Chapter 31: Beneath A Moonless Sky
"Jade?"
So much for hoping.
Jade sighed heavily as she turned to face the open doorway to her room.
"Oh…hey Shen what's up" she refreshed her smile as quickly as she could but her older brother just shook his head with a sad frown.
"Jade please. I saw it all already"
"Oh…right…" Jade's face dropped like a stone and for some reason the toes of her shoes suddenly seemed all the more interesting to her.
Shen's gaze softened as he took in her haggard appearance.
"Why don't you go up to my room tonight. I'll watch over him till he awakens"
Jade nodded, and quietly grabbed her satchel, her diary and her boots before quickly exiting her room, leaving her brother to watch her close the door
Zuko lay awake on his bed, eyes staring up at the ceiling of his room.
He couldn't quite explain why, but he just couldn't get his body to relax.
His brain was just buzzing with too much noise as thoughts of the day's events flooded his mind like a tsunami.
The worst of them involved a tall angry man raising a hand to strike at a girl with green eyes.
How Zuko's gut churned at the mere thought.
It was one thing for Zhao to lose his temper on him, the prince, for thwarting his plans, but quite another to see him round so swiftly on his own niece.
Zuko snarled, his hands gripping his sheets tighter around him. He could remember seeing the hand raise, remember Jade's momentary wince and most of all he could remember the savage gleam in the Admiral's eyes. Eyes of one ready to kill.
And all for what? Because Jade had been born an Earth Bender.
That swine doesn't even deserve to be related to her. Nor does he have the right to make her cry.
He added fiercely in his head, recalling that one moment at the crew's lunch. It was just a small moment; one he was sure the others had missed in all their merrymaking. But when she thought no one was watching her, Jade had allowed herself a small sigh to herself as she fingered her mother's pendant that sat upon her breast, her green eyes strangely over bright.
But then as soon as she caught his eye, she had smiled widely and tried to tease him. But no matter how much time had passed, or how much had later distracted him, Zuko could not forget those sad, lonely eyes.
He blinked as he was quickly cut off from his stomach growling.
"Damn you" he muttered darkly as he sat up.
It had been a good few hours since his last meal, and needless to say, his stomach was revolting against the lack of sustenance.
Maybe I could snag a couple of snacks from the night duty tray.
He mused quietly as he slipped on a tunic and boots and crept out his door.
No one was there.
Good. Maybe I'll have a quiet night.
He smirked to himself as he quietly hastened down the corridor and down a set of stairs.
As expected the ship was quiet tonight. The exhaustion of the last few days seeming to have caught up to everyone finally.
So it was with no interruptions that the prince managed to reach the mess hall only to stop short as he caught sight of the kitchen doors.
One of them was slightly ajar, a dim light streaming from beneath the cracks only to get blocked as a shadow briefly crossed over it.
As carefully as he could Zuko crept closer, his heart hammering as he strained his ears to listen to whoever was on the other side.
"Damn father, damn grandfather. Damn Kira, Damn EVERYONE! ARGH!"
There was a crash accompanied by soft cursing that was so profane that even Zuko flushed to hear it.
Carefully and cautiously he pulled the door a crack open and chanced a peek inside.
There was Jade bending over her hand clutching at her palm as something red dripped from it and down her arm and down to the floor. There the remains of a clay teapot lay in shattered fragments by the young kitchen maid's feet.
She tried to clean it and bind it with a cloth still cursing softly to herself, so intent upon her own anger that she didn't notice the prince approaching her till his hand gently reached out to stop her.
She jumped, blushing as she caught his eye.
"Z-Zuko…what are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same of you" Zuko quirked his scarred brow as they straightened up, his hand grabbing onto her injured one. "Here"
"Thanks" she mumbled as he began to rebind the cloth around the wound, this time more securely then her own attempt.
"What is with you and dropping tea-pots?" Zuko smirked enjoying the way the flush now crept up her ears as she huffed.
"It's not because I enjoy it. I just…I'm clumsy and-"
"You mean your earth-bending is clumsy"
"Yeah well, some of us aren't lucky enough to be able to practice their bending all the time" she snapped, but Zuko saw the hurt in her eyes as she glanced down to her toes.
His grip on her hands softened as he finished tying the makeshift bandage, stroking her palm carefully with his thumb.
"Is it really that bad? Holding yourself back all the time?" he murmured softly.
"Sometimes" she mumbled only to flush even more still when she caught his eye "yeah…yeah it's pretty bad. Especially when we get close to land. The closer I am to the earth, the more I want to bend it."
Zuko nodded silently his eyes flickering back to the injured hands, and the rope shaped bruises still red around their wrists. He felt his heart clench horribly at the sight.
"Stop it"
He looked up and was surprised to see her glaring defiantly.
"Stop what?" he clipped but she rallied magnificently.
"Stop blaming yourself for stuff that isn't your fault"
In spite of himself Zuko snorted.
"You sound like my uncle."
"I'll take that as a compliment" Jade huffed though the corners of her lips quirked upwards slightly, though they were quick to fall again.
"Jade what's wrong" Zuko frowned softly as he took in her appearance.
She looked tired, drained even as she tried to smile at him
"Nothing's wrong-"
Zuko rolled his eyes.
"Yeah and I'm a waterbender"
"Zuko seriously its none of your business-" Jade snarled all pretence of kindness dropping to reveal a dark scowl.
"None of my business?" Zuko hissed as he reached out to stop the glaring girl turning away from him "An assassin your uncle hired to kill you just tried to strangle me to death two days ago, how is any of this now not my business?"
Jade stared at the prince, her body deflating somewhat as she looked to the floor.
"Why aren't you in bed?" he asked quietly as he leaned in to stand toe to toe with her.
"Cleaning had to get done" she mumbled though she averted her eyes as the prince quirked a scarred brow at her. "Plus my bed's kinda…uh…occupied at the moment"
"What? Why?"
Now Jade turned the shade of a tomato as she all but looked down to her toes, wishing she could just vanish right there and then into the metal floor.
"Um…my father. He drank too much and he needs to sleep it off"
"In your bed" Zuko frowned.
"I-I put him there. He was not really capable of getting back to his rooms so I uh…well now I'm stuck bunking with my brother I guess"
"But why?" Zuko wondered aloud to himself. Ruishi Shi was usually one of the few men on board his ship who avoided drinking.
"I don't know" Jade murmured avoiding his eye as she looked to the floor "But I'd has it a guess he's really upset by what happened with my grandfather"
"Aren't you upset too?" Zuko asked but Jade shook her head sadly as she stepped away from him.
"Yes, but fortunately for me I have healthier ways of dealing with my sorrows. Now if that is all Zuko, Goodnight"
"Wait" Zuko grabbed her hand before she could close the door on him.
"Zuko please now's not the best time alright" Jade groaned but Zuko stood his ground.
"then all the more reason for us to talk"
"I-" Jade began, but her voice fell away as she caught sight of the determined gleam in the prince's eye.
She sighed.
"Okay …we'll talk. But not here." She added her eyes glancing nervously around "I'd rather not have anyone else uh…accidentally dropping in…if you catch my drift."
"We can talk in my quarters" Zuko nodded quietly as he grabbed her hand in one of his own, whilst the other reached out for a couple of the small boxes of dumplings that were stacked quite high on one of the counter tops.
"Hey! Those are for night duty and-"
"I don't care, I'm hungry. Now come on before we're seen." Zuko snapped waspishly as he gripped her hand tight in his own and dragged her out the door.
Zhao…Ryutaro…Ozai… just how low will any of you sink till you are satisfied with your own lives.
Lord Iroh sighed softly to himself as he sipped at his cup of tea.
It wasn't often his sleep was so disturbed. Nor was it often that his disturbing thoughts kept plaguing him even as he drank tea.
He could not get over the intense relief he'd felt when he'd finally set eyes on his nephew alive, even if he had been rather beaten up and bruised. The stress of frantically searching for him had all but given the old lord enough grey-no- white hair to last him till his dying day.
Oh my nephew...some day you are going to be the death of me.
Iroh chuckled softly to himself.
The boy had a good heart, though he was absolutely reckless at times, almost to the point of foolishness.
But foolishness or no, the old lord could not help the deep rush of affectionate pride as he remembered the way the young prince had conducted himself in the search for Jade.
During that short time he had been everything Iroh could have hoped for in an heir to his nation's throne. Strong, noble, brave but also compassionate…caring.
His brown amber eyes softened as he looked into his tea cup, and saw projected over it in his mind's eye, an image of two very familiar teenagers holding one another in the rain.
Iroh could not recall the last time he'd ever seen his nephew looking so tenderly at anyone, let alone wilfully hugging them. Why, the last time he'd ever seen Zuko hug anyone that had been his mother and that was more than four years ago and-
No I should not think of that matter. Zuko's future is already looking so much brighter. I should not ruin it with shadows of the past.
Iroh shook his head sadly as he took another sip of his cup.
He could only hope Ruishi was faring better than him tonight.
"Zuko what are you doing?" She squeaked as the prince quickly shut the door to his room behind the two of them and locked it.
"Just hold your ostrich horses and get in" Zuko rolled his eyes as he dragged her towards his low writing table which he'd placed in the corner of the dimly lit room.
"Now sit here" he ordered as he plonked her down by his table and sat next to her, his hands quickly digging into a box of dumplings before stuffing two in his mouth.
"Go on have some" he grumbled through a full mouth as he shoved a box in front of her nose.
Timidly Jade took one and nibbled carefully on it. It was lukewarm, having already been cooked half an hour ago, but it still tasted good.
She glanced sidelong at Zuko who was already shoving in a third dumpling into his mouth.
He caught her eye and his own scarred one narrowed, he gulped down his mouthful and looked her in the eye.
"You know you really should eat something"
"I am eating" Jade clipped and quickly took a small bite of her dumpling.
Zuko shook his head.
"I'm talking about in the day. I don't see you eat much…unless you're with the crew. And even then you don't eat a lot at all"
"I eat as I work" Jade shrugged though she couldn't quite ignore the growl of her stomach as it all but agreed with the prince's words "It's easier that way"
Zuko said nothing, but she could see his eyes flicker angrily over the thin red scar over her cheek.
When he spoke, it sounded as if he were restraining all his fury behind a thin brick wall.
"You never did say how you got away from Kira the first time"
"Isn't the fact that I got away from him, good enough?" Jade mumbled, avoiding his gaze but Zuko was persistent.
"Yeah, but he was still a dangerous assassin."
Jade sighed heavily.
"What's there to know? I kicked the rhino he was riding in the neck. Then I rolled of it and cut my bonds with my earth bending then I just ran for it."
"That's it?" Zuko's eyebrows rose.
"That's it" Jade nodded and then she shoved the rest of her dumpling in her mouth.
"Well that was an engaging story" Zuko muttered and she scowled.
"Well, sorry your highness but getting kidnapped by a psychopath is not an event I'd be happy to relive"
There was an uncomfortable pause as Zuko bristled. Damn him and his stupid mouth.
"Sorry" he mumbled, but Jade just shook her head into her hand.
"Don't apologise. It's all over now. The best we can do now is to move on with our lives and forget about it."
"That's easier said than done" Zuko glowered at her as he dragged her hand away from her face, allowing her to see his worried eyes.
"Jade…what Kira did, to you and your mom, it's not just going to vanish away just because you wish it to"
Jade stared at the prince absolutely stunned.
"E-excuse me?"
"You heard me the first time" Zuko's eyes narrowed. "And don't bother trying to deny it. I get it okay"
"What do you get?" Jade gulped.
Zuko grimaced very uncomfortably, and when he spoke, his voice was strained as if he had just swallowed a mouthful of seawater.
"M-my own mother…she…She disappeared when I was nine."
"Disappeared?" Jade frowned. "you mean she left or-"
"I don't know" Zuko's face hardened considerably. "I mean…it was a tough time back then. My cousin Lu-Ten, Uncle Iroh's son, had just been confirmed dead at the Seige of Ba Sing Sei. Since he was the heir to the throne everyone was really on edge about what would happen about the next in line. Then a week later, just the day before my grandfather Azulon passed away, my mom just vanished."
Jade stared in astonishment as she saw the golden amber eyes of the prince stare hard into his lap, his eyes strangely misted over.
"I don't know how or why it happened. One day she was there and the next she just wasn't. About a week or so after that, all my mother's things from the palace just seemed to disappear too. Very soon it looked as if she'd never even existed."
"It must have been hard" Jade murmured softly
Zuko nodded.
"Before I was banished I always tried to ask father what had happened but he refused to talk about it. He actually refused to talk about anything to do with her now that I think about it." Zuko snorted "Heck even my sister and I don't resemble her at all. I mean don't get me wrong, my mother was beautiful but both Azula and I look more like our father. Or at least I did till-" he scowled as he touched a hand to his scar.
Another pause followed but this time Jade did not look away awkwardly. Instead her eyes were filled with pity as she gazed upon the prince.
"You really hate it don't you?"
"Would you like it if half your face was burnt?" Zuko snapped harshly. "Would you like it if everyone could see your disgrace all the time? Imagine how you'd feel if everyone just labelled you by how you look all the time, every single day!"
"At least you weren't born with the face of the enemy!" Jade barked over the top of him.
Zuko stared stunned as he looked into the young kitchen maid's face. She wasn't crying, but her eyes were overbright and her lips trembled slightly, even as she tried to take a deep shuddering breath to calm herself.
"When my mother died" she said softly "my father refused to even look at me because I resembled her so much. Every time he did acknowledge me he'd call me by her name and try to apologize over and over again for not saving her. It really used to make me so mad. It was as if he'd completely forgotten that I was there at all. That I wasn't my mother's ghost. He's gotten over it mostly now, but I know that sometimes, like tonight, he looks at me he and still sees her instead. Just like everyone else in my supposed family."
And even as she said this, her own fists tightened ever so slightly.
"I love my mom but I am so tired of being blocked out by her shadow all the time. I'm sick of people looking at my eyes and seeing her, the Lucky Jade, the Hero of the Earth Kingdom and scourge of the Fire Nation. And I hate people judging me for who she was rather than for who I AM!"
Jade was now panting for breath, but she didn't continue her rant. Instead she looked down at her hand.
The small cut was bleeding through the makeshift bindings around it and it was throbbing like mad.
"Shit" she mumbled, wincing as pain twinged up her arm. Her fingers hurt too, no doubt from when she hit the table with her fist.
"Wait right here" Zuko shook his head and sighed as he stood up to go collect something from the corner of his room. It was, as Jade guessed, a first aid kit.
"Uncle always insists I keep one in here just in case I practice my firebending indoors" Zuko explained as he noticed her surprise.
"Do you burn yourself a lot?" Jade snivelled s she tried to wipe her nose.
"Not anymore." Zuko shook his head. "I used to when we first started sailing. I couldn't get used to the boat rocking"
"Neither could I" Jade murmured and Zuko smirked.
"And from the way I see it you still can't stay steady"
But his smile faltered as she didn't respond at all to his jibe. On the contrary she just stared disconsolately at her own hand as he finished wrapping it, green eyes still misty even as she yawned.
"S-sorry about that" she mumbled embarrassed. "I probably should get to bed soon…"
"Alone?"
"Uh…I guess?" she blinked.
"…Sit still for a second…."
"Huh?"
Jade spluttered, eyes wide and staring in shock as the prince suddenly jumped to his feet and busied himself with procuring extra pillows and blankets he'd scattered haphazardly around the room.
Once he'd found enough, he dragged them over to the bed mat and began settling them into place.
"Uh… Zuko…" Jade gulped, quickly jumping out of the way as he made to settle more blankets over the bed.
"… okay I'll just go to my brothers. Good-AH!" She squeaked as she was grabbed hard and tugged into the bed, Zuko's grip firm even as he pulled one set of blankets over her.
"Just shut up lie down" Zuko grunted as he pulled his shirt off and slid into the bed beside her, but not before holding her strong and fast to stop her from squirming away from him.
"Zuko what are you doing?" she cried out, but already the silken covers had been tucked around her body, just as he sidled closer to her from behind.
"It'll be safer if you're not alone after all that's happened, hey are you warm enough?"
"Warm-wha-eep!" Jade flushed a dark shade of magenta as she felt a long arm drape lazily over her waist and pull her back against a bare chest. "Zuko wait! I-I can't and-m-my robes-"
"What about them?" Zuko muttered gruffly eyes narrowing as she squirmed out of his hold to sit up
"Th-they're not clean…they've got s-soap and stuff on them."
"Then take this" Zuko grunted as he snatched up his discarded tunic from the floor beside him and shoved it into her grip
"b-but-"
"Fine, then have fun sleeping in your brother's room, cold and alone and wearing dirty robes. It's not like I want to help." He cut across her as he turned over to lay on his other side back facing her.
Damn girl must she make everything so difficult?
Zuko growled mentally as he felt the covers behind him shift as she sat up and-
"You are unbelievable" Jade rolled her eyes.
Zuko smirked, only to falter as the shifting of material caught his ears. Slowly, of their own accord, his eyes travelled to a decorative metal gong that hung on the wall opposite where he lay.
There in its reflective polished silver surface, he saw something red, slip down from beneath a curtain of brown hair, to reveal a smooth, curved and pale bare back.
He felt his throat go very dry as the figure carefully lifted its slender arms out of the sleeves, a small mound of soft flesh revealing itself for just a split second before it was covered by an arm.
He shut his eyes hastily as he saw the head of brown make to glance back, and did his best to regulate his breathing as quickly as he could. But it was of no use.
His heart was hammering, his breath felt caught in his chest and his palms felt sweaty.
His predicament wasn't helped when a couple of minutes later he felt someone fully clothed slide back in behind him, her bare fingers gently touching his shoulder.
"Zuko…" Jade whispered into his back.
Zuko grunted, keeping his eyes firmly shut as he did his best to not think of the body that voice belonged to, or indeed the lips that kissed the back of his scarred ear.
"Thanks…"
Oh this is going to be a long night!
"General Ryutaro. Your son Admiral Zhao is here to see you."
"Send him in" an old but powerful voice growled and the young lieutenant promptly scuttled out of the room.
Lord Ryutaro scowled as he watched the boy's shoes disappear out the door in a flurry of black and red.
Wimp.
But then again nearly all the younger recruits these days were complete spineless guppies. None of them had any guts to even look him in the eye.
Well that wasn't completely true, the old lord mused to himself as he sipped his tea.
The scarred prince he'd met that day had not been afraid to meet him toe to toe. Then again, that could've just been his own youthful foolishness too. Lord Ryutaro had heard of the Prince's reckless reputation, and he had to admit he had lived up to it most magnificently.
What he had not been aware of was that his granddaughter was just as bold as well.
That little half breed. Just as wild as that woman…and just as manipulative…even so…
Ryutaro shook his head to himself just as the door to his room opened again.
"You wanted to see me father?" Zhao clipped as he stood to attention.
"Sit down boy" Ryutaro snapped coldly.
His son sat quickly, years of discipline and fear kicking into action in spite of his current rank and title.
Once he was firmly in place, his father glared at him over the tips of his long wrinkled fingers.
"What were you thinking?" he hissed into the silence. "What were you thinking?!"
"Father I can explain-" Zhao started but quelled at once as his father's voice rumbled like a thunderclap.
"Explain why you sent a high profile assassin to deal with a mere teenager? A teenager whose earth-bending skills are severely underdeveloped -"
"She was strong enough to fend for herself against the Golem" Zhao grumbled only to wince as his father drowned him out.
"Only because you provoked her into action." Ryutaro's eyes were both now burning slits of fury "She is the child of two benders, one of them a son of our bloodline, a bloodline which is nearly as old as the Fire Lord's line itself. Boy, you of all people should know just how strong our chi flows through our veins. And though we may not like it, our inner fire burns within her strong and hot. It is a fire that thrives when it is pushed to the brink. And as long as you try to smother her flames with yours, you will always find her burning straight through everything and anything you do"
"So what you're saying I should've just let her be? That I should let that filth remain tarnishing the family name-"
"You should have left her to rot in her own little world!" Ryutaro boomed and Zhao jumped slightly in his seat. "If you had left her well alone, nobody would've cared who or what she was or what she was doing. She herself wouldn't have a reason to fight back against you. She would be nothing but a mere kitchen maid, her presence lost in the flow of time. But you brought her into the spotlight! And now you are nurturing your own worst enemy-no worse- you are nurturing one of the Fire Nation's worst enemies"
Zhao sat silently his hands gripped tightly in his lap as the older lord leaned back in his chair, eyes still glaring.
"You, foolish boy" he snarled "Why couldn't you use your head for once and think through the subtleties of your plans before you act."
"Oh what? Like your dear favourite Ruishi"
"Your elder brother may have disgraced the family with his actions, but he at least still can retain some poise in his mannerisms. Not like you or your younger siblings" Ryutaro clipped.
The glare Zhao sent his father was nothing short of murderous, but if the old lord was phased by the expression he did not show it. In fact, he almost smirked. Almost…
"Oh don't give me that look boy." He drawled as he took a sip from his tea. "You and I both know what I say is true. And if you truly wanted to prove yourself to me you would use this anger and pick up your game and prove me wrong"
"And I look forward to doing so" Zhao hissed as he stood up to his feet. "Goodnight father"
And with that he stormed out the door, leaving the old lord behind to stare at where he had once stood, his face grim as he sipped his tea.
"Beware of your pride boy…it will be the end of you"
The ruined building was dark.
Barely any light crept in from the big gaping entrance, for the night was moonless and full of shadows.
But no shadow was darker than that of the huge man that crawled through, or the man that awaited him.
"M-master" the crawling man gasped as he scrambled desperately over the second figure's feet. "Master I have returned."
"So I see" his master's voice growled into the darkness.
He was not pleased.
"Master" the crawling figure gripped the hem of his master's clothes. "Master, p-please-I-I tried…she was…too-too-"
"She was too strong for you? She, a little novice mud wench?"
"Master she could lava-bend-"
"An art form that is supposed to be your specialty"
"But master, she is no ordinary bender she is-"
"I know who she is" the master hissed. "believe me I know exactly what she is. What I don't understand is how you, one of my most brilliant assassins let yourself be bested by five children!"
There was a flash of fire and the figure on the floor cried out, crying out in pain as the small embers danced over his arms held up over his face.
"Master! Master please! Give me one more chance!" he whimpered cringing away, "I have never failed you before. I can still finish the job. I can still finish her-"
"And the prince?" the Master sneered and his charge nodded.
"Prince Zuko is a fool" he snarled "he acts all tough and mighty, but he hides behind his uncle all the time. I would have finished him too if the girl hadn't interfered. It wouldn't be difficult now, not now when they all think I'm dead! They won't ever see me coming!"
There was a silence as the crawling man looked up to his master's shadowed face.
Then there was a dark chuckle.
"Che! it seems as if you can still make use of that brain after all." He chuckled darkly again this time the sound filling the entire ruined room around them eerily even as he reached out to put a hand on the man's head.
"Very well then, I will give you one more chance. Just one chance. No more, no less."
"Yes master, of course I'll do anything you ask." the man whispered breathlessly.
"Bring me the Lucky Jade's head, and if he interferes, bring me the head of that prince too. I daresay his father will be glad to be shot of him"
"Yes master. I will not fail you."
"I should hope so. But if you do, then I will be more than happy for another assassin to bring me your head as compensation"
"Of course master. But it won't come to that I assure you?"
"And how are you so sure about that?"
The man on the floor looked up, and a pair of brown eyes glinted in the dark with their own fire.
"Because I am Kira, Golem of the East, and you are my master"
MUAHAHAHAHA! THAT'S RIGHT DUDES! I BROUGHT KIRA BACK!
how is he back you ask? well you'll just have to read more to find out ;) either way it can only mean more drama is yet to come.
anyways thank you guys for waiting so patiently and I hope you enjoyed and keep reviewing for more