Again {Private}

[Yuzuki]

The sky was a dark gray color today, rain falling to the mountain range below. Every so often thunder cracked, and lightning could be seen across the mountain range. Standing on one of the mountain tops was a young female, wearing the fire nation armor. Her long dark brown hair was up in a top-knot, and her bangs stuck to her face from the rain. She was looking up at the clouds, hands at her sides and feet spread apart evenly. She was going to try it again.

Storms and Yuzuki Kuroihi could almost always be found together. As she let the rain fall upon her, she watched the sky rather closely, waiting. She had only been successful in bending lightning once so far in her life, against her father. Since then, she has been found in the mountain ranges of the Fire Nation when there are storm clouds, trying to bend lightning. Always almost ending in the same way.

Holding out her pointer and middle finger on each hand and folding the rest of her fingers lightly under her hand, she began to do her movements. She brought her left hand in a half circle under her, and then repeated the same motion with her right hand before thrusting her right hand out towards the sky. As she did so, a bolt of lightning came down, striking her two fingers that she had threw up at the sky. Her eyes widened, the bolt slowly dispersing, leaving Yuzuki falling backwards, her hand burned badly and her entire right arm numb. She could already feel the rest of her body starting to go numb, gritting her teeth. Damnit! Why did this always happen? It always struck her instead of her ...bending the lightning...

[Zecarius]

Fans are very versatile tools; for one, they could be used to cool someone down if they were too hot, they could be used to launch gusts of air with more force than just a hand. Heck, they could even be used for flying, if the fan was large enough. But right now, the best use of the fan was as cover against the pouring rain.

Ryoko flew headlong into the storm, using immense concentration to keep the fan on course, her bending against the stiff winds. This was a really stupid thing for her to do, considering that lightning usually struck the highest thing, which would be her waaaay above the ground. However, it was because of this storm that she was flying; if she knew her friend well (and she did, unfortunately), her good friend would be in the middle of it all. Again. And she would probably need help. Again. Which is why she would go fly through this storm to be there when the idiot got herself struck... again.

The lightning flashed passed her (she couldn't hold in a sigh of relief at that), and struck another figure that was standing on the mountaintop. The air bender sighed as she hopped off her fan, folding it shut on her back to make the last part of the trip on foot. One hand had already reached into the sleeve of her burgundy kimono, searching for something hidden as she paused in front of the fallen figure. Despite the burns and the eventual numbness, she couldn't help grinning down at Yuzuki. "Have to say, that wasn't nearly as flashy as last time... and you failed then too."

[Yuzuki]

Yuzuki grit her teeth even more, trying to sit herself up when she heard Ryoko's voice. She was struggling, and only got halfway up before glaring at her friend and lifting her left arm, which was still somewhat usable at the moment. "I'll do it again. This time pointed at you."

Not able to keep much of her energy up for another strike, she let herself fall to the dirt. It wasn't as flashy as last time... stupid Ryoko. "Just..give me a second and I'll try it again. I just...have to rest first." Truth be told, all of Ryoko's teasing pushed Yuzuki further to try her hardest. She was a perfectionist, and always pushed herself to her limits but somehow, Ryoko seemed to push her further. It aggravated her as well as excited her at the same time. Though really aggravated her first.

After a moment, she began to try to get up once more. She grit her teeth as she forced her muscles to move, slowly getting up to her feet and breathing slightly heavily. Holding her pointer and middle finger out again, she felt her heart began to beat faster within her chest as she began the motions once more. Slowly, she brought her hands in the circular motion, blue lightning circulating around her fingers. A grin came to her lips, but quickly vanished as another flash of lightning hit her, this time causing a small explosion from the lightning she had managed to get in her hands. Skidding back across the dirt, her clothing singed and ripped in some placs, and some parts of her armor still being too hot to touch. It wasn't a large explosion, and probably only dirt and rocks would be around the area now. Where Yuzuki stood before was a pile of ashes, and she slowly clenched her fist, slamming it into the ground. "N..not..again..!"

Two strikes in a row. Now that was a first. She couldn't move now. This was something she was used to... temporary paralysis after being struck. Her nerves were shot, and she was glad that Ryoko was there in case anything else happened. Though who else would be out in the middle of a storm like this?

[Zecarius]

Ryoko couldn't help grinning wider now at her fallen friend, even though she had just received a death threat; it wasn't going to happen, at least not now. The fire bender loved to talk big, but she didn't seem to have control over the lightning, and until that time came, there wasn't a thing she could do that would be severely painful or punishing... even the lightning might not be so bad. Besides, even after traveling around and witnessing various types of bending, she had never seen a successful lightning bending before. So if her friend succeeded, well, goodie! It would be quite fun to watch. Besides, she was a perfectionist, that crazy lightning struck fire bender; there was no way she would rest until she had learned how to bend lightning, and then mastered it. That translated into more fun time watching her get shocked!

The air bender was surprised when Yuzuki got up, but finished fishing around in her sleeve to find what she was looking for: a small bag. She opened it, glancing at the other girl as she struck her pose, before digging again in the bag. A roll of bandages, a small bag of ice- well, now mostly cold water, though there was some ice left floating in it- a pair of rubber gloves, a spare kimono, and a bottle of ointment that helped muscles relax; she had put it together after hearing her friend's crazy plan to get struck by lightning to learn how to bend it. She mused for a moment, looking at Yuzuki, then at the bag; how much would she need this time....

A flash of lightning caused her to look up in time to see the fire bender fall to one knee; guessed she must have gotten struck again. Well, that was a first... good thing that Ryoko had been crouched down to avoid taking that bolt. The female smiled to herself as she pulled on the rubber gloves before pulling off some bandages; the rain soaked them to make them cold as she walked over and wrapped Yuzuki's hands in them. "Well, I'll have to say, that one was flashier," the air bender admitted, using the gloves to give a quick rub down of her friend's arms and legs to pick off any clinging static so she wouldn't get shocked. "Still, this is rather reckless... can't you ask your best ole pal the Fire Lord how to do it?" The gloves came off, and the ointment out so that she could rub Yuzuki's arms; she knew how much her friend hated the downtime when her tense muscles wouldn't move, and this helped speed up their recovery.

[Yuzuki]

That stupid little kit... the one kit that always showed up when she was outside in the storm. It helped, though, and the ointment only made her recovery faster. She could feel her muscles starting to relax as soon as it touched her skin, her slowly unclenching her teeth as she felt the feeling come back into the muscles in her face. "Tch, I don't need to ask the Fire Lord how to do this. Stupid .... probably wouldn't even.. know how... There hasn't been a lightning bender for over 300 years."

Yet, here she was, trying to do it. She would do it too. She did it once, so she could do it again. She just had to figure out a way to do it. After about a good fifteen minutes, she felt her muscles loosening up more, and more pain starting to seer through her body. Yeah, this one hurt... more than the others. Slowly forcing herself into a sitting position, she placed her burned hands in her lap, which were feeling better with the cool bandages. "Tell me, Ryoko. Why do you always come to my aid, even in this dangerous of weather? I'm curious."

It was sort of a ... normal thing for Yuzuki to always ask blunt questions and sometimes questions that seemed stupid. If a friend was in need, you would be there for them is generally how the term went. However, Yuzuki saw it as if you have a friend they are there to do your bidding without question and without threatening... though friends did need some manipulation at times.

[Zecarius]

Ryoko sighed as she finished her rubdown, wiping off the excess ointment onto a nearby piece of fabric that had fallen off from the last lightning blast, letting it flutter off into the wind after she was sufficiently dry. "I know, I know. You don't have to tell me; you've told me before, the monks told me before, everyone keeps telling me." She cocked her head to the side and put on a stern elderly expression, impersonating one of the elderly monks at the Northern Air Temple. "Avatar Aang helped restored balance and peace at the end of the great Fire War, which was the last time a lightning bender, both Princess Azula and her father Fire Lord Ozai, was ever seen. Since then, quite a few of the ancient bending secrets, such as lightning, as sunken into obscurity and vanished from the face of the planet, maybe lost for all time."

The air bender sighed and leaned backwards, falling on her back and getting her kimono wet, not that she cared at the moment; being out in the rain with only her fans to cover her had led her to become quite wet anyway. She'd leave the spare kimono in the bag, considering that at the rate this was going, Yuzuki would need it more than she would, since it would be wet clothes versus practically no clothes. Still, she couldn't wait for her friend to stop being ridiculous for now so they could go to a house where it would be dry. Ah, warmth, how she missed thee.

At the question, however, Ryoko lifted her head, studying her friend with her one good eye, her face bland. However, after a moment, a smile drifted onto her lips. "Isn't it obvious?" she said, not even bothering to sit up. "It's fun to watch you come out here and be a human lightning rod for pretty much no real reason; it's sparkly and eye catching and a good time for all." The smile slipped a bit, now only clinging to the edge of her lips. "Still, you're gonna get yourself obliterated one day... I don't know how you can get struck so many times and not have your heart just explode right in your chest!" She made a motion with her hands mimicing an exploding heart, complete with sound effects.

[Yuzuki]

Yuzuki stayed quiet as Ryoko impersonated one of the elderly monks, slowly looking down at her hands when she finished. Lost for all time? Ridiculous. There had to be some trace of it these bending skills... they weren't to just... disappear. How could they? Someone would have kept those secrets alive, whether in scrolls or... or someone just having enough willpower to do it. Like herself. Slowly lifting her head once more when Ryoko spoke about how fun it was to watch her, she narrowed her eyes. It was fun? "Princess Azula and Fire Lord Ozai were the strongest benders of their time, only defeated because of Avatar Aang and his stupid tricks. Since there is no Avatar this time around, there is nothing stopping me from becoming more powerful than Fire Lord Ozai or Princess Azula herself. "

Standing up from the dirt, forcing her body to move even though it was trying to force itself into lock down to recover. Usually after her lightning strikes she would be out for two to three days afterward. This time... once she fell asleep, who knew how long she'd be out. She was tired, her body ached, and at the moment, she was angry."I will not be obliterated by something that I can control. These secrets of bending... They cannot have just disappeared. They exist somewhere. "

Taking in a deep breath, she slowly closed her eyes. After grinning, she opened them, looking to Ryoko out of the corner of her eye. "And its simple as to why my heart hasn't exploded yet. I won't let it. If I can bend it and attract it to myself, that means I can stop it from hitting my heart. I've progressed in that aspect...But I grow tired. Let's go home. I need to rest."

Turning away from Ryoko, she began to walk back down the hill towards the Fire Nation Capital. Ever since she and Ryoko became friends she had made sure there was always a room available for Ryoko, and any other things Ryoko might want in the palace such as the Royal Spa. It was a perk to being close to the Fire Lord, and all. "I'll try again next time. I'm getting closer, Ryoko. But tell me... What news do you have of the other nations? About the Avatar?"

[Zecarius]

Ryoko listened to her friend's wild complaints about the avatar and his cheap tricks back then, though she didn't say anything either for or against the argument; though she couldn't deny that Azula and Ozai were two of the greatest fire benders in history, she still felt some pride and affection for the air nomad avatar, considering that he used the skills and strategies of the air benders in order to defeat enemies more powerful than himself. Really, two powerful warriors brought down by a goofy little kid... if Fire Lord Zuko hadn't taken over and smoothly transited the nation into a state of peace with a friendship with the avatar, then the Fire Nation would have been the laughing stock of the world.

However, she did sit up and shake one finger at Yuzuki, lightly clicking her tongue to reprimand her friend. "You are mistaken, dear friend; perhaps the lightning shorted out your brain or made you forget history class. They had one great advantage over you, besides bending lightning: the comet. I believe I have never seen you roast an entire countryside with merely your breath." She rested her head back down on the wet grass, watching the dark clouds rumble above them. "Besides, with your claws so deep into the Fire Lord and the resources of the nation, I would have thought you would have found where the secret of lightning bending is being hidden... but since you're out here sparkling, I guess not."

At the explanation of why there were no blood and heart bits everywhere, the air bender merely shrugged, getting up to her feet as she saw Yuzuki do the same. "Yes, and I see how bodily paralysis is a great improvement over an obliterated heart," she remarked with a smile, before trotting after the fire bender, opting to answer her other questions. "Not a peep about avatar sightings, in any of the four nations... though they all seem a bit suspicious if the avatar were to show up... you know, cause the avatar might support their home nation and just kinda wipe out the other three..." She shrugged. "Technically things would be peaceful then, though not balanced..."

Ryoko dug into her bag, and skipped forward to hold out the spare kimono to Yuzuki. "You might wanna slip this on before everyone gets an eyeful of your lovely lady bits. Just sayin'."

[Yuzuki]

Yuzuki had laughed, looking at her friend over her shoulder when she mentioned the comet. Sozin's comet helped greatly in starting the war, and it did increase Fire Lord Ozai and all of the firebenders power, but even then the Fire Lord and Princess Azula were stronger than any bender before the comet. They just needed the comet to intensify the strength of their warriors. "Who needs a comet to roast an entire countryside with my breath? I'll be powerful enough to do it without that comet." Speaking of claws, Yuzuki lifted her hand and looked to her fingernails, closing her eyes halfway. She would have to go to the royal spa and have them trimmed and polished... once her hands were healed, that is. "It is true, I do have a lot of resources within the Fire Nation. The only thing I've been able to find so far is a scroll by Fire Lord Zuko. It explained how to redirect lightning... and how is Uncle Iroh taught him how to do so."

Looking to her friend when she mentioned bodily paralysis, Yuzuki only scoffed starting to walk again. It was an improvement in her book, seeing as she wasn't dead and she could continue to push herself to become perfect at her arts. Besides, the paralysis didn't last for very long... and the recovery was getting shorter. "Good. If they knew anything about the Avatar they should know that she would not favor one nation over the other. The Avatar is supposed to bring balance through uniting all four nations. Which will never happen." Clenching her fist that she had been looking at, a burst of flames came around her hand before she placed it behind her back and continued to walk back towards home. She stopped, however, when Ryoko had held out the spare kimono.

Taking the kimono from Ryoko's hands, she thus began to take off her armor. It was still a bit hot to the touch, but she was used to the temperature. Fixing the kimono comfortably around herself, she turned back to Ryoko. "Thank you, Ryoko. Will you be staying in the palace tonight? I think we need to discuss more about these scrolls and bending arts. "

[Zecarius]

Ryoko yawned a bit at the lecture about the fire benders, and waved one hand lazily; ever since she had met Yuzuki, the other female seemed almost obsessed with teaching her on how superior fire bending was to the other bending arts. Not that she minded the lectures; they were interesting at parts, but eventually all became repetitive. Still, she couldn't resist a final barb. "Well, tell ya what: once you do breathe fire and can burn down an entire countryside by yourself, I'll be more apt to believe you. All of the flaming and smoking I've seen of you recently has come from lightning and not from your own hands, so I am a bit... unimpressed. Maybe you should pay more attention to that scroll so you can at least stop roasting yourself; it can't be good for your muscles."

The air bender ignored the scoffing, as always, and nodded in agreement; the avatar was usually an unbiased sort that balanced out the entire world. Still, considering that the world was at war, everyone was suspicious of everyone else... and especially since the avatar was a fire bender now, it seemed almost like a death toll for the other nations, the metaphorical final nail in the coffin... after all, with the power of the avatar on their side, the Fire Nation should just be able to mop up the world... if the avatar worked that way, which she did not.

Ryoko looked up to notice that the storm clouds were rolling away from their current destination, which would mean that the rain on top of them would stop soon, fortunately. Her cloud gazing also allowed her to avoid having to watch the fire bender change into a less revealing outfit, which was always good. At the question, she grinned, before placing a hand dramatically on her forehead. "Oh, you're letting little ole me into your big fancy palace? I was going to sleep in the dirt under a pile of rocks! I never would have thought about a real bed in a real house!"

[Yuzuki]

"Don't worry, Ryoko. I've been practicing with that scroll as well." She motioned over to a jagged mountain that was near the two of them, it having a rather large hole in it with singes and burns all around. That was her doing. She redirected the lightning at first, and then tired her "flashy" bending, as Ryoko would have put it. "If I don't make the correct path then the lightning will be directed at my heart, and then well... I wouldn't be here."

Yuzuki only rolled her eyes, a small smile coming to her lips at Ryoko's dramatic response to staying in the palace. Hardly ever would she smile like this, or let anyone see it. Even though she'd try to hide it from Ryoko there was no denying at times... the airbender made her smile. Made her feel like she was a kid again, and that she wasn't... well, trying to be perfect in everything that she did. Feeling her muscles tense a bit more, she motioned for Ryoko to follow her. "I think we better go visit our little friend. It's her fifteenth birthday today, after all. It would only be polite."

Yuzuki had paid close attention in her history classes, as well as within all the government meetings her father took her to when she was little. This only made her planning and tactical means the more unusual for her age. She knew the Avatar would be born into the Fire Nation. The previous Avatar was an earthbender. Going by the cycle of the Avatar the next Avatar would be a firebender. Born within her nation, and able to easily be captured.

[Zecarius]

Ryoko glanced to the side at the mountain the fire bender pointed, and whistled slightly at the various craters and burns; by the looks of things, she had been practicing that a lot... or got struck a lot more than she wanted to give. "From the looks of that, you got that redirecting thing down pat," she remarked, before smiling at her friend. "If that's the case, you don't have to try to impress and amuse me with your shocking meltdowns; you can just redirect it and not fall over twitching while I'm there. I'm sure that's a sight to behold in and of itself." She did want to see this lightning redirecting thing... and maybe learn it, since it didn't sound too fire bender-y; it would be helpful in case her friend got a twitchy finger and decided to let loose on her.

The air bender couldn't resist smirking as well to Yuzuki's smile; it was rare that the other female would smile without it being filled with menace and jagged teeth, but she seemed to have a knack to draw a more serene smile out. It was nice; it made her friend seem less like a vicious blood thirsty fire breathing monster.... well, just less of one. She wasn't the nicest girl in the world, but she at least hadn't just destroyed everything with the flames. She had even given the nomad a place to stay when she came to the Fire Nation, which made them friends; she could be nice... it mainly came down to if she wanted to be.

However, at the last remark, Ryoko's eyes widened a bit, and she gasped, covering her mouth with one hand. "Her fifteenth birthday? Already?" she said, before digging her hand into her kimono, removing various objects to hold in her other hand as she continued to search. "We can't go just yet! I don't have a birthday present for her! How can we go visit without having a proper gift to give?! That would be just rude!" She tried to think; what would be a good birthday present she could quickly pick up?

[Yuzuki]

"Don't be ridiculous, she doesn't need a birthday present. If anything you could pick her flowers or something on the way." She knew Ryoko probably wouldn't go without a gift anyway, and to delay any further interruptions she suggested the flowers. That way, they would not have to stop long, and then she could get home faster.

It didn't take long to get to where they were hiding the young Avatar. She was not being imprisoned in Boiling rock or anything of the sort, but a special location that really only Yuzuki and Ryoko knew about within the mountain range. It was within an underground cavern, complete with a small lake. Walking in with her hands behind her back, she stopped in front of a young girl who had her hands chained above her head. She wasn't en expert firebender, so just tying her hands would be simple enough.

Yuzuki had learned of the new Avatar's discovery before the young firebender herself even knew. She was only thirteen at the time when Yuzuki had captured her, using the rue that her family was in a conspiracy against the Fire Nation. The priests at the Fire Nation temple foresaw the coming of the New Avatar, and through threatening and manipulation, the priests never told the public or spoke of the new Avatar again. It was perfect.

"We came to wish you a happy birthday, Avatar. "

[Zecarius]

Ryoko paused in her scouring to listen to the other girl speak, her expression brightening. "Oh, that's a great idea!" she replied, pausing now to shove everything back into her kimono as it was, so that she could walk comfortably. She reached down, plucking up a few flowers and a small piece of grass to bind them together, before generating a burst of wind to dry off her, the plants in her hand, and her friend; since it had stopped raining on top of them, and the storm had rolled on, it was safe for them to get dry and not have to worry about getting wet again. She carefully followed her friend down to the cave, smiling as she went; even if the girl was being held prisoner, she was still a nice girl.

At the sound of the fire bender's voice, the chained girl slowly opened her eyes to look up, hoping that it wasn't who she thought it was... but of course it would be; who else knew about this place where she had been imprisoned? It was only the stuffy rude fire girl and her creepily cheery one eyed friend. She tried to hock up some saliva to spit at her captor in defiance, but couldn't really get anything, considering that she hadn't had much to drink. She opted instead to just glare at the "good" wishes. "Go soak your fat head, you witch. We both know that you aren't here to wish me a happy birthday; you're here to mock me. I want to burn that smirk right off your face!"

Ryoko pouted as she stepped around Yuzuki, and held out the makeshift bouquet. "Awwww, don't be like that, Hiza-chan. Look; I brought you some flowers even as a gift! Sorry, I forgot to get something else... but I can get you a vase and put them here and they will liven up this place quite a bit!" She nodded, acting as if the avatar had chosen to be in this cave instead of being held here as a prisoner.

Hiza glared for a moment, then sighed, forcing a small smile. "Fine, fine, thank you. You know what else would be a great birthday present? Letting me out of these shackles!" She looked at Yuzuki overly hopeful, a large grin splitting her face; it was... rather creepy, to be honest.

[Yuzuki]

Yuzuki let out a dry laugh as Hiza had tried to spit at her, not even having enough saliva to spit at her. How pathetic. This girl couldn't even bend properly, let alone spit water. Such an easy capture... and an easy captive. At the comment of soaking her head, she narrowed her eyes. "That isn't a very proper greeting. Back home we simply respond with a simple "hello". You best watch your tongue, Hiza. Keep at it like that and Ryoko and I won't come to visit you."

Yuzuki kept her hands behind her back, watching Hiza rather closely as she went through her emotions. Typical of a young child. It was true, though, that she was just here to mock the girl. Her smirk had widened slightly, seeing the creepy grin upon Hiza's face. She wanted out of the shackles, did she? Did she need to be taught a lesson about being a obedient little captive? Closing her eyes and motioning to Ryoko. "Very well. Ryoko, let her out of her shackles."

When she opened her eyes once more to watch Ryoko take off the chains, there was a glint in her eye. She was hoping that Hiza would try to escape, so she could use her bending and torture the little girl. She needed to be taught a lesson. She let her hands fall to her sides, keeping the smirk upon her lips. Her body temperature was already rising, as she was getting ready to strike at Hiza if she dare try to do anything stupid.