Changing Tides

Chapter 6; "Can you teach me some waterbending moves?"

        This is the day I beat my brother. Every other competition we've had ended up with him winning. It absolutely annoyed me but I never let it show. I had to beat him just to knock off his cocky side which was currently showing.

        "You sure you don't want a shorter tree? That way it's a little fair." he teased as we stood below a hundred foot tree with easily thousands of branches.

        "You should be asking yourself that." I said with a sly smile but I do have my doubts about me making it up to the top. I gave a inward gulp and got in a jumping stance as did Haku and we counted down together.

        "3, 2, 1. . . Go!" we yelled in unison. We both jumped up and landed almost at the same time on the low branch. I took a route with small branches while he took a route with large branches but were farther apart. I weaved my way in and out of the branches, not even paying attention to Haku. I stayed close to the trunk so I had more support from the branches.

        I heard a snap and looked over to find the source but only found my brother hanging on to a large branch while the branch beneath him broke off from his weight. I chuckled at him and continued up in a hurry.

        We were easily twenty five feet up and my fears were getting the best of me. I gave a shaky breath as I looked down. I looked for my brother to see him at least ten feet beneath me. I smiled happily and continued climbing with my fears abolished.

        I began jumping up from the branches now that they were further apart. I was on a branch that was easily three feet away from me even when I stood straight up with the help of the trunk. I swallowed my fear and shuffled out from the trunk. Now standing on a branch with just my balance I crouched and shot my legs up. I grabbed onto the branch now just dangling there.

        I began swinging my legs that were pointed straight and together and swung forward. I flipped backwards and landed on the branch with one leg close to my chest and the other straight out on the branch. I took a deep breath and stood up and hugged the trunk, thankful that I had it's sturdiness next to me.

        I was now easily eighty feet up where my brother was still stuck on seventy. I saw another branch even higher up then the last one and I cursed the tree silently. I, once again, swallowed my fear and went as far out as the thinning branch would hold me. Then I ran at the trunk of the tree. I jumped up and pushed myself diagonally up to the next branch. I grabbed on with one hand and swung myself up. I laid on the branch on my chest. I gave a sigh and finished the ten foot climb.

        I gripped the branch above and easily launched myself up to the last branch on top and sighed as I finally finished the hundred foot climb. I looked down at my macho brother to see him cowering on a large branch near the trunk about twenty feet below me. I decided to pull a trick on him now that I was comfortable with climbing. I jumped down to a branch above him silently and sat on the branch. I locked my knees on the thin yet thick branch and flew down, now hanging in front of my brother with my arms crossed.

        He let out a long girly scream and I chuckled. "Oh my moon spirit!" he yelled clutching his heart. He panted just slightly as he looked at me with anger and worry.

        "How are you doing that?" he asked looking at me.

        "It was easy once I ignored my fears. I simply just did it. Plus it is so much fun challenging myself." I said clapping still upside down. He looked at me and just rolled his eyes.

        "Okay little sis. I admit, you're really good at climbing trees." he said with a genuine smile.

        "Thanks big bro." I said with a happy smile. I look down to find a way down and saw a thick branch just to the right of the one my brother was on. I smirked and then released my feet. He gasped as I fell but I was calm. I flipped and landed on both my feet with surprisingly good balance. I leaned my hands on the branch that held my brother and smiled at him.