A.N. I know it took a while...forgive me...
Disclaimer: I won't say it! grrr...:lawyers appear: oh fine...I don't own Avatar...:shifty eyes: ...yet...
Chapter 4: Shadow Bending...
:Later that night on Zuko's ship:
Keely leaned against the edge of the ship, staring down at the dark blue hues of the rippling ocean waves.
She felt someone's presence beside her and was surprised to find Zuko standing there.
"Why hello Zuko. What brings you onto the deck at this time of night?" Keely asked.
"I would ask you the same thing," was his reply.
Keely laughed at his evasive answer, "Fine be that way."
"I plan on it," Zuko said with a small smirk.
Keely rolled her eyes and then let her gaze wander across the endless night. The moon shone down upon the surface of the ocean making it seem alive, but at the same time the moon cast shadows across everything.
"Could you...shadow bend for me?" Keely heard Zuko ask.
"Why?" Keely responded to his question with another question.
"Because I would like to watch," Zuko replied.
Keely nodded her head to signify she would, because she was pretty sure Prince Zuko rarely asked anyone for anything.
She looked around the ship, taking in the variety of shadows surrounding her. She rose her hand above her head and closed her eyes, focusing on the dark beauty that shadows contained.
Darkness gathered in the palm of her hand and she began to move her hand through the crisp night air in a pattern, shadows trailing behind her allowing the design to become visible.
Once she was finished, she stood back to look at her work. The outline of a rose was hanging in the air, a shadow rose if you will, and Keely then used her fire-bending to fill in and finish the rose design.
Keely turned back around, "What do you think?"
Zuko's eyes were wide in amazement, but he quickly wiped the look off his face, "It's not all that great."
"Whatever, it'll fade in a few minutes anyway," Keely said with a sigh.
Zuko was surprised that she hadn't went off at him for what he'd said, "Only a few minutes?"
"Unless I stabilize it, but since you don't like it I don't think I should bother with that," Keely casually replied.
"I don't mind," Zuko said a little too quickly.
"Nah, it's okay that you don't like it. You don't have to try and make me feel better," Keely headed to the staircase that led below deck.
Zuko started to say something, but decided against it as he watched her walk downstairs.
:The next morning:
Keely heard a knock on the door of the room Uncle Iroh had given her yesterday, so she yawned and sat up, "What is it?"
"It's time for breakfast," Uncle Iroh's voice came from the other side of the door.
"Okay, I'll be right out," Keely slid out from under the black covers that were on her bed.
A few minutes later she walked out of the room, ready to go eat.
Her hair was pulled half up, and a few strands had come free. She was wearing a pair of black pants and a red tunic.
"Oh..you're ready," Uncle Iroh said looking up from a book.
"Why so surprised?" Keely asked.
"In my experience with women..." Uncle began.
"They take forever to get ready," Keely finished for him.
"Well yes," Uncle said.
Keely laughed, "I'm not like most girls, come on, let's go eat."
:After Breakfast:
Keely was now walking around on deck, smiling as the sun warmed her but the wind blew her hair about.
She looked up at the pale blue sky for a moment, then down at the now crystalline blue waves.
"Keely would you care to join us for our morning practice session?" Uncle Iroh asked as he walked over.
"Sure, it'll be fun beating Zuko," Keely turned around with a laugh.
"Don't be so sure you'll win. My nephew is an excellent bender," Uncle replied to her cocky attitude.
"So am I," Keely instantly said thinking he was saying that she couldn't beat Zuko because she was a girl.
"I'm sure you are, I'm just saying that going into a battle blindly can leave you in defeat," Uncle Iroh said with wisdom.
"Come on, don't we need to hurry up if we want to get there on time?" Keely closed the subject and started walking away.
"I suppose so, but going in the right direction might help," was Uncle's reply before he headed in the opposite direction.
Keely smiled, her anger forgotten, and followed him.
As they walked up, Zuko looked at Keely in surprise, "What's she doing here?"
"She's your opponent Zuko, maybe you should treat her with more respect," Uncle Iroh replied and walked to a spot where he could observe the fight.
"You've got to be kidding me," Zuko said with an arrogant smirk.
"Nope," Keely replied as she pulled her hair back out of her face and then took on a fighting stance.
Zuko took a similar stance, "I'm not going to hold back on you."
"Of course not, I don't expect you to," Keely smiled.
"Begin," Uncle's voice came from somewhere to the right.
Keely and Zuko circled each other for a minute, both waiting for the other to make the first move, and Zuko finally chose to attack.
The fireball flew at Keely quickly, she narrowly avoided it. She then sent a barrage of fireballs at Zuko.
Zuko dodged Keely's first four fireballs that she'd sent after he'd attacked her before, but the fifth one caught the side of his right arm. Zuko ignored the pain and came at her with a kick, and was surprised when she grabbed his leg, flipped him over, and pinned him to the ground.
"Ha I win," Keely grinned from above him.
Uncle walked up beside her, "Yes you do Keely, now if you'd let my nephew up, we have training to do."
Keely stood up and offered her hand to Zuko, who refused it with a glare and got up himself.
"You just got lucky," Zuko said through gritted teeth.
"Sure I did...or you're just a sore loser," Keely laughed as he glared at her again, "Oh come on, it wasn't that bad losing to me was it?"
Zuko didn't answer her, he just turned to his Uncle, "I do not wish to practice today, I'll be in my room meditating if you need me."
A.N. Sorry it took so long, and sorry if it didn't live up to your expectations, but I've been having some major writers block..and I have exams this week. So you're lucky I was even able to write this chapter...
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