Between Fire and Water

Her Early Chaos

In the year 135 AG, a baby girl was born to a water bending father and a non bending mother. The mother named her daughter Zishi, as she hoped the girl would grow up to follow her footsteps in protecting the world. However, the mother argued often with her husband over the baby's fate, until she became so fed up with the quarrels that she left. Jiyuan, the girl's father, was forced to raise his daughter alone. He opened a tea shop, growing the plants and serving each customer himself, all while watching over his daughter. She matured quickly, showing an interest in schooling and her water bending from an early age. She picked up water bending easily, entertaining customers as she tried to dance with the water she was bending. 

Zishi was never very popular at school because she was too stubborn and flighty. She was never disliked however; the young girl was quick to defend anyone from any bully, and even faster to knock the bully down a few pegs whenever they refused to apologize. Jiyuan enrolled her into dance classes, but Zishi abandoned it, claiming it was not exciting enough. She started running instead, and when pro bending became a sport, she immediately fell in love. Her natural tenacity and intuition proved just as invaluable as her innate abilities with water bending. Her team, Soaring Turtle Ducks, won quite often due to her lightning fast reflexes and quick thinking. However,  she usually came home with a plethora of bruises from disks that she couldn't dodge. Still, she was undeterred and kept at the new sport. 

Jiyuan suggested that Zishi round out her skill set by learning to how to use water to heal. The stubborn teenager was hesitant, but she still gave her lessons her all. For once, she struggled with a water bending technique. Zishi dug her heels in and forced herself to improve instead of giving up. Eventually, the young prodigy managed to reach proficiency. She started volunteering at the hospital.

On Zishi's 18th birthday, her mother reappeared at the shop. The woman pled with her daughter to join the army, and once inside, to being it down from the inside. Zishi stared at her mother without recognizing the woman as the one who had given birth to her. The young adult banished the older woman from the shop, calling the cops to catch the treasonous snake that had tried to sway her. It was during the following arrest that Zishi finally realized who the woman was. As Lin Beifong pulled the mother outside, Zishi called out, swearing to join the United Forces to better the world.