The young firebender could feel the heat he sun beating down on her head, her dark hair absorbing its light, as she walked around the large feild. Looking around, she spotted the stream that ran through the area as well as the many rocks and boulders which littered the ground. Sqautting down, the teen ran her fingers along the emerald grass. Letting out a troubled sigh at the touch of its softness, Zana thought about how unfortunate that it was going to die today. Hell, by the end of today some of the trees might become innocent victims to her fight as well. "It really is too bad." She thought somberly. "This is such a beautiful field." And it was true- the way the sun danced off of the water's surface, the welcoming shade offered by scattered pine trees, even the way some of the longer blades of grass bent in the wind; as if they were bending down just for her-- every aspect of the place was inviting. "I must remember to come back here." The nineteen year old told herself. "That is , once it has healed of course."

Standing up to her full height, which unfortunately was admittedly quite short for her age, Zana looked up to the sun. Squinting in its bright light, the girl couldn't help but feel thankful for its presence. "I'm going to need any help I can get today." She thought, anxious about the impending battle, or Agni Kai, as the man so wished to call it. Rolling her eyes at her nation's ridiculous traditions, the rebel tried to conjure up what is known about her opponent. "So I know that he is older than me. This of course also means he will probably be a stronger bender than me. Also, he is well built; as built as any strong male firebender would be." In her mind, the teen tried to picture what the man would look like. Naturally, she gave him stereotypical firebender features; black hair, crimson eyes, pale skin, ect. Letting out another sigh, this time out of frustration, Zana could only imagine the arrogance that would undoubtedly be leaking from his pores. "Damn Fire Nation men are all the same." She muttered to herself. "Well actually.." She continued in her head. "just the loyal ones anyways."

Walking up to a particularly large boulder, the rebel climbed on top of and squatted down on it. "Wonder if this guy knows about my traitor status." She wondered. "Not like it's that hard to figure out." At this, the teen couldn't help but smile. First off, her skin was tanned from being in the Earth Kingdom for so long. Second, once she began fighting, it became obvious to the trained eye that she doesn't fight like most firebenders. And finally, the main giveaway tends to be the teen's bluntness about the fact. She doesn't care who knows. If anyone wants to take it upon themselves to try and stop her, she would gladly accept the challenge. As much as she hated cocky loyalists, she couldn't help but admit to being a little arrogant herself. But what can you say? There are just some firebender traits you simply can't grow out of. Still perched atop the oversized rock, the girl kept a sharp eye for any signs of movement. Despite the fact that her opponent called this an honorable Agni Kai, Zana has learned well no to trust the words of her kind.

Damn his boss! He had found out about this fire nation bender from some rumors floating around the colonies. He had lat it slip out and his Captain got wind of it. He had told Haruki that since he was the one who discovered her, he'd be the one to fight her. At least his boss was honorable enough to send her an official Agni Kai challenge and send him in alone. That was partially because Haruki had told the Captain from his sources, she wasn't older than eighteen and that he wouldn't need any backup. It was obvious he was part of the Fire Nation military. His armor was more than adequately showing off his status there. Without a helmet, his topknot and amber eyes were more visible.

Maybe he could let her know about the Resistance? He shook his head, there might be Fire Nation loyalists watching, and that would spell doom for all of them. No, instead he'd try to subdue her, knock her unconscious and free her to Makino at a better time. What if she didn't want that though? Why was she on traitor status?

Haruki wandered close to the field, more thinking about this rogue than about his surroundings. When he saw how beautiful it was around him, how all the elements blended together, he grimaced. This was not a place for Agni Kai. So much would be destroyed, that's why they were usually fought in barren areas. He shot another string of mental curses over to his Captain before luckily spotting the tanned girl on the boulder. He thanked his luck that she had been facing slightly away from him and to the left...he was approaching at about her eight o'clock. He set down and slowly started walking up to...what had the girl's name been? he remembered her nickname, it had been something stupid and attention grabbing, something like 'the rebel of the fire'. All he could think about was how childish that name was.

As he walked through the calm, serene grass, the only noise being made by him was the soft breaking of the grass because it was so crisp. The amber eyed man said aloud after he straightened his back so as to not appear to have been sneaking up on the girl. "So I take it you're the one who calls herself, 'The rebel of the Fire'?" He shook his head before continuing, but ready for her to start attacking, "kinda childish if you ask me"

Before the man was even in sight, Zana could feel him approaching behind her in her blind side. However, it appeared as if the man held no intentions of sneaking up on her for just then he spoke.

"So I take it you're the one who calls herself, 'The rebel of the Fire'?"  "kinda childish if you ask me"

Immediately after he said this, before he got too close, the teen pushed off of the rock and back-flipped into the space between her opponent and the rock. As she did so, the girl twisted her body in the air so that she could land facing him, flaunting her acrobatic skill. Landing lightly no more than two feet away from the firebender, the teen shook her head to move her choppy bangs out of her eyes. Through most of her hair was pulled back, several pieces she had cut too short to be able to do so. Gazing into the man's crimson eyes, she smirked and spoke, "The rebel of fire?" The statement was more of a question. "That's a new one. I mean, I've been given nicknames before but this one is simply stupid." Shaking her head, the girl let out a small chuckle of amusement. "Usually they are at least someone creative." And by "they", Zana of course was talking about the people of the Fire Nation of who actually knew of her. "Idiots." She breathed, no more than a mutter. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, standing so close to the man, she casually put space between them, walking around him as she did so.

Once there was a decent amount of space between her and her opponent, she did a once over of the solider with her eyes. Naturally, the first thing about his she noticed was his uniform and topknot. Letting out a small sigh, she instantly understood the nature of this battle. "So I take it you were ordered here." Zana said bluntly, a tint of annoyance in her tone. "Got to look all official for the boss. Right?" [/color]She continued, her tone still carrying that harshness. "Let me guess, there were some rumors about a rebel causing trouble. You, Mr. Fire Nation Hero, took it upon yourself to "handle it." At this comment, Zana couldn't help her arrogant smirk from reappearing. "So now here you are to fight me. Well, I have no intentions of surrendering and...um, "going quietly", if that’s what you had in mind. " Pausing a moment, the rebel crossed her arms, feeling quite vulnerable in comparison to the man's heavy suit.

There were several reasons why the teen didn't wear any armor. First off, she believed that to do so is cowardly. Armor is for those who are not skilled to protect themselves on their own. Second, to be honest, she probably couldn’t afford any. And finally, armor is heavy. Wearing so much metal would not only slow her down, but limit her mobility as well. Unlike most firebenders, her fighting technique doesn't rely on simple movement and powerful offensive attacks. Instead, she prefers using complex twists and turns to evade and outmaneuver her opponent. This neutral style was picked up from earthbenders in the rebellion and combined with the fire's fluid nature instead of its aggressive one. In addition, fighting this way allows her to stay within close range and opens up many defensive options. Uncrossing her arms, the girl looked once again into the man's eyes and spoke. "Armor is for cowards." She said. "Those who can't protect themselves on their own." The traitor's words cut through the air, the harsh tone had returned to her voice. After a slight pause she added, "Those who don't have the skill." Glaring at him, Zana placed her hands on her exposed hips. Her hips weren't the only skin showing, far from it. Above her loosely hanging pants, her taut stomach was showing all the way up an inch of two above her belly button. Her red t-shirt was tight and cut short. Even her worn, un-buttoned black vest was cropped a little too short. Being in the rebellion didn't exactly provide the luxury of having extra money to spend on clothes shopping. Hell, she was lucky when she had the money to eat three meals a day. But it was ok, she had a place to live, and people to live with; she wasn't complaining. Besides, her lifestyle kept her fit, allowing plenty of time for training.

Snapping back to attention, the teen pushed aside all thoughts of her crazy life in Omashu. If she wished to return she would have to focus on the task at hand. Looking back to her opponent Zana suddenly realized that she had no idea how an Agni Kai worked. Swearing internally she decided she would kjust have to ask. "So umm…" she began, smirk present again, finding the situation quite humorous. "Anything specific I should know before we start this Agni Kai thing?" The teen asked honselty before adding, "Its… been a while." Of course, Zana had been taught all about Agni Kais in Fire Nation school, but that had been so long ago! Oh, how things have changed. Suddenly, the teen realized that she had never told the man her name. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "I almost forgot. It's Zana. Zana Kyoto." Right after she revealed her last name, the girl mentally kicked herself. "Probably shouldn't have told him that. He might recognize the name as my father's. It really sucks to have a dad as a captain." She thought, even though most loyalists would kill to be connected to the Capitol's military. "Well, if you're a rebel that is."

He set his jaw, and crossed his arms as he watched the kid do a flip and land infront of him. One thing was certainly true from the rumors, she was definitely cocky.

"Usually they are at least someone creative. Idiots" she responded.

He smirked, "That's just what the rumors said you called yourself...there were many other names in there too...some too strong for kid ears." He backed up as he said this, turning with her to keep her infront of himself. He wouldn't let her get away with anything stupid, like a sneak attack. His eyes narrowed as he saw her also putting distance between them at the same pace as himself. So that was it, she felt uncomfortable being so close to her opponent? Good, Haruki hated being that close as well, but it and her acrobatics from earlier told him some important information about her. She'd be more of a dodgy, wait-for-the-right-opportunity type. He would have to pace himself and not let himself get goaded into using up too much energy in the beginning of the fight.

He nodded to her potential situation, "Yeah, something like that..." He still couldn't mention that he was part of the Fire Nation Resistance, he'd have to say it too loud, and plus, if they had a lip reader around...it would only end up bad. The Amber eyed warrior glared at the girl for showing further arrogance and dropped his hands, but not his guard. He leaned forward and said in a restrained voice, "Come on, little girl, you do not need to do this! If you come quietly, I'll make sure you are properly taken care of..."

He straitened after saying that and he looked down at his armor, he had worn it in case the girl had a war party of earthbenders or something like that around her. It was meant to stop surprises, not to protect against most attacks. Yeah, it was heavy, that's why it was not a part of Agni Kai. After her comment about weakness in armor, he reached up and started taking off the armor, probably something the little girl wouldn't expect, something that would take away her confidence at least a smidgen. He had seen how she looked at the armor with concern. How would she look at his body when she saw that he had no need of the armor?

"Silly girl, wearing armor during an Agni Kai is a sure way to loose! If I needed the armor, I would have challenged you to a fight, or something less honorable." He never took his eyes off of her while removing the cumbersome equipment. All that lay beneath the metal plateing was a padded shirt and loose pants. He then removed the shirt, leaving his chest bare, she could see all three of his scars if she dared to look. The two heavy burn scars on his forearms, and the vertical scar on his throat. He definitely looked like a seasoned warrior.

He rose an eyebrow at the girl in front of him as she said that she knew little of the Agni Kai, had she truly hated her culture so much so as to abandon all of her traditions? Yes, a lot were barbaric, but that did not mean that they should be abandoned! His eyes widened as she started telling him her full name and quickly tried to cut out her voice out to outside ears, "First, to show respect to eachother, we bow, like this!" He bowed at the hip to the girl...now the opponent, hands held together, one open hand siting above the other to show both respect for their nation, and to show that they would be honorable to eachother. He had heard who she truly was, the Kyoto child...He just hoped there was no one around other than him to hear that, otherwise, her family would be in a lot of trouble. He held his bow, but seemed poised to leap from it and attack at any moment.

I have to be ready for anything!

"Come on, little girl, you do not need to do this! If you come quietly, I'll make sure you are properly taken care of..." 

"Little?" Zana repeared the word, agictation in her tone. Yes, she is short. However, it would be nice not to be reminded of this fact every five seconds. Scoffing at the solider, the teen rolled her eyes and proceeded to glare at him before speaking. "I already told you, I am not going anywhere. If you want to bring me back to the Fire Nation you are going to have to kill me first. " Her words were sharp, deadly, but most importantly, honest.

Watching the man shed his armor, Zana's gaze traced his muscular figure. "Damn…" she thought, impressed with his physic. "Looks like he doesn't need that armor after all." Equally impressive compared to his muscle, were the various scars across his body. "Clearly this isn't his first fight." Curious eyes tearing themselves from the now healed wounds, the teen looked back up at the man's face as he began to speak.

"Silly girl, wearing armor during an Agni Kai is a sure way to loose! If I needed the armor, I would have challenged you to a fight, or something less honorable."

Letting out a small "hmph" sound, the girl felt hung up on the last words of her opponent's sentence. "Honor." the two syllables echoed in her mind. "And what is honorable about two people fighting an Agni Kai? It's stupid, a waste of time. Participating in these planned battles… when we should only be fighting if we have to." It might seem odd, that a rebel and a blood-traitor be a pacifist. It's not that Zana is outright against war, it is just that, having always had to fight to survive, she prefers to work things out in a more peaceful fashion. But of course, if herself or anyone the cares about is in danger you can count on her to be the first to lash out. "Not to mention…" She added, still caught in her train of thought. "There is a thin line between honor and stupidity."

"First, to show respect to eachother, we bow, like this!" 

Pulled from her mind, the girl looked back to the half-naked man. Hearing the word respect, the teen couldn't help but let out a small demeaning chuckle. "LDo you even hear yourself man!?" She called out, mocking him. "Honor, respect… one of these days the same ideals you deem such importance are going to get you killed." Shaking her head, Zana paused before she continued. "Listen here solider…" The name had been streathed out and spoken with such disdain it would make some turn tail and run. "take it from someone who knows what they are talking about." And with that the rebel switched her stance to an offensive one and dashed at him.


"Lets start this off nice and easy." She thought. One thing Zana has learned is to never rush into a fight at full speed. What this meant is that it is always better to test out your opponent at first. By doing this for as long as possible, one can gain information about how they fight and what they are capable. And so, using her agility, Zana sent a fake blow to his jaw with her left fist before letting it falter and dropping down on her right knee to send an extremely close range blast of fire with her right palm to his left side.

"I already told you, I am not going anywhere. If you want to bring me back to the Fire Nation you are going to have to kill me first. "

He looked around, to make sure that they were not being watched once again and shook his head, a mask of dead seriousness was worn upon his face as he turned back to her and tried one last time to give her a way out. "I do not want to kill you, I truly want to help you, but please, you have to trust me!" He emphasized the word please, to try and show his sincerity. He already knew she would not believe him. He would have to subdue her without killing her...He just hoped he could do it without getting either of them injured.

Haruki saw the girl look at his scars and slowly twisted his forearms to her so that she could see them better. He tried to do it slowly enough to send her a warning that she was not facing a rookie and that she could still leave if she wanted. He was hoping that she would either see that he wasn't the one she needed to be fighting or would leave.

"Honor, respect… one of these days the same ideals you deem such importance are going to get you killed. Listen here solider…take it from someone who knows what they are talking about."

His eyes narrowed as this girl talked to him as if she was the more civilized, she did not know anything about him, and yet she was passing him off as inferior to him? Again he shook his head before speaking up, "You obviously do not understand. I am not here to-" His eyes widened as she lunged forward, he had been expecting her to stay back and be a mid to long distance fighter, but here she was, rushing him. The surprise was clear in his eyes and he took a step or two back and fell into a defensive stance when she started charging. He looked to her shoulders and saw the feint, he waited a little bit longer and when she decided to throw the fire powered palm low, he spun with his right foot, spinning away from her strike and dropping to his left knee. His foot would swing around, just above the grass so as not to burn the nature they fought in. His sweep of her leg brought with it a wave of flame that crested up at her.

The amber eyed firebender's amber orbs never left the girl as he spun on his knee. He had planted his hands in the ground to help him spin faster as well. He quickly thought to himself, okay, she attacked completely differently than I thought she would, she seems to prefer close combat, which means I'll have to be defensive this battle. It'll be harder to subdue her, unless she drops her guard. With all of her energy, unless she gets cocky, this'll be a long fight.