After Aang Chapter: 1
Yuri
My dad is very persistence. I sit still listening to him go on and on about the history of our culture. I know he what's me to become a great bender just like he was, but it just seems like I can't. He finally lets me go, and I get going to the Academy. It's my first day. I'm really nervous but excited at the same time. A bunch of kids from my school are there even the hot shoot of the whole school. He is the smartest, strongest and super popular, and he is with me. In the same class in the Academy as me. Of course just my luck. I can see it know the Master will be comparing me to him to Aiko.
I'm right. It has never been harder to try and zone out "Aiko you are amazing. You will become the greatest Bender." And the worst part. He try's giving my ways to do my bending. I will bend my way! I just need to calm down. Focus.
Why is it that you need to be smart, strong and a passionate person to be popular? Why can't someone like me be popular? Yeah so I'm not the smartest, I'm a shy person but I've been told I'm a great person…..
"Yuri, watch how Aiko does it. How he uses his force to create power." As I am told. I just don't like to think that way. Fire is not an element of force. Fire is alive in its own way. As I breathe I give more life to the fire. It does not come from punching the air as hard as possible, it comes from you guiding it, and feeding it air as needed.
Our task for today is to contain the fire we are given for as long as we can. Finally it's my time to show off for once. I receive the fire and I feel its heat. I close my eyes I feel the fire. The fire becomes no longer a ball a heat, but it becomes part of me. I zone out of my soundings for a while. As I come back into realty, many lost their fires. I feel great, I still got my fire. But does Aiko still have his? I look right to the big group of people. Why would Mr. popular not be there. There are too many people to see him directly. Slowly, I stand up and walk over. In the middle there he is. Aiko, standing with a giant blazing fire.
With everyone chanting. "Bigger, Bigger!"
"Stand back. I'm going to give it my all!" Aiko shouts back. My eyes widen in disbelief. His fire i-it is huge he focuses his energy to his fire! He brightens up the room. Closing my eyes I focus on my fire. As I breathe out I put my energy to my fire.
"Yuri that's great!" I hear with a pat on the back. My fire it goes out. I stand still. My fire, he scared me and I lost my focus. I turn around and it was Aiko.
"Man sorry didn't mean to have you lose your fire." He tries to tell me.
"It's alright." I say as I walk away. I didn't distract him! How rude! Next time he will regret it!
The Master starts to tell us about this performance we must do. As all ways it sounds like a performance I will fail.
"This will be a partner performance. You and your partner will be doing one of our nation's fire dances."
"Can I work with Yuri?" I sit up as I hear my name. That voice it was Aiko's! He smiling at me and I look away. Why would he pick me? I'm the weakest in the class. Of course he would pick me, when we perform He will look a thousand times better than me.
"If that is alright with you, Yuri" He says from right be hide me.
"If you really want to, I don't care." I say never looking at him.
"Great! Than it is settled, we will be partners. Come over to my house tomorrow at Noon."
"Sure. I will see you then." I am trying to crack a smile as I say it.
The Next Day before Noon
Tomorrow at Noon why? We don't have to perform till 2 weeks from now. That's 14 days. I suppose he will what to practice every day till then… I stare at his place. It looks like mine. Maybe a bit nicer. Maybe I should just go home. Why did I say I would work with him? I really don't want to.
As I turn around Aiko shouts "Yuri you made it!"
"Yeah, you said noon didn't you"
"Yes I did, but I don't know why but I thought you might not come." Can this guy read my mind! Creep!
After a tour of his house he takes me to his back yard.
"All right, I think we should do a dance called The Dancing Dragons. My dad tried to teach me it when I was younger." He had a big smile as he told me.
"Sure, if you want." I look at the ground. Why me?