Chapter 26: Hot Pursuit
"Well this has been fun" Jade muttered darkly to herself, only to wince as her forehead clanged painfully with the back of Lord Iroh's armoured shoulders.
"Sorry my dear" The old lord smiled apologetically only to lurch forwards where he sat, as the steed they were travelling on jerked suddenly to a halt.
Jade squeaked and cried out as her head was flung backwards into the warm body of Prince Zuko who winced as her brown hair all but slapped his face.
"OW! What the-why are we stopping?" He barked to the person steering the great beast.
"Because the girl must have spent a lot of time here" the beautiful Bounty Hunter called June scowled back to the prince before turning her gaze to the building they had stopped before.
It was ornate, large and obviously luxurious, if the circular red and golden door was any indication. That and the fact that an elderly but golden-silk-clad woman was standing outside of it, a knowing smile painted on her red lips as she looked over her new (and uninvited) visitors.
"We have no time for this" Zuko growled as he leapt of the saddle, snatching up a blue necklace from June's outstretched grip.
"Zuko careful" Jade hissed as the prince made to shove the necklace in front of the Shirshu's odd pink nose. It twitched for a second as it took a whiff of its scent sample, but then suddenly lashed out with its tongue.
"Hey! Watch it!" Zuko snapped as he ducked much to the amusement of his uncle and June who smirked.
"Oh look. She likes you"
The elderly woman before the building smiled, her eyes twinkling brightly as she met Iroh's gaze.
"Care to hear your fortune handsome?"
"At my age there is only one big surprise left, and I'd just as soon leave it a mystery" Iroh smiled back, much to Jade's amusement.
Well what do you know, the old dog's still got it.
But before she could comment on the matter, Shirshu once more started its long hard sprint away from the old woman's house and the village it was in, but not before Iroh looked back and gave the older woman a wink, which was returned with interest.
"Ugh, gross" Zuko almost wretched and Jade giggled. "What? It is gross"
"No princess that is what you call being charming. Perhaps you should give it a go sometime?" Jade smirked back to the prince, fully expecting a scowl or retort follow the currently shocked look on his face.
But what came next was more astonishing than anything she could have expected.
Prince Zuko smirked.
It wasn't a scathing sneer, like he usually gave her in their arguments. No this was mischievous, tricky little quirk of the lips, that he couldn't quite hide under his attempt to sound stern.
"Is that a challenge Lucky?"
Jade felt the heat in her cheeks rise considerably. Was it just her or was his voice, deeper and huskier than before? And was he leaning further into her? Pressing her back flush against his front?
"N-no! I-I-was just saying" she squeaked, her cheeks turning vermillion as she heard the prince chuckle softly, his breath and lips brushing the back of her earlobe as he whispered.
"Game on Lucky."
Oh crap what have I done now?!
It was late afternoon by the time the scent trail had turned hot. After a brief stop in an old Earth Kingdom monastery, the Shirshu and its four passengers all hurtled into a large forest at breakneck speed.
Following their little "chat" after they left the old woman's village, Zuko and Jade had not talked, though the former seemed to be doing what he could to keep the latter as close to him as possible.
At first Jade had been scared at the contact. Her first exposure to Zuko's very blatant possessiveness had been a very new and (dare she think it) nerve-racking experience for her. But, as the day went on she began to feel more and more comfortable and soon she found herself melting back into his relaxing arms.
That was until the Shirshu once more skidded harshly to a halt as it jumped out of the tree-line and onto a large dirt road.
On it, two young teens garbed all in blue backed away fearfully.
YES! We've got you now!
Zuko smirked victoriously as June looked over Sokka and Katara, smirking widely as she beheld the young water tribe girl.
"So this is your ex-girlfriend Pouty. No wonder Mousey chased her out. She's much too pretty for you!"
Oh that's it!
"I did not chase her out! And she's not his ex!"
There was a very sticky pause, in which all eyes, turned to Jade, who flushed redder than her robes.
"I-I-Sorry that came out wrong" she mumbled.
Iroh quietly tried to keep his chuckles soft, but failed as he caught sight of his nephew's slightly pink cheeks.
But Zuko quickly swallowed down the butterflies in his stomach as he hopped off the Shirshu's back and advanced menacingly on Katara and Sokka.
"Where is he? Where's the avatar?" he barked.
"We split up. He's long gone" Sokka growled back bravely much to Zuko's annoyance.
"How stupid do you think I am?"
"Pretty stupid. RUN!" and with a sharp tug Sokka grabbed his sister's arm and darted off to the side.
But they weren't fast enough.
Before they could even run six paces, the Shirshu's long tongue flicked out with a harsh snap, lashing both teen's around the ankles.
Jade winced as they fell to the ground with a loud thud, unmoving but still awake.
"What are we supposed to do now?" Zuko growled as he strode over to the two teens, but at a quick gesture from June he backed off, and allowed her to direct the Shirshu over to sniff them.
"It's seeking a different scent. Perhaps something that the Avatar held."
Jade tried to peer around lord Iroh's shoulder just in time to see the Shirshu's nose nudge at a small scroll which had rolled out from Sokka's backpack.
Oh crap…it's got it…
She gulped, her gut sinking down to the ground as the Shirshu suddenly stiffened, the scent it had marked suddenly clicking in its brain.
"We've got a scent." June nodded to Zuko whose smirk widened.
"Good. Now…" he turned to Sokka and Katara who both looked fearfully up at him. "…we just need a little bait"
I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! What do I do? what do I do? what do I do?
Jade chanted over and over in her head as She, Prince Zuko, Lord Iroh, June and their two new captives, all bounded back along the great road back towards the large Earth Kingdom Monastery.
But no matter how many times she tried to think about it, no solution was coming to her mind.
The last few times she'd met the avatar and his friends, there had always been some way she could've slipped them some help behind Zuko's back, whether it be accidental or not.
Now however she was stuck. Literally stuck in front of the prince, with no way to help or do anything for the two young water tribe peasants, who were both trying to give her significant looks of help from behind the prince's back.
"Sorry" she mouthed at Sokka whose blue eyes drooped sadly.
Then suddenly there was a loud crash.
Chunks of wood splintered painfully as with a crunch the Shirshu burst through the Monastery doors and into it's vast stone courtyard.
Frightened priestesses all scurried away from the great beast in alarm as it once more began to sniff the ground. This time trailing in circles.
"What's it doing? it's just going around in circles?" Zuko snarled just as Jade tugged on his arm.
"What?"
But even as she pointed up to the sky, the orange air-glider swooped down upon them.
The Shirshu reared up, trying to lash out and snap at the young avatar who pulled out of the dive with perfect control, and a wide grin on his youthful face.
"WOAH!"
All of the Shirshu riders and captives fell off the saddle.
"Ugh!" Jade winced as she felt a heavy body fall on top of hers, their face planted straight on her torso.
"oww.." she craned her head up only to stiffen uncomfortably, a jolt of embarrassment striking through her as a familiar scarred face peeled itself from the plateau of her chest.
Zuko blinked up at her still dazed from the fall.
"Jade…what"
Crack!
"Get up!" A woman's voice cried harshly, snapping both teens out of their surprise.
As quick as lightning Zuko rolled off Jade pushing her behind him as the now snarling Shirshu was suddenly bowled over from the side by a mass of white fur.
Yikes! Remind me not to mess with a sky bison.
Jade gulped as Appa the sky bison snorted and growled at the Shirshu, which was struggling back to its feet.
Jade turned to Zuko, wondering what to do only to see both him and Aang facing one another, their eyes set in determined glares.
"Zuko" Jade tried to reach forwards but Zuko swatted her off.
"Get back." he muttered, his eyes gleaming with a terrifying savage triumph "Don't interfere! This is my fight!"
"It doesn't have to be" Aang murmured, though he kept his grip on his staff tight and ready. "You could still stop chasing me. We could still be friends"
"I don't have friends" Zuko snapped back to the Avatar, not noticing the way Jade's hand faltered, and her green eyes fell.
Aang however spotted it, and his expression softened with pity, only for his eyes to widen in shock as a ball of fire burst into his face.
With a twirl of his staff he extinguished the flame with a small gust of wind, only to have to block another fireball.
"Come now Jade" a deep voice kindly murmured as a hand pulled Jade back from the fray.
But she didn't move.
She just couldn't understand it.
How could the kind, gruff and socially awkward boy she had come to know just switch to being so cold and ruthless?
He was so excited, so pumped by the possibility of taking on the young Avatar, that he wasn't even paying attention to how ferocious and unruly his fire bending was becoming.
"Jade we should move now. Before it gets ugly" Lord Iroh hissed urgently as he once again tried to pull her away.
But Jade tugged her arm out of the old lord's grip and made to rush forwards.
No! she had to stop this before it got too out of hand-
BAM!
Something long brown, and furry had hit Jade so squarely in the stomach that she was sent flying backwards into the wall, which she slid painfully down from in a heap.
"Damn that beast!" she grunted as the Shirshu turned away from her to advance upon Appa who was charging forwards head down to engage in battle.
"Look out!" a voice cried and Jade felt two pairs of hands grab her and tug her back hard back against the wall, just as the two great beasts collided.
The earth shook as she made to get back to her feet along with her two rescuers.
"Thanks" she muttered as Sokka and Katara helped her up.
"Well you saved our lives with the pirates." Sokka shrugged only to wince as a fire ball blasted overhead on the monastery roof whilst the two beasts before them continued to brawl brutally.
"Quick this way" a voice hissed as once more the bison and Shirshu head-butted colossally.
Jade, Sokka and Katara all turned to see a priestess ushering them into safe little doorway in the wall.
As soon as they were on the threshold, all three teens turned to watch in mounting horror as Appa suddenly keeled over sideways. The Shirshu, in a desperate attempt to keep its opponent away, had lashed at the sky bison with its poisonous prehensile tongue, not once but several times, before turning it's gaze upon Aang as he landed a few feet away drenched in the monastery's well water. A few seconds later a red armoured body landed with a thud on the ground, seemingly unconscious.
"Zuko!" Jade balked forwards but Katara pulled her back quickly.
"Wait!"
But even as the water tribe girl said this, Zuko suddenly jumped back on his feet, eyes blazing.
In spite of her fear at his furious expression, Jade sighed heavily.
Thank spirits…
However, her relief was not quite shared, by Sokka, who was frowning thoughtfully.
"That thing sees with its nose…Let's give him something to look at"
"You mean the perfume?" The priestess that saved them asked holding up a bottle of scented liquid.
Sokka nodded as did Katara.
"If you can get me enough perfume I can bend it around the courtyard. That should hold him off Aang." She turned to Jade who blushed a little in surprise, yet through the corner of her eye, she noticed the Shirshu try and strike wildly at Zuko.
Obviously it thought him a rival in hunting Aang, and was striking fiercely at both prince and Avatar with all the ferocity it could muster.
"You guys go on ahead. I'll divert it's attention it from him" she muttered but Sokka grabbed her arm, his expression hard and wary.
"Divert it from who? Zuko or Aang? And while we're talking about the Fire Nation whose side are you on?"
Jade paused, her throat seeming to stick in her throat as she croaked out.
"I…I don't know"
And before Sokka and Katara could even stop her, she darted forwards into the courtyard.
"Zuko!"
The voice sounded scared, but it wasn't the emotion that had startled Zuko back onto his feet. No…it had been the voice's owner.
In-between strikes to the young Avatar. Zuko spared a glance for the direction from which he had heard the voice.
And there she was. Jade, being dragged into the safety of a half demolished doorway, by the Avatar's two water tribe friends.
Filthy peasant…how dare he put his hands all over her!
His gut burned hotly as he saw the water tribe boy tugged Jade into the doorway roughly, all the while talking quietly to a still struggling Jade.
There was a crash behind him, and Zuko turned to see June's Shirshu begin to advance upon the now cornered Avatar.
No…now was not the time to deal with the peasant…now he had to deal with this avatar.
Zuko tried to turn his attention back to the fight at hand as he fired fireball upon fireball at Aang. But his efforts were of no use.
Somehow the Shirshu, had sensed his hostile intentions towards its new prey, and true to its beastly nature had seen him, Zuko, as a new potential rival.
Can't I catch a break? Just once?!
The young prince groaned in his head as both blast of wind and poisonous tongue suddenly began to gang up on him.
He blocked, ducked and swerved, avoiding each attack as they came…save one.
In a desperate attempt the Shirshu flailed its tongue at him, its tip aiming right for his scarred face…
There was a sickening crack and a howl of pain, as the Shirshu reeled backwards away from both Avatar and prince, cringing as a giant rock suddenly lifted itself off its long bushy tail.
"Jade?" Zuko's eyes widening as he whipped around.
Sure enough, the red clad brown haired kitchen maid was standing on the other end of the courtyard, her green eyes flashing as with a hard shove of her hands, the ball of rock shot forwards to hit the side of the Shirshu.
"COME ON! THAT'S THE BEST YOU GOT YOU GIANT RAT!" She yelled, but Zuko could hear the tremor in her voice and for good reason, for the Shirshu was now snarling and stalking over to her.
SPLASH!
"Agh!" Zuko groaned as something extremely pungent crashed down straight through from on high, soaking both him and the Shirshu in a shower of liquid.
It happened so fast.
One moment Zuko had been standing there in shock, soaked to the bone, the next a tongue had lashed out and struck him square over the middle. At once all his limbs all seized up painfully before suddenly falling limp by his side as he thudded painfully to the ground.
His head spun and buzzed, as he felt another large body land heavily beside him and turned his head to see both his uncle and the bounty hunter June laying down on the floor.
Zuko frowned.
"Uncle? I didn't see you get hit with the tongue"
"Shh!" Lord Iroh winked drawing a mischievous finger up to his smirking lips as June scowled in his hold.
Zuko blinked as a shadow passed over him, but he quickly relaxed as he caught sight of a pair of worried bright green eyes.
"The Shirshu's gone." Jade mumbled, in answer to his silent question. "the scent of the perfume confused it."
"It didn't…hurt you…did it?" Zuko rasped as he struggled and failed to crane his head up.
"No… I'm okay." Jade shook her head as she pressed him gently back down to the ground. "But you should take it easy till the toxin wears off."
"Fine" Zuko huffed angrily as a large gust of wind suddenly blew in his face.
He blinked up at the sky just in time to see a giant white flying bison take off into the bright blue sky, three small figures safely secured in its saddle.
Well this is just perfect…he's escaped…AGAIN!
He scowled darkly as a cloud passed over the sun turning the world grey.
Why can't I get anything right?
Little did he know that he wasn't the only one thinking that.
Dear Diary,
Sorry for the long delay in entries. We've finally managed to stop at a local tavern for rest. And by we, I mean, the Prince, Lord Iroh and well…me.
June (That's the bounty hunter I told you about earlier) well she's gone to find her damned giant scent tracking monster pet (or pest as I like to call it, and I'm currently trying to write away my troubles in you whilst dealing with my very bruised, battered and saddle-sore- Oww…backside….
There was a pause on the paper as a pale hand timidly made to rub at a slender red clothed behind.
Ouch that's really gonna smart for days. And speaking of bruises, Zuko's ego has really taken a pretty big beating today. I don't think I've ever seen him more miserable…or scary.
Seriously diary, the way he changes when he fights the Avatar…I just don't know what to make of it, I really don't. It's just like he transforms into this…this thing…this thing that's just so angry, so hateful…It's truly quite frightening to see up close.
I don't think I've ever seen him like this before…and I'm not sure I want to…
The hand writing on the page paused again in mid-air as a shudder ran through its owner's body.
He's sort of calmed down now, but I'm still not sure…ever since we left (or rather were chucked out) of that monastery he's been very…well…as silent as a grave.
And I'm not joking diary, he's really not speaking a word to anyone. Not me, not even to his uncle.
It's pretty unnerving.
Usually Zuko tends to explode when he's pissed.
I understand he's upset at what happened, but I just don't-
Tap-tap!
"Jade? May I come in?" a man's voice whispered softly.
"One moment, Lord Iroh"
Jade called as she quickly tucked her journal away back into her satchel. She had just about brushed out her long brown hair when the door opened and Lord Iroh stepped inside.
He looked very worried.
"I'm sorry to ask this of you so late at night my dear but it's about Zuko…he's…well…he's not quite himself…I've tried to talk to him but…well…"
He trailed off with a sad soft sigh.
Jade sucked in a deep breath and nodded quietly.
"I'll see what I can do"
"Thank you Jade" Iroh smiled warmly as the girl passed him.
As soon as she was a few feet away he smirked softly to himself.
And now If all goes well I might just win another bet tonight.
The small tavern room was dark when Jade poked her head around the door, save for a patch of moonlight streaming through the high window and falling upon the prince who was sitting half-dressed and cross-legged on the floor.
"Zuko?"
She almost jumped out of her skin when a pair of amber eyes flickered in the dark at her and an angry voice spoke.
"My uncle sent you"
Jade felt her cheeks flush, though from embarrassment or resentment she could not tell.
"No…I-I was worried about you" she mumbled softly, cursing her now red ears as Zuko ripped his gaze from her to glower back out the window.
"I'm fine."
"You don't sound it" Jade scowled as she bravely took a step forwards.
"I-I" Zuko stuttered for a moment, gulped and then snapped "Just leave me alone"
"And let you wallow in your own self-pity, yeah right!"
"I'm not wallowing!" Zuko pouted though his eyes fell to the floor, unable to meet her fierce stare as she knelt beside him.
But when she spoke…her voice held the slightest tremor.
"Zuko…please. I-I just want to help…"
There was a silence as her small hand quietly slipped onto his shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.
Zuko looked up at her, his amber eyes softening as he caught sight of her wide and pleading jade green orbs.
He felt his stomach churn uncomfortably as he drunk in her anxious face, which was so close that they were almost nose to nose.
"You really want to help me?" he whispered, and he was sure he could see her pulse flutter in her long pale neck as she nodded.
"kiss me"
If he thought Jade had been red before, it was nothing compared to the flush that had consumed her cheeks and neck as she leaned in to press her lips…against his scar.
Zuko scowled, irritably.
"No…not there. Here"
Jade had barely gasped for breath when a pair hands cupped her cheeks and pressed her mouth against his own.
The kiss was slow but burning in its intensity. Jade was so consumed in the feel that she barely felt Zuko all but drag her to sit over his lap until they had broken apart for air.
"Zuko" she gasped softly against his mouth but the prince just silenced her with another kiss, his hands sliding down to wrap around her waist.
"You let that filthy water tribe peasant touch you" he muttered as he pressed his lips hard to her jaw, which vibrated as she giggled.
"That's what you're worked up about? Another boy touched me?"
"It's not funny" Zuko snarled quietly. "He could've hurt you-he could've-"
"He was trying to help me get away from that beast" Jade rolled her eyes, though she was betrayed by her smiling lips, which were caught once more in a hard but swift kiss.
"Why did you hit the creature? You could've been hurt." he growled his grip around her tightening ever so slightly as he thought of all the almost heart stopping moments he had seen the Shirshu lash out at her. Too many to count, too many for comfort.
He shuddered a little, not trying to think of what would've happened had the monster actually succeeded.
"If I hadn't kept fighting the damn thing…If you had come one step closer…" he shut his eyes with a heavy sigh, breathing in her soft sweet jasmine smell from her skin as she held him close.
"I know…But I wasn't gonna let you face it on your own."
"Argh! Damn you Lucky" he groaned into her neck, his teeth nipping harshly at her pulse point.
"Ow! Zuko-mph!" Jade struggled as another kiss was stolen from her open mouth.
Zuko smirked as he deepened the kiss, revelling in the soft whimper he was able to draw from it as he pulled her flush into him.
She felt so warm…so soft…
And best of all…she cared about him.
The revelation was so surprising that he paused, his lips still covering hers.
She cares…she worries about me…she wants to help me…
Zuko couldn't recall the last time someone other than his uncle had ever offered to help him or even to comfort him when he was upset.
Heck, he couldn't remember the last time he'd been held like this.
"Zuko? What's wrong?" Jade blinked as the prince prized himself from her mouth and buried his face into her neck.
Then she felt something wet drop onto her skin, and her heart almost broke in two.
"Zuko…"
"Don't" Zuko snapped, his voice oddly hoarse and raspy. "Don't say anything. Let's just stay here. Just like this. Please"
"…okay" Jade whispered her lips grazing softly against his scarred ear. "I'll stay…"
In spite of himself, Zuko smiled as he kissed the crook of her neck, not noticing the small shadow disappear from the crack in his door, as his uncle shuffled away, smirking widely with victory.
TADAA! HI guys i'm back. Sorry i've been gone a long while. but a lot of personal things have come up in recent weeks that have really been taking up a lot of time.
Also i've got a new job so i'm probs not going to be able to update till i get into the swing of a new timetable, but don't worry i'm not going to be ditching this work, it's just my updates will probably get a lot slower.
So it may seem odd but this is a chapter that focuses mostly on Jade slowly coming to terms with the rest of Zuko's not so nice personality (which unfortunately did tend to rule him over in book one), and Zuko coming to terms with his own feelings. hopefully you guys enjoyed and had fun reading.
thank you for all the wonderful feedback and follows, and keep reading and reviewing for more.