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| By Swampbender55 | Part of the Trials of Tahno continuity. |
The daughter of Shaozu and Ikki, Yi is an accomplished firebender living in Republic City and the oldest child of the two. She is a member of the Triple Threat Triad along with her friend Dogu under the nickname "Ghost Eyed" Yi, a reference to her silver eyes, a result of her diverse heritage.
History
Early Life
Yi was born to Ikki and Shaozu around the summer of 179 AG, six months after the death of Avatar Korra. The two were all too excited to welcome their baby girl into the world as were her grandparents Tenzin and Pema. Her mixed heritage was evident from the first few moments, her skin bearing the dark tone of the Water Tribe and her eyes a light silver color. Growing up she spent long hours everyday with her Grandfather, Tenzin as well as her aunts and uncles, learning the ways of the Air Nomads, taking in as much knowledge as she possibly could at her age, intent on becoming an airbending master some day. Her dreams were sadly crushed however, when she discovered at the age of seven that she was a firebender like her father. Although sadden by this discovery Pema encourages her not to give up and states that Yi can still strive to preserve the Air Nomad ways. This helped her to cope with her situation. She even agreed to learn more about her new abilities by training with her father, who acted as a White Lotus on the Air Temple Island.
Training at the Air Temple
Yi would train for the next few years with her father as well as studying with her mother and aunt when she wasn't training. She spent long hours in the island's library, expanding her mind with the vast knowledge it contained. As she continues her training with her father, she continues to apply her firebending disciplines, as well as techniques she learns from watching her siblings during their airbending lessons. This translates into a very different but effective fighting style which she coins "The Scorching Whirlwind". It's around this time that she meets Dogu, the son of her father's former teammate Ming. She also meets Tahno's daughter, Sakari during a trip to the South Pole with her parents. But as she gains a better handle on her abilities, she wants Shaozu to teach her higher and higher level firebending moves, including a technique known only to their family line; a particularly lethal form invented by Shaozu's great uncle, an assassin during the Hundred Year War. He staunchly refused, sighting it as far too dangerous to use, explaining that despite her advanced level, he has no intention of showing it to her. This angers the girl as she launches a fire ball at her father. He blocks the attack and the two engage in a duel. The fight only ends when Yi accidentally burns Oji, who had flown down to stop them from hurting each other. As the rest of the family rushes over Yi, seeing what she has done, runs off in shame, leaving the island and heads into the city.
She spends the next few days roaming the streets of the city alone. One night while walking down an alley she notices a woman being mugged. Coming to her defense, Yi engages the two criminals in a fight. She defeats the two quickly but is struck from behind by the woman, realizing all too late that the mugging was a setup before fainting.
Imprisonment
When she awakens, Yi discovers that she is locked in a steel cage with several other youth. The others tell her that they are now apart of a human trafficking ring. They explain to her that there is no escaping the prison, but she refuses to except this.
Yi spent several months in these cells.
She waits that night and manages to burn the lock off of the cage. As she flees she notices that the others have not left the cage and refuse to follow, so she goes on alone. She is caught off guard as an alarm sounds throughout the building and guards rush into the area. Yi engages the group in a prolonged duel before she is finally overcome. The head of the group takes her down a long hall and locks her into a small room where a recording plays repeatedly day and night saying that bending is wrong and that, now that she no longer belongs to herself but to whoever purchases her. The girl endures this for three days, refusing to allow her will to be broken.
As she is escorted back to the cell area, she befriends several of the captives, including a young sandbender named Hokori. The two become close friends when Yi discovers that the girl is the new Avatar, explaining how her great-grandfather was one as well. The two then devise a plan to escape with the others. But one day, Hokori makes the mistake of firebending at one of the guards in a rage after watching him beat one of the other girls. Luckily for her the guard was turned around as Yi takes the blame for her. The guards take the girl to the head of the facility and he interrogates the girl, noting how much trouble she has proven to be. When she speaks in her defense, insulting the man, he responds by taking a blade and slashing her throat. He orders the guards to patch her up as best they can and return her to the cell block. The attack renders her mute from then on. Returning to the others, Hokori feels deep regret for what she caused. The girl is deeply saddened over the lose of her voice, though she learns to communicate through sign language.
The Escape
Yi and Hokori still plan out their escape and after enduring months of abuse and "conditioning", the group are ready to initiate the escape. After causing a distraction, the two free the entire cell block and a mass riot starts, with dozens escaping. The two make their way through the crowd and head for one of the exits. The plan takes a wrong turn when the facility head and several of the guards regain order as they block the exit route. Hokori tells Yi to go ahead as she distracts them, the latter promising to help her friend soon. The young firebender regretfully flees, eventually making her way back to Republic City, reuniting with her friend Dogu. After a lengthy attempt to explain what has happened to him, the two come up with an idea to help out the new Avatar. After some brainstorming the two come up with an idea to join the Triple Threat Triad, being teamed with the waterbender "Chiller" Chow. She spends much of her time in the city, limiting her contact with her family, only stopping by on the island long enough to grab some of her things before heading back to join Dogu and Chow. Over this time she and Dogu continually keep tabs on the human traffickers in the city. She also gets a "third eye" tattoo on her forehead to help her in reaching the next step in her training.
On a regular day of work Yi and Dogu assist Chow in shaking down shop owners, guarding the front door. As the day progresses the two run into Sakari as they wait for Chow, Dogu letting it slip what happened to Yi. This angers her, forcing her to reveal her scare. As Chow comes outside, Dogu instigates a fake fight to avoid Chow discovering their association with Sakari. After a brief fight, Sakari knocks Chow into a dumpster, Yi sealing him inside before she and Dogu leave before the police arrive, temporarily abandoning their teammate.
The three Triad members regroup that night at the docks as they handle a shipment of slaves heading into the city, preparing them for an auction. There, Yi and Dogu confirm that the Avatar is indeed in this group. While there the three meet a very peculiar scientist intent on using bender captives in an experiment to create what he calls a "Pseudo Avatar". Yi is insulted when he offers to purchase her as well. The auction preparation is interrupted by the appearance of the Blue Spirit, who attacks the group to free the captives. Chow is able to subdue the vigilante and prepares to finish him, only for Sakari and the waterbender, Taki to appear from the shadows to save the Blue Spirit, who is revealed to be Nilak, Sakari's brother.
Yi and Dogu than switch sides, turning against Chow and the other Triad members present. The battle that commences starts a large fire, forcing everyone to flee, the team freeing the captives, including Hokori. They make it outside just in time for the police to arrive and secure the area. After a brief conversation with officer Mako, the group is allowed to leave and Nilak takes them to Tahno's house. After quietly sneaking in the group starts an argument amongst themselves. This wakes up Tahno, who tells the group to disperse, allowing all but Yi and Dogu to stay, specifically telling Yi to go home to her family. She complies, arriving on the island shortly after and goes to visit her parents, revealing the scare from her imprisonment before the two welcome her back home.
When Tahno and the others bring Hokori to the island to meet with Jinora. Under Sakari's suggestion, Jinora agrees to make Yi the Avatar's firebending teacher. Everything seems to be going fine until a fight breaks out between Hokori and Tahno. The young Avatar goes into a rage, knocking away several of the White Lotus sentries, Shaozu included. Yi manages to bring the conflict to an end, pinning Yi to the ground until she calms herself. Though impressed with his daughter's skills, Shaozu finds it hard to reconnect with his daughter, her speechlessness being only part of the problem.
Serious Training
Over the next few months Yi helps Hokori through her firebending training. She watches in anticipation as Yi duels and bests Lin Beifong in he earthbending exam. The two decide to celebrate by heading into town with Tahno, now her waterbending master to go clothes shopping. An incident in the city results in Yi and Tahno purchasing a captive armadillo wolf for Hokori. The two lose the Avatar again as she gets into a fight with a rude firebender and accidentally reveals her identity in front of a large crowd. Luckily for the group, Dogu was present to get her out of the area. The group head back to Air Temple Island afterwards.
A day later Jinora informs Yi and the others that because of the commotion that was caused, the White Lotus suggests that Hokori be relocated to another facility to keep her out of trouble. The two friends take this hard, though Yi points out that since Shaozu will be accompanying Hokori to her new location, she and her family will visit him, which means they will see each other again soon. As they converse that night the island comes under attack by a group of waterbenders and earthbenders. The two, along with the sentries on the island fight back against the invaders. The unknown enemies eventually gain the upper hand however, Yi herself being trapped in a sinkhole. The enemy only retreat after subduing Hokori and escaping on an airship out to sea. Shaozu attempts to stop them, Ikki airbending him up to the ship, only to be injured and knocked back to the ground. He then tells Yi to slow the ship down. She agrees, revealing her tattoo and unleashing a powerful bolt of energy that cripples the ship, decreasing it's speed. This allows Jinora to keep up with the vehicle on her sky bison, following it into the night as Yi and the others can only look on.
The Rescue
The morning after the attack Jinora returns, having lost sight of the kidnappers. Yi joins her family in the island infirmary, where her father is recuperating. Tahno arrives shortly after that morning and talks in private with Shaozu about going after Hokori, Yi eavesdropping on the conversation, though not unnoticed by her father, who calls her out. He offers her his spot on the team, being unable to go due to his injuries. As she leaves she is surprised as he signs to her, telling her to "Light them up for me".
She accompanies Tahno and Mako to recruit Ming, who himself sends Dogu with them. The group then head back to Air Temple Island, where Meelo volunteers his services and sky bison and the group depart to give chase. A few days later they encounter Hasook, a Corporal in the United Forces and leader of a special forces unit tasked with rescuing the Avatar. He reports that he and his unit made contact with the enemy but was forced to retreat. He also confirms that Sakari had stayed behind to allow the others time to get away. Yi and the others decide to press on, Tahno parting ways with them, taking Naga to make his way along the coast. As the group ride on Meelo's sky bison, they discover that Taki, a woman living with Nilak and Tahno has stowed away. Mako decides to bring her along as they are hard pressed for time.
Yi and the others arrive just in time to save Nilak, who is serving on a United Forces vessel that had engaged the Avatar's kidnappers in combat. She, along with Mako and her uncle engage the attackers, lead by Hokori's brother Sakyu in a vicious duel. Sakyu eventually takes the field as his sister and second in command turn against him after discovering his true intentions. Yi's advanced bending abilities prove invaluable in the fight that follows. She along with the others is amazed when the former Avatar Korra, having overshadowed her sandbender friend, appears, defeating Sakyu and the rest of his men. As Meelo introduces her to Korra, the past Avatar uses her astonishing healing powers to heal the large scar on the firebender's neck. Shortly after the overshadow ends, Yi is reunited with her friend as the group is greeted by a fleet of Northern Water Tribe ships that had come to aid them.
The group arrive just in time to take part in a week long celebration in the north, and are all too happy to take part in the festivities. As they come ashore, Dogu accidentally steps on Yi's foot, causing to shout out in pain, she and the others realizing the healing had repaired her vocal chords. She celebrates this by yelling at the earthbender for all the trouble he has caused her over the years.
Returning to Republic City
After the festival, Yi returns to Republic City with the others, making her way back to Air Temple Island. She greets her family who are quite alarmed to find that she can speak again, causing Shaozu to faint. The family invites the others to the island to celebrate as Sasame, Ming's wife, tells them about an upcoming pro-bending tournament in which anyone can enter. Tahno, Ming, and Shaozu agree to enter under her recommendation. Yi, Sakari, and Dogu secretly enter the tournament as well, under the team name: The Tiger Seals. The two teams fight evenly, the three older men unaware as to the identity of their opponents. Yi and the others finally reveal themselves as the tie breaker round comes up and she and Dogu sit on the sidelines as Sakari and Tahno face off. She and the others watch as Sakari deals the knockout blow to Tahno, ending the match.
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