A/N: My very first FanFic! Finally got around to writing one, hope you guys enjoy. ^_^ I've also seen a lot of authors put "soundtrack"? to their stories. I'm not gonna over do it so i'll just put one music track in. :P
Chapter Theme: Feint - Unwanted
And in case you get confused Rina = Azula
Darkness… Cold… Cannot breathe... Pain… Sorrow… Despair… into nothing… Light getting closer and closer… Forget everything… Death… Life...
A bright ray of light passed through the window and shone on a beautiful maiden's face as she woke up from her slumber. She got up and turned towards the window; taking a look outside to determine what time of day it was. The sun had still not fully risen from the mountains over the horizon meaning it was still early in the morning. She had gotten off the bed but sat back down again at the realization of tears running down her face.
As she was wiping off her tears, her thoughts quickly drifted back to the dream she just had. It was the same dream as always, it was of her standing on top of a cliff facing a river during a dark and cloudy night. Every time she had the dream, it was as if she were there. She could feel all the emotions from sadness to sorrow and then finally despair. What came after the mix of emotions was the scene her jumping off the cliff into the cold and wild waters of the river until finally, total darkness. The dream always ended the same way and she would wake up right afterwards with tears running down her face. After having the same dream so many times before, she was convinced that this was not a dream but a memory.
She did not know who she was and what the details of her past was, all she could remember were fragments, like the scenery of a city in flames and the faded memory of her sitting underneath a cherry blossom tree in a garden, where ducks would swim on a pond nearby. Her most vivid memory that she can remember as far back was of her regaining consciousness, on the river shore, to two worried faces whom she did not recognize at the time.
"A lot has changed since then." she whispered to herself as she began to reminisce through her more 'current' memories.
It has been three years since they found her on that river shore; a married couple took care of her while she was recovering and ended up taking her in as one of their own. They owned an inn at the fishing village of Ko'miya where she ended up in. At first she was quiet and introverted, a young girl who did not remember her past and had no one but herself to take comfort in. But as time passed by she slowly opened up and turned into a gentle and caring young lady. Nowadays she goes by the name Rina and lives her life working at the inn doing all sorts of jobs like cooking, cleaning, gardening, running errands, and attending the customers coming into the establishment, all of which she got pretty good at doing in such a short amount time; It was as if she became a perfect maid of some sort. There was always this drive that she could feel within her, a drive that wanted to perfect everything she does. Thus, she had always suspected that she might have been a perfectionist in the past.
After sometime sitting on her bed and reminiscing about her memories, she had finally snapped back to the present and started getting ready for the busy day ahead. She went to the bathroom to freshen up and upon looking at her reflection on the mirror; she could not help but look at her eyes and be curious.
The couple who took her in said that her eyes used to be gold in color but then turned into silver two days later. No one knew exactly why her eyes changed colors, weeks later a rumor in the village said that a river spirit took her eye color in exchange for saving her life.
"Wait, not again..." she thought in her mind upon realizing that she was about to space out again; she had been spacing out a lot recently since she started having that dream.
She got changed out of her sleepwear into her work attire -nothing too fancy, just a simple white Yukata and a clean apron- and proceeded to go downstairs where she ran into Aiko, the proprietress of the establishment and her mother figure for the past few years.
"Ah! Good morning Rina, you're up early today." Aiko greeted and then gave her a gentle smile.
Aiko is a middle aged woman with a kind, caring, and gentle disposition. She had been the one taking care of Rina most of the time while she was recovering. Because there was no doctor in the village, she was the one the villagers would ask for help if anyone got sick due to her ample knowledge in herbal medicine. Rina once questioned Aiko why she did not run a clinic for a living instead of an inn and her reason was that she disliked to profit from other people's misfortune.
Her personality rubbed off on Rina over the years. Rina admired her and in fact everyone in the village did as well. She always looked at things positively and when faced with a problem she would handle it calmly and efficiently. She barely gets angry and at the rare occasions that she did it would be short and quick. Rina liked that about Aiko and unknowingly for her, as they got closer over time, she eventually took on Aiko's personality as her own.
"Good morning Aiko. I woke up and just could not go back to sleep anymore so I decided to come down and help in getting some work done instead." Rina replied, though guilty at the fact that she just lied to Aiko. She had always been good at lying for some unknown reason, she never used it for personal gain however; she just did not want to trouble anyone with her problems.
"I see, well it's still early so there is not much to do. Would you like to sweep outside at the front entrance for now so I can prepare breakfast?" Aiko suggested.
"Alright, I'm glad to help out in any way I can." Rina replied.
"Oh and before I forget, we also might have a guest coming in from the capital city today; An old friend of mine. She'll be staying with us for a week or two. I would love to introduce you to her later." informed Aiko.
"Certainly, I would love to meet her." Rina agreed followed by a smile. She then took a bow and left.
"Such a sweet girl, I'll surely miss her if she ever decides to go." Aiko whispered to herself as soon as Rina was out of sight.
With a broom in hand, Rina stretched out her arms and took in the fresh morning air. As she was sweeping in front of the inn, she could not help but notice the calming sound of rustling leaves as the wind breezed by, the birds tweeting happily as they flew up ahead, and the bustling sound of the village coming alive as it gets ready for the busy day ahead. It gave her a sense of tranquility knowing that everything was as it should be; no warring nations, just peace. She liked this way of living and whatever it was in her past that drove her to jump off that cliff was now all but forgotten for the time being. She was worried about regaining her memories as it might ruin the peaceful life she was living now. But there was always this persistent thought that nagged at the back of her mind and it was at this very moment that she was able to realize why she had been fixated on her memories for the past few months. A part of her was telling her that she was lying to herself and that part of her wanted to know her past. Upon realizing this she drifted again in her thoughts, not noticing the brooding expression she was showing.
"Good Morn… Ah! The pretty young lady is slacking off. Hehe!" exclaimed a rough male voice which startled Rina as she was lost in thought and did not notice a man grinning and walking towards her.
The man's name is Jirou, Aiko's husband and the acting cook of the inn. He is a bold man, rugged looking with a big muscular figure and a firebender but unlike his appearance would suggest, he had a kind and gentle heart just like that of Aiko. Unlike Aiko however, Jirou is lively and is very perceptive that it seems like he can see through people, something Rina found troublesome at times. On the other hand, Jirou acted like a father figure for Rina, giving her advice on what to do for most of the troubles that she otherwise did not know how to handle on her own. In fact, if it was not for Jirou she would still have been that same introverted girl whom they found on that shore.
"Is something wrong Rina? You had this uneasy frown on your face and it looked like you were lost thinking about something." Jirou asked inquisitively.
"Oh uhm... It's nothing really." Rina caught off guard by the question and was now fumbling in her thoughts trying to make up an excuse. "I… I was just thinking about…" The door of the inn slid open and Aiko called out to Rina interrupting their conversation.
"Breakfast is ready Rina!" called out Aiko and then took notice of Jirou . "Jirou! You're back from the market it seems, did you find what you were looking for my dear?" she asked. Jirou, with a big grin on his face, then held up a squirming leather sack of fresh live fish to show Aiko
"Here you are my love. Fresh from the river! Hehehe." answered Jirou. Aiko giggled at her husband's enthusiasm.
"I see, well you two come on in and have your breakfast okay." said Aiko and then headed back inside disappearing out of sight.
"I'm going to go ahead and finish sweeping. Why don't you go ahead and head back in, I'll join up with you two as soon as I'm done." said Rina calmly trying to avert the conversation earlier.
"Oh no you don't young lady." insisted Jirou, noticing Rina's attempt to deflect the subject. "Look Rina, I'm worried about you okay? And I'm sure Aiko would be as well so if you have a problem in mind you can tell us. You're like a daughter to us now, you can trust us with anything you have in mind and we'll help in any way we can." Rina could not help but put up a gentle smile upon hearing his reply and embraced him.
"Thank you, but I would prefer it if we can discuss this with Aiko. I would like for her to know as well." Rina replied as she broke off her embrace. "...and after I finish cleaning of course."
Jirou chuckled for a moment. "Alright young lady, I'll see you inside." he said. Rina then bowed and continued on sweeping as Jirou headed inside the inn humming happily.
The inn was coming alive and getting busier as the travelers and merchants lodging in the establishment awoke and the usual patrons came in for food and merry beverages. Rina was busy moving between the floor and the kitchen, helping Aiko with serving the customers, and preparing ingredients for Jirou while he was engaged with his signature cooking technique; A technique in which he uses his firebending to cook. Jirou says it helps him maintain the food at a proper temperature when cooking.
The busy atmosphere would start to subside in the middle of the afternoon in which they would be able to catch some amount respite. The three of them sat at a free table during this time to eat and talk about happenings and all other subjects to talk about.
"So Rina, do you remember what we talked about earlier this morning?" asked Jirou. The question caught Aiko's attention as well. Rina looked at the two both intently staring at her and concluded that there was no way she was going to get away from the subject.
"Well..." Rina paused as she thought about how to go about what she wanted to say, her downcast eyes now looking at her reflection on a cup of tea between her hands. "I don't really know how to go about it but it started a few months ago. I would occasionally have this dream. No, I think it would be more of a memory. It's of me jumping off a cliff into a river." She brought her eyes back up and saw that Aiko and Jirou are both now showing worried faces. "It's not that it's bothering me or anything. I have come to terms with it already so you two don't have to worry about me." continued Rina and she gave a faint smile hoping it would make the two of them to stop worrying. Aiko then looked at her husband and saw that he was at a loss for words and did not know what to say.
"Rina, of course we are going to worry about you. Sometimes I see you spacing out, lost in thought throughout the day. Is this the reason for it?" asked Aiko and Rina nodded in response. "Well that clears things up a little bit." continued Aiko but could sense that something was still amiss.
"But still Rina, five months ago? Surely you must have said something to us in that time." Jirou interjected in a disappointed tone. "I can't help but feel that you are trying to hide something." he continued.
"I apologize for not telling you both sooner. I just didn't want to trouble you two with my problems and also..." Rina paused hesitating for a moment if she should say what was on her mind but then she thought of what Jirou told her earlier in the morning 'You're like a daughter to us now, you can trust us with anything you have in mind and we'll help in any way we can.'. She lowered her head, closed her eyes and proceeded to talk hoping for the best. "I did not really know what to make of it until this morning but I'm really curious of what happened to me in the past. If it's possible, I would like to travel and find out who I was in the past."
The couple looked at each other with surprise and looked back at the young lady who seemed nervous. After a brief moment, Rina opened her eyes and lifter her head up expecting disappointment but was quite surprised when she saw them with their content faces. Jirou chuckled at the situation, breaking the tense atmosphere.
"See Rina was that so hard?" teased Jirou.
Aiko stood up and sat down on the empty seat beside Rina. "The truth is Rina, we have always known that you would and tell us you're planning to leave one day." affirmed Aiko.
"What do you mean? How did you know?" Rina asked out of curiosity.
"We knew that one day you would get curious about your past. No matter how far away you run from it, it will catch up to you - it doesn't matter even if you remember it or not. That, Rina, is exactly what is happening with you right now." Jirou explained. "You can go whenever you want Rina, I know what it's like to go against what your heart tells you to do. And even if we did try to stop you, chances are you're probably gonna end up running anyways." he continued.
"Sure we'll be lonely without you here but we'll manage. Just make sure to come back every now and then alright." said Aiko and embraced her. All of Rina's worries seemed to have alleviated at this moment.
"I promise…and thank you... both of you. Thank you very much!" said Rina and bowed her head.
"Raise your head Rina, no need to thank us. We'll do anything for family remember?" Jirou assured her and Rina nodded. "But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves now. Do you even know where to go after you leave?" asked Jirou.
"I'm not really sure where to go, but I do remember some fragments of my memories." replied Rina "I remember a city on fire with a big structure in the middle. I can't seem to make it out clearly but the city seemed to be in a crater of some sort. There is fire everywhere around me, blue and red flames…That's all that I can recall. Do you know anything about it?" she continued. Aiko thought for a second and came to a conclusion very quickly.
"That kind of sounds like-"
"The Capital City! It's definitely has to be the Capital City, the Royal City to be exact." Jirou exclaimed.
"The Royal City?" asked Rina, avid to get more information that might connect to her past.
"Mhmm. That's the area of the city where the Royal Family and the wealthy nobles and elites live. It's located on top of a volcanic crater above the Capital City, and the big structure you spoke of must be the Royal Palace." He informed. "Come to think of it…" he paused briefly and he examined Rina. "Yes, the pale complexion, the silk-like hair, the pretty face and a well-cared for body. Young lady I think you are of nobility." confirmed Jirou.
"Now now dear, let us not jump to conclusions. But what you said does make sense." said Aiko.
"Right? And as for the city being on fire, I heard that the city was in flames four years ago when Sozin's Comet was visible up in the sky. Apparently Fire Lord Zuko and the former Crown Princess Azula had an Agni Kai for the throne, which unfortunately had set the city in flames." added Jirou. A bell chimed as the door to the inn opened. Aiko quick on her feet stood up and got to work.
"Let me take care of the new customer dear. I'll be right back." said Aiko and went on her way, leaving the two to continue on with the conversation.
"Azula…" whispered Rina. She felt something but cannot quite make out what it is upon hearing the name. "Somehow that name sounds familiar, maybe she can help me. Do you know any more about her? Can I meet her?" asked Rina, now in a more avid tone than before only to be met with a disappointed gaze.
"Not much unfortunately. I don't even know what she looks like. Sorry Rina." apologized Jirou "I did, however, hear stories that she is ruthless and manipulative, and that she went insane after her battle with the Fire Lord." The conversation became still for a while, Jirou had noticed Rina contemplating about what he just said. "Now I know what you're thinking, and I'm not telling you not to do it. I'm just warning you to stay away from such a person, especially if that person is mentally unstable. I don't want you getting hurt." cautioned Jirou as if he just read her mind. Rina could not help but feel sorry for the princess.
"That's not true, what if she's just misunderstood. There has to be a reason why she acts the way she does, maybe she just needed someone to look after her like you two did for me. If somehow we knew each other, maybe I can help her?" said Rina followed by a chuckle. Jirou sighed at her comment.
"I swear, Aiko's rubbed off on you too much. You two always put other people in front of you instead of yourselves." said Jirou and then took a sip of his tea, thinking about a flashback of him saving Aiko because she helped a bunch of wounded bandits and ended up being held hostage.
"You act like that's a bad thing." said Rina who cannot help but laugh at his comparison.
"Oh trust me, you don't even know... I end up saving her every time she gets in trouble because of her personality back when we were younger." said Jirou.
"What about the Fire Lord? Do you think I would be able to speak with him?" suggested Rina.
"It won't be easy gaining audience with the Fire Lord if that's what you're trying to do." said a woman's voice. Rina and Jirou both turned their heads to where the voice came from and saw a middle aged woman approaching alongside Aiko. Rina and Jirou stood up to attend to their new guest.
"Well look who decided to visit." said Jirou as he stood up and approached her. "Good to see you again Airi." Jirou then gave her a quick embrace and a peck on her cheek.
"It's good to see you too Jirou." greeted Airi and then shifted her attention to the young woman standing behind to Jirou.
"Rina, this is my sister, Airi. The guest I told you about earlier this morning." said Aiko. Rina then took a bow and introduced herself.
"Hello Ma'am. I am Rina, Aiko has told me so much about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." said Rina followed by a sweet gentle smile.
"Oh my, so polite and beautiful. I am pleased to meet you as well Rina, and no need to be so formal my dear child, you can call me Airi." insisted Airi as she examined Rina's face. "And I can see why Aiko named you Rina, you look just like a younger version of her."
"Ah yes, Aiko has told me about her too," said Rina. Rina remembered, some time ago, when she asked Aiko why she decided to call her Rina. Aiko told Rina that she very resembled her teacher, a master herbalist that taught her everything she knew about plants and herbal medicines, whose name was also Rina.
"Only if she was still alive, ohh the look on that old lady's face would have been priceless if she ever saw this young girl." joked Airi.
"Indeed." agreed Aiko and both of them shared a giggle. Jirou could not help but be repulsed by the sound of their giggling and turned to Rina..
"Oh no… It's started. Rina don't be like these two. Whenever they're together, all you hear is giggling, it's like being surrounded by a bunch of screeching flutter bats." cautioned Jirou.
"Ohh shut it, you old buffon." teased Aiko. The three women were now looking at Jirou's funny looking irked face and started giggling.
"Not you too Rina! Ugh… I'll never get what it is with you women." said Jirou with his palm covering his face in disappointment..
"Now that we're done with the introductions, let's get you settled in shall we? I'm sure you must be tired from your journey Airi." suggested Aiko.
Shortly after showing Airi to a guest room and helping her carry her luggage, they soon found themselves back at the table where they were sitting at before
"Can I get you anything Airi?" asked Rina, remembering to be hospitable as much as possible to guests. A habit she picked up from Aiko.
"Some tea would be quite nice. Thank you Rina." said Airi. Rina then bowed and went on her way to the kitchen, leaving the three to their conversation.
"Such a sweet girl, you wrote to me before and said that you found her washed up on the river shore?" asked Airi. She could not help but be curious of Rina as she noticed something familiar from the way she spoke.
"Yes, we found her unconscious on that shore about three years ago while we were taking a walking down by the river. We were fortunate enough to save her but unfortunately she couldn't remember most of her memories, not even her name." said Aiko who is suddenly feeling gloomy. "I still remember that day, I was so worried for her. Her clothes were tattered as if she had been running from savage animals for days."
"I see... I wonder how she ended up all the way out here in Ko'miya. It's such a remote place from the Capital City." said Airi.
"What do you mean Airi? How do you know she's from the Capital City?" asked Aiko. Aiko and Jirou were amazed at how she managed to figure out so quickly after just a brief conversation.
"My apologies, I should have explained before mentioning it. Seeing as how I have lived in the Capital City for a while now, I could tell by the way spoke that she's someone who is born from the Capital City. She talks like one of those noble women who come to my flower shop at the harbor city from time to time to be honest, definitely looks like one too." pointed out Airi.
"Hah! I knew it. My gut feeling was right." Jirou blurted out, hopeful that they finally have somewhere to start with in helping Rina get back her memories and give her some closure.
"Say, Airi…" said Aiko with worry in her eyes. "I have a favor to ask of you."
"Anything for you Sis, just ask. Is something wrong?" asked Airi upon noticing the seriousness in Aiko's eyes.
"I'm just worried about Rina. We were talking about her going to the Capital City earlier. She's trying to get her memories back and the only clue we have so far is her memory of the Royal City in the Caldera. Would you be willing to take her with you and look after her in the Capital City?" asked Aiko. "I just can't help but feel that something seems off. You said it yourself earlier, how she ended all the way up here in a remote village far away from the Capital City. What if she was running away from someone who is trying to get her killed? I just can't bear the thought of her..." Aiko paused, her eyes seeming as if they were about to cry. Jirou wrapped his arms around her to comfort her.
"She'll be fine darling, you're just thinking about it too much." said Jirou trying to console her. After a while Aiko had calmed down and both turned to Airi awaiting a reply. Before Airi could give a reply however, Rina had come back with a salver containing a teapot and some tea cups. She set it in the middle of the table and poured Airi a cup of tea.
"Here you go Airi." said Rina oblivious to the conversation that had just happened while she was in the kitchen. She could however sense some tension in the atmosphere. Airi took a sip of tea while Rina went ahead and took a seat beside her.
"Mmm, This tea is delicious Rina! You are very good at making tea." complemented Airi before taking another sip.
"Thank you!" said Rina, though still feeling uncomfortable due to the tension in the air.
"That's not the only thing she's good at; you should see her go at it when the place is busy. Haha!" bragged Jirou, attempting to break up the gloomy mood. Rina cannot help but let out a chuckle at Jirou's liveliness, but silence took over a few moments later.
"Did something happen while I was gone?" asked Rina, unable to take the uncomfortable silence any longer. Airi made an audible sound of clearing her throat, trying to get everyone's attention.
"Rina…Would you like to come along with me when I return to the Capital City? Aiko told me about you wanting to go to the Capital City earlier. I could also use some help running my flower shop down at the city." asked Airi. Rina's eyes widened at her proposition and her heart filled up with so much joy that it feels like it's about to burst.
"Of course! I would be happy to go with... you." Rina said in an elated tone but her happiness seemed to have been cut short at suddenly realization of the cost of her impending departure. She turned towards the couple sitting in front of her. "Aiko… Jirou…" she whispered.
"Go ahead Rina. We'll always be here for you when you come back." said Aiko.
"Go on Rina, you need this, or else you're gonna be wondering about who you are for the rest of your life. Follow what your heart tells you." affirmed Jirou.
"So what will it be Rina?" asked Airi once again. Rina thought about what Jirou said and he was right.
"Jirou had been giving me advice all these years and all turned out for the better, so why would I doubt him now?" Rina thought to herself and with Jirou's advice, her mind was made up. She looked to Airi with a resolute spark in her eyes.
"Yes, I will go with you to the Capital City." answered Rina. Airi nodded as to acknowledge Rina's answer. The mood seemed to have lifted as soon as she gave her answer, all four of them now wearing content smiles on their faces.
The rest of the day went by quickly as they conversed merrily about what life in the Capital City was like and sharing old memories with Rina, stories about their younger days. By the time dusk came, Airi was now in her room resting from her long journey. Aiko attended to the customers in their rooms making sure that their needs were met; Rina was busy making sure everything in the inn was clean and presentable and would occasionally help Aiko, while Jirou cooked dinner for their customers as they requested.
Rina would always go to the garden at the back of the inn when all the work was finished. She would sit at the wooden patio overlooking the garden to gaze at the stars. The garden was spacious and covered in carefully trimmed grass and to the corners were a variety of beautiful flowers. There was a small greenhouse at the back of the garden in which Aiko grew her herbs for making medicine, a cherry blossom tree was in the middle of the garden, and beside it was a small pond where many Koi Fish of different colors lived. This habit of hers started some weeks after she had recovered. One night Jirou and Aiko found Rina at garden crying. They went to console her and told her, that if she ever felt lonely again, to just look at the stars in the night sky and to believe that at the exact same moment, someone who cared for her would be looking at the same stars she was looking at thinking about her.
Approaching heavy footsteps could be heard before the door slid behind her revealing Jirou, holding a pipe and a bag of dried herbs.
"Hello there young lady, what are you doing out here on your own?" asked Jirou.
"Nothing, I'm just looking at the stars… and no I'm not lonely or anything, it just eases my mind looking at them." said Rina expecting Jirou to question why.
"Haha, being sharp now are you? Well don't mind me I'm just here to get some fresh air." said Jirou. Rina now noticed Jirou stuffing his pipe with the dried herbs.
"Where is Aiko? And are you smoking your pipe again? You know Aiko hates it when you do that, she says it can kill you, you know? " inquired Rina followed by a sigh.
"Now you're starting to sound like her too. Aiko is at the tailor shop right now taking care of some business and seeing as she's not here right now gives me time to do one of my guilty pleasures." said Jirou. He then pointed two fingers towards the end of his pipe, lit the dried herbs with his firebending and started to smoke.
"You know, sometimes I wish I could firebend." said Rina.
"Why is that?" asked Jirou as he took another puff of smoke from his pipe.
"So I can finally cook the way you do, it looks fun to do, and maybe to protect myself and other people if the need ever comes." said Rina.
"Haha! Fair enough reasons I guess." said Jirou "It didn't really cross my mind before so we don't really know if you can firebend or not. I know a basic firebending technique that you can try. Do you want to find out if you can firebend?" suggested Jirou.
"Ok, it wouldn't hurt to try." agreed Rina as the subject has now piqued her interest.
"Alright but we're gonna need some space just in case so we don't burn stuff down if something goes wrong. Let's move over there shall we?" said Jirou pointing out to an empty wide space in the garden.
The two of them then moved to the said location and Jirou instructed Rina on how to make a basic firebending posture, standing with back straight and feet shoulder width apart.
"Ok Rina, now I want you to follow the way I breathe." instructed Jirou and showed Rina the breathing technique and soon she followed suite as if she had done this before.
"Good, that's how you do it, now why doesn't it surprise me that you learn fast." complemented Jirou. "Now hold your hands in front of your chest as if you're holding a ball and I want you to think of what drives you the most." said Jirou. Rina could only think of one thing for her drive right now. "I want to remember who I am." she thought to herself.
"After you think about your drive I want you to use it to channel your Chi." said Jirou.
"My what?" asked Rina with a confused look on her face.
"Your Chi is your life energy. If you can truly firebend you should be able to feel it naturally flowing in your body. Close your eyes, think about your drive and focus, you should be able to feel it." instructed Jirou. Rina did as she was instructed closed her eyes and immediately she could feel a strong, warm, tingling sensation, coming from the core of her very being, flowing throughout her whole body.
"Finally if you feel anything at all, I want you try and move that sensation to the space between your hands while doing it in unison with the breathing technique I showed you earlier." instructed Jirou.
Rina did as she was instructed, she closed her eyes and tried to channel her chi between her hands. As soon as she exhaled her first breath a big ball of flame appeared out of thin air between her hands. Jirou's eyes widened in amazement at Rina being successful on her first try and not only that, she made such a large amount of flame with ease.
"Well would you look at that. Rina, open your eyes." said Jirou. Rina opened her eyes and smiled at the sight of the flame between her hands.
"Look Jirou! I did it! It's beautiful!" exclaimed Rina in excitement. However, she noticed something different with her flame.
Her flame color was white.