A/N: Original plot idea by entire summary is in this short prelude and the time is set not long after Roku's death.
Secrets. The hidden agenda of life that underlines lying and cover ups. That some believe holds the balance to maintain a certain peace in the world. Others ,however, believe secrets are the universe's greatest blessing that surrounds misdeed.
Their own misdeed.
Chapter One: Top Knot top notch trouble.
x.x.x
From the soot wrought outcropping he watched the many people below, gathered around and at least pretending as if they had a true purpose there other then to search in vain for remains.
What did the Fire Lord expect, why have his resources on this pile of worthless ash? Renzick sighed. The Society would be all but satisfied if he came back empty-handed. But that was good.
The nephew of the Earth King himself was no messenger boy.
Still, if he had been permitted to then Renzick would liberate the Earth Kingdom citizens forced to dig. If only he could...
"Fall back!"Came the loud call of the captain He didn't watch to be sure they were gone, he listened until the picks and shovels ceased for several minutes. Four hours after they first came, the Fire Nation left.
The sounds of the clanky metal ship began to sail away and the trail of smoke billowed out in a single streak across the pink sky.
Finally.Renzick emerged from his scouting post and began to walk around the area they had combed. There wasn't a life.
They had found no body. The idea completely sickened the teen even though he was searching for something else entirely. Renzick felt around the smooth,powdery earth with his bare feet intently.
Carefully.
He missed no shift of movement that might have lead him to finding the object in which he was required of obtaining.'Yes!Found it.'
Renzick moved his foot in an arc before him and then pounded down on the ground to send a point of solidified soot up in front of him.
Seeing the maroon top knot perched upon the top, Renzick gave a little grin of success and sent it down to his level. Amazingly, it was intact.
"Marvelous," he awed quietly. "This item will last a long time."
Stowing it into a stringed sack, he pulled it securely closed and made for the edge of the island where his ride would come by.
Wind swept in a lonely, forgotten whistle over the ashy island. Renzick kept his back to it and all the while trying not to let it get to him.
From the soot mound he saw the wriggling deep blue shadow of his transportation coming to the surface. He reluctantly gave one last glance behind and came to a decision.
"Eh...UH!"
Digging his feet into the ground, he sent a rippling procession of solidifying vibrations over the terrain that left only hardened molten rock. The three hundred yards around the area were completely transformed.
"Grounded?"
The young man turned to see his supervisor behind him, as well as a water sheen red and black "borrowed" submarine. He couldn't help but behold admiration for both object and person.
"Grounded, sir?"
A quick indication from the man downwards and he saw that he had lost his feet in the process of turning part of the island to stone.
"Do you have the crowning implement."He held out his hand.
Renzick nodded soberly and brought the soft sack which held a countless generation's history. The man looked it over in scrutiny.
"Would you care to know our plans, Renzick?"
He nodded, mostly on account of the lateness in the day.
As the elder man explained he turned the top knot in his fingers.
"The Fire Nation keeps it's bloodline strong with only male born heirs ,we must raise Roku's orphaned grandson until a girl is born of his bloodline. We will raise her until she is of martial age. When she is, this top knot shall will be returned."
"But...sir, I'm not understanding. Do you think the cycle is gone?"
"We are not certain."his voice faltered slightly."But we know that only corruption in the family continue. That is why we must have the child of Roku's bloodline instill virtue into, hopefully, a son she'll have."
Renzick tried not to gap."That idea is completely,utterly...sir, how can you know Roku's thirteen-year-old grandson will even have a daughter?Much less train his daughter to one day be queen!"
"Renzick."He warned only once.
"And raise her to be a Fire Nation queen at that?"
The slap across his cheek was swift and deft. Renzick had spoke out of bounds to a top member of the Society, he could be demoted.
"This is our only true chance,"he said, unsurprisingly calm."Our sources cannot recall whether he was out of the Avatar State totally."
As earth fell into gray,grave silence,the full meaning of what his supervisor had said came to him painfully. But forcing this duty upon an unborn --- could this be how the Avatar felt?
Renzick sighed and walked away from the island so as to board the submarine, partly praying Prince Ozai would only have a girl.
And that Roku's grandchild would have a boy.
To be continued...