Eclipse (Avatar the Last Airbender)

Chapter 27: Fire

Miyuki took in a deep breath as she rolled with the help of her bending. Her biggest misstep wasn't getting noticed. It was that she wasn't sure how things fell awry. The comparison that Sokka had made between her and the Fire Nation princess a few weeks ago now made far too much sense. Her opponent fought with the same sort of energy as her, with the intent to end things once and for all, one way or the other. This was no sheltered princess she was fighting against, at least, not when it came to battle. She entered the battle ready to kill or be killed, and there was something to be said about that. It had been a long while since Miyuki truly felt that her life was on the line during a battle.

The princess sneered. "You may just be a Water Tribe peasant, but I'll give you this much— you're a lot better than that other one. There's something about you that's so Firebender. You have the same killer instinct."

Miyuki sent her knives flying at the princess as fast as she could while still maintaining control. "I'm glad you feel that way. Then there'll be no hard feelings when I act on those instincts and succeed, yes?"

The girl's eyes widened as the hairs framing her face were cut unevenly on both sides by Miyuki's attack. Miyuki had accounted for the princess dodging and adjusted her trajectory accordingly. The princess grinned with a sort of crazed quality to her eyes. "You know what? I like you, peasant girl! My brother doesn't make very many good choices, but Zuzu did well picking you!" She paused. "Oh, wait! He threw you away recently, didn't he?" The princess lunged at her.

Miyuki dodged the princess's attack and swatted her away with a strong wave. "That toddler-level mind game won't work with me. You'll have to do better than that." She clicked her tongue when the princess moved before she could be frozen in place.

This girl wasn't called a firebending genius for no reason. The way she fought was far too different from what Miyuki was accustomed to seeing, but this truly was life-or-death. There was no room to play around and fail here. It was time she took ground aggressively and boxed the princess into a corner both figuratively and literally. Miyuki began to approach with a series of flips, waves rising and then crashing down as a rain of icicles each time she landed on her feet, and as expected the princess began to back up. Her reaction time was almost too good, but even a firebending genius would be forced to give up ground when challenged in this manner.

Miyuki knew well and good this wasn't a maneuver she could keep going though. It took more energy than she would like to keep up with this sort of relentless attack. If the battle became drawn out, Miyuki was sure that she would lose. There was no question about it in her mind.

"How did you know?"

The princess grinned with a sort of ease despite her situation. "I know a lot of things. You're going to have to be a little more specific than that."

Miyuki did her best to keep her cool despite the way her breathing was slowly becoming ragged. "How did you know I was here?"

"You can thank my foolish brother for that. I found him fast asleep with a bright red flower on his bed. Mai hates flowers. Especially ones that are bright." She sneered at Miyuki. "You know about Mai, of course. Zuzu's girlfriend? They've liked each other since we were children."

Miyuki pinned her to the wall with ice that encased her entire body before throwing a knife just next to the princess's neck. The princess, to her credit, did not flinch. Not even when the knife stuck firmly into the stone wall behind her. "You're stalling, get to the point."

"He mentioned you, you know. Something about betraying you and my uncle, Fatso. Certainly didn't stop him from playing smooshy face with Mai yesterday afternoon though."

Miyuki yanked the knife out of the wall before throwing an icicle at the princess, which scratched her face before shattering against the wall. Miyuki watched as blood dripped from the cut on the princess's face, her expression placid. "I'm not hearing what I'm looking for. Your eyes are next."

The princess laughed. "What are you going to do with them?"

Miyuki caught a falling leaf between her fingers and drew the water out of the leaf, which turned brown and crumbled into dust in moments. "How much water do you think is in an eyeball? I've always wanted to find out for myself."

The princess laughed hysterically. "Do you hear that, Zuzu? I like this girl. Far more unhinged than Mai."

Miyuki sent a horde of icicles flying at the doorway in an instant. All of them missed by design, she was certain. "Move even a hair from where you are, and I'll skewer you," she warned the prince without even glancing in his direction. She encased the princess's neck in ice. "Now tell me."

"Little Zuzu's been looking so forlorn since he found your little gift for him last night. I just thought that I would give him the chance to see you in person again. Lift his spirits!"

"Yeah? Well I don't care either way." She threw down the smoke bomb that Saizo had left with her when she saw the tree branch in the corner of her eye rustle out of time with the breeze for the third time. "I got what I came for, thanks," she said into the smoke the moment she felt Saizo lift her up. She didn't really get everything, but at least the map of the capital was complete.