Avatar: TLA (Necro and Kuroi01)

[Kuroi01]

Zuko quickly got dressed looking very messy while Azula was now also dressed looking completely proper, the young prince wasn't used to being woken up so roughly or so crudely.


xxx


Azula went to Zuko's room and was surprised to see her brother looking so sloppy.

 

[NecroKnight]

"Now, ready. And follow me!" replied Ly, turning about in a very disciplined military-fashion - marching out with hopefully the sleepy prince following him. Giving a nod of morning to Azula, as she passed by her - looking the usual ready and proper as Azula would this time around.

 

[Kuroi01]

Azula was shocked and just walked away shaking her head a bit as she decided to go 'feed' the turtle ducks the way she liked to do it.


xxx


Meanwhile Zuko was trailing along slowly really not wanting to be up yet.

 

[NecroKnight]

Zuko for the most part- got treated to what Azula usually did everyday. Ly partaking in the same exercises with him - albeit she to her, she barely showed any exhaustion.


He was ordered, to continue with was about a thousand kata-moves and two thousand breathing exercises, while Ly soon lead away his mother, whom had come to check up on them.


xxx


For Azula, feeding the ducks or whatever this felt like - she could soon hear the sound of yelling nearby, slowly approaching her location. One of them was Ly, and the other was...her mother?

 

[Kuroi01]

Zuko hated doing Azula's work as it was more than four times the pressure and difficulty of his own work outs and he found himself failing over and over. Soon he was on the ground panting heavily trying to regain his breath, he felt sick in the stomach and he saw dots in front of his eyes after the first few hours without break.


Xxx


Azula's enjoyed her free time even though it was rather weird havi free time and every now and then she did some fire bending. Her peaceful time ended when she heard her mother of all people yelling.

 

[NecroKnight]

"...Ursa, she is your own daughter!" yelled Ly, sounding rather angry. "Your acting like Ozai, playing favorite..."


"That isn't true Ly."





"It is - do you even know what she usually does? What Zuko was doing just a minute ago, wasn't me playing hard - it is what Azula usually does. You ask 'what is wrong with her' - there is your answer. That is what Azula usually does everyday; so do you mind her being a little of a troublemaker?" asked Ly, silencing her mother for a moment. "I'd have a problem, if it was in reverse and Azula was slacking around - she is usually working, what the average firebender does in a week."


"Damnit Ursa, I hate yelling at you. Your the only mother-figure I have left anymore - and I don't even have neither of my parents anymore." A sigh escaped from Ly' lips, as she soon started speaking again. "She is your child, how can you say, your afraid of your own child? If my dad, said that do me - I wouldn't been a wreck."


"...I did this swap. So Zuko could see, why her sister is always so 'snappy'. And for Azula to catch a break for once in her life. You've hung around with Zuko everyday. How about you go now, spend some time with Azula?"


"I...I don't know how. She is so high-strong, I don't even know, what she likes to do...."





"Then go figure out - that is what being a parent is about. Now go. Azula is by the pond, I'll return to Zuko. And don't worry, a trip to healer won't be needed. You just focus on Azula, for today..." said Ly, soon her footsteps leaving the area - and her mother' footsteps approaching Azula' location.


xxx


Ly soon enough returned to where Zuko was - obviously keeled over. "Need some water?" she asked, crouching to his height. She was still confused on why the boy whom was two years older than her sister - lacked the physical or breath control necessary to remain this active.

 

[Kuroi01]

Azula was sitting by the turtle duck pond watching the turtle ducks stay as far from her as they could and she noticed the mother protecting one child more than the other and she threw a rock at the mother angrily then went to the abandoned child and held out her hand. "Come on, I'm going to roast your mother and unless you'd like to join her..." The turtleduckling however stuck with its mother and the larger bird quacked at her angrily and she walked away from the now super hot water.


Xxx


Zuko got up and nodded. "Yeah... Are you sure... Azula does this... Every day?" He asked panting heavily, he wasn't even sure he'd make it through the day and he hadn't even performed half as good as Azula.

 

[NecroKnight]

Her mother soon appeared, nearby Azula - she looked a little uneasy around Azula, but soon enough, dissipated that feeling and patted Azula' shoulder. "What are you doing, dear?"


xxx


"Indeed, I am," replied Ly, helping Zuko up by his arm, and helping him to a bucket of water. "WE still got stuff to do - so try to keep up."

 

[Kuroi01]

The girl looked up at her mother surprised for a moment then looked away again, the pond was still bubbling a little and the turtle Ducks had flown away. "I offered the abandoned child a new home and it decided to stay with its unattentative mother."


Xxx


"Can't I... Have a..., break? Just a few minutes..." He panted not wanting to do anymore at that time.

 

[NecroKnight]

Ursa sighed at that statement, no doubt Azula' way of trying to appear what she was. Azula was such a troublemaker usually, what would she like to do. "Everybody has their own mother to take care of them - even if they don't pay attention, doesn't mean that they don't care. Come on, Ly adviced me to do something with you, and I might know something that you might enjoy."


xxx


"...alright fine. No use, if you keel over now..." sighed Ly, taking a seat while Zuko rested. "You train your endurance mostly, muscles and skill are useless, if you don't have enough energy to use them."

 

[Kuroi01]

"Yes but the mother didn't care for the other one when they were both threatened, I could have easily roasted the damn thing." She said annoyed, she stopped for a moment when her mother mentioned doing something she might like. As if the woman spent enough time with her to know anyhing about what she liked. " And what might that be?"


Xxx


"I've never trained this hard before... I only do a few hours a day and even then it's not at the crack of dawn."

 

[NecroKnight]

"Follow me," replied Ursa, a slight smile on her face - it was something she had done, when she had been a young girl around the palace or around her own house.


xxx


"Now you know, what me, Ozai or Azula does everyday," replied Ly, looking no worse than usual for those exercises. "My father, Iroh said that firebending is about the breath. Not the muscles."

 

[Kuroi01]

Azula went with her mother having no idea of what was going to happen but she doubted it was going to be anything too fun, her mother never played with her.


xxx


"Why aren't I trained like this too? I wasn't ever given training like this at any age, what makes me so different to her?!"

 

[NecroKnight]

"To borrow a phrase from my dad - no wind is going to blow, rock gonna move, fire burn nor water splash, if the bender doesn't want it to. You lacked the skill and drive that Azula had," replied Ly. "I can teach you that, if you got the will to push on."


xxx


In the Palace Garden, a young guard was making his route around the place - keeping an eye out for any and all threats that would harm the ROyal Family or Fire Lord. As such, he didn't pay much attention, when a peach came loose from the tree he was walking under and smacked him on the helmet.


"....wha...who?" muttered the guard, looking at the peach on the ground, then what was followed by two more onto his head. Looking up into the three he saw nothing, its branches were two small to hold a human or child. But why did they fall - as soon as said guard, tried to pick up them peaches - four more fell onto his helmet. Turning up the irritation, that he was feeling.


In a hidden bush, nearby Ursa was teaching Azula the art of stealth, skill, precision - or namely dropping peaches onto guards, without being seen or heard. Ursa sending another small ember into a stump, releasing four more peaches that dropped onto the guard - until said guard, finally yelled in anger.

 

[Kuroi01]

He nodded. "I want to become stronger." He said firmly but in his heart he couldn't find a strong enough drive to really be able to push his own limkts further than he already had.


xxx


Azula put a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud at the guard. Soon she tried it and dropped another few peaches on the guard's head, it was a little troublesome keeping the flame small then putting it out after the peach fell.

 

[NecroKnight]

"I'll see to it, that you can be. Firstly, do you know what area you are lacking in?" asked Ly - liking Zuko' passion. But without skill and will, it wouldn't be much good.


xxx


Said guard soon enough lost it, and started kicking several peaches around him - until he slipped on one, and fell over. Soon enough, taking one a chucking it another guard, that was doing its rounds. That descended into the second guard starting to chase their 'tortured' guard further into the Palace.


Ursa herself chuckling at the sight, now that nobody could hear their mischief.


"...that never gets old..."

 

[Kuroi01]

"Whenever Uncle used to train me he said that I lacked proper breath control..." He said and shrugged a bit not really sure about it, it seem r simple enough though.


xxx


Azula burst out laughing as well surprised that her mother actually had a sense of humour, she just never seemed the sort of person who would tease and torment someone just to get a laugh. "I'm sure it doesn't." She agreed calming down.

 

[NecroKnight]

"...that is the basic stuff. My dad might've been a old, happy, fat man - but he knew his stuff," spoke Ly. "Your not an earthbender, where movement is key. Fire is generated, breathing. It is one of the reasons, why Azula - normally smaller can last longer than you."


"Its all about breath - once that is mastered, it doesn't matter then, how strong your opponent is. As 'even the strongest warriors need air'," she added. "If you want to get better, you should start from there. Doing exercises to improve your breathing - try doing very physical exercises, while keeping your breathing steady..."


xxx


"...I got a few other stuff, that my mom taught me, I'll show you in the garden. Come on..." said Ursa, as she lead Azula along to the garden; on the way she shook hands with a guard. Then wiped said hand against her robes - the why she did that, came soon enough; as one guard sneezed hard enough to cause his partner to jump in fright.


"Like a warning, next time...." said the guard, having jumped almost a metre backwards.

 

[Kuroi01]

He nodded a bit listening to her lecture, even though he did work hard it seemed he always managed to neglect the single most important part of fire bending. No wonder his own father always paid more attention to Azula, her breathing and technique were amazing for her age. Beyond what would have been expected of someone his age too.


xxx


Azula smirked as she saw the guard sneeze so loud his partner jumped, she was surprised by it too but she managed to keep her composure. "What did you do?" She asked as they were walking away from them again.

 

[NecroKnight]

"So you understand? Wanting to get started?" asked Ly, ready to teach Zuko into something useful than from his usual state. "It is one of the basic things taught - but its one of the key features to becoming a master firebender; and one thing that many firebenders forget."


xxx


"Powdered leaves of a Dragon Drop Flower - sweet to smell, but very irridating if its juice gets into your eyes or nose," spoke Ursa - bringing her hand to her mouth and suddenly breathing green flames. "...and it burns with a greenish hue, once ignited. I'm not sure if you have learned botany yet 'Zula - but I have a dozen plants in my garden, that produce, what you might find 'interesting'."

 

[Kuroi01]

Zuko nodded though he was still somewhat out of breath and would be unlikely to actually achieve anything for a while, throughout their training he'd been shocked time and again that Azula had been doing things like this since she was young but he had hardly done anything like this his whole life.


xxx


"Father always said that botany is useless to us, but I guess it's always possible for him to be wrong about such things... I'd be grateful if you'd show me your garden." She said surprised that she had said that her father could be wrong about something, she knew that he'd be mad if he found out but no one else was there.

 

[NecroKnight]

"With that - lets take us, to the very basics, show me your breathing," spoke Ly, getting back-up, not even slightly tired.


"Show me how you usually breathe, when you prepare to firebend or when you perform physical exercises."


xxx


"Oh, sure. Ozai says that my hobby of gardening weeds is a waste of time - but when he gets sick or the cold, I'm usually always the first one he comes to," replied Ursa, then giving a slight chuckle at what she was about to say. "...also. This being our little secret dear, despite your dad being the epidome of 'efficency' and 'work', he likes to paint when nobody is looking."


They soon arrived in the inside of a garden, the usual place, where she saw her mother disappear when she had practice. The different sights and smells immediately assaulting her view - plants of all shape and size. Some that looked like simple flowers and a few that looked like nasty roots from some colony.


"...and when he is in a really sour mood..." said Ursa, plucking a large leaf from a plant with thorny roots. Eating it, and...then spoke, her voice a really high pitch-sounding, like a circus comedian. "I usually stick one of these in his tea...."


(Imagine the feeling of consuming helium - that what Ursa just did)

 

[Kuroi01]

Zuko showed her his breathing technique which was poor and hardly allowed him to use any real power, one of the main things he was behind Azula in was after all breathing.


--


Azula was amazed by all the things her mother knew and she was honestly surprised that the woman would spend time with her like this, it made her really happy to just have her mother to herself for once and to not see that disappointed look in her eyes which before had been ever present. Like no matter what she did there was absolutely no pleading her.

 

[NecroKnight]

"Alright, alright. We need to build-up your stamina, start by doing simple push-ups. Do a few, but while you are doing them - trying control your breathing, so that when your muscles move, you feel like your entire body is moving like one being or one river," adviced Ly, going into a similar stance. Doing one down, breathing-in and up, breathing out. "Try to counter-balance your sense of breathing, so that you feel - that every time you take breath, your body winds up. And when you breath-out, your release that energy, going out - lighting the embers of your fire."


"Remember, breathe - readying yourself...and out, unleashing fire. If you don't balance this, your flow of energy will become counter-induitive. One portion of your body is focusing on breathing...the other on firebending. You get this into rhythm, and from there on - its just increasing the amount of fire, you can bend in one breath..." explained Ly. "Okay, you give it a go now."


xxx


"So, uhm, Azula. Pick out one plant or flower, you think - would have something interesting, hidden away inside of them. And I'll explain what they are and what they can do," spoke Ursa. "Its how my own mother taught me, its easier to show remember something, if you have inert wish to learn it yourself. So, anything caught your eye?"

 

[Kuroi01]

He nodded and started doing push ups, he was alright with his breathing as he started but after a while his breathing pattern got messy and more random. Sometimes he would breathe in going down and out going up or even not at all for an entire rep, he just couldn't balance the physical action with his breathing so in the end he got out of breath faster than he should have with the amount of strength he possessed.


xxx


She picked out a red flower with thorns that looked like it had some kind of poisonous properties which might be useful to her some time in the future. "What does this one do?" She asked holding it very carefully.