Wind in the Water

by PsycoCypher

A small number of Air Nomads survived the initial attack on the temples and proved too elusive for the Fire Nation to hunt down. my Grandfather was one. Having lost everyone I sought the comfort of the seas, where a water tribe found me and took me in. My past may be full of hardship and sorrow, but I will live by the name my mother gave me. I am Zera, this is my new beginning.

4. Chapter 4

I only own Zera and the changes in plot line, I don't own the songs I use either:

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Shucking off my outer parka, as the thick sleaves often hampered any training I would manage to do, I took stock of my little training area. Over the years Koda had helped me build this, we had placed boards and skins up in makeshift walls so that the snow drifts had almost created a circle with high snow piles around them. He had trained me here, basic sword work, and his fighting style almost looked like a dance.

After he left, I kept training here, I'd managed to incorporate some of my airbending, what little I knew, into the motions. The arena we'd built keeping it from view. I'd managed to build a bit of a training dummy with ropes and spare pieces of material. While it obviously couldn't move like an actual opponent, it did cause the 'arms' to swing around forcing me to learn to dodge and parry.

I pulled my sword and held it vertically in my hands, head bowed, as Koda had taught me. I took a breath to center myself. Training in the quiet had always been difficult, so Koda adjusted my training. He said learning to fight through distraction could save my life. So over the years, and even more so after he left, I had turned his critics and lessons into a song.

"All right," I breathed out as I opened my eyes, focused on my dummy target. "Everything begins with your stance." Parroting words learned years ago, I lengthened my stance, one foot pointed forward, the other back to be able to push off in any given direction. The water tribes fighting style, or at least as much as Koda had taught me, was less about strength and more about alignment, body structure, breath, and visualization. As I went through the basic kicks and slashes, my alto voice rang across the snowy landscape with a slight echo reaching back to me.

Remember, you do it for him

And you would do it again

I visualized those I promised to protect, Sokka, Katara, my family, as I executed a spinning kick, sending a short blast of air at the dummy, causing it to spin roughly. My mother gave me this chance to be more than what had brought me into the world. I slashed my machete in a diagonial cut, pulling one hand back and with a twirl of my wrist created a small, snowball sized ball of compressed, spinning air. I tossed it slightly, making it hover. I spun backward and lifted my leg in a backwards kick, sending the sphere crashing just left of the dummy, kicking up snow in its wake.

You do it for her, that is to say

You'll do it for them.

Kicking and slashing at invisible enemies, through the basic forms I'd practiced over the years I still had a long way to go.

Keep your stance wide

Keep your body lowered

As you're moving forward

Balance is the key

I moved my blade behind me and sprinted toward the dummy, carful to zigzag as if avoiding a bending attack.

Right foot, left foot

Now go even faster

And as you're moving backwards

Keep your eyes on me

Keep my stance wide

Keep my body lowered

As I'm moving forward

Taking jabs and hits at the dummy the wooden arms swung around and caught my shoulder sending me back a pace. I huffed, in frustration as Koda's memory chastised me in my head. "Concentrate. Don't you want them to live?" I jumped backward, adding currents of wind around my blade as I slashed, sending a few sharp gusts against the dummy chipping away at some of the wood.

Right foot, left foot

I stumbled slightly, having misplaced my footing and my punch barely made contact with the wooden body of my opponent. "Yes" Koda's voice again "but put your whole body into it." Falling back and trying again, the weakened boards gave way this time.

Everything you have, everything you are

You've got to give

I backed off from the dummy going through kicks, and occasional jabs. I remember Koda firs teaching me these forms slowly, and then increasing the pace. 'These forms teach us sub-consciously to react instantly without thinking with the correct method using a huge amount of power from a very short distance' he'd say, and in truth I was starting to feel the muscle memory guide me through the motions more quickly.

On the battlefield

When everything is chaos

And you have nothing but the way you feel

Your strategy and a sword

My motions winding down slowly my thoughts strayed to Koda, wishing I had told him before he left, about my bending, about how I felt. How he was the father I wish I had always had, but I choked. Worried he'd have chosen his village's safety over allowing me to stay. I wasn't sure he'd have allowed me to stay. So, I told myself I'd tell him when he'd returned, if…..he returned. And then Katara had started practicing her bending and always managed to get herself into situation I'd have to pull her out of.

You just think about the life you'll have together after the war

And then you do it for her

That's how you know you can win

You do it for her, that is to say

You'll do it for him

Dropping to one knee, my blade braced in the snow I tried to catch my breath. I'd do it. I would protect Sokka and Katara, and everyone else I cared about. I would show Koda that I was worth the effort he put into me, the love and care. And he wouldn't regret giving me my home.

Deep down you know

You weren't built for fighting

But that doesn't mean

You're not prepared to try

What they don't know

Is your real advantage

When you live for someone

You're prepared to die

Forcing myself to my feet once more I charged the dummy hitting the extended pegs and polls sending them spinning forcing me to dodge and block at a far quicker pace.

Deep down I know

That I'm just a human

But I know that I can draw my sword and fight

With my short existence

I can make a difference

I can be there for him

I can be his knight

As the dummy broke into pieces with the force of my blade. My gaze fogged thinking back to the first time Koda had me spare with some of the younger warriors unarmed. Koda believed in her, and that was enough.

I can do it for him

I'd do it for her

'Okay, now do that again' Koda had smiled at her as she had knocked one of the boys down for the first time and she'd saluted with a yes sir before the memory faded leaving her standing alone in her arena, broken bits of dummy scattered about.

You do it for her, and now you say

I'll do it for them!

Suddenly the snow around me lit up and I spun around, eyes raising as my heart sank into my shoes. A flare had exploded high in the sky.

"Oh no." I hissed racing to grab my parka and machete as I set off at a dead run toward the village. What on earth had those kids gotten into now.