𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗭𝗘𝗥𝗢 : 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗨𝗘

Jingyi lived by a firm set of principles. Some of which included:

1. Never tolerate disrespect towards the royal family, herself included. (Only Jing is allowed to disrespect them - in her head of course.)

2. Always stand up for yourself. (If she doesn't stand up for herself, then everyone will walk over her. And if everyone walks over her, they'll think she was weak. And if they think she's weak, then she'll be even more of an embarrassment to her family. It's already bad enough that she was born a mistake. Okay, stop rambling Jing.)

3. Settle disagreements in the proper, elegant, and traditional way of the Fire Nation - By Agni Kai.

Those were the principles that led to the day's main source of entertainment.

In the year 95. AG, Princess Jingyi - the illegitimate daughter of Prince Ozai and a Water Tribe woman - had just accepted an Agni Kai with a soldier at the young age of 10.

When Ursa - the wife of Prince Ozai - had heard the gossip that "the royal bastard accepted the duel," she immediately rushed through the Royal Palace, searching for the poor girl. Her children - Prince Zuko and Princess Azula - also went looking for her, both for different reasons.

Zuko and Azula found her doing what she always does in her free time - train alone (though her weird bird was with her).

"I don't know why you always insist to train. It's not like you're going to get any better," Azula smirked mockingly as she entered the bare and open room.

The space was bleak and located in the far back of the palace, a place where nobody was supposed to bother Jingyi as she prepared for her duel. Her only company was Eza, an old trained raven eagle with a permanent broken wing, who spent his retirement eating and sleeping.

"Well unlike you Azula, some people actually have to work hard to get what they want," Jingyi retorted, unwavering as she sent a powerful wave of fire up into the air. The young girl knelt on the floor and breathed heavily, beads of sweat dripped down her forehead. Azula rolled her eyes.

Zuko rushed towards his half-sister's side, worry etched on his face. "What were you thinking? You can't just-"

"I was thinking of our family," she spoke calmly. "That soldier who challenged me is a disgrace to the Fire Nation. He had personally insulted me, therefore insulting all of us."

Azula bounded over to them, scorn on her face. Despite being the youngest out of the three siblings, she was incredibly mean. "You're thinking of us, are you? If you were really thinking of us, then you wouldn't have accepted that duel. We all know you're going to lose."

"Azula, you shouldn't say such things!" Zuko exclaimed, but his words meant nothing to the sisters.

All three siblings have always tried to get stronger to please their father. Jingyi wasn't born lucky or special. But for Azula, things always went easier for her. An unspoken rivalry blossomed within the siblings even at their young age, and it wasn't fading away any time soon.

"If you doubt my strength that much, you can challenge me yourself," Jingyi stood up from beside her older brother, facing her sister with anger written across her face. Her eyes flashed a dangerous red that no kid should have to wear. "After I defeat this soldier, of course."

"What is going on?! I thought I told you two, no fighting!" Ursa's stern voice echoed throughout the corridor. She immediately strode towards the bickering siblings, separating them. "Jingyi, come with me. I need to speak with you."

Jing's anger faded and a neutral expression formed, as she followed the mother out of the small room and into the quiet halls. Eza hopped after her, and Jing let him sit on her arm.

Ursa turned to her, a solemn expression painted on her visage. Jingyi never understood Zuko's and Azula's mother. It seemed to her that Ursa could care less about her husband's relationship. All her focus was on her dear son, Zuko. Her relationship with Azula also confused the 10-year-old. Yet, she was kind to Jingyi.

Perhaps she could've acted more like a mother to Jing as well, but truthfully it wasn't her place. Ozai made sure of it. Instead, Ursa gave the girl quiet acts of affection such as being the one who named her when she was young. So, Ursa scolding Jingyi was the last thing she expected.

"What were you thinking?! Accepting an Agni Kai!" Jing winced. "DO YOU WANT TO DIE?"

Agni Kais were brutal duels between firebenders for one's honor. After Fire Lord Sozin's rule, the duel typically ends with the death of one of the fighters. If you refuse to kill your opponent, most of the time you are looked down upon as weak. Everyone knew that this fight will end with someone's funeral.

"Why do you care?" She grumbled. "You're not my mom."

"You're right. But someone has to act like one," Ursa stated, feeling sad. She was just a child, but she was treated like an adult. All her children were. "Let's take a walk."

As they strolled the dark passageways, the older woman informed her, "I couldn't convince Firelord Azulon to call off the Agni Kai."

"Good," Jing responded while petting her bird's wings, making Ursa sigh beside her. The two walked outside.

The Royal garden was filled with lush plants and a serene pond filled with turtle ducks that Eza loved to torment. Ironically, the sun was shining with a light breeze. It was a beautiful day for someone to die.

"You know, I never wanted to marry into the royal family," Ursa began, surprising Jingyi. "Perhaps that's why I was never upset about you being born. Did you know I was the one who named you?"

"I thought my mom was the one who named me." She looked down, a bit hurt. She supposed it made sense though. Jingyi was a Fire Nation name after all, not Water Tribe.

"Your name means quiet harmony. I felt that was fitting, but Ozai always thought you were the opposite of harmonious. I didn't believe that was the case, but here you are risking your life for pride."

"Once I win, father and grandf- I mean, Fire Lord Azulon will congratulate me. Uncle Iroh will have another reason to continue fighting in Ba Sing Se. Lu Ten will also continue my training when he gets back. I'm sure of it."

Ursa looked down at the child, who was cradling the raven eagle. "Why are you so certain that you'll win?"

"Because... I can't lose," the child responded, walking away from her sibling's mother. She paused when she heard the woman's voice call to her.

"Jingyi, do your family proud."

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

Jingyi very rarely saw her father. The few times she did see him included: family gatherings (which didn't happen a lot nowadays), dinner - Jingyi didn't speak much to him then (he would rather listen to Azula), and reporting their progress to Fire Lord Azulon.

But now Jingyi found another way to gain her father's attention - by fighting in a duel to the death. Though, it wasn't necessarily good attention.

Sweat was falling down her skin. She had possibly broken a few bones since she had fought a trained soldier, and she didn't even want to think of any possible scars. Her ears were ringing, desperate to block out the shouts of the crowd. Jingyi didn't look at her opponent, whose body was burned and barely holding onto life, but at her father sitting in the audience.

The Fire Lord was sitting beside his son, Ozai, slightly impressed. Azula seemed to find great amusement in Jing's current state, while Zuko and Ursa looked nauseous. Prince Ozai merely looked at his daughter, giving a silent order. Finish him.

He didn't look proud or even acknowledge her potential. Everything she's done for her father was for nothing.

At that moment, Jingyi felt rage burn in her heart.

Her senses felt heightened. The ringing in her ear's faded and she could hear the loud chants, both good and bad. She could feel her hot blood pulsing in her veins. But all her attention shifted to the defeated man in front of her.

Raising her hand, she channeled all her emotions. White flames burst from her hand.

The crowd was silent. The only noise came from her opponent, as he felt himself get eaten alive by white fire.

When his screams finally stopped, Jingyi allowed herself to meet the Royal Family's shocked eyes. And when she looked in them, she saw a chance.

A chance to be loved and accepted.

All she had to do was fight.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

Jingyi's victory was the last victory for her for a long time.

Soon after, her cousin Lu Ten would die with his father - her Uncle Iroh - ending his siege on Ba Sing Se. Ursa suddenly disappeared with Fire Lord Azulon passing away as well. Before his death he made Ozai the new Fire Lord, making it even harder for Jing to get a chance to speak with him.

To make matters worse, Zuko got tied into an Agni Kai with their father. Begging for forgiveness, Zuko ended up banished from the Fire Nation and was declared dishonorable. Zuko's only way to gain his honor back was to capture the Avatar, the master of the four elements, which was practically impossible.

Jingyi and Zuko were the family outcasts. True, Jing did have her unique fire which gained her some respect, but never from her father and certainly not from Azula. Zuko was also weaker than both his siblings, making Ozai look down upon him - especially since he was weaker than his illegitimate child. He was firm in his neglect for both of them, and Azula happily followed in her father's footsteps, determined to get stronger and be perfect. When Zuko was banished and Iroh went with him, she truly felt alone.

In the years after Zuko was banished, Azula's firebending advanced to where her fire was blue. Jingyi's achievements were outshined by Azula's able flames and her white fire became deemed as nothing special.

Jingyi ended up leaving the Fire Nation Palace, and instead went to the military, planning on following in her relative's footsteps. She found herself biding time by learning other skills such as archery. The Yuyan Archers were wary of her at first, but they were quickly shut down by her white fire. Under the training of the Yuyan Archers, her bow and arrow became a fearsome weapon of hers, though not the only one. Any soldier who dared to disrespect her found themselves sentenced to death by Agni Kai, causing her to gain a name for herself. If she can't get respect from her father, then she might as well get some from the Fire Nation.

Finally, three years after her brother's banishment and two years after she left the palace, Fire Lord Ozai heard of her progress and summoned her for a meeting.

Kneeling before her father, the now 15-year-old remained tense and she gave a report on what she has been doing for the past few years. She couldn't see her father's expression, as she spoke like a soldier. She could never tell what he was thinking, even after all these years.

"Is that all? How disappointing..." The Fire Lord gazed down at his child. Her breath hitched. "You would think, after five years of mastering white fire, you would finally be strong. But here you stand before me, still the same after all these years."

But... I'm stronger than you, Jingyi wanted to say. But instead, all she did was held her tongue like the obedient daughter she was raised to be.

Fire Lord Ozai continued, knowing his effect on her. "Though, I have heard some interesting news from Colonel Shinu. He said you have helped his archers become stronger, and he believes you have the qualifications of a future general. We will see if that is true unless you want something else that is."

Jingyi could've asked for anything. She could've accepted and officially joined the military and trained to be a general like her uncle. She could've asked to join the Yuyan Archers and go on missions. Hell, she could've asked to travel the Fire Nation, a place where she's barely seen other than the usual military compound.

Instead, all she thought about was her half-brother and said, "I want to help Zuko find the Avatar."

[Published : July 30, 2022]
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