Mizumi (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Chapter 2: Sisters

Mizumi ran as fast as her feet could carry her. She was late, very late, for something she knew had to be important; Master Yogonda wouldn't have asked her to come in at such short notice otherwise.

After a bit more running Mizumi finally made it to her destination.

"Sorry I'm late Master," she said with a bow, "I was just-"

"No need to apologize, child, you're here no sooner than I expected" Yogonda said with a kind smile.

Mizumi laughed sheepishly; yes, this wasn't the first time she was late, in fact she had probably been late to every single healing class she had taken.

"You wanted to see me Master?". Today wasn't scheduled for a class, so when Mizumi had been told Yogonda would be expecting her she was very surprised.

"Yes. Follow me."

Yogonda led her to the dummy they used to practice healing and stood to the side.

"Mizumi, could you please demonstrate your technique."

"Um, sure Master."

Mizumi was confused Yogonda had seen her technique a thousand times, she was the one that taught her after all.

While Mizumi felt no different than at all the other classes, Master Yogonda seemed to have noticed something Mizumi hadn't, but decided against saying anything.

"Good, Mizumi, could you please follow me?" she said as she started to walk away.

Mizumi said nothing and started to follow her. She was leading her somewhere she had been once before when there had been a big accident in construction and the tribe was short on Master Healers.

When they had arrived Yogonda stopped next to a man who had a heavily bandaged arm and began to remove his wrappings.

"Mizumi could you please heal this man's arm?"

Mizumi was in shock. She had only practiced healing on people one time and it had been on only the smallest of injuries, but this man seemed to have a chunk taken out of his arm.

"M-Master? A-are you sure you want me to-"

"Yes." she said with and encouraging smile.

Mizumi doubted herself all too often and Yogonda knew that, but she also knew that Mizumi was gifted and that if she had a bit more confidence, she might do great things.

Mizumi took a deep breath and covered her hands in water from a bowl that was near the bed the man was on. In an instant the water began to glow vibrantly. Mizumi inhaled again and applied her hands to the man's wound.

It was a slow process; the wound was very deep and seem like nothing could really be done, but she was making progress, slowly, yes, but it was still progress.

When she had finished the man had a nasty scar, but there was no longer a gash in his arm.

"How does it feel?" Yogonda asked the man.

The man moved his arm tentatively, and smiled, "Good as new", then he smiled kindly and turned to Mizumi, "Thank you."

"Just doing what I was trained for." she replied smiling just as kind.

"Mizumi, please come with me."

Mizumi followed after Yogonda until they were far enough to not be heard.

"Mizumi, I have known for some time now that there is no more I can teach you."

"Oh, I don't believe that, Master."

"And that is why I have not said anything before." said Yogonda with a smile.

"Forgive me if I don't follow, Master."

"You see that man you just healed?" she said pointing in the direction they had come from, "His wound was so deep it reached his bone. I had tried to heal him, but I only managed to mend the bone and stop the bleeding."

"But then how did I-"

"That is what I have been trying to get you to see, my child." She said putting her hand on Mizumi's shoulder. "You have a gift, one that goes farther than what can be attained from skill.", she smiled proudly and at the girl's troubled look she continued, "You are now a Master Healer."

"I'm, but-Thank you Master.", said Mizumi with a bow. No matter how she tried she could not find a way to contradict Yogonda, she had seen the proof herself; now she realized that she was really holding herself back more than she had known.

~o~o~o~

Mizumi made her way to the palace. The guards there knew her, so they let her in without a second glance. As she made her way to Yue's room she suddenly realized Yue's birthday was tomorrow and she hadn't gotten her anything yet. She would have to deal with that later...

"Hi, Yue."

"Hi, Zumi."

Yue was sitting on her bed brushing her hair. Zumi went to go sit with her.

"So, what did you want to show me?" asked Yue.

"Oh, yeah." In her recent excitement Zumi had completely forgotten about that. "But you've got to hear this first! I'm finally a Healing Master!" she said raising her hands in exclamation.

"That's great, Zumi.", said Yue, happy about her best friend's achievement.

"And about what I wanted to show you, I found out how to do this!" she said as she waved her hand through the air and surrounded her hand with small droplets of water.

Yue stared at her friend wide-eyed "How did you...?"

Zumi smiled "I figured that if there was moisture in the air there had to be a way to extract it to form water, I've been practicing for months and I finally figured it out! Even though I can't really extract much water yet... "

Yue smiled at her friend, but quickly changed her expression to a worried one "But if someone had seen you..."

"Who could have seen me at my house?" Zumi replied with a raised eyebrow.

"What if Master Pakku had-"

"I wasn't practicing when he was around, Yue, I'm not dumb."

But Yue still looked worried. Mater Pakku was the Waterbending instructor in the Northen Water Tribe, and he had been giving private lessons to Zumi's brother since a few months after their arrival. It was forbidden for women to learn Waterbending in the North, so if Pakku was ever to... No, but that wouldn't happen.

"I know, it's just, I worry for you. You're my sister" Yue said with a soft smile.

"You're my sister too." Zumi said and embraced her best friend, her sister.