A Beautiful Flame: ~Rules Are Rules~

Chapter 4 (Pt. 1)

After that day, Omi's mother was more frequently sent to town for errands, of course, she would bring her child along with her. Some days they won't even go shopping for food ingredients, the princess herself would send letters relying only Omi's mother, to deliver for her. Omi sometimes wonder if this was a sign that the princess already knew she was a slave, and that she doesn't want her near her or her son, she felt alone once again, but what made the market really nice was the people, the food, the smell, and best of all, the school were she would catch a sight at the fire bending students practice and learn new skills.

Whenever her mother told her to wait while she searched through a fruit stand, Omi would run up to the crates and peek through the high window on the wall to observe the class. When she'd came home, she would sneak into the secret garden, and practice everything she learned by watching them.

And every morning she would pass a hall where she peeked outside, watching Zuko and Azula learn their fire bending with the master, only this time, she was much more careful onto never getting caught again.

A year passed, It was long ago when Omi realized that she was never been able to talk to Zuko. She's seen him around of course, especially on his birthday, while she was helping everyone prepare for a banquet in his honor, her mother told her to keep herself from making an eye contact or speaking unless spoken to.

But when she noticed Zuko entering the hall, she couldn't help it, she needed to talk to him, at least congratulate him and wish him well. All the other servants and maids were doing it. Why couldn't she?

Zuko remembered that morning as well, when he wondered through the banquet hall, all the servants and maids were kind enough to bow and congratulate him on his birthday, well, maybe they were paid to do that.

But then he spotted one person that he knew she wouldn't lie. Omi was carrying a vase full of pink flowers to her mother. He cocked his head, Omi was older as well, just like him today, how could he had miss it? He wanted to run up to her, but his mother came in before he could move another muscle.

"What are you doing here, birthday boy?" His mother asked,

"Come, I have a surprise for you," She said, taking him away before he could say anything else.

He looked back at Omi, she had a bored and yet saddened face while she handed the flowers to her mother.

He regretted not talking to her.

One afternoon, Omi practiced all that she ever learned from watching the Masters of fire bending from the market place, never forgetting her basics. She focused, breathed and balanced, then she would leap, kick and striked, punched and blow, not letting one piece of grass, leaf nor petal singed. Suddenly, she remembered what master Oashi once said to his pupils:

~... you will present a choreography to the fire lord, everything you have learn up till now...~

So that's what she decided to do.

She breathed and relaxed, then she balanced her stance onto one perfect pose, enough to amaze any fire bending teacher, she striked firmly yet softly letting her fire flow like fiery snake tongues, spinning once and fiercely, she made her fiery snake tongues dissapeared as she exhaled, she pulled her arms close to her body and breathed once more, then she striked everywhere sending discs of fire everywhere, she did a bridge bend and back kicked, drawing fire like drawing drawing a circle. She jumped up with her fists on fire, landing on her feet, and body crouched down.

The wind picked up, allowing her to breath in the air, she was controlled, she was burning inside, and yet, she was calm.