Yuki laid spread across her bed, staring up at the ceiling, dreading what would come. Tomorrow would be her sixteenth birthday, and the start of finding a fiancé. She didn't want one, but she didn't want to give up her birth right either. She sighed, bringing her hands up to her face to study them. Both were wrapped, though only one really needed to be, another failed attempt at fire bending with both hands. For some reason she couldn't seem to move the flame from her right hand. She could bend water with both hands easily, and that scared her. If in the Agni Kan she couldn't water bend, then how was she suppose to win the right to rule the Fire Nation if all she could do was toss a flame with one hand? And what if her opponent could bend lightning? Yuki shivered, just having thought about the thing that scared her the most. She couldn't explain why, but she always had a panic attack when ever a lighting storms came, though lucky for her, the storms were few in between in the hot nation.

A knocking on her door made Yuki turn, instinctively drawing water from the vase holding the fire lilies, with one hand, while the other went in flames, burning away the wrapping. Clearing her throat she half rose from the bed, calling out, "Enter." Her parents had started to attack her by surprise to keep her aware of her surroundings and on her toes. But the person who came through her door wasn't her mother, her father, or any royal adviser. It was her best friend Teo.

All the maids and young girls in the palace thought that he was attractive, six foot, a good seven inches over Yuki, with black hair that fell into his eyes that were the color that was caught between granite and green tea. He was always polite and kind, giving a smile to everyone, and opening the doors for the girls who had their arms full. Yuki didn't exactly get what about that appeased to all the admirers, but if it made them happy she guessed she would be alright with it. Grinning Yuki dropped her elements, running to hug her best friend, though running into a wall halfway, or almost running into it.

Laughing, she grabbed the top of it with her right hand and flipping over it, while with her left she flicked her wrist, causing a water whip to come behind Teo and hit him across the head. She landed in front of him with a satisfied smirk, flicking her right hand in front of his face and making tiny sparks jump, "Nice try Teo…but you'll have to do better than that." Teo chuckled, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her hard, "Don't I always for you Yuki?" Yuki pulled back far enough to stick her tongue out at him, before pulling out of his arms entirely, "Eh, you can have your moments Teo."

He rolled his eyes, sighing dramatically, "Man, you don't see your best friend in half a year and when you do show up she gives you grief." Yuki laughed once again, sitting on the edge of her bed, "Well fine then. How was the North Pole? Did Kisa enjoy it?" Teo made a face, shrugging, "Cold. I think I may stay here for a while to thaw out. You think your parents would mind?" Yuki shook her head, rolling her eyes herself, "No they wouldn't but Aang and Toph might. You know how your parents get when you try to rabbit-weasel your way out of traveling."

Teo feigned a look of shock, coming over to flop next to her, "Rabbit-weasel, me? Now how can you say such a hurtful thing?" Yuki poked his side hard, "Easy, having a royal parade of stuck up nobles coming in tomorrow to 'swoon' me." Teo grimaced at the mention of the suitors, "Oh yeah…that could make you a little cranky huh?" Yuki nodded, laying back, sighing, "Yep." Teo followed suit, landing so they were shoulder to shoulder, "Well that sucks." Yuki nodded, "Yep."