Fearless
NOTE: Any usage of the words: "he", "his", "him", "himself", or any other versions of the word "he" refers to the main character that this story is about and no one else.
Fearless
If there was one word to describe him for the past 26 years, it was fearless. After all, it was on that day, when he was only 12 that he was able to use lightening.
The events of that day were crystal clear in his mind. On that day, his older brother had once again shown himself to be superior. He was a superior bender, a superior leader, a superior general, and an all around superior person. No one expected him to be better. After all, his brother was 20 years his senior. Even their demanding father didn't expect him to be able to even hold water next to his brother. But none of that mattered to him.
"Excuses to keep me weak!" He would call those comments that everyone would say to him.
"Don't worry, you'll get it in time."
"Your brother is a master in every sense of the word and you're still a child. No shame in him being better."
"It's all right, your father and I love both of you just the same."
Excuses. All of them were just making excuses and he knew why.
He himself was weak and afraid. No one wanted the best masters to waste their time on such a weak cub when a fierce tiger needed help keeping his claws sharp. It was the truth, he had to admit it.
After all, whenever he saw something that scared him, his right hand trembled. Powerful warriors, his mighty father, fearsome beasts, and, most of all, his proud brother all caused his right hand to shake. He always hated his brother, because whenever his brother demonstrating his skills, especially his lightening, it shook the most. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he practiced, and no matter how much he tried to prepare himself, every time his brother showed his proficiency in the bending arts, his right hand would tremble uncontrollably.
However, on that day, that one fateful day, he had done it. He shot lightening out of his right hand; real lightening out of his right hand. It was weak, off target, and the force of it knocked him back several feet, but he was still ecstatic. It was more than just weak, off target, and too strong for him to control, it was his. From that day on, family members praised him rather then humor him, generals and admirals bowed to him in respect instead of waving him off with a laugh, even his brother stopped playing so easy with him during sparring. But the most important change was that his right hand never shook in fear again.
No matter where he was, no matter who displayed their bending, no matter how unprepared he was, his right hand refused to shake in terror.
When he was 15, he was sent into real combat for the first time. His father had eventually found his attitude to be more arrogant than proud and had him follow a well-known general into battle. He was not supposed to actually engage in the fighting, just be scared into seeing what real war was like, humble himself, and find that he still had a long way to go; lightening or no lightening. But things didn't turn out as planned.
The general's forces were supposed to ambush a respectable-sized company of enemy troops. At first, it was successful, the enemy was pinned down and suffering losses. However, the tide quickly changed when enemy reinforcements appeared and they found themselves ambushed.
The general quickly ordered a retreat and personally saw to his safety. The general, the survivors, and himself managed to secure some high ground on a large, steep hill with plenty of natural obstacles. But the enemy still attempted to advance.
The boy noticed that the general was desperately fighting to remain calm. He saw the general's whole body shake and sweat while his own body remained steady and in control. He tried to offer his support, but the general immediately grabbed him and ordered him not to interfere as the situation was very fragile at the moment. It was then that the general was struck down and killed by a random, lucky attack.
The troops began to panic at the fall of their commander. Many suggested surrender, but he wouldn't have that. He shot a mighty display of his bending powers into the air to get the soldiers attention. Next, he ripped off a patch from the dead general's uniform and placed it on his own, signaling that he was now in command.
He instantly began barking orders to the surviving troops. The absolute fearlessness in his voice inspired the men to fight and terrified them too much to surrender at the same time. It created a paradox in their heads that they were too motivated and scared to think about. Very quickly, his orders began turning the tide of the battle. He was suddenly very glad that he paid so much attention to his brother's war stories even though they scared him when he was younger.
But the enemy was not so easily defeated. Once they had lost too many, their commander ordered the force's six elite shock troops to secure some of the high ground while cover fire was provided. It was a good plan. The normal troops fired ferociously and rapidly, not caring where the attacks landed, just to keep his soldiers off balance and unable to attack the elites who were making their way to his position. However, the general hadn't counted on him.
He instantly ordered a counter measure. All soldiers were to protect him from the normal soldiers' attacks while he dealt with the incoming elites. Again his troops were both confident and afraid of the fearlessness in his voice and they obeyed.
Without the need to worry about distractions, he focused his attention to the ones running up the hill. He tried some of his other bending, but the elites easily dodged it. He only smiled. It was time to show the world that he could become better than his brother. It had been three long years of endless practicing and honing, but it was all going to pay off.
He took his stance, made his movements, and shot a quick bolt of lightening out of his right hand and down the hill. It hit the closest shock trooper square in the heart. The elite fell. The fallen soldier's comrades were momentarily stunned by the display of power that moved too fast for them to dodge. During that moment, one more fell to lightening in the heart.
The remaining four moved. Two continued advancing in more random patterns then before while the other two combined their bending to create a wall with their bending and moved with it in a B-line straight for him.
He pointed to two of his soldiers and ordered them to make a large, wide wave across the ground with their bending. They complied and created the attack. As planned, the two zigzagging ones had to slow down ever so slightly to create walls. When they did, he was able to create a lightening bolt with his right hand that was powerful enough to go through one of the two new walls and kill its creator.
The wave soon passed and the other zigzagging soldier continued as the two B-liners were only moments away. He ordered another wave from the two selected soldiers as he let loose another powerful bolt out of his right hand that sped ahead of the wave and broke the large wall of the two B-liners, but killed neither. Instead, the new wave created by the two soldiers took their lives. He smiled at his success and noticed a large wall moving where the last elite had been.
He let out more lightening from his right hand, which turned the wall to scraps. However, the last elite was not there.
To his surprise, the last elite shot up out of the ground right below him with a mighty blast. Before he could react, the shock trooper grabbed his right hand and, with one powerful exertion, crushed it with superior physical strength. As the enemy expected, as soon his hand was broken, one of his soldiers struck the elite with normal bending.
As the shock trooper lay their dying, there was neither pain nor fear in his eyes. Instead, he once again took his stance, made the motions, and shot a lightening bolt out of his left hand. The bolt struck the elite's head.
He then ordered his men to continue protecting him as he made one more lightening bolt that fired from his left hand, hit, and killed the enemy commander from over 100 yards away. Now it was the enemy's turn to panic.
His men began advancing down the hill and towards the enemy who attempted to flee for their lives. But they didn't get far. Within seconds another force of soldiers from his nation appeared and cut off the enemy's retreat. The reinforcements' commander had told him that a scout had spotted his numerous lightening bolts and alerted the company that he was in danger.
Once his talk with the commander was through, medics began taking care of his right hand. He noticed that it was trembling, but that was to be expected. After all, he had just used a lot of lightening and no matter how proficient he was with it, it was still lightening and would leave his muscles exhausted. This was understandable, so it was alright.
While he his hand was being treated, one of his soldiers approached and regrettably informed him that one of the soldiers that he had ordered to make those large waves with their bending had died when the last elite had burst out of the ground. In response, he looked at the soldier who had informed him, said nothing, expressed nothing, and turned his attention back to his right hand.
In the years to follow, his skill and reputation grew. In battle after battle, he never once showed fear. In battle after battle, he could get himself out of the worst situations by using lightening. In battle after battle, he could inspire and terrify his troops in the same instant with the same words. In battle after battle, he showed no sympathy to enemy or ally.
When he was 20, there were questions about who was better, him or his brother. Both had proven to be great in all aspects of life in their own way. To be honest, he wasn't sure either. He had long ago stopped fearing his brother, but to say that he was actually better than him? That would need a great task to confirm. His brother had long-ago gotten married and raised a son that even he himself would have been proud of while he had not even met his betrothed wife yet.
Sparring was not an option to prove his superiority. For one thing, their sparring matches were become more and more even. They each won and lost against each other from time to time. Not only that, there was more to life and war then just being able to defeat one person. But he knew just the task to make him known as the superior child. He would hunt down the greatest threat to his nation.
It was a task that took him to the ends of the Earth. He was constantly tested, mentally and physically, by some of the fiercest opponents and monsters in some of the worst conditions. But he never feared them, because he had his lightening. Even in the deep arctic, when he was attacked by enemy benders under a full moon, he forced his men to fight. Their bending was easily conquered by the enemy benders, even his normal bending was no match for his foes'. However, his lightening worked like a charm.
At the age of 20, he had mastered lightening to the point where he could fire it much quicker, without complex movements. The result was a sight to behold, for in the time that it took an enemy to launch a normal bending attack under the moon light, he could have launched two lightening bolts from his right hand or one from his left. As a result, the attacking enemies quickly fell.
Over two years later, he returned home in defeat. He could not find the threat that had been looming over his nation and, to make matters worse, he discovered that his brother had gone on his own task to win a claim to superiority. His brother was going to conquer the capital city of the enemy.
If anyone else was going to even think about it, he would have called them fools of the highest caliber. The city was a massive, self-sustaining fortress that housed a massive population. Soldiers would be easy to come by for the enemy as well as top generals who lived there. He himself was not afraid of it, but he respected its strength well enough to know not to take it on so directly. However, this was his brother who had chosen to lead the attack. He knew that it would be a difficult task, even for his sibling. But, if there was just one person on the planet who could conquer that city, it was his sibling.
Steps had to be quickly made if he was to secure favoritism among his family. He immediately demanded that he and his un-met wife be married so that he could create heirs. His mother, father, and even the great sages of his nation were disapproving of this. He was spitting on customs and the union of marriage that all were to respect. He only brushed off their comments. Even the belittling remarks of his fiancé's wealthy and influential family meant little to him as he wedded their daughter.
After all, what could any of them do to him? He had lightening.
A decade had passed and all focus was still on his brother and for many rightful reasons. To the surprise of many, including himself, his brother was making progress against the enemy's capital and his brother's son was playing no small role in the campaign. All resources and personal that were requested were granted without hesitation. Only very rarely did his brother ever return to the nation. The births of his first and second children were two of those times.
Still, he used the lack of attention to his advantage. He secretly attempted to ruthlessly train his children in a way that he had not, so that they could become something even greater then he was and just as fearless. With his first child, his son, he was unsuccessful. Too often, his wife provided their son with comfort in the face of weakness. With his second child, his daughter, he was successful. His daughter wanted almost nothing to do with his wife and he was more than happy to keep things that way.
As a result, his daughter became much better, much faster than his son did. It was no surprise to anyone who knew him that he favored his daughter.
However, it was not enough for him. His brother was making more and more progress against the enemy's capital and even broke down one of the greatest walls of the city. It looked as if his brother would win and forever gain favoritism. But then, a miracle happened. His brother's son died in battle. As a result, his brother lost composure, determination, leadership, and skill. There was even talk that, because of such emotional distress, his brother had lost the ability to use lightening. He was only more than happy to hear this.
He wasted no time in making a plea to his father. To grant him his brother's birthright, forever making it clear that he himself was the superior sibling. His father was outraged.
It was only one year earlier that his father's wife, his mother, passed away. Now, his brother's son had died and he himself wanted to take away his brother's birthright. His father's rage lit up the room, but he did not falter or tremble. He was not afraid of his father, after all, he had lightening.
His father sensed his fearlessness. He could see that his father's rage was quickly giving way to cowardice. Instead of threatening him directly, his father told him that his own son would be killed and that he would have to do it. He only smiled and nodded his head. His son was weak and only served as an example to his daughter of what not to become. He was glad to have a reason to do away with him.
His wife found out and pleaded with him to not go through with it. At first, his wife warned him that the spirits of the afterlife would punish him for eternity for doing this. But he did not fear the spirits. Next, his wife tried making a deal with him. One in which she would always praise him and let him do whatever he wanted to do in all marital affairs. But he had other things to worry about besides marital affairs. Finally, she bribed him with a way for him to be given his brother's birthright. This caught his attention.
His wife purposed a plan that would result in his father's death, her banishment, and his son's life spared. He agreed to it. There was a significant risk that the treasonous act would be traced back to him, but he didn't care. Even if he was found out, there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. After all, he had lightening.
Within three days, his wife's plan was successful and no one was the wiser that he played a role in it. Even upon return, his brother never suspected a thing. So it was that he was known as the superior child and the one who had earned his brother's birthright.
However, three years later, his arrogant and weak son had risked destroying all that he had worked for by speaking out of turn in a war meeting. It was not that he spoke out of turn that bothered him, after all, in a way, it showed fearlessness. Instead he was furious by what his son had said. His son had spoken out in order to keep weak soldiers from being used as bait in a battle for control of a key enemy outpost. In his act of fearlessness, his son had shown weakness. He had to know which one was a greater force within his son.
To test this, he ordered his son to engage in a battle for his honor.
"I'm not afraid." His son said.
At that moment, he felt a small feeling of pride growing for his son. However, he misinterpreted his son as much as his son had misinterpreted him. His son thought that the battle was going to be against an old general. Instead, his son would battle him.
Upon discovering this, his son caved and pleaded for mercy. He was very disappointed in his son and encouraged the boy to find that fearlessness that he showed and fight. Of course he never expected his son to defeat him, but he hoped that his son would fight as he had against his brother when he was his son's age. But, it didn't happen. His son never stood and for that, the boy was punished.
Using his own bending, he scared his son's face and ordered him banished from the nation. For some reason, his brother went with his son. He didn't care. Neither did he care about the sages' warning that the spirits would not look favorably on his actions. He only laughed at the warning and said that it gave him pleasant memories of his wife.
Two years later, it had been reported that his banished son had found the threat that he could not. Even before he found out that the threat was nothing more than a mere boy, he did not fear it. He had lightening, after all.
One year after that, his son returned home with the claim that he had killed the threat in a great battle and assisted in the capture of his brother, who had turned traitor. His daughter even verified the claim. For this reason, he gave his son praise and favor. Although his son still could not use lightening, the boy had accomplished a great feat that showed fearlessness above anything else.
Everything was going well for him. He had learned about a small invasion force that was to happen during a day where he and other benders like him would be powerless for a while. But there was nothing to fear from them.
True, he would not have lightening for this brief period, but there was no cause for concern. It was only a brief period and he had enough faith in his other skills that he could survive for such a time. Still, generals and admirals alike insisted that he be kept somewhere safe. Although he was against it, he found no harm in it. It could prove to be an ample time for his son to once again demonstrate fearlessness.
When the time began and he was without his lightening, his son appeared before him. He curiously questioned as to why his son was not fighting above. Instead of hearing an acceptable answer, such as, enemies were heading for him, his son was there to tell him the truth. Again, in a way, his son was displaying fearlessness, so he excused his guards and allowed his son to speak.
His son told him that it was his daughter that defeated the threat to the nation. He was puzzled as to why his daughter would lie to him and his son told him, flat out, that the threat was still alive and on the way to their location. Infuriated by such deceit, he ordered his son out of his presence, but his son only stood ground proudly and firmly. Again, he threatened his son and began moving to strike down his child with his bare hands.
At that, his son whipped out two broad swords and ordered him to sit and listen. His son was determined to speak and did not care what he thought. Because of this fearless act, he sat and let his son speak. He did respect fearlessness, after all. However, he did not respect what his son had to say.
His son went off talking about how their country should end the war that they were so close to winning. His son talked of restoring balance and seeking harmony with the other nations of the world. It was talk that his brother would have been proud of, but he was disgusted by it. It sickened him even more when his son decided to free his brother and help the threat win the war by personally training it.
Still, fearlessness was fearlessness and it was time to see what he was made of. They were both without their bending powers and his son already had weapons bared. He encouraged his child to make an attempt on his life. But, instead of showing fearlessness, his boy, his son, his own flesh and blood sheathed his swords and began walking away, like a coward.
Infuriated that his son would behave in such a way, he became determined to kill his child. However, no amount of instigation would get his son to stay. So, instead, he coaxed his eldest offspring with a story of his wife. The plan worked and the story lasted just long enough for the time to be over and for his bending, his power, and his lightening to return.
He decided to show his son what real fearlessness was by unleashing his ultimate technique: two simultaneous lightening bolts; quickly created and fired. They were fast, ferocious, powerful, and on target. However, his son did not die like so many others had.
Instead, his son was only pushed back.
What is going on? He thought in shock.
His son soon got secure footing and did the impossible. The child fired his own lightening back at him.
Panicking, he quickly jumped back just enough for the lightening to miss him and hit the ground below him. The shockwave that followed sent him flying several feet into the air, only to be slammed into a stone wall. He fell down to the ground and then slowly rose to see a small fire surrounding him and that his son was gone. However, he also noticed three more things.
First, he noticed that his body was not strained or exhausted.
Second, he noticed that his body was not cold.
Finally, the third thing that Fire Lord Ozai noticed was that his right hand was trembling.
A/N: Ok, so there probably wasn't a whole lot of mystery that the main character was Ozai. Still, I liked using only pronouns until the end. I felt it gave the story a more ominous feel. I'm also really glad with the way this one ended. Don't get me wrong, I liked how my other two ended, but this ending made me quite happy with myself. On a final note, this was my third AtLA fanfic.