AVATAR: THE ODYSSEY OF TOSEN
BOOK I: Connections
Episode I: The Harsh Reality – Part I
Third Draft
Four Years Ago…
The warm orange light of a candle flame contrasts with the coldness of the dark kitchen inside of the small stone and wood cottage. Splinters peel from the aging wood of the small amount of furniture and other decoration in the room. The metal of the kitchen sink is rusted and the silverware barely reflects light from even the shiniest surfaces.
A family of a young boy, a teenage girl, and middle-aged parents sit around a table eating a paltry meal. Thin soup complimented by tiny pieces of meat. The boy quietly pokes at his bowl with a spoon, seemingly disinterested. Noticing this, the girl nibbles on her lip, eyes sweeping between the boy and their shared father in obvious anxiety. The mother eats her own food, ignoring the events before her as the father speaks. His is a low, angry voice full of menace… perfect for the rough folds of his aged but tough face.
"Kira, why haven't you commanded your brother to sit up straight and eat his food? Have I not told you that managing him is your responsibility?"
"Y-Yes, of course." The girl casts her gaze downward at the floor before reaching over to her brother. "Cmon Tosen, you have to eat. Sit up."
"I'm not hungry. I don't wanna…" The young boy replies tiredly, placing his spoon down on the table as he leans forward to bury his head in his arms.
The older man glares, the girl begins to grow desperate.
"Please, you have to eat. It's for your own good."
"I'm sorry… I'm not…"
The young girl then grimaces, noticing his unusual behavior as she places a hand to his forehead. A slight bit of anger crosses her voice.
"Hey, you're burning up. Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well?"
"I didn't want to bother you." He says back meekly.
"I don't care if you're sick, you will not waste the food I worked so hard to get!" The father says. "Now eat your meal, now!"
"Dad, he'll probably just throw it up. I'll eat it, okay?" Kira pleads with her father for mercy, placing her hand against her chest and lowering her head.
"Did I say you could speak, girl? Speak only when spoken to, you understand?"
"But… I…" She stammers in response.
"Boy, eat your food!"
"I'm…" The boy tries to speak.
"I didn't say to talk, eat it!" The father slams his fists down on the table, shaking the whole thing. Several moments pass in silence before the boy speaks.
"I can't."
"Fine then, it's time for some punishment." The man stands up, presenting an intimidating figure as he towers over his children both literally and figuratively.
"Please, no!" Kira stands up in protest. "Leave… leave him alone… Please… Take it out on me instead."
"I guess you're admitting that this failure is yours. Fine then." Suddenly, the father raises his hand while casting his gaze towards her bowl. With a quick jerk of his large appendage, the piping hot soup leaps from the bowl in an arc to land on her hand. She screams in pain as she sinks to the ground, hiding her burnt skin from view. She starts to stand up, sweeping her gaze towards the sink. "Don't you dare! You're not allowed to heal that or cool it off, instead, you'll let it sink in. There'll be a scar, to make sure you remember. Understand?"
"Ah… Y-Yes…" Kira says, tears leaking from her eyes as she kneels on the ground, grimacing in agony. Her lengthy brown hair covers her face, but her brother still notices the tears falling to the ground as he looks over, even in his stupor. "I understand."
"Kira…?" The boy's voice is weak, confused. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
She forces a smile, forces a calm voice through the pain.
"It's okay Tosen. Just eat your food. Please… before…"
"He hurt you again." The boy stands, his footing uncertain and his voice unsteady. The gaze he directs at his father with his brown eyes through his mat of lengthy black hair is one of tired conviction. "S-Stop hurting her…!"
"You do not talk to your father with such disrespect! You do not give the orders around here!" The mother says, standing and saying her first words of the conversation. Her lengthy grey hair and wide eyes make her seem unhinged at a quick glance. And her action confirms that impression, as with a quickly raised arm, a small pillar of Earth explodes through the house floor and throws Tosen backwards into the wall. He starts crying.
"No! No!" Kira cries out. "Leave him alone!"
"I've told you time and time again… you will say please when making a request!" The woman swings her arm to the right and the pillar of rock slides through the busted floor to collide with Kira's side, sending her sprawling to the ground with another cry of agony.
"I… I said… to stop hurting Kira!" The young boy cries out, and suddenly strength seems to come to him. He jumps to his feet and without looking up, lifts the rock pillar from the ground with a struggle involving both of his arms extended, snapping it from its base before shoving forward with both arms to throw it at his mother. The giant boulder crashes through the table before hitting the woman and sending her through the window to land outside on the grass. She doesn't get up. The boy collapses in exhaustion. Light seems to be flickering in his eyes as he looks up.
"How dare you?" The father says, raising both of his arms to summon all of the soup from the ground into the air. "You will pay for this. Dearly."
"No, no… you will pay!" The boy's voice, previously meek, is now strong and distorted by something… Tosen looks up at his father as he stands, and fixes a gaze of rage on the man. His eyes are aglow, and it makes the man hesitate for just a moment before the boy cries out and pushes out with both hands. This sends out an air blast so powerful that it throws the hot soup directly against his father's face and arms, right before tearing the entire back of the house clean off. It breaks into pieces as it flies into the distance, planks and stones both roll across the grass to find their place in the water of the nearby lake.
Tosen walks forward, and raising both arms, he lifts a large amount of water from the nearby lake and calls it towards himself. It arcs it around to the left, and he uses all of it as a powerful hose. The blast of water catches the older man in the side of his midsection, and he's sent flying up and out of the cottage to land on the grass far from his wife. He doesn't stay down long, instead climbing up to his knees screaming from the pain of the burns he's sustained and clawing at the skin as it peels away thanks to the water.
Tosen ignores him and turns to approach his fallen sister. She looks up at him in awe and fear as he bends low and presses some glowing water against her burn. The burn disappears in moments and the water drops to the floor. The then boy similarly collapses on top of his sister, spent and unconscious.
"Tosen…?" She checks his pulse. It's weak, but there. She hugs her young brother close to her chest as she stands. Without casting so much as a glance back at her parents, she sprints from the cottage and into the nearby town. She had heard of a White Lotus man who had come in search of the new Avatar when a local family had claimed it was their daughter. If he hasn't left yet… she'll find him at the inn. And so she does, practically running into the man as he's leaving.
"Hello there." The older man says.
"I needed to see you. This… this boy… He's the Avatar."
"Is this a…?"
"This isn't a joke!" She screams. She attracts the attention of the surrounding town as she cries. "Please, take him and go! Get him away from here! Please!"
"I… I believe you." The man says, holding out his hands and taking young Tosen in his arms. The girl flips around and sees a familiar face at the opposite end of the village. He is burned badly, but it's clearly her father. And he is angry. Kira drops into a combat stance, drawing water from a nearby fountain to form a ring around herself.
"That man wants to kill him, kill the Avatar. Please, get him out of here safely. I'll hold him off."
"I'm… I'm not sure I should…"
"You said you believed me! Now trust me and run! The… the world needs the Avatar, doesn't it!?"
"I understand. Good luck."
"I don't need it. This is something I should've done a long time ago. Now, run!"
The older man in the White Lotus getup takes off at a sprint in the opposite direction as Kira launches a high pressure jet of water towards her father. He charges, crossing his arms and taking the attack head on against his arms. She concentrates, putting all her energy into maintaining the jet. It doesn't last long, but it lasts long enough. The footsteps of the White Lotus man disappear into the distance, and Kira lets up for a moment.
"You will never hurt Tosen again, you monster." Kira tells him angrily.
"That's fine, I'll just take it all out on you instead!" The man gathers the water up from the ground by swinging his left arm upwards, and balls the hand into a fist to compress them into ice spikes. And as he does, the young teenage waterbender accepts defeat in her heart with a deep breath, and through accepting that… accepts her own death.
The Present Day…
Fire. Air. Water. Earth. More than seventy years ago now, my father Bolin traveled with Avatar Korra on many adventures. We grew up on his exaggerated stories of the good old days. He spoke of helping stop the anti-bender Equalists, helping unite the spirit world and ours… about battling a cell of ancient anarchists, and of stopping a war that almost tore the world apart. Avatar Korra may have accomplished many things during her lifetime, but today she is gone and humanity is divided now more than ever before. The peace we've known for over a century is at a breaking point. The spirits have begun to retreat into their own world in anticipation of the violence. The Avatar is needed once again to restore balance, and the responsibility of teaching him has fallen to me.
What a pain.
"Tensions continue to escalate between the Earth Union and the United Republic of Nations as the race to reach outer space first continues unabated. Just yesterday, the United Republic launched their first successful test rocket. URN President Akai seemed rather proud of the accomplishments of his scientists, specifically highlighting the contributions of one Doctor Ikki…"
A teenage boy wearing Earth Union clothes and with long black hair complimenting his dark beige skin lays back, resting against the side of a large rodent as a television chitters away from on top of a nearby desk. Pictures of maps and people scroll by near the black and white face of the newscaster as he continues his report. The rodent, a badger mole that would be considered small for its kind, watches the screen with focused intensity. Meanwhile, the boy stares instead up into the darkness at nothing in particular, turning something over in his mind.
He doesn't budge even as the door opens and light decorates his emotionless face. A tall man with a messy and thin excuse for a beard and thick, lanky salt and pepper hair stands in the doorway. The man squints his light green eyes a little bit, leaning against the frame as he speaks in a lazy, carefree voice.
"Hey Tosen, you can't stay in this room all day, ya know."
"Sure I can. I have the freedom to do that. That's what airbending is all about, right? Freedom? So you can't force me to do anything without violating your own philosophy."
"Eh, guess that's right."
"Thanks, now go away."
"Nah, don't think I will. I'm free too, ya know?"
The tall man half walks, half waddles into the room before coming to sit down next to the young man. He then lays back on the badger mole's furry stomach, now side by side with Tosen. Annoyance decorates the teenager's face, but he doesn't say anything as the tall man stretches out and relaxes. Instead, Tosen plants his eyeballs on the screen as the newscaster continues.
"…The Earth Union Prime Minister released a statement today denying responsibility for the insurgencies that have slowed progress on the URN's space program, but recent leaps in progress in the EU's rocketry technologies have led some to suspect espionage. The average citizens are meanwhile caught in the crossfire, and building resentment between the citizens of the two nations have started rumblings that war might be on the horizon…"
"War…" Tosen whispers the word quietly to himself. A knot forms in his chest in response. He takes a deep breath and shakes his head, turning away from the man next to him and the TV to look at the door to close his eyes. "Not my problem..."
"You know Tosen, you're going to have to stop resisting eventually." The carefree man says, focusing his suddenly serious gaze on the back of Tosen's head. "You can either go with the flow, or it can take hold of you in its grip and thrash you against the bedrock of history."
"You say that now, try to teach me, but eventually you'll give up just like the others did. Because I'm not listening. They didn't convince me, and you won't convince me either."
"Eh, maybe so… but in that case I think both of us will just rot away rather than me leaving. It doesn't really matter where I am, ya know?" As the man talks, he pops a canteen from his hip and takes a long swig. Tosen's catches the sound of the cap popping off and rolls his eyes.
"As long as you have that junk to drink?"
"I'll have you know this is some high quality wine all the way from the Earth Union."
"Alcohol is alcohol no matter what way you spin it."
"Here, here!"
"That wasn't meant to encourage you…"
"I'm sure it wasn't, doesn't mean it didn't though!" He grins.
"Ugh…"
"Anyways, you know that destiny is going to eventually catch up to you, right? That's how it works, at least for the Avatar. You can try and push away this responsibility as much as you want, but it'll still catch up to you. Just like it caught up to Avatar Aang a hundred and fifty years ago."
"Maybe that's how it worked before, but it's not going to work that way with me." Tosen stands and looks over, looks the man directly in the eye with a piercing glare. "I never asked for this and I don't want it. I'm not a... servant of the world. I'm my own person, and I'm going to decide what to do with my life."
"But you aren't deciding anything. You're sitting here and lazing around, doing nothing and accomplishing nothing."
Tosen stands up quickly, walking to the other side of the room and punching the wall. The whole thing cracks in response to his anger. He flips around, yelling as a way to unleash his sudden rage.
"It's not like I can do anything else!" Tosen points an accusing finger as he continues. "Even if I had somewhere to go when I left this place, you all still wouldn't let me leave!"
The badger mole almost immediately moves, dropping the tall man's head to the floor. The man doesn't react in the slightest as his skull meets stone, he merely closes his eyes and takes another drink.
"You're not wrong, but you'd be in a lot of danger out there." The man speaks without sitting up or even looking at him. "So you wouldn't be able to do much outside"
"I don't care! It'd be easier than having you and everyone else here trying to decide my whole life for me! Hell, maybe I should die! Then you could have an Avatar that's cooked up for your stupid destinies! Come on Kerra, we're leaving."
The badger mole stands and hurries to Tosen's side. He jumps up onto her back as she scurries quickly out the door. The tall man doesn't move even as the door slams shut behind them.
He speaks quietly to himself.
"Ugh… Dad, I'm really not made out for this…"
Elsewhere…
A teenage, muscled girl with short black hair, wearing only a bra as a top and baggy pants to cover her legs, stands at the center of an arena. A large square surrounded by empty stands. Four others surround her at all angles, one at every compass point. A man stands to the side, and calls out the words she'd been waiting for.
"Begin!"
All four men act as one, throwing their fists forward and casting four simultaneous fire blasts towards her position. She immediately drops form her stance to dive into a handstand, before throwing herself skyward with a spin. Stretching her legs at opposite angles, she creates a ring of fire that blocks all four fire blasts at once. As the fire fades, she lands perfectly in a handstand before flipping back to a standing position and doing a one-two punch combo towards the nearest man in one smooth motion. Two fireballs peel out from her firsts, her target swats them aside with a one-two punch combo of his own, but she takes advantage of the momentary distraction to run towards him and jump up onto his extended arms.
Pushing off with her feet and flipping in mid-air, she places her hand on his shoulder to keep her balance and falls down behind him onto her feet. She then reaches both of her arms back and locks elbows with him to prevent him from turning around, or stopping himself from getting hit by his allies attacks. He swipes away the attacks away with his extended leg, but some of it still makes its way through and he coughs furiously. Taking advantage of this distraction, the girl uses his arms to lift and throw him over her back and into the air. Show follows this up with a quick fireball to the chest as he floats down to the ground, putting him down for the count as he crashes into the ground.
Her hair stands on end as she feels heat behind her. Three fire blasts from every corner of the ring. To avoid them, she rolls to the left before jumping to her feet and running towards the three men. They run to each other quickly, trying to present a united front.
"You've made a big mistake, hyah!" The girl charges, tossing out a flamethrower in front of her with both fists to counter all of their attacks at once. As they try to split apart to get a better position on her, she releases the flamethrower and jumps forward to land in the center of their group. They try to attack her at close range, but with deft movements, she catches a punch from her right on the top of her hand, diverting a fireblast into the air. At the same time, she catches a kick from her left with the back of her foot, pushing it back to trip the assailant and send his fire blast back behind her. Also at the same time, she hops up and kicks out in front of her with her right leg to disperse a large fireball.
As the man to her left hits the ground, she plants her left foot on the ground before kicking forward repeatedly with her other one, sending the guy in front of her backwards. Simultaneously, she grabs the man to her right by the throat and grips tightly. Once the man in front of her is far enough away, she brings her left leg around to knee him in the stomach as hard as she can. As he doubles over, she palms a fire blast directly into his chest and sends him flying out of the arena to crash into the stands. Spinning around, she catches the man she'd knocked to the ground in the jaw with the back of her foot as he tries to stand, and then adds fire to a kick with her other foot to his lower abdomen with. The resulting explosion sends him spinning into the air to land on the ground outside the ring.
Meanwhile, the man in front of her tries for another massive fireball, but she immediately counters by leaping forward and grabbing him by both hands through the filames, dispersing the attack. The two grapple momentarily, shifting weight around to try and establish an advantage, but the girl merely avoids the test of physical strength by stepping back and kicking him in the chest with both feet and all the force and fire she can muster. He manages to sustain the attack as she falls backwards to the ground, but she lands deftly on the palms of her hand and follows up with a flurry of fireballs from a series of bicycle kicks. He blocks the first few with some quick movements, but she's faster and a fireball clips him in the shoulder, opening up his defenses. Pushing off with her hands, with fire added for thrust, she goes skyward and then uses the thrust to spin and deliver a roundhouse kick fire blast that sends him straight through the wooden walls of the stands.
Groaning can be heard as she pulls her leg back and stands resolutely, bring her flattened hands together near her stomach as she takes a deep breath. Relaxing, she looks around at the ruins of her actions and winces in empathetic pain for her comrades.. She calls out.
"Is everyone okay?"
The only response is further moaning.
"Damn it. Sorry. I thought four-on-one would make it more even, but I guess not." She turns to the man who had yelled begin. He doesn't seem in the least bit surprised. "Hey, Master Kao, can you call in the healers please? I think my training partners need medical attention."
"I already sent my assistant to fetch them. I made sure they knew to be prepared. And really, when you're better than me, I'm not really your master anymore…"
"You're still my superior officer, Captain. I should address you with at least a little respect. Anyways, can you make sure they're taken care of? I need to wash up and get ready. I… I have an audience with the Fire Lord today."
"That's incredible Niyo. You're clearly going places if even the Fire Lord has heard how good you are."
"I'm a bit nervous, but I never reject an order. I'll see you later, sir." She offers a respectful salute, and then takes her leave for the showers.
Back with Tosen…
The White Lotus guards stand wordless and unmoving, keeping a close eye on Tosen as he leaves his room. The young man glares back, addressing them in an weary tone.
"I don't know why you're all so insistent... I don't know anywhere else to go, and I don't have a death wish. Not just yet, at least."
The guards as usual don't give any response. Someone else does though, and the guards snap to rigid attention as a familiar voice emerges from to Tosen's right. He catches sight of the aged features of a familiar man wearing a long White Lotus robe rounding the corner at the end of the hallway. The gleaming Scimitar hanging from his belt contrasts with his otherwise almost monastic appearance, with the deep folds of his skin fully revealed by his lack of a beard or any hair.
"Judging by the yelling you just did at Master Bale, I'm not sure if that's true." He speaks in a gruff, but kind voice. Before Tosen can even respond, a voice echoes from the room behind him.
"I told you to stop calling me Master! I don't like titles, damnit!"
"Oh, hi… Rohan…" The young man speaks slowly, ignoring the voice of Bale. Unlike with Bale, Tosen stares downward at the ground in a mixture of shame and respect. "I was just angry. I don't… I don't actually want to die. I was just thinking that it'd probably be easier for you if I did."
Rohan shakes his head, fixing his pale grey eyes on Tosen's face as he places a hand on the young man's shoulder.
"Never say that. Protecting you is our duty."
"I never asked for that."
"No, but your sister did. And when she handed you to my men four years ago, she was thinking that she wanted you to have a better life. So, at least for her sake, you should never say that dying would be better or that you'd be less trouble. Understand?"
Tosen doesn't respond for a long moment, but eventually he halfheartedly nods in acknowledgement, and Rohan removes his hand from Tosen's shoulder.
"Now, I see you are still refusing instruction." The older man casts a sideways glance at the chamber Tosen had just emerged from. The teenager sighs.
"Are we really going to have this conversation again?"
"No… on my most recent leave from this place, I almost met my death. It's paramount that at my age, I recognize that I won't be around much longer, and so it's important to me that I resolve the situation with you before I leave."
The young Avatar looks down at the ground in shame, but after taking a deep breath, decides to stand his ground. He fixes a gaze full of conviction on the old man as he speaks.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I appreciate everything you've done for me, by taking me in and caring for me. I don't care if you did it because I was the Avatar. You could've let someone else take care of me when I first got here, but instead you did a lot yourself. I learned a lot from you. And I feel ashamed, because I'm going to throw that all back in your face again. I refuse. I'm not going to master the elements, and I am not going to risk my life for the world."
"Ah, Tosen, I didn't think you would. You know… the reason we haven't taught you much beyond the basics about the world outside of this temple, the reason why we haven't showed you that world... It's not because we don't want you to go out there. In fact, shortly before her death, Avatar Korra encouraged us to show the new Avatar the world. To allow them to travel as the old Avatar's did as part of their studies. But, of course, you already know about all of this. And about the restriction that was put in place for your safety. The restriction that says you have to master at least one element before we allow you to travel."
"And I won't do it. What's your point?"
"I've come to the conclusion that this decision... is the wrong one."
"I'm not sure it is… Is it really safe for me to be going around when I haven't even mastered my Earthbending? I'm not even very good at it. I haven't trained a day in over four years. And I'm not sure I ever want to again…"
"But seclusion is not going to make you want to learn. In fact, I think secluding you here has made things more difficult. The way you were taught, and the ways you've seen bending be used… it's no wonder you don't want to learn. Combine that with the impression of the world you've gotten from that television screen, and I bet you find the thought of risking your life to protect it ridiculous."
Tosen doesn't speak, just finds his gaze on the ground again.
"You're never going to learn any different here, from us." Rohan says. "You need to take a journey. Not an Avatar's journey to protect the world or master the elements. You need to take a journey to discover who you are."
"B-But… Grandmaster Rohan… where would I even go? And… what about the danger? I don't... I don't know about this."
"You're scared of leaving."
"Of course I'm scared of leaving! You've told me that there's people out there who would stop at nothing to torture and kill me, just because of what I am. Believe me, if I could go without that hanging over my head, I would've tried to get out of here a long time ago. I want to learn about the world, learn about what I want to do with my life, go to school like a normal kid... but I can't do any of that if I'm dead."
"I know. But staying here is just another form of death, I'm afraid. Change is scary. I understand. But... I'm not going to give you a choice. We will gather supplies and maps for your journey, and then you must leave. We of course will continue to protect you, but how many guards you have and what they're duties are is up to you."
"You're… you're kicking me out?" Tosen wonders, fear creeping into his voice. Rohan closes his eyes and nods. "How could you do this to me!?"
"I am sorry Tosen. I know in particular for you that this must hurt. But I find the alternative much worse, that my successor would decide to do nothing, and allow the world to waste away when it could potentially be saved by you. The thing is... you'll need to want to save it, and without something to stoke that desire in you, that will never happen. This journey… you need it. Not just as the Avatar, but as a person. Even if you decide you don't want to be the Avatar in the end for some reason or another, I believe that at heart you are a naturally good person, and that you should be in a place where you can do good. But that's all up to you. This journey is yours, and you will decide on both your destination and your company."
"I respected you as the father that I never had. But... I guess unlike a real father, you're duty with me is to the world first."
"Yes. I am… I am sorry. There's nothing I could say that'll change your feelings, so I'll leave it at that..." Rohan replies, tears beginning to run from his eyes. He wipes them away and steadies his voice before continuing. "You need to take this journey Tosen. I hope that when it is done, that you will understand."
"All I understand is that I'm well and truly alone in the world. Except for one person. I'm going to go and speak to her before I leave..."
Rohan nods, and Tosen pats Kerra the badger mole on the head in a rhythmic fashion. The animal quickly bolts into motion, diving into the ground by pushing it aside with Earthbending, and closing the entrance to the impromptu tunnel behind them.
Elsewhere…
Niyo, now with a Fire Nation military uniform on, walks along a long hallway. Carpets and banners decorated with the Fire Nation insignia and pictures of past Fire Lords surround her. Her movements are stiff and unnatural, and she gulps nervously as she approaches the large door. Straightening out her uniform and adjusting her short hair, checking to make sure her small ponytail is properly fitted, she steps through the door with a gulp. A large room opens to her, and sitting in the throne is a tall man with a large grin.
This doesn't help calm her in the slightest, and she tries far too hard as she robotically crosses the room and gets on her hands and knees to bow.
"Oh come now, it hasn't been traditional to bow that low in nearly a century. Get up, get up, please!"
"Of course, Fire Lord Zukon!" The girl springs to her feet far too quickly, and the rush makes her trip and fall backwards. Blushing furiously, she climbs back to her feet… this time a lot more carefully.
"You're so high strung." The man shakes his head disappointedly before climbing down from the throne and jumping down to stand in front of her. "That throne of mine is way too intimidating to be meeting with people I like anyways. And of course I like you, miss."
"B-But, sir! We just met! You shouldn't be saying such things for a peasant like me…"
"Nonsense, nonsense… After all, while I haven't met you, I've heard a ton about you. A Firebending prodigy and an incredibly loyal patriot."
"I try my best sir!"
"Good to hear, because have I got a mission for you!"
"B-But sir, I'm still just a recruit… The law says I can't fight until I turn sixteen. That's not for another year…"
"Oh don't worry, if you're lucky this mission won't involve much fighting at all. Certainly not official military engagements or anything like that. Not to mention that I'd just change the law if that was the case. But, it's no problem. You'll even be wearing civilian clothes. I imagine that uniform is very, very uncomfortable. Why, you'd never catch me wearing one…"
"Of course not sir. But, what's this mission you have for me? I am, of course, happy to serve!"
"I've just received word from The Order of the White Lotus that the Avatar will soon be leaving his hiding place to travel the world. Seeing as this is the case, he is going to need a Firebending instructor."
"You mean… you mean me, sir?"
"Yes! I want our best Firebender teaching the Avatar."
"But… I've never taught anyone sir."
"I'm sure you'll figure it out, considering your talents. Are you saying you're unable to carry out this mission?"
"Absolutely not sir. Though, if it's allowed, I'd like to understand more about this decision of yours."
"Of course! Now, I hope you understand our position in world politics here. I do not want the Avatar roaming the Fire Nation. He would bring chaos, as Avatar's usually do, and the rumors I've heard that he's already here make me nervous. Obviously, I can't kick him out. It would destroy our reputation, and I can't have that happen. So I need you not just to teach him, but um… subtly encourage him to go. You understand?"
"Yes, but why not just send a normal old Firebending instructor?"
"Well, putting aside the fact that the last one I sent quit in frustration, reputation again! With your talents, and especially you're willpower and determination that I've heard about, you'll be able to handle any difficult personality traits he might have. And when he does master Firebending because of us, that will make us look very good to the rest of the world! I mostly want our nation to stay out of world affairs, especially in the current climate, and if everyone likes us then we'll be able to avoid getting involved. Understand?"
"Yes, I understand perfectly. I won't fail you sir! I will bring honor to our nation!"
"That's what I like to hear! As a thanks for your service, I will be promoting you to Captain. This will give you access to all Fire Nation intelligence so that you can use it to hunt down the Avatar, wherever he may be. Feel free to use it to help him, if it will help ingratiate you with whatever travelling party he has. Do try and be careful though, the Fire Nation does still have a few enemies. Terrorists could easily use that information for evil."
"I understand. Thank you sir. I will not return until I am successful in this mission!"
Suddenly all of her anxiety seemingly gone and replaced with a sense of purpose, the young girl puts fist to palm in a more modern bow. He nods. With that done, she leaves with a spring in her step. The second she reaches the outside, she grins and whispers to herself as she clenches her fist.
"Captain Niyo… I like the sound of that. But enough self-congratulations, time to get going!"
She runs off to get prepared for her journey.
Back with Tosen…
The young man isn't afraid of the darkness, instead he finds it calming. He waits several moments in the silence of the tunnel they've dug into. Tosen offers the destination in a weary voice.
"Kerra, let's get to the statue room."
In the usual swiftness the skilled navigator exhibits, she digs through the temple's stone walls all the way until they reach the entrance to the statue room. She digs up right by the edge, overlooking the foggy canyon from one of the largest towers in the Western Air Temple. Looking at this sight brings back uncomfortable memories, and he climbs down from Kerra unsteadily to sit down to try and calm himself. He's familiar with the way to do it, meditation... the way Rohan had taught him. He presses his hands together as he crosses his legs.
His breaths become deep and long as he tries to clear his mind and focus on his surroundings. The cool air brushing his skin. The cold stone pressing against his rear.
But unfortunately… this time he can't. Relaxation doesn't come, and tears start running from his closed eyes as he remembers his exchange with Rohan.
"Damn it..."
The badger mole places her head against the side of Tosen's, rubbing her soft brown fur across the teenager's exposed skin in an attempt to comfort him. When this doesn't work, the badger mole licks away his tears. Tosen laughs at the ticklish sensation, and Kerra responds by pushing him down onto the ground and licking more ferociously. This goes on for several seconds, before Tosen stops the mole by looping his arms around the badger moles neck and pulling it into a hug. This seems to satisfy Kerra, and she backs away as the boy sits up.
"I was stupid to think that just because I was the Avatar that they'd put up with me forever." Tosen says quietly as he scratches Kerra behind the ears. With a sigh, he stands and pushes open the double doors to enter the long hallway of the statue sanctuary. The White Lotus had redecorated the whole place recently. Banners of the White Lotus and the Four Nations hang all along the walls, and a statue of Avatar Aang dominates the center of the hallway. Tosen ignores it as he and Kerra push behind it to reach the door, the door that only he can open alone. Sitting before it, he attempts the meditation technique again, and this time he is successful.
His emotions dim to nothing and he enters a state of perfect calm. In this state, he feels the cosmic energy of the universe flowing into his body and granting him strength. When he opens his eyes again a few moments later, they are aglow. He stands, and quickly begins bending. He pushes one fist and one palm forward into the air as he moves his left leg behind him and bends his right knee. Two simultaneous blasts erupt from his hand, one of fire and the other of air. Then, gracefully switching stances he stretches out with waterbending and manipulates unseen liquid in a tube buried in the door. Lifting it by using both arms in an up-and-down motion, the water floats to the top, disengaging the lock. Finally, Tosen assumes an Earthbending stance, and slams a set in place rock from one side of the door for the other in a quick gesture.
With the final lock disengaged, the door opens. As Tosen leaves the Avatar State, he stumbles with a sudden bout of weakness. Kerra, having expected this, catches him by walking in front of him. Petting the badger mole, he uses her back to push himself back to standing and wipes the sweat from his brow. With that done, he walks inside, and the door closes behind him.
The room is lit by rings upon rings of harsh white lamps stretching up as far as the eye can see. Two staircases lead down, though currently to large empty rooms. At the far end of the room, he finds the single statue that had been installed since this place had been created to chronicle the new Avatar Cycle. The statue of Avatar Korra. He walks up to the statue, and then assumes a meditating position.
"Avatar Korra, I'd like to speak to you." He says. As he waits for the statues response, he looks over to Kerra and scratches her behind the ears. "Sorry, I forgot to thank you before. I'm glad you're here. You're my only real friend it seems… I know you'll never abandon me."
"Forgetting about me?" Suddenly, the light around Tosen seems to go dim, and the ghost of Avatar Korra steps from the statue to sit in front of him.
"Yea, it is pretty nice to have someone to talk to. Especially since you don't try to order me around like everyone else does. Even if you do seem to care as much as they do about all the destiny stuff..."
"Well, I'm just a part of you Tosen. It's not like I can force you to do anything. Even if I'd prefer you too…"
"Seems like you don't need to, thanks to Grandmaster Rohan. Ugh… I just want a normal, happy life. Or at least an opportunity at one. It's not like I want to rot away in this place. I do want to go out there, and learn. Especially about the things Rohan was talking about, learning who I am. But... when I go out there, I know I'm going to have to fight. Someone's going to eventually attack me just because I'm the Avatar, whether I want to get involved or not. Now, I know what you're going to say…"
"Hm… actually, I want to say something different today, considering the circumstances..."
Tosen raises an eyebrow before responding.
"I'm all ears."
"Reflecting on things, I think your desires are natural. A normal life without any fighting or pain? Yea, sure. I uh… hate to admit it of course. After all, back when I was alive, all I wanted to do was save the world. Beat up the bad guys." Korra presses her fist into her opposite palm for effect. She looks down nostalgically as she continues. "Even now I'd love another chance. It was always my calling. I guess it was a bit unfair of me and everyone else to expect it to be yours. It's funny, even though I'm technically you're past life, I guess we're not much alike…"
"Yea, I guess we're not."
"Not in any obvious ways at least, but I guess that's no surprise. Aang and I weren't much alike either… and I bet he could give you much better advice than I ever could. Especially considering he dealt with many of the same problems as you are. And the reason you can't ask him is all because of the mistakes I made."
"You did the best you could, and that's more than I've done. Bale was right about me, after all. Just wasting away in front of a television screen, not deciding or accomplishing anything... I don't blame you, Korra. No, my situation is my responsibility..."
"You're still just a kid Tosen. No one ever expected you to have accomplished anything by now."
"If that was the case, then I wouldn't be getting forced out…"
"I guess you're right… but I also think Rohan is right."
"Of course you would take his side. You've known him since he was a baby."
"Hear me out a second, will ya?" She responds with a grimace.
Tosen smiles a bit at her obvious frustration and nods, offering her his full attention.
"Well, I could use the inspiration I guess." He says.
"Here at this temple, you don't have any friends. Other than Kerra of course. You're completely sheltered, even more than I was growing up. People achieve identity through their relationships with other people. Being cooped up in here isn't going to help you do that. And, hey, maybe you'll even grow to like being the Avatar? Who knows?"
"That seems like you're hoping that might be true more than you actually think it is."
"Haha, maybe... But, regardless, I think there is at least one thing you definitely need this trip for…"
"And what's that?"
"Closure. On what happened with your sister. You need to visit the place she died, and try to find out if there's a grave you can visit. You never really got over what happened, and what's worse is that you blame yourself."
"Of course I blame myself. If I had just eaten the stupid soup, if I had just left well enough alone instead of acting out and triggering the Avatar State…"
"It seems to me like you're afraid. Of a lot of things, but especially making decisions... because you don't want to be responsible for anyone else getting hurt again. But... living is all about making decisions, and here you don't have to make any. So... you're not really living at all."
The young man remains silent for a long time, before standing up and nodding.
"I… I think you're probably right about all that. I guess I have my first destination then. I'll need to go back to the Earth Union, but I guess this is something I need to do."
"I truly think it is."
"I'll trust you. Even though I'm afraid... I'll trust you. Thanks, Avatar Korra."
"Don't thank me. Just sort this out. I understand how Rohan feels, watching you like this is just too sad. If you're going to toss away being the Avatar, you should at least try and live your life to the fullest."
Tosen nods and turns away. Korra's spirit fades, and Tosen leaves on Kerra's back.
Next time on the Odyssey of Tosen...
After many years living a sheltered life at the Western Air Temple under the care of the White Lotus, Tosen must leave. With the need to bring closure to the death of his sister many years before, this young, inexperienced, and unskilled Avatar will need to make a long journey across the ocean and back to his hometown deep in the Earth Union. Having lived such a sheltered life, Tosen is unprepared for the real world. Combine that with the known and unknown dangers inherent in such a long journey, and the new Avatar will need allies. Only, he won't find them, they'll find him...
Next time, The Harsh Reality - Part II.