𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙜𝙚𝙨 » sokka {1}

18

chapter eighteen

Zuko gathered all the medicines and supplies Yanmei asked for from a town over while the girl took care of Iroh. she knew that Azula was capable of doing something like this, but never expected for it to actually happen. she placed a wet cloth on his forehead and poured the herbal tea she had just made into three cups. Zuko came back from town with more blankets and food, enough to last them another day or two.

the sound of Iroh stirring awake disrupted their silence, "uncle? you were unconscious" Zuko spoke as Yanmei helped the man sit up, "Azula did this to you. it was a surprise attack"

"somehow that's not so surprising" Iroh said, swatting the girls hand away as he sat up on his own.

Yanmei picked up a cup of tea for Iroh, "drink this, it'll help with the pain"

Iroh drank from the cup and grinned in delight, "you remembered the recipe I taught you"

Yanmei smiled with a laugh, "it's been a daily use lately, someone's always getting into trouble, usually Sokka with his 'the world is against me' attitude"

the two laughed as Zuko sat in silence. he missed how things used to be, before he and Yanmei betrayed each other and everything wasn't so tense. Zuko cleared his throat and the two others turned to him, "so uncle... I've been thinking. it's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again, I'm going to need to know some more advanced fire bending techniques if I'm going to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say; she's my sister and I should try getting along with her"

"no. she's crazy and needs to down," Iroh said, the two teens not expecting those words, but agreeing nonetheless. Iroh stood up with the help of Yanmei, "it's time to resume your training"

the three firebenders now sat around the tea kettle, drinking tea to 'calm the mind' as Iroh taught Zuko about lighting, "some call lighting the cold-blooded fire, it is precise and deadly, like Azula. to preform the technique requires peace of mind"

they then moved outside, to the edge of the cliff, to demonstrate the technique Iroh used, and the same one he had taught Yanmei.

"there is energy all around us. the energy is both Yin and Yang, positive energy and negative energy, only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. this creates an imbalance. the energies want to restore balance, and in the moment, the positive and negative energies come crashing back together. you provide release and guidance, creating lighting"

Iroh demonstrates one of the techniques, using his hands to guide the energy of lighting, and then releasing it up into the sky. Zuko stares with wide eyes of amazement, and Yanmei nods with a smile.

"I'm ready to try it!" Zuko exclaims.

Yanmei's eye practically bulged out of her head, "Zuko I don't think-"

"-remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it. you are simply it's humble guide. breathe first" Zuko takes a deep breathe and mimics the technique.

Yanmei stands beside Iroh, "he's not going to be able to do it"

"I know," Iroh nods, "but he needs to learn somehow"

++++++++

all day, Yanmei watched from afar as the uncle and nephew bonded over bending. she loved to see that they were finally getting along after all these years. she had tried to get Zuko to believe in his uncle and bond with him for years, but apparently all it took was for her to not be around anymore. as the sun started to set, Iroh decided to use another technique, one he invented when studying waterbending when helping Yanmei master it. waterbending used a careful flow that allowed benders to redirect their opponents moves against them. that's how Yanmei mastered lightning bending so easily and became a great firebender, she used her waterbending techniques as an advantage to make herself stronger.

this technique was her favorite, seeing as it used both of her bending styles, so she decided to join the boys in practice. 

"if you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it," Iroh raised his arms, "you must create a pathway from your fingertips, up your arm to your shoulder, then down into your stomach. the stomach is the source of energy in your body. from your stomach you direct it up again and out the other arm. the stomach detour is critical, you must not let the lightning pass through your heart, or the damage could be deadly"

that was one of Yanmei's biggest fears, the lightning getting to her heart. she had been perfecting this for years and only used it a select number of times and thankfully she did it right every time. but since Azula knew lightning too, she was afraid she would get a surprise attack herself, and she couldn't redirect it.

after only a short amount of time on this technique, Zuko figured that he was ready to try it with real lightning. the skilled benders knew he wasn't, he was too reckless. but alas, Zuko set off on the ostrich horse to get his own lightning, since they wouldn't shoot any at him.

 Yanmei watched as a storm headed their way, and she knew she had to help Zuko, even if they were on bad terms. she turned to Iroh, "I have to help him"

"my nephew needs you now more than ever. he doesn't listen to me, but he will listen to you" Iroh said> Yanmei nodded and started to run in the direction Zuko went. she noticed the ostrich horse at the bottom of a mountain, so she figured he would be at the top. when she reached the top the storm around them had grew and wind and rain flew all around.

"come on! strike me! you've never held back before!" Zuko yelled from the top of the mountain. Yanmei reached him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"we need to leave, Zuko. it's dangerous up here!" she practically yelled since the storm was so loud. Zuko shook his head and pushed her away.

"I can do it! i don't need you!" those last words felt like a stab in the heart to Yanmei. if he didn't need her then why does he always want her to stay?

a tear ran down her cheek, "Zuko, please" she pleaded. she knew that if they stood there any longer then they would get lightning, and that wasn't a good thing. 

Zuko turned to see the sadness in the girls features and his face fell, "I need to prove them wrong, all of them"

Yanmei stepped closer to him and wrapped him in a hug, "you are strong, Zuko. you don't need lightning to prove that, especially to them" she let go and grabbed his hand, pulling him down the mountain, but he stopped

"I'm sorry I left you"

"Zuko-"

"-I was just so mad at you for leaving me. I wanted you to feel the pain I felt, and that was wrong of me to do. I'm so sorry, Yanmei. I made a promise to mother to protect you, and all I did was hurt you"

Yanmei wiped the tears from his cheek, she hadn't seen him this upset since his mother left. she lifted his chin up to where he made eye contact with her, "you're forgiven, Zuko. I shouldn't have left you the way i did, you didn't deserve that, and I'm sorry for that"

"please don't leave again," Zuko whispered, "I can't lose you too"

that was a promise she couldn't keep. she had to go back to Sokka and the others at some point, they were her family too. but she couldn't tell Zuko that yet, he would be devistated. she gave Zuko a tight lipped smile, "you won't lose me. I'm not leaving anytime soon"