Koza could only imagine what she must've looked like walking back into her home. She had attempted to put on as blank of a face as possible in a sordid attempt at not looking any bit suspicious; at not looking like, in a single instant, her entire worldview had just been flipped on its head.

Koza walked back across the woods the way she came, leaving Huvanni to find shelter in the woods for tonight. As much as she wished the girl didn't have to sleep all alone outside, it was far too risky to try and sneak her inside tonight. At least the weather was pleasantly warm tonight. The Fire Bender strolled back across the garden, gently pushing open the door that led into the kitchen. Uvi was sitting at a small table in the right corner, subsequently having finished washing the family's dishes, and sipping on a small cup filled with a very pungent tea. Uvi looked up at the sound of Koza entering the house and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Miss Koza?" She asked, bringing the small cup away from her mouth. "Are you alright? You look like you've just seen a ghost." She may as well have.

"Don't worry, Uvi, I'm-"

"And you were out there for quite some time. Was there something wrong with the lychee nuts?" Oh crap, the lychee nuts. With everything that had just conspired, Koza had completely forgotten about the entire reason she was out there in the first place. As much as she felt tempted to tell somebody, anybody what she had just learned, Koza managed to contain herself and swallow down the truth that threatened to spill out.

"Ah. Yes, there was," Koza lied, speaking aloud the first possible excuse she could think of. "There was... an animal. Yes! An animal from the forest went into the garden and was eating the lychee nuts." Uvi straightened up a bit in her chair, looking malcontented.

"Eating the lychee nuts? Oh, was it the elephant rats again? Botko said that he took care of them already, they've been completely destroying the Lady's prized plants lately. Well, thank you for telling me, Koza, I'll go out and take care of it." Uvi stated. She placed her cup down and reached for a straw broom that was leaning against the wall.

"No!" Koza shouted. Uvi jumped at the outburst, the broom clattering from her hand.

"No?"

"No… I, uh, I already took care of them. That's… that's, um, why I was out there for so long. I was… scaring them off. Can't have elephant rats in the garden, you know?" Koza said weakly. Uvi stared at her.

"You scared them off? Miss Koza, they may be small animals, but their teeth can puncture through bone! If there were many, they could easily severely injure you!" Uvi sounded exasperated. She stood up from her chair and walked over to Koza, taking a tight hold of Koza's shoulders. "Did you get hurt? Did they bite or scratch you anywhere?"

"No, no. I'm okay, Uvi, really," Koza mumbled, tensing somewhat under Uvi's concerned stare. "None of them attacked me. I just… you know, lit up some fire and chased them further into the woods. There were a few, but they scattered as soon as I charged them. I wanted to make sure they were gone, so I followed after them for a little bit. I didn't think Mother would want fruits that were manhandled by pests, so I had to come back inside empty handed." Koza finished her elaborate tale, holding her breath and silently praying that Uvi would buy it.

"...I see. Well, Miss Koza, I'm sure that… if the Lady heard this turn of events, she would undoubtedly be grateful just to have the elephant rats gone, and she wouldn't care who did it or how." Uvi said, looking at Koza with an expression she couldn't quite describe. "However… While I may not have the right to give my opinion, I must inform you that that was a very foolish thing to do, Miss Koza. I've dealt with elephant rats before, and I know how badly they can wound a person. You could've easily gotten hurt, or even set the forest on fire by running around like that!" Koza swallowed. "...You're a very smart and talented girl, Miss Koza, don't get me wrong. I know you're capable of handling yourself. While I appreciate your bravery and initiative, next time please come get me first. I don't want to see you get hurt, alright?"

"..Yes, Uvi. And… thank you." And Koza meant it. With how little her presence seemed to matter to her Mother and Father, the genuine concern Uvi was expressing for her wellbeing was almost alarming to her. "I'll… I'll remember that for next time. Um… I think I'm gonna go to bed now, today was a long day and… and Sifu said I'll be starting more advanced Bending techniques tomorrow. So, you know… gotta get some sleep." Koza found herself struggling to keep eye contact with Uvi. Though the woman's gaze was gentle, the weight beginning to lodge itself on top of Koza's chest was starting to weigh.

Though her position in the family was simply to be the house servant- taking care of cooking, cleaning, and whatever else the family may ask of her- Uvi had always been something of a third parent towards Koza. When she was sick or hurt or just in a terrible mood, Uvi always took over and went above and beyond to care for her. In fact, Koza would say without a shadow of a doubt that Uvi probably cared for her more growing up than her actual Mother did. Advice was Uvi's specialty, though her homemade Fire Tarts were a pretty close contender. And to stand there, lying so blatantly to a woman who had shown her nothing but the utmost kindness for her life… It made Koza's stomach churn.

"Of course, Miss Koza. I wish you sweet dreams." Uvi smiled, returning back to the small table and sipped once more from her pungent tea. Koza remained where she was, however, her legs seemingly stuck to the floor. Uvi idled herself with her drink and wrote something down on a nearby piece of parchment, only once again noticing Koza's lingering presence after a moment.

"Is there something else you need, Miss Koza?"

"I, um... Were the rest of my uniforms cleaned?" She blurted out.

"Yes, they're all clean. I placed everything into your wardrobe already." Uvi said with a smile. She returned back to scribbling down whatever thoughts she was having, then looked back up when she realized Koza was still standing there. "Is that all?"

"Uvi, what do you know about the current Fire Lord?" Uvi looked a bit puzzled at the question, setting her writing utensil down on the table.

"I know… a few things, at least. Why do you ask?"

"It's because... I have an exam about the history of the Fire Lords tomorrow. And my books don't have much information about Fire Lord Sozin, and, you know, I'm just worried there will be a question or two I won't know the answer to." Koza said. Uvi thought for a minute, tapping her short finger on her chin.

"I've never been one to be very involved in politics, so forgive me if my knowledge isn't as great as, say, Lord Shio Kan's. Well, from what information I do know, Fire Lord Sozin came into power fifty-eight years ago after the death of his father. He said that his big plans for his rule was to spread the Fire Nation's prosperity to everyone else in the world, hence why he set up Fire colonies on the shores of the Earth Kingdom so early on in his rule. He has only one son, Azulon I think his name is?" She listed, occasionally glancing up at the ceiling as she spoke. Koza hung onto every word the woman spoke, listening and waiting for something, anything that could be of value. "I think that's it, I'm not exactly keen with… Oh! I apologize, I just remembered. Not a lot of people know this, but Fire Lord Sozin and Avatar Roku were actually very close as children."

"Really?" Koza asked, surprised. She had never heard that tidbit before.

"I only know it because an old colleague of mine once apprenticed in the Fire Palace. But yes, Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin were as close as brothers in their youth. After Roku stepped up to become the Avatar, though, they eventually fell out of contact with each other. Apparently it was due to a conflict of interest, which I guess just happens sometimes." Uvi casually sipped from her teacup.

"What were they conflicting about?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I think it had to do with Fire Lord Sozin wishing to further expand the Fire Nation, though I'm not quite sure why Avatar Roku would be against that." Uvi said with a laugh. Koza's heart sank. "Is that enough information for you? I'd think that the Lady, or possibly even Lord Ojin would have a bit more knowledge than I do, if you wish to ask either of them."

"No no, that's more than enough. Thank you, Uvi, for all of your help.." Koza said, putting her right fist inside her vertical palm and bowing quickly, the Fire Nation way to say goodbye to a valued colleague or family member. She'd have to quickly get back up to her room, Huvanni would be waiting for those clothes; Koza couldn't imagine burnt, filthy robes were too comfortable to wear for this long. Koza wondered what she should do about Huvanni's old robes… Bury them, maybe?

"Miss Koza-!" Uvi gasped.

"What?" Koza flinched a bit, alarmed at Uvi's cry.

"Why... You've just never bowed to me before." Uvi whispered, her voice tight. Koza hadn't even thought to bow to Uvi just now, it just sort of happened; like her subconscious mind had just decided for her. ...Had she seriously never shown this woman any basic forms of respect before?

"I... guess I should work on that, then." Koza replied curtly before turning on her heels and exiting the kitchen, feeling her ears burning with shame. She had never seen Fulay, Ojin, or even Shio Kan for that matter ever bow to Uvi, though she did for them all the time. She had followed her family's lead and never bothered to show Uvi basic respect for her. Koza was quite ashamed of herself.

Upon entering the dining area, Koza spotted Fulay and Ojin sitting close together at the table, whispering words that weren't audible enough to make out from her position. The moment Koza stepped into the dining area, Fulay quickly pushed herself back, her chair scraping loudly against the wood floor and almost sending her toppling backwards at the speed at which she flung herself.

"Koza, you're back," Fulay said, her sweet and gushy voice completely gone, now replaced by the monotonous, unenthusiastic drone that Koza was much more used to when her presence was acknowledged.. "Where are the lychee nuts?"

"Elephant rats were eating them." Koza replied evenly. Fulay gagged rather dramatically.

"Ugh, again? I thought I told Botko to handle those filthy pests! I've always told Shio Kan that we pay that man far too much, and he can't even do a decent job around here!" While Fulay was ranting, Koza stole a quick glance at her brother. They made eye contact, and Ojin flashed her a wicked and villainous smile that was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Koza felt a chill run down her spine, his expression shaking her in a way that she had never felt before.

"Well, no matter," Fulay sighed, putting Koza's attention back onto her. "My craving for tea is gone, anyway. You two should head off to bed, it's getting late." She commanded. Like a puppet controlled by its master, Koza obediently headed upstairs at her mother's demand, Ojin tailing closely behind her. Koza desperately tried to keep her face forward as she turned down the hall of the second floor towards her room, hoping to get to the safety of her room in time, but Ojin subsequently decided that their "don't talk to each other" didn't matter if he was the one initializing conversation.

"Dad's coming back next week." His voice sounded from behind her right as her fingertips touched her door. Koza didn't bother turning around.

"Is that so?"

"He won't be home for that long. His political influence at the Capital is so important that he practically had to beg for time off." Koza took a deep inhale at the smugness in his voice. Don't forget, he's my Father too, Koza thought bitterly.

"Why are you telling me this? He avoids me whether he's home or halfway across the world. I don't care what he does or where he goes." Koza growled, struggling to keep her voice level.

"Just figured you'd like to know beforehand. Seeing as Mother didn't you were important enough to tell you herself." Though she wasn't looking at him, she just knew Ojin was smirking.

"I thought you didn't want to talk to me. You're very consistent, Ojin." Koza retorted. Ojin chuckled.

"Things change, Koza. Life can be altered in an instant by one simple decision." Koza's shoulders tensed. "Sleep tight, sister." His footsteps moved away from behind her, fading as she heard the door to his bedroom open and then close again.. Koza released the breath she had unknowingly been holding in and practically shoved her door open, the darkness of the black walls serving as very little comfort to her nerves.

Ojin's just trying to mess with you, all he wants is to upset you, Koza told herself. He doesn't know anything. Although, because of the ominous and somewhat threatening words from her brother, she was now very curious of what Ojin and Fulay had been discussing in the dining area just before she came in. She was smart enough to guess that that was probably why she was ordered to go gather fruits: to get her out of the room without risk of her hearing whatever it was that only Ojin's ears were allowed access to.

It was no secret in the household that Ojin was the Golden Child of the family. Her parents had doted on her brother ever since they were both little, giving him toys and treats and all the affection he could ever want, while Koza… well, at least Koza got food and a bed, right? While her parents had never exactly been overtly cruel or physically harmful in any way, it had been made evidently clear a long time ago that her parents couldn't care less about her.

While her brother was shown unconditional love by their Mother and Father, Koza often felt like a stranger in her own home. Like she was just a guest who had long overstayed their welcome. Koza was never told an outright reason for the obvious imbalance, nor did she really care. Though, she was quite sure that it was simply because Ojin, as the eldest in the family, simply had more "potential" than she did. In the wealthier parts of the Fire Nation, younger children weren't seen as "valuable" as their siblings unless they had prodigy-level skills, or otherwise proved themselves as worthy. While Koza was top of her class, in the eyes of her family, she just wasn't anything special. Though she had to keep reminding herself that she didn't care what her family thought of her, it still stung.

Consciously deciding to keep her thoughts off of her dysfunctional family for the rest of the night, Koza moved towards the large wooden wardrobe that stood pressed against her back wall and began to root through the identical black and red fabrics that hung neatly on hooks. She found one of her spare school uniforms and tossed it out of the open window into the back garden, watching the clothing land and lay limply onto the wet grass. Her eyes became fixated on the abyss of trees that swayed gently in the warm breeze, a myriad of brown and green that concealed the Fire Nation's greatest secret among them. Among the smells of the night, she could make out the faintest hint of burnt leaves. Thank goodness Huvanni stepped in before things got worse...

"The clothes are down here," Koza called as quietly as possible so as not to notify any neighbors or, worse, her family. "Get them before the sun comes up." She stood by her open window, watching and scanning the forest for any signs of movement. She waited for several minutes before it became apparent that Huvanni wasn't leaving her hiding spot yet. Uvi would blow out all of the house's lanterns and candles before she went to bed, putting the house into darkness and giving the Air Bender her chance.

Koza shut her window, figuring Huvanni would creep by sometime during the night to collect the clothes. She had to admit, it was a bit eerie knowing that there was a person hiding in the thick maze of trees only a short distance from her doorstep. Though she was mostly sure by now that Huvanni had no ill intentions, the prospect was still mildly unnerving nonetheless. As Koza changed into her nightwear and cocooned herself in blankets, she wondered what else could possibly hide in those forests without anyone knowing.

Koza didn't have much luck sleeping that night. It felt like every time she closed her eyes, all she could see were the Air Temples lit ablaze, Fire soldiers running about and attacking whatever orange-and-yellow clad people they could find. What was once a thought that brought her joy and satisfaction now drove terror through her every vein. She kept waking up every hour or so, sweat staining her nightwear as she steadied her heart rate in preparation for the next nightmare. Eventually, the sun began to rise just as it always did, and Koza found herself doing everything she could to avoid looking at the poster of the proud and ready Fire Nation Army that hung on her wall.

By the time Uvi opened the door to wake Koza up for school, she was already dressed and ready. She couldn't bear to lay in bed any longer with her tormented thoughts, instead hoping to distract her busy mind with something practical. She spent extra time making sure her attire was perfect in every way, and while her tied-up hair was as neat and symmetrical as ever, her amber eyes held a bit of puffiness underneath them. Hopefully that would go away before her first lessons…

Breakfast was ever the same, only this time around Koza made the extra effort to not even acknowledge Ojin. After their talk last night, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had gotten to her. Her conscious efforts of pretending like nothing was wrong combined with her lack of sleep left her queasy enough to take only two small bites of rice. Which was fine by Koza; she wasn't planning on eating much this morning, anyway.

"Why don't you leave that out in the back garden, Uvi?" Koza whispered to Uvi once she had come to take away her plate. "It's such a shame to let it go to waste. I saw a stray gecko cat walking around last night, I'm sure it'd appreciate some food."

"As you wish, Miss. Koza." Uvi said, stacking the full plate atop Ojin's empty one. If Uvi thought this was an odd request, she didn't say so, to Koza's relief. If anything, Uvi was looking at the Fire Bender with an almost new sense of warmth today. Koza wasn't sure why, but she didn't have time to question it. For as soon as the family carriage pulled around front to take Koza and Ojin to school, it was time to start planning.

School decided that day to not be very eventful, much to her relief. Koza had nearly been tripping over herself to get into the schoolyard and hear anything new about the "Air military dismantlement," but not a single word was spoken. Instead, Min decided to talk her ear off about his plans to attend the new Military Academy that had been built on Ma'inka Island. Koza barely listened to anything he said, only giving the occasional "Yes" and "Sounds good." She spent most of her lessons deep in thought, going through hundreds of different ideas and scenarios that could possibly help Huvanni when she got home. Nothing seemed to be very full-proof, but Koza was determined to find the best course of action on how to get the Air Bender into her home without seeming too suspicious.

The school day couldn't have ended slower, and Koza was scratching her arms frantically to battle her nerves at the end of her final class. Normally, she and Ojin would meet on the schoolyard and ride on the carriage back home. As Koza put the final pieces of her plan together inside her mind, though, she knew that wouldn't be happening today. Koza pushed her way through crowds of mingling students until she spotted her brother, who was standing alone and looking around rather presumptuously.

"Ojin," she said. "Take the carriage without me. Um, Sifu Zekyun asked me to stay after class for something. I'll just walk home." Ojin didn't even look at her, busying himself with shuffling some of his books around.

"Whatever." He uttered, stepping forwards to begin speaking to another student. Koza relaxed for a split second, but remembered she couldn't afford to put her guard down. While the first part of her plan had gone off without a hitch, from here on out everything was completely up to luck. And, perhaps, the will of the Spirits. Koza hid against the side of the school, waiting for the yard to slowly but surely empty as students, one-by-one, left to go home. She waited patiently, like a hunter for prey, until at last she watched Ojin step onto the family cart and drive away. She counted backwards from ten, then practically rocketed out of the yard and onto the main roads that led back home. She had already memorized where to go from the familiar path the carriage always took, although moving on foot gave her a much different view of Ki Lo than she usually had. It would've been a very pleasant walk if Koza wasn't unbelievably stressed.

Koza was able to arrive at her house a few minutes before sunset, her legs tingling a bit from the long walk. Checking to make sure none of the neighbors were out, Koza entered the gates and slipped around the back of her home and into the garden. A heavy stream of sunlight fell onto the tops of the trees, illuminating them in warm golden light.

"Huvanni? Are you there?" Koza called from the edge, constantly checking behind her shoulder to make sure she wasn't being watched. Koza knew if either Fulay or Uvi saw her back here, yelling at the trees, she'd have a lot of explaining to do.

A familiar rustling of shrubbery alerted Koza of an incoming presence, and Huvanni stepped out from the shadows. Koza had been a bit apprehensive that the school uniform would be a bit too small for the taller girl, but somehow the fiery black and red clothing fit the Air Bender so perfectly, it almost looked like it was made for her. Unlike the torn robes that hid most of Huvanni's body, the Fire uniform revealed her thin but sturdy frame. It seemed that she had also cleaned herself off somehow, as most of the dirt that was covering her face and arms was scrubbed off, though she was still covered in scrapes and bruises. Without all the filth covering her, Koza now found that the other girl was quite beautiful.

"Hey, quit staring." Huvanni snapped, though she was smiling playfully.

"Ah, sorry," Koza quickly apologized, feeling her ears grow hot with embarrassment. "I was just... I'm glad it fits. I wasn't sure that it was going to."

"It's nice. Not as soft as my Air Bending robes, but I'll take it." Huvanni said with a shrug, picking at one of the sleeves.

"Speaking of, where-?" Koza began, but Huvanni nodded back towards the woods.

"Stuffed them into a hollowed tree," she said. "I just... can't get rid of them. Not yet."

"It's fine, as long as they're hidden. Did you eat? I had our servant, Uvi, put out some food earlier."

"Yep. What a delicacy, cold rice and a single piece of fruit," Huvanni grinned. "I'm just kidding. Thank you for the food. I've never had plums before."

"Well you can have more tomorrow if things go well. Follow me, and whatever I tell my family, just go along with it." Koza led Huvanni back around to the front yard, peering by to make sure nobody was watching. The two girls approached the front door and, with a deep breath, Koza knocked on the heavy wooden door. Uvi was quick to answer, and she looked down at the two girls with a warm smile.

"Ah, Miss Koza, welcome home. Ojin informed me that you'd be staying behind, I'm glad to see you home. I hope school was well? Oh, and who is this? A new friend?" Uvi asked, looking over to Huvanni. Koza tried to shove away the beetle butterflies in her stomach. Just like you practiced, Koza.

"This is Huvanni. She's from the Earth Kingdom, but she just moved to Ki Lo yesterday in order to learn more about the Fire Nation," Koza replied automatically. "Sifu Zekyun asked if we could offer our home to her while she stayed here since her parents had to stay behind to take care of important political business. May she stay here, Uvi?"