Zuko frowned.

"yeah y'know the Shān mountains. Shān-yùnqì and Shān-Huò. The twins of fortune. One the blessed with eternal luck the other cursed with eternal misfortune." Jade blurted out before she could stop herself.

"Cursed?" Zuko snorted with an amused smirk.

"That's what everyone calls it." Jade mumbled her cheeks flushing a little with embarrassment as he tried to say airily "It's said to be the home of a malevolent spirit that guards an old cave at the summit, and kills anyone who tries to enter it's lair and take it's treasure. Or at least that's what my mother used to tell me. But she grew up on the Lucky twin."

Zuko frowned. As far as he knew about the world's geography, The Kolau Mountains were quite close to the city of Omashu, one of the Earth Kingdom's biggest cities, and the second most fortified (after the city of Ba Sing Sei).

It wasn't that the city had a big army, but the terrain of the mountains itself was treacherous to most save Earth Benders, hence why the Fire Nation was wary of attacking the area…or at least that's what he had thought.

"And how did she meet your father?" he asked finally after a long pause.

At that Jade gave a small smile.

"The Fire Nation were trying to make an advance upon Shān-yùnqì. According to my father the earth there has got rather rich deposits of certain precious ores and gems. My father was one of the troops the Fire Nation sent to lay siege to the mountain. They lost the battle, but he found my mother instead and they…kinda eloped" she finished off quietly as Zuko's brow rose in astonishment.

"Your father?...elope?"

"Yeah I know. Weird coming from him huh?"

"No kidding" Zuko snorted and Jade giggled softly.

"He was so embarrassed when mother told me and Shen the story. I don't think I've ever seen him go so red in my life" but even as the words trailed off a sad look came across her face.

Zuko hesitated for a moment as he looked her over. She was looking down at the collar of her robes where a something green glimmered ever so slightly in the dim light.

Oh…so that's why…

"That's hers isn't it?" He murmured quietly and when Jade looked up in surprise he pointed to her neck "what you have around your neck. It was your mother's wasn't it?"

Jade nodded silently as she reached into her robes and pulled out her green jade pendant for him to see.

Zuko quietly reached out to examine it, leaning in so as not to yank it from her neck. It was small, just about the size of a small coin but still it was very striking in its intense green hue in which a character was engraved in smooth but firm lines.

"Luck" he read softly.

Jade nodded again, gulping a little as she averted her gaze down to the trinket in his hands.

"She gave it to me just before she…"

Zuko looked at her and was astonished to see that though she looked sad, there were no tears. Instead steely resolve seemed to have etched itself into her delicate features, much like when she had bent the lava back at the volcano.

And yet for all her strength…there was something hidden in the depths. Something that though he couldn't see but he knew, was fragile.

His eyes flickered to hers and not for the first time, he was struck by how vibrant a shade of green they were. They put the little gem pendant to shame, what with the small specks of gold flecked around the centre of her irises.

He didn't think he'd ever seen a pair of eyes quite so remarkable… or so…nervous?

He blinked and was suddenly very aware that her face was almost right in his own, so close that the tips of their noses brushed ever so slightly.

Oh spirits…how did I get this close?

He gulped as did Jade who bit her lip nervously. She couldn't help but notice that as she did this, his golden amber eyes were quick to watch the movement closely.

"Zuko…what are you-" she whispered softly but no sooner had the last syllable then a voice called out loudly.

"JADE! Jade! Dinner's ready!"

Both Jade and Zuko broke apart, the former jumping to her feet.

"Coming Shen!" she bleated snatching up her satchel from the floor and sprinting away before Zuko could even open his mouth.

Oh shen thank spirits for your timing! She couldn't help but chant in her head, as she dashed down below deck, her face red as a tomato.

Little did she know that behind her, back up on deck, a certain prince had his face in his hands as he groaned loudly to himself.

"Dammit! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

Dear diary…

…

…

Um…I'm not quite sure what to write…

Something really strange just happened on deck with Zuko and…well…let's just say I have no idea what to make of it.

We were just sitting there and talking like two ordinary people and then suddenly out of the blue we stop and stare at each other.

It's just like that time when he ate in the kitchens. The way he stared at me then was just like what he did now. It wasn't mean or angry; it was just…intense…like he was trying to look straight through me…into me...

But the worst thing of all was that, he was staring at me and no matter what I did I just couldn't look away.

And then he's leaning in and then I'm leaning in and-and we got so close to…

…To…

Oh spirit's I'm going red just thinking about it.

Seriously diary I don't know what to make of "this" whatever "this" is. I mean, don't get me wrong it's not like I want to go back to being at each other's throats, but at least when we yelled at one another it was easier to know what to do.

But this…thisthing that's started going on is just…I'm just…oh spirits-

There were two knocks on her door and Jade jumped, almost spilling her ink bottle in alarm.

"Who is it?" she squeaked, cursing how high her voice had gone, as a deep voice called through the door.

"It's me. Would you let me in?"

Jade gulped as she rushed to open her door, only to come face to face with the tall figure of her father who was looking down on her in his usual composed but stern manner.

"Father" she greeted softly, doing her best to hide her red cheeks in her hair.

But unfortunately for her Ruishi's eyes were quick to take notice.

"Jade we need to talk" he murmured softly as he strode into her room.

"about what?" Jade bit her lip nervously as she shut the door behind him.

But even as she said this she caught sight of his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"I've just had a very interesting talk with Lord Iroh. Apparently, his nephew is very interested in promoting you from your kitchen duties to being one of his personal attendants"

Jade blinked.

"What?"

"You're getting promoted" her father stated even more tersely than before "or at least a promotion is being offered"

"You don't want me to accept it?" she replied softly and he shook his head.

"No. whether you accept the position is entirely up to you. I trust you to make your own judgements on what you want to do with your life. But who I don't trust is that prince"

"Father if this is about what happened on the solstice it wasn't Zuko's -" Jade quickly coughed as her father's eyes hardened ever so slightly "I-I mean it wasn't Prince Zuko's fault. I wanted to help him track down Lord Iroh. And Zhao was going to use me as bait anyway, if only to get at you."

"I am well aware of that" Ruishi's teeth grit ever so slightly at he mention of his brother's name, but he was quick to shrug it off as he ground out "but that's not why I don't trust the prince. Whether he be Lord Iroh's nephew, he's still outranks him as the prince and heir to the throne. If something were to happen, he'd have every right and way to do something to you-"

"Father stop"

Now it was Jades' turn to look stern as she stared him levelly in the eye.

"I know you're worried about me. But you don't have to be. I don't think for one moment he'd really want to hurt me. Prince Zuko may be a lot of things, a jerk, an idiot, a bit of a pain in my behind…but he's not cruel. He tries to make himself look that way, but inside he's much kinder than he lets on. Even if he's bloody stupid at showing it."

There was silence as her father seemed to digest these words.

Finally after a long pause he sighed heavily.

"For your sake Jade, I hope you're right. I really do."

Yeah…

Jade bit her lip as she looked down at her bare feet.

So do I…

Meanwhile all the way up in the royal quarters, a certain prince was laying on his back staring up at the ceiling, willing himself to go to sleep.

However instead of blackness, his mind was filled with green…a very striking shade of green.

And then for the umpteenth time in his life, Zuko grunted with aggravation.

"Agh…just what is with that girl?"

That girl with the jade green eyes…

hi guys :)

yeah i know a short chapter.

don't worry plenty more in store for next time ;)

hope you enjoyed and keep R&Ring for more.