V. The Patient Storm
火 - 火
Toni wanted to scream.
At mostly everything currently going on. Up until this point, she had been hospitable to the captives-turned-guests. But the way her father wouldn't even acknowledge that she was the one to bring them there in the first place- She controlled herself with a breathing exercise Tala had taught her, to aid Firebending, but also smooth over her periods of relentless anger at situations... such as this.
Toni, if she had been born a hunters daughter, would be perfectly amiable. But being child to this man - the Chief - even if he was caring, funny and doting, wasn't exactly fit for her. All she wanted was to clamber through treetops singing, dancing and doing a merry little jig. Instead she was here - in the confines of the city. Her life watched over like a hawk does a rat. Or a mouse. Or a bug.
Her fury may have been abaited slightly if her dad acknowledged she was a capable warrior, like Aki, for example. Aki had joined the ranks as soon as she showed promise by giggling hysterically as she clutched a spear - Toni had been doing that since she could first see... or allowed to touch a spear, for Ran's sake.
But no. Chief's daughter's had to be 'respectable young women' who could dance with fire and sing. And recite poetry. And cook and weave. Toni shuddered - last time she touched a loom, she ended up nearly killing her teacher by using the weight as a projectile. And last time she cooked, it had poisoned a couple of men (served them right for expecting her to cook, really).
Yet she sat there, her eyelid twitched with repressed anger. She had captured Zuko and his men - alone. She was the one to save her baby half-brother from that Piranha Caiman. Zuko shifted to stare at his hands, making Toni flinch at the unexpected movement. She was so riled up, it hurt. But all she could do was breath. Breath and restrain the fire itching in her fingers.
Zuko was having a hard time too.
It wasn't just his Uncle's new-found past that troubled Zuko as he sat there, sipping absently from the freshly replenished cup. He screwed his eyes up and focused back into what had happened in the jungle - the fireball; his bending disappearing as if he had never possessed it; the others, who could still bend, but very faulty. His hands began to burn as he'd been holding the boiling cup for too long.
"Excuse me, Chief-" Zuko dropped the cup carelessly, it shattered into shards of clay and fruit tea "-I need some air."
Without waiting for permission or any response, Zuko shot to his feet and raced from the room. He cared not as Toni went to go after him, only to be stopped by her fathers sudden barking command. Iroh stared after him. The elder man was used to Zuko's... shall we say... moodiness. But this was different.
His nephew, in the middle of taking a swig of tea, had paled and started shaking. Then - for some unforseen reason - had ran from the room as if it was on fire. He decided that it was probably for the best to let him be, no matter how hard it was. Inti-Himawara licked his dry lips with a slow sigh.
"We should check on your man," He turned to Iroh, "Tala should have him right as rain."
Toni's eye twitched, "Fine..."
Iroh bowed to Toni deeply - respectfully. She returned it with a grin, but it was more forced, and it showed. Her father pressed his lips together before leading Iroh off and out of the room. Toni waited until the creaking boards and a thump back onto solid earth had faded away, before peacefully pacing her way to the leather flap and peeling it away to reveal a darkening grey sky.
A storm was heading their way. She could tell. When she was young, very young, hardly able to process the world, her mother had taught her how to sense the storms. It was yet another subdivision of Lightningbending. Toni was taught to hold out her hands, breath deeply, close her eyes and sense the distant electrostatic activity. It was supposed to be some cheap party trick - but it came in dreadfully handy sometimes.
Retracting her hands, Toni headed down the steps with as much stealth as she could manage. She was curious about Zuko - Prince of the Fire Nation. He was not like the men of her tribe... he was new and there was things to find about him. There was a world she could learn from that one boy.
And another good thing was he wasn't like the suck-ups in the Tribe who took every opportunity to wring gold and jewels from Toni, pretending to be friends. Aki was a true friend, having been the one to stick with her through the bad and good. But Toni desperately, desperately, wanted another friend her age. Exhaling her pent up rage, Toni scanned the ground for evidence of Zuko's escape route.
He wasn't subtle. Then again, he wasn't subtle with anything.
A distinct trail of one boot and one footprint broke their way up into the City then curving up into the highest point of the city, holy shrine of Ran and Shaw. Toni had only been there once before - with Aki - and it had ended with the two pelting it back home... but firm friends after that. Tonalli bit her lip and ignored the goggling civilians.
She was draped in more gold than anyone else and shone like a miniature sun because it, so she was hard to miss... but not it you were blind. Her clothes were woven with golden thread, her hair with golden beads, her wrists with heavy golden bracers.
She skipped past an elderly woman with toothless gums, who smiled a slight blessing. A boy with two ridiculously large bunches of Ash Bananas balanced on either end of a spear winked brashly - his messy hair fell into his face as Toni passed him with a sideways scowl.
"Evenin' Miss," A hunter pushed past her with his catch of shining silver fish. Toni nodded back, dodging conversation within an inch of her life. A woman, Aki's mother, threw Toni a bow and an invitation to a lengthy conversation but was instantly rebuffed with a polite gesture.
The sun was set shallow on the horizon, indicating the day was waning short. Firebending was most powerful in the day - specifically midday and sunrise. Toni felt the fire in her system flickering as the sun slipped lower - it didn't show any colours, the storm rolling apon them enveloping all light.
It took longer to get to the shrine than expected.
Weaving through the zig-zag city streets, Toni ducked under a low archway and hopped up a few steps to the shrine path. It was a dust path, worn by generations apon generations of pilgrims and visitors. It slipped up, the cliff dropped dramatically away to her left. A shere drop onto the basin floor - fatal. It overshadowed the city. Quite well hidden from any intruder. Toni chewed her lip and carried on, the other cliff to her right growing by the second.
The path was straight from there on in, only turning right to enter the shrine. It directly overlooked the entire hidden city - and on, to the jungle canopy which glittered in the evening sun. Toni stopped to take in the view. Her breaths, rapid after exhaustion from the walk, began to ease. Toni grinned slightly, letting her guard slip for a second.
A clap of lightning and growl of thunder drew her back to reality with a thud. Shaking off the beautiful surroundings, Toni continued marching up the narrow path.
The shrine was a magnet for the young, unexperienced Firebenders of the Tribe to pray for guidance. It also housed sacred artifacts from the Old city - a reminiscent place free from the pressures of the world. Faint remnants of paint were splashed across the walls and crudely carved protective symbols ringed around the entrance gave it an almost unearthly feeling.
Toni drew up to the cave entrance and peered cautiously inside. It was gloomy, hard to see, so she lit up one fist and proceeded inside - only to meet a rather dejected Zuko crouched infront of the inlaid human shaped altar. Toni restrained herself from giving the customary Sun Warrior bow. Zuko was uttering something under his breath-
He didn't look up when she entered. He didn't even acknowledge her at all.
"Why'd you run off?" Tonalli screwed up her nose, shifting towards him. He grunted. Not much of a response, but Toni was not going to give up that quickly. She plopped herself down between a pot and a faded painted statue. She odder respectfully at the statue before flicking out the multivolour flame in her hand - dipping the cave into darkness.
Zuko growled like a Jaguar Peragrine, "Why are you here? Thought you hated me."
"I do," Toni shrugged regardless, "But I can't let my captive go off like that. Might run away," She let her eyes become accustomed to the darkness of the cave, "And we wouldn't want that..."
Outside, it began to pitter down with rain. Toni jumped at a scream of thunder, Zuko smirked at her suprise, but it quickly faded when lightning rocketed through the dark grey sky. His tounge flashed across his lips like a python's before hugging his chest to block out the sharp cold wind that hissed through the shrine.
Toni analysed the emerging figure of Zuko with close attentiveness, "You still haven't answered my question. "
"And you, mine," Zuko bristled harshly. He covered his face and turned his back on her. Toni scoffed, "You ran off like the world was ending, I think I have the right to know why."
Zuko glanced back with his healthy eye, "Fine... Savage Girl."
She didn't care much for the nickname, but Toni managed to hold her tounge - just. Zuko corrected himself to face her, arms crossed defensively infront of him, and opened his mouth to speak. Only to click his jaw shut with a scowl. Toni returned the look, which made Zuko sigh and proceed.
"I've lost- lost my-" He gestured with his hands "-Stuff."
"Stuff?" Toni dead-panned, raising a brow. Zuko snarled, "You know. Stuff - Firebending. I lost it in the jungle when... When I bent out of rage. Ugh. It makes no sense! It just went!"
'Out of rage', Toni wracked her brain, 'Oh dear Spirits! He- He's been stripped... Damn you Dragons!'
While Toni desperately tried to phrase it asnsensitively as possible, the pair sat in complete silence, listening to the even furious rain. Toni rested her head onto her knees.
"Um... " Toni exhaled, "You may or may not... Well..."
Zuko snarled over at her with an expectant expression, "Well what? I may or may not what?"
Toni giggled nervously, "Well... haha... we have this thing here.. that the Dragons have completely control... complete control of Firebending. And they don't like threats-"
Zuko peeled back his lips into an even bigger snarl. He leapt to his feet with a yell, "What did they do? What did they do to me?!"
"Hmmmmmmm," Toni averted her eyes from the angered Prince, "You have been stripped. Stripped of your bending. To- to teach you... teach you a lesson... "
If Zuko had had his bending at that moment, Toni and the shrine would have been obliterated into ash from his fury. He had been stripped of his bending! This was insufferable. This was undurable. This was UNHONORABLE! He wanted to cry, yell, laugh and faint at the exact same time. Stumbling back into a styalised statue of a woman, Zuko examined his hands.
"What?" He could only utter.
Smiling up sheepishly, Toni nodded her head slowly, "Here, two dragons live. They rule over our - and my - Firebending, " She examined her own hands, "It can be annoying at times. But they are the supreme Spirits of this isle. You gotta love them - oh, otherwise they might, errr, burn them to a crisp."
"What?" Zuko stressed, staring across at her. Too much information. Too much information at once. How is this possible, that Dragons can strip away bending without being seen? "This isn't possible - you're lying!"
"No. Not in a million lifetimes, Prince Zuko! " Toni threw up her hands. She wished she was lying, because that would make much more sense than what was the actual truth... but sometimes reality is stranger than stories. Tonalli flicked her hair back - remembering why she doesn't wear it down. Well, two reasons: one is tribal customs and two: is it gets in the way. Of Everything. She put on her best fake grin as Zuko insisted on how she was a liar, "This isn't- how could- By Agni, is there a way to get it back?!"
Toni rolled her eyes, racking her brain, "I think so. It involves an audience with Ran and Shaw, and it is quite likely you'll be turned to a crisp... but I have total faith in you!"
No. No she didn't have any faith to speak of. He was her captive (and kinda friend, still not one hundred percent sure), and the way he'd acted all day made Toni soon realise he was still a Prince - through and through a troubled Prince. Which may not go down well with the Masters.
"What do I have to do?" Zuko roared at her, loud enough to give the thunder a run for its money, "Tell me what I do! Now!"
Parting her lips, Toni whistled a breath in and out, thinking. She was absolutely sure Tala had taught her this... but it all seemed to have just gone. Her teeth clicked back together as she frowned and turned to face Zuko. Mabye it had something to do with the Dancing Dragon? Hmmph. Mabye. But did this boy know that form? Or would he have to be taught it?
"Dancing-"
Zuko stared blankly.
"-Dragon."
Then his jaw twitched for a moment, he stood there, and then erupted into an explosion of complaints and anger. So, obviously he didn't know that form, Toni massaged her temple with one hand. He would have to be taught it if he ever wanted his bending back. Great, just great. Toni slid up the wall to her feet and began to pace towards the wall of rain. It didn't look like it was going to abait any time soon.
"Do you want your bending back or not?" Toni snapped, eyes still set firmly on the wall of grey. Zuko sighed deeply and groaned while doing so. But he had never danced before in his life, it was restricted in his Nation. Stupid, really, because why shouldn't people be able to express themselves. Zuko scowled intently at the back of Toni's head.
"I'll do anything, " He snarled at last, "Just to get it back."
That, Toni flinched, that wasn't exactly the attitude she was looking for, but she guessed it would have to work. Hands on hips, Toni spun to face him.
"Great! Just one problem-"
Zuko peeled back his lips into a snarl, "What? What is it? I'm the problem-"
"No!" Toni dropped her arms as her brows raised - 'Mabye this guy has self-worth issues... in addition to his pride and over self-confidence '. She scanned his bruised up body with a quick shot of her eyes, "Make that two problems..."
"Why did you look at me like that?" Zuko almost demanded. Toni ignored him, brushing the question off. She gestured back to the mouth of the shrine with a tug of her head, "First Problem - It's chucking it down."
A fork of lightning and roll of thunder agreed with her.
"And Problem Two-" She pointed a finger at Zuko's clothes "-You look like you been in a fight with a Tapir-Condor (and lost). We need to get you some proper clothes."
With a firm scowl, Zuko most definitely took offence, he crossed his arms back across his chest and lowered his head into his chest. Toni rolled her eyes - going to speak but interrupted by a deafening boom of thunder that made everything shake. She could feel the sound. It made her teeth chatter. A bolt of lightning struck dangerously close to the path, almost exploding their only exit.
Zuko snorted, "Ha! You were scared of just a bit of-!"
Boom. Caaaaarack! Zuko squealed (as high pitched as a forcetto) at the lightning as it ripped apart the sky. It was Toni's time to laugh at his misfortune. He mubled profanities under his breath, trying desperately to regain his lost dignity.
"I wasn't scared," He demanded, "I was merely.. uh... merely checking you were awake!"
Toni shook her head in fits of giggles, "You were scared! Admit it Princey boy, you were scared!"
Two more screams of thunder echoed around the cave and around inside the pairs heads. It didn't seem like storm was going to pass over any time soon, so Toni curled herself up into a ball leaning back onto an ancient headrest. Zuko leant against the cave wall - he just stared dramatically off into the middle distance. Toni rolled her eyes and lay back down.
They were in for the long haul, it seemed.
"Hey, Bossy Boots," Toni peered up at Zuko from her position on the peculiarly comfortable floor, "I don't think this is gonna pass until the morning. So, if I were you," She yawned as wide as her mouth would go, her hand shot up infont of her mouth, "I'd get a patch of floor... and make.. yourself... comfortable. "
Toni didn't want to fall asleep first, so changed her position so the corner of the headrest dug into her neck. That would keep her up her a while. Zuko gave up with his angsty-dramatic-looking-into-the-middle-distance thing and flopped down next to a skeletal statue. He shivered for a bit, not having Firebending to heat himself up, until Toni pushed her shoulders back and hauled a bit of scented ceremonial firewood into a haphazard fireplace.
She raised her fist and managed to strike it alight. Instantly, Zuko drew closer to the multicolour, beautifully scented fire. He held his hands out to soak up the heat greedily. Toni smirked as his behaviour, feeling a slight twinge of empathy for his lost bending. She, herself, lay the otherside of the fire, dragging the headrest to lay apon.
"Won't your father-?" Zuko started. He trailed off when Toni made the fire dance, "Genji saw me leave - He's a good friend, he'll sort my father out."
They sat in another awkward silence until Toni shattered it, "How come you, a big fancy Prince, was on a hunk of junk like that?"
It was obviously a touchy subject, as Zuko refused to answer in words - he grunted and drew his head back. It had something to do with the scar. Toni squinted across to him - trying to decipher his peculiar body language. She gave up when he lay down, out of her view. Again, an awkward silence fell apon them.
"So... What's it like?" Zuko forced himself to speak, "You know, Chief being your dad and all..."
Toni hesitated before answering. She loved her dad, sure, but it could be a pain in the neck being his daughter. All the expectations and such. She summed it all up in one brief sentence, "It's fine, I guess."
She didn't dare ask about Zuko's father because she had more than a sneaking suspicion he was the cause of his scar... which made Toni flinch. What maniac of a man would mutilate his own son? Zuko huffed and gave up with small talk, preferring to lay in complete silence. Well - not complete.
The fire crackled and thunder rolled with laughter. Occasionally, forks of lightning would race across the sky, lighting up the cave and making the pair draw only closer to the flames.
Zuko, against his better nature, dropped to sleep rather quickly. It was certainly a deserved sleep from what he had been through in one day: Shipwreck, Captured, Nervebending (!?), Discovering a completely contradictory past of his Uncle and - most of all - Losing his Bending...
Tomorrow was going to be tough...