Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. -_-;
Over the next couple days they used up their remaining rations while Katara, the only person in the group with the ability to sew, worked hard to adjust the clothes they had found for the differences in age and size of their group. Once she had finally finished the last stitch in the last garment with a sigh and a sense of accomplishment, they had to make a decision on who would venture into the town for food.
Iroh felt it might be a little too dangerous for he and Zuko to merely walk into town during the day as they might be recognized; so it was Aang who accompanied Katara. Not that he was complaining. The young Avatar would take any chance he could get to spend time with his crush.
Sokka had lobbied to go along but Katara nipped that idea in the bud. She wasn't about to let him waste their dwindling money supply as he was known to do. Grumbling to himself about bossy, overbearing sisters, the boy grabbed his sword and set about sharpening it down on the beach; the sounds of the ocean calming him as he worked.
Zuko hadn't pressured Aang to learn firebending. He knew the boy didn't want to, and he knew it was necessary that he learn it. He also knew that Aang knew those things as well as he did, and so he waited. He felt it was a good sign that Aang was still joining him for his sunrise katas. The Avatar had done a great job of mimicking his movements, and, unbeknownst to Aang, Zuko had incorporated a few of the basic firebending stances and moves into those morning sessions.
The boy didn't know the difference and it became a great opportunity for teaching that Zuko was downright pleased with himself for discovering.
A couple of hours after Katara and Aang had left for town they returned, both laden down with baskets of fresh produce and even some bread and fish.
Iroh offered to cook a traditional fire nation meal for them with the ingredients they had purchased and Katara was happy to hand over the task to him. Within just over an hour a lovely meal complete with fantastic tea was set out on the table in the dining room with everyone oohing and aahing over it.
The conversation around dinner turned from the wonderful food to the great street vendor fare and then to the poster the two had seen advertising a local troupe of actors that were putting on a play about the Avatar. They were called the Ember Island Players and the play would be starting in just four days. Everyone agreed that it would be fun to go see, and by the time the meal was cleaned up and the dishes finished, there was general excitement about the play; a chance to do something fun for them.
It wasn't often they were able to simply be kids, most of their time was fraught with peril and they made life and death decision on an almost daily basis. They needed a break, some fun, something to look forward to.
At sunrise the next morning Zuko and Aang were greeting the sun per usual, but when they would normally have finished, Zuko turned to Aang and took a solid firebending stance, securing his root, as Iroh had taught him.
"Take this position." He said to the Avatar. "Your firebending basics need to be sound in order to be safe and successful."
Aang stepped his feet apart and squatted down slightly in an attempt to copy Zuko.
"You need to have a very solid root in order to keep your balance against a firebender." He continued. "Spread your feet further apart, allow yourself to feel the solidity and stability of your stance."
Aang obeyed, widening his stance and pulling his bent elbows in near his body as he was seeing Zuko do.
"It almost feels like I'm going to earthbend." Aang quipped.
"I hadn't thought about it but yes, this basic stance could feel a bit like that probably." Answerd Zuko.
"Now, breathe." He told the young Avatar, and Aang stared at him comically.
"Uh, Zuko…I'm already breathing!" Aang chuckled.
"You're breathing like an airbender." Zuko grinned.
"I am an airbender!" Aang laughed again.
"Nope" was Zuko's answer. "Right now you're a firebender."
"Oh…right. Ok!" he chirped.
Right then Katara walked out of the house and glanced over to where they were practicing. Aang saw her and lost his stance, waving happily as she raised a hand and smiled in response.
"Your stance…" prodded Zuko.
"Right, sorry!" Aang grinned and moved back into the position Zuko had instructed him to use.
"Ok, so fire is different from all the rest of the other elements." Zuko stated. "Do you know why?"
"Um…" Aang paused to think for a minute. "Because it's…fire?" He answered finally.
Zuko grinned. "Well yeah, it's fire, but it's more than that. Take earthbending and waterbending for instance." He explained.
"Katara gets her element from all around her, because there's a lot of water everywhere, especially, of course, bodies of water like lakes and the ocean, right?" he asked Aang, attempting to engage him in learning what he was trying to teach him.
"Yeah!" Aang replied enthusiastically. "Me too, and I can feel where there is water."
"Exactly, it's there, just out in the world." Zuko continued. "Just like earthbending, Toph doesn't create the earth she uses, but she shapes what's already here."
"You're right, and I do it too, I make it change shape or move."
"Now, with air, you learned from when you were really young so it's just like breathing to you to use it, and even though we can't see it, the air is all around us right?"
Aang nodded eagerly, understanding easily so far.
"Fire is different." Stated Zuko. "Unless you walk up to someone's campfire or cooking fire usually, fire is not all around us. There isn't a vast source all around us like the ocean to draw from, or the earth under your feet or the air you breathe."
"Fire is unique in that it is created by the firebender. Yes, you can manipulate existing fire, but the essence of a firebender is creation, and then execution of his element." Zuko explained.
As he spoke, the banished fire nation prince moved slightly to the side and, while in his stance, created a small flame that sat dancing above his hand.
Aang, watching and listening intently, nodded as he spoke.
"Jeong Jeong was trying to teach me, but I didn't listen and burned Katara."
"That's because you didn't understand control." Zuko replied. "Fire doesn't flow with you like water, it doesn't support and move for you like earth, and it definitely doesn't wait for you to use it before it works." He explained.
Taking the small flame he'd conjured and turning to the side, he snuffed it out and then shifted his stance slightly and made a small punch, causing a short flame to shoot past his fist.
"Fire is created and by its very nature it is something that must be controlled." He stepped out of his stance and stood normally and turned to Aang who did the same.
"When someone makes a campfire what do they do?" He asked the Avatar.
"They…make a pile with sticks and little pieces of wood." He answered slowly.
"Anything else?" prompted Zuko.
"Well, sometimes Katara puts rocks around the fire."
"Why does she do that?" Zuko asked, attempting to lead Aang to the answer he sought without telling him.
"I…" he thought for a second. "She does it so the fire doesn't get out of…" his voice trailed off and his eyes got a little wider when he realized what Zuko was trying to help him understand.
"Ooh!" he finally said grinning. "That's what you mean I didn't understand control, like the campfires we have that we have to make sure they don't start a forest fire, we have to keep them under control!"
"Exactly!" Zuko grinned back, happy Aang was beginning to understand.
"When a firebender cannot or will not control their flames, chaos and danger to themselves or others is always the end result." He continued.
"At its most basic, firebending is the art of creating fire from one's own chi and manifesting it outside of the body in the physical form of the element of fire, which must then be controlled by the firebender." Zuko paused for a breath, then continued.
"First, the most important thing to learn is breath control, because that is absolutely necessary to powerful bending, and to controlling the element."
Aang nodded.
"Now, take the stance again."
Aang complied, moving back into the wide, solid stance Zuko had directed him into earlier.
"Ok, now this time, remember that breath is control, and control is safety." Zuko instructed. "Take deep breaths, in and out, slowly. Control your breathing, breathe intentionally, and focus on it."
Aang obeyed, breathing slowly and trying hard to think about control. A small breeze flitted through the beach, and Aang immediately grinned and dropped his stance, making a little air-ball and tossing it into the breeze, watching to spin off into the air with a happy smile.
"Aang, focus." Zuko chided gently.
"Sorry Zuko!" The young Avatar apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to! I'll go back to breathing now."
Zuko sighed inwardly. It had seemed like his destiny to assist the Avatar, but right now he kind of felt like he was fighting a losing battle. Sure, he knew this was only their first official lesson, but the airbender was so easily distracted it made things difficult.
"Breakfast is ready you two, sugar queen says come and get it!" hollered Toph from the door of the house, further interrupting their training.
Aang hopped up from his breathing training and ran towards the house, with a hollered "sorry Zuko!" behind his back as he jetted for the front door.
Zuko shook his head and sighed again, but then allowed a small grin to interrupt his stoicism. He had to hand it to him; the Avatar was one energetic kid. Hopefully they'd get more time to work on firebending training soon. It wasn't going to be as simple as he'd imagined after all, but it had to be done.
0o0o0o0o0o0
It had taken a little time and a lot of asking around, but Umi finally found out that the girl who had saved them was staying outside the town with the traveling circus troupe that had set up there, the circus she and Tiron had visited on their ill-fated first date.
During a visit to town she asked to be dropped off near the circus, which her benefactors were not willing to agree to. Instead they drove the cart right up to the empty circus tent, searching for someone who might be in charge.
"Circus don't open 'till tonight folks." A gruff voice came from behind the cart before they'd had a chance to climb down.
"We're not here for the circus right now. We apologize for showing up unannounced sir; but this young lady is looking for someone who works with your circus." Kalek tilted his head towards Umi.
"Why?" was the direct answer from the short, squat, bearded man walking around from behind the cart, looking none-too-friendly.
This time it was Umi who spoke up. "Sir, she saved my life, and my date's life about a week ago. We both have been trying to find out who she is so we can thank her." She stated simply.
"She?"
"We don't know her name, someone in town recognized her from your circus. She was a young teenage girl with a brown braid; she treated those soldier thugs like she wasn't even remotely afraid of them and taunted and insulted them and made them chase her. She was really light on her feet too."
She thought she saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes at her description despite the fact that he didn't actually say that he knew her.
"If she's here and I see 'er I'll tell 'er for ya." He replied gruffly.
"Please sir." Umi pleaded. "I really want to thank her myself."
"It was my pleasure."
Nearly everyone jumped a little at the voice of a young woman coming from the opposite direction they were looking.
"Aw now see I told yez not to go messin' 'round in other people's business and keep yer head down missy!" growled the short man they'd been talking to.
Turning around Umi saw the very same braided girl who had been their savior from the other night standing there with her hands demurely behind her back, smiling happily.
"Don't mind grouchy here" she quipped as she walked around the wagon. "He's just doing his best to make sure we're all safe out here."
"Oh" Umi replied "with you here I don't think anyone needs to worry about their safety."
A laugh bubbled out of the girls' throat like a babbling brook and she threw back her head laughing.
"See?!" she directed her gaze to the man she dubbed 'grouchy'. "She knows I don't need protecting."
"Hmph!" was the grunted reply and the man shuffled away without a backwards glance.
Umi climbed down from the cart quickly and bowed formally to the braided girl in front of her.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and for my date the other night as well. You saved our lives."
Blushing slightly the girl waved a hand, unused to such a formal, yet sincere, thank you.
"It really was my pleasure. Those men are thugs and jerks and have no business being so bad. They only got what was coming to them." She grinned.
"What did you do to them anyway?" Asked Umi curiously.
"Oh, well..trade secret I'm afraid." She grinned again and bounced back and forth on her feet. "Don't worry they're not dead or anything, they're fine, or at least they will be soon." She giggled.
Mentally shaking her head at this unusual girl, Umi skipped trying to find out what she'd done and asked her name.
"Oh, I'm Ty Lee!" She bubbled enthusiastically. "Who are you?"
"My name is Umi." The former water spirit replied.
"Nice to meet you, officially this time!" Ty Lee grinned.
"You too" Umi nodded then tilted her head towards the two people still seated in the cart. "These are Kalek and Saral, I'm staying with them right now."
Ty Lee smiled at them and they inclined their heads in response.
"We are in your debt for you assistance." Saral spoke for both of them and Kalek nodded in agreement.
"Oh, I'm just happy to help!" the braided girl smiled widely again. "How's the boy doing?" she asked quickly.
"He's doing very well." Umi replied with a smile. "He's nearly completely healed and wanted me to tell you that he is very thankful for your help."
"You can tell him it was my pleasure!" Ty Lee chirped. "What's his name?"
"Tiron." Replied Umi. "I'm sure he'd love to thank you in person."
"He doesn't need to do that! I'm just glad he's ok after the beating he got!"
"Yes, thanks to you!" Umi grinned happily.
"You're very welcome!" the petite girl replied with a seemingly permanent large smile. "So are the two of you an item?" she asked casually.
"Oh no, it was just a date, well a first and last date…" Umi chuckled uncomfortably, blushing. "We got along wonderfully and he's a sweet guy, but my heart belongs to another."
"Really?" Ty Lee's smile somehow became even larger. "That's great!"
She stepped a bit closer and cupped her hand over the side of her mouth and stage whispered conspiratorially; "he's kinda cute and I've seen him buying books at the book store before so I know he's smart too."
Umi's eyes widened and her smile did too; she began to chuckle. "You're right Ty Lee, that IS great!" she allowed herself a real laugh and the girl in front of her joined in.
"You should find him the next time you're in town. Again, his name is Tiron, and I bet you he would love to meet you." Umi grinned again.
"Oh I will, believe me! His aura is so clear I just know we'd hit it off great!" Ty Lee enthused.
Not sure how to respond Umi just smiled at the bubbly girl.
"Umi, we should probably start heading for home, there are chores to be done before nightfall and it appears a storm may be approaching." Saral gently mentioned to her.
"Oh, of course!" Umi gasped. "I'm sorry I didn't watch the time!" she replied, giving Ty Lee a quick bow and scurrying over to hop into the wagon.
"Thank you so much again Ty Lee, if you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask! I'll do anything I can to help!"
"Aren't you sweet! I'm just great, but I'll remember that Umi, take care and be safe!" Ty Lee waved as Kalek snapped the reins and they moved forward, leaving the circus tent and the small girl to get even smaller until she faded into the distance.
"Such a nice young girl she was." Saral stated simply.
"Yes. I'm so glad I have a name for Tiron. I hope he's able to find her."
"Oh I daresay she'll find him!" chuckled the woman with a grin. "She seemed rather keen on him. I suppose she's seen him around town before."
Glancing back at Umi she added "are you sure her interest in him doesn't bother you?"
"Not at all!" Umi exclaimed happily. "In fact I was feeling a little guilty that he was interested in me and even almost sacrificed his life for me and I am in love with someone else!"
Saral nodded understandingly. "I just wanted to make sure. I think they may make a great match."
"I think so too!" Umi smiled. "Maybe we'll hear about a wedd…"
"I'm sorry to interrupt you Umi, but hang on you too, the storm is approaching much faster than we thought and it looks like a bad one. We need to get home fast." Kalek said in a terse voice.
Umi held on with a ball of anxiety in her stomach as he hollered and snapped the reins and the ostrich horses jumped forward and took off at a run.
She held on as tight as she could as the cart jumped and lurched into holes and over rocks.
They were only halfway home by the time the air suddenly cooled and the wind changed directions. Before, when she was a water spirit, Umi would have enjoyed the storm, maybe even played with it a little, if it was nowhere near where people were.
Now, she was frightened. She was at the mercy of this storm with no shelter in sight, and she didn't much like it.
The wind quickly picked up, and before they had gotten much further it began to blow in great gusts, buffeting them and causing the cart to destabilize several times when the ground was uneven.
"Whoa…! Easy there girls, easy…" Kalek spoke to the beasts pulling them faithfully, as the two ostrich horses began to fight the reins and act skittish in the face of the storm. They slowed down obediently, though, and he kept them to a trot.
"It's too dangerous to move quickly now!" He shouted above the wind to the two women in the cart with him. "If it gets any worse I'll have to unhitch them or they may bolt or damage themselves!"
As if defying him, the wind gusted harder.
"Do it now!" screamed Saral, "before it's too late!"
Most of her words were stolen by the wind, but he caught her meaning and clambered down from the seat, buffeted severely by the wind, and quickly unhitched the two beasts. He'd barely managed to release them from their traces before a massive clap of thunder boomed around them and the two ostrich horses took off like a shot from a cannon, running heedlessly in the direction they were pointed.
Kalek barely dodged their headlong charge and nearly lost his balance as another gust of wind buffeted them. He moved to the side of the cart and yelled to them to get off of it.
Forced to use gestures only, his words stolen by the strong winds, he motioned for them to get down to the ground and they quickly complied, his wife reaching for his arms to help her safely from the height of the seat while Umi clambered quickly down from the back of the wagon, barely keeping her balance.
Both women knelt down in an almost fetal position on the ground as the wind ripped and tore at their clothes and screamed in their ears. Kalek knelt beside them and bent his body over both of theirs as well as he could in an attempt to shield them from whatever might be about to happen.
As they huddled on the ground for a surreal moment in time, all was calm. The screaming wind died and all was eerily peaceful. They froze in the stillness, waiting, hearts beating double-time in contrast to the seeming peace all around them.
Within moments a terrible sound came; a huge rumbling sound that was accompanied by the very ground shaking and trembling beneath them.
Umi's heart quailed within her because she knew what was coming, and she felt so very helpless and small. Suddenly she was sorry for the people who were going to have to endure this with her. They didn't deserve this fate. If it hadn't been for her desire to find the girl, they would be safely at home, out of the path of the deadly storm.
Eyes closed to the winds that had suddenly begun again with screaming fury bringing dust flying all about them, she felt Kalek's hand on her back, and Saral's hand found hers and she gripped the proffered hand tightly.
The roaring and rumbling increased tenfold and she just barely heard the cart next to her groan and creak for a moment as it was lifted into the air and twisted about, some part of it grazing her shoulder as it was carried away.
Bits of tree branches and small rocks pelted them, feeling like hailstones pelting from all sides and stinging mightily. Umi tightened her hold on Saral's hand moments before the rumbling became completely deafening and the screaming, whipping winds bombarded them with droplets of freezing cold water that felt like needles on their skin.
Suddenly the pain seemed irrelevant as her body was lifted from the ground and her hand ripped out of Saral's. She was tumbling and spinning, flying through the air completely out of control, feeling cuts and bruises forming from thousands of tiny debris and not-so-tiny debris that were pounding every inch of her flailing body.
A ridiculous thought entered her mind, thinking that she now knew what it would be like to die a death by a thousand cuts. She had resigned herself to her possible fate when she knew that it was a tornado coming. Her only regret was that the kind couple who had been so good to her would share her fate. They didn't deserve this, her heart cried.
Inwardly as she spun through the air, she had a moment of a kind of wishful clarity, a moment where she wished the tables were turned, a moment where she wished she could give this storm a glimpse of HER power! Even in that moment though, she never regretted her decision to save Zuko and Iroh. "Never ever" her heart supplied for her. No cost was too great.
Moments that seemed like painful hours crawled past at lightning speed, and she began to feel herself losing consciousness as more and more her body was being beaten by the winds and flying objects.
Suddenly, she impacted something large, and her body bent backwards as she was slammed into the cart that was also still inside the massive tornado.
Her last thought was of Zuko, and how much she loved him, before her world went dark.
A/N: Well! That got scary fast, huh? Might be time for some plot progression here in the next chapter too! Until next time!