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Zayiya let the water flow around her, carefully keeping her hold on it.

"Not too tight," she warned herself. Water was capricious that way. One should never risk squeezing too hard, or it would run off.

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When the time came to leave for Amayen two days later, Zayiya couldn't have been more thrilled. The people of the SOuth Pole were kind, the waterbending practice good, but she couldn't help missing her tropical home.

When the ships took off, she pulled a small vial from her pocket; arctic water, with a chip of a glacier inside of it. One of the villagers had given it to her as a gift. She knew the water would probably have no special properties, and once they entered the Earth Kingdom, the ice would probably melt, but it was a nice gesture, anyway.

Uncorking the bottle, she coaxed the water out, running it between her fingers. Then, she began freezing it into different shapes. Crane, tree, star...

Nearby, one of the sailors shook his head and muttered,

"Darn girl's always off at that waterbending. Hasn't she got a life?"

To which his response was a sharp, wet smack to the head.

After the water twinkling incident, the teen decided to try somthing a bit more challenging. He ever so gently moved his hand in a clockwise manner. This seemed to make the ball of water twirl around to the right. I am getting better at this!


His hand began to tire. He noticed the aqua began to quiver as his hand did. I see the water corresponds to my body movements. He awkwardly began to shake his hips slowly. The center of the water began to also move.

He ceased with this area of training. He should probably try attacking things with the water. That's what water bending is right? perhaps it was for self defense. This seemed much more logical.

He did this several more times. Each time stronger and faster than the previous. He trained at this for at least an hour longer.

he then worked on some basics. After he got finished with that he meditated for another ten minutes.

It was late. He had been training for around 6 hours. He walked a little far away from the lake and set up a small round igloo. Chas then got changed into somthing warmer and began to rest in his new camp.

Taizen was having one hell of a time, he was trying to keep his form, yet it was hard to do that when the waves were beginning to crash all around him, prompting swifter, less sure movements. His arms wereabit sore bynow, theclouds which he had seen earlier that hadseemed'so far away' and 'a drizzle' swooped quickly upon the boat. Sending sheets of rain down on the relatively small boat, and now added to the waves which seemed to be growing higher with every minute, Taikai seemed to be taking it upon himself to pump the water off the deck, making a turn every few seconds to redirect a new wave of water out into the ocean. The clouds were vast, whale tail island musthave had a flood, because the clouds were vast, and Taizen was not sure he could see the endof it. "Niima! Get into the Galley!" Taizen cried, as a particularly large wave by passed his bending, and crashed onto the ship, almost tipping the thing. To which Taizen responded by angrily thrashing out at thesea, sending a wave of water back out into the ocean. Taikai was near Taizen now, and the two waterbender's werea anxiously'grabbing strings' trying tkeep the waves from crashing on the boat again. The waves were high, and the wind howled, the boat was surround, and rain fell heavy. Yet somehow, the waves did notbreak onto the deck, the waterbender's were more likely creating luck, than a safe haven.

Well she was expecting a nice ride but apparently that wasn't going to happen. As the boat began to rock, waters becoming more angery it was apparent that the mother ocean was not in a happy mood! Sweeping down she dipped her body, raising her hands in a semi-circle to create a current of air to 'shield' the boat from taking on water, rain or otherwise. Of course it was just a strong current of air that guided the water like a slide. And the water was heavy against the air, causing her to double her efforts. Hearing Taizen her brows knitted and she grunted. "I am not leaving you and Taikai out here!"

She did note that Musei was having one hell of a time. She moved over towards him, yelping as the boat dipped and she went skidding forward on her heels. Her stomach met the railing and she gripped it tightly for a moment. She turned to Musei and grabbed him by the collar, tugging softly. "Come on Musei. Going to put you in the galley where it's safe." She had no intention on remaining in the galley but the youth needed to be safe! Her titian hair was matted down as she attempted to help the young airbender though it was quite obvious..her worry was for the waterbenders as well. "Taikai! Make sure to keep Taizen safe. If something happens I will be very cross!"

Taikai and Taizen noticed with relief the sudden disappearance of rain, and a rogue wave from the deck of the ship, a strong whipping of wind however was apparent. Niima. Thank the moon! The ocean did indeed seem to be in a fit, but someone had to be looking out for them, because, well, they had Niima. "Niima, are you sure you can handle being up here?!" Taizen gasped/demanded, he was certain that the ship would not capsize, even if it took a beating, at worst the sail would be ripped clean off, but the water could have no effect other than sending them off course. However, the skies were dark, and the waves strong, if it were to take one of the members of the ship... It would be very difficult to retrieve them, even for water benders. Thus, why Taizen wanted Niima and Musei in the galley, where they would be safe. "Taizen, the wave!" Taikai called, the ship was turning and Taizen realized with shock that while he stopped the waves from breaking on one side, the waves on the other had risen to a height three times the boat, the ship was almost on it's side as the wave prepared to swallow it, Taizen's wet boots froze with a short turn, securing his place on the deck, he turned to Niima, hoping she could grab onto something before they flipped.

Flip? Wait... Flip?! That's impossible, a ship cant flip! Well, when a wave as high as it was, sent a boat 30 feet into the air, well, it was pretty much giong in whatever direction the wave is going; up, then down. All Taizen could do, was encourage the wave to crash faster, otherwise, the boat would be upside down, maybe it would float, who knew, but one thing was for certain, the boat being upside down, was bad. There was a deafening crash as the boat made the flip, and the waves turned, Taizen and Taikai were walking on the deck, leaving ice where they stepped, they're arms were raised and waving, large, swift, circular waving motions, they're bodies directing the arms, the water was rushing, bubbles and foam everywhere, above them! They were surrounded in almost complete darkness, it were not for flickers of light made by lightning, surprisingly, they could breath, they were bending a bubble, the water bender’s faces were strained from trying to keep the swirling water from caving in… The two water bender’s broke they’re stances and stomped, shooting two fists upward, and the the bubble broke, sending water onto the ship, the water swirled, and threatened to swallow the ship entirely, but, again, as the waves crashed, the water benders were moving around the ship frantically yet again, to remove the water. It seemed they were giving up on trying to keep water from hitting the ship, and rather just pump the water back out, waves of water were crashing onto the deck, shortly being expelled, but if enough water made it into the galley, they might start to sink, and in this storm… Where another wave that threatened to swallow the ship could happen at any moment… “What do we do…?!” Taizen breathed desperately to Taikai as he passed by, Taikai couldn’t answer because he was rushing off to siphon off water from the other side of the ship. “Pray…?”

The Two water bender’s were trying to keep the storm at bay, all the while trying to see how the other was doing, if one was failing, the other would run by and help him, Taikai was doing most of the running, since Taizen had to keep looking back to Niima every time he deflected a wave, and even cried out when Niima was hit by a wave, but once he saw her recover from it safely, he renewed his work with new vigor. As for Taikai, who had to work double time for Taizen's sloppiness, ran by Niima to cancel out a wave, when he hear her request. It sounded pretty reasonable, it was like directing they’re frantic energies rather than just blindly cutting them down, Taizen was smart, and he should have been able to hear over the roaring of the waves, so Taikai finished re-directing the raging of the water from where he was, and ran to where Taizen was. Taizen was working meticulously away, although each motion seemed to increase in fervor.

With Taikai's help, they managed to redirect the waves and water to one side, the water bender’s had seemed to overcome they're battle with the water, at least in that area, and Taikai glanced back to look at Niima battling furiously against her element to help them. He turned to Taizen to ask if he could grab hold of the other waves, to his surprise, Taizen had a maniacal grin on his face, his hands and body moving rapidly, the waves were doing likewise, however, the waves were working to they're advantage, rather than continue to beat the wood of the ship. Taizen was enjoying this! Oh for good moon! Why was he suddenly so eager? It became clear once Taikai left Taizen to run across the ship, and disperse a wave that threatened to grow to the size of its predecessor. Because, when he looked back, he could see that Taizen's movements were at speed with Niima's!

Barely, but apparently, Niima becoming so frantic, made Taizen enjoy the storm, more like bending practice to him now than life-threatening. Taizen was keeping a whole side of the ship at bay, Taikai had to do the same, though his joints were complaining, and his muscles were weary, he would persevere! No, it was far too early for his student to surpass him! Taikai set to work on diverting the water, the rain was being deflected by the wind Niima was gathering, and with the waves at bay, the boat would seem to be in a sort of 'eye of the storm' as the storm no longer seemed to touch the boat, though it continued to rage.