Love
He knew the fire before he felt it
He knew it in his blood, in his bones, and when he breathed it was the heat from a flame that poured out of his mouth.
He felt the fire before he saw it
He felt it curling and crackling along his skin, inside, outside, felt the sublime power of it rushing though him and years later would wonder how anyone could live without this feeling.
He saw the fire before he heard it
Under his bed at night and five years old, he wanted light and light came, the feeling giving birth to the flame, it slid into his hands and it made no sound.
Then he heard it
It moved with a grace and beauty unrivalled; he loved the feel, sight, smell, sound of it, everyday he danced with it, and it danced with him, and when he raged it raged with him and in Ba Sing Se nothing grated on him quite like the feel of no-fire because it had been with him since before he learned to breathe it was part of his family and part of his home and when it tore at his face that day and his feelings for everything changed, but those for that light, because nothing could change that.
And it roared
He loved the fire.