Chapter one
"Many times when, someone would ask when my rise to power, actually began, the historians would say, it was after 'Poetry Incident' with Prince Zuko, my 'friends' and I use the term lightly, would say that it was after my military carrier was started, but the fact that I was the one who lived my life, that I am the foremost expert on it, and the many painful parts of it, I can say with a certain degree of confidence that it all started, like many other future disasters, on a bright summers morning.
Back then, when I was nothing but a small boy of only six or seven, my father and mother had informed me that I had been chosen, along with the other children, of minor nobles my age, to be fostered in the capital, by order of the Fire Lord himself, the man so evil that his voice could be used by an actor to give life to any horror of the imagination, personally I always preferred to cal him in my head, the 'Mad Clown', don't ask me why, but I always thought his voice would fit for a psychotic jester.
As you can imagine it was a big thing for me, think about it, me a small child, from a insignificant clan, from the Earth Colonies, invited, to the very heart of our great Fire Nation, I was so happy that I spent that afternoon, running and frolicking, through the fields, outside our city of Yu Dao.
When suppertime was drawing near, I noticed that a heart of war ostrich horses, tied to a tree, and next to them, was a group of our soldiers, all looking in the ground with a sad expression on they're faces.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I slowly approached the group, and after stepping on a twig and snapping it, the soldiers all raised their heads from the ground and snapped into a fighting stance.
The eldest among them, and old man with a grey hair, tied up in a ponytail, and a goatee, looked at me with fearsome eyes, but after realizing who the 'threat' actually was, he simply laughed and told the soldiers to stand down, this signified that he was the leader, and judging by his armor, he was probably a High ranking General in the army.
"What are you doing here child, where are your parents?" the old one asked.
"At home, I always play out in the fields, before supper" I replied.
"But aren't you afraid of bad men, coming to get you?" he asked good heartily.
"I always play where it's safe, and there are no bad men around, so why should I be" I replied and the old man gave a good hearted laugh, his soldiers did the same.
"You are a smart boy, but still this is far away from any town or village, so tell me why a smart boy like you, doing so far away?" he asked.
At this, scratched my head absentmindedly and told him, that I had accidently went so far, and upon hearing that I was to be fostered in the capital, the smile vanished from his face, only for it to reaper a moment later, as he approached me.
"Well that is a great honor, you're parents must be very proud of you, so I think you should not make them worry and go home" he said in a loud voice for all to hear, but before I was able to get up, he kneeled before me and in a voice which only I could hear said.
"There is a special game we play in the capital, but it is a game only for smart little boys, and you are a smart little boy aren't you?" he asked and I nodded vigorously, since all children were taught to respect, our soldiers, and therefore I wanted to make a good impression.
"The smart little boys pretend to be actors in a play, and in that play the have the part of the fool, now you've seen play before right?" I nodded vigorously "Now in a play there are many, heroes, villains, comic sidekicks, soldiers, extras, and those who simply stay in the scenery, to make it look good, but there is only one fool, do you know why?" I shook my head "Because the fool is the hardest part of all, everyone laughs at him, everyone thinks nothing of him, and he must do everything in his power to make it so, it is hard, it is seemingly unrewarding, so that is why the fool can only be played by the greatest of us all, are you one of those?" I nodded vigorously, which made the old man chuckle.
"Good! And remember you cannot let anyone know you are not the fool; the game plays out for years, and if they figure you out the game is forfeit, do you understand?"
"Yes sir, but if I win the game, will there be a prize?" I asked curiously.
"Yes, there is a prize, at the end of the game, you can say, I managed to finish it, while others couldn't, and trust me as one who will also be playing this game, that means a lot" he replied, and looking back on it, his suddenly serious tone, should have been a dead giveaway of what was to come, but then I was young and naïve, so I didn't manage to pick it up.
So I simply nodded and ran back to my house.
A few weeks later, I was put on a boat with other children, and we started our journey, remembering the words, I immediately put every neuron I had, into making the greatest fool I can think off.
And so on our journey, I had assumed the part of a half witted, stuttering, weak willed, crippled boy who needed a cane to walk, and I must confess the experience was very unpleasant at first.
Of those on the boat most where, polite, others friendly, a few weary of men, but none where outright bullies or hostile, and I quickly started to get tired of my part.
But we soon reached the capital, and I thank Agni, Raava, Tui, La, Yue any other god or spirits that are out there, for making me decide to maintain my charade longer, because as soon as we arrive, the rotten truth, beneath the beautiful crust of the capital came to life.
Everything, was a power struggle, with deception, thieving, intimidation, bullying and any other jungle animal behaviors you could find there.
All of the boys on the ship I was with, where sucked in this great rotten void, some where swallowed by it, others became animals just to survive in this jungle, some bowed to others, but one thing I discovered fairly early was that, no matter how good you played this game, at the very end you always loose, everybody does.
Thankfully, I was for the first few weeks ignored, and since few of the other children spent time in the library, it became my sanctuary, away from that jungle.
And so, the days and years past, I saw new faces come and go, somewhere winners today, only to be losers tomorrow, some where the opposite, and some simply, lost altogether and where banished from court, those where the lucky ones, the unlucky ones, well….years from then I managed to find an old Secret Police File, which detailed, what happens to those who truly lost the power play going on then, I cannot in good conscience, write what happened to them, for even the thought gives me shivers, and that was only with the children, the adults who lost….oh the poor adults…..may the spirits show them mercy, for this wretched world did not.
About the time of my 15 year of life, I had become a scribe among the palace, a position which enabled me a relatively comfortable life, and few worries, I spend my days writhing, reading, and generally was at peace, since I did not have to worry about, others considering me a threat, and because of that each night I prayed for blessings on that old bearded man, who I would only discover his true identity years later, for good health and happiness, since it was his advice, which had sparred me from a grim fate.
Or so I thought, for one morning, I was making my way towards the war council chamber, where a meeting was to be held; and as I pretended to limp my way, with a cane in my right hand, and scrolls beneath my left, I came a cross of group of nobles, who where idly chatting by.
"Ah Petenshi, how is life treating you this day my friend?" Judas, who was a prince of one of the minor tribes of the fire nation, and he was one of the two people I could call a friend.
"Like it c-c-caught me in b-b-bed with his w-w-wife" I replied, which made those present give out a good laugh, a good sense of humor, also helped me greatly, to keep the number of people who are hostile to me, to a zero.
"We all feel like that sometimes, so where are you off to, another war meeting?" Judas asked.
"Yes, I only hope that it's brief" I replied and excused myself, after a few minutes I reached the room, and after the lords assembled, and the Psychotic Clown, arrived, the meeting began.
I as usual started to write, every word which passed in that room, for posterity, and by all means, it should have been any other meeting, of which the topics, where of conquests, the degree of enslavement, how much to robe, plunder, and pillage, who to bride, who to murder; you know the usual jolly subjects our Hellspawn Harlequin of a leader, brought up.
What made it different, from others, was that upon a suggestion by one of the Generals, which was to use the inexperienced troops of a newly raised division as cannon fodder, this was something which disgusted me, but I was rather fond of having my head attached to my body, so I never said my objections.
"I object!" but I certainly heard one, and upon raising my eyes, from the scroll I was writhing, I realized that I somehow managed to not observe the fact that Prince Zuko was participating on the meeting, even worse was the fact, after a few heated exchanges, the respective General and Zuko were set to have an Agnikai.
To my even greater horror, and to Zuko's, we had discovered that by saying the generals plan was stupid, which it was, he had insulted his father, our leader, and it was with him that Zuko was to have an Agnikai.
And like any other man in his position, Zuko immediately got on his knees and begged forgiveness, for his admittedly good intentions in my opinion.
But as always mister Looney Laughter, was not the cuddliest of clowns, and had ignited a powerful fire in his had to attack his own son.
And that, is where I made my first mistake, for any man sane man, would not interfere, but in my defense, I doubt any man could remain sane when seeing the sight of a father trying o murder his own son, a man with a brain would just close his eyes and wait until it was over, but I am an actor, playing a fool, and I played my part admirably, and by saying admirably with great stupidity.
"AAAAAAAAAA!"I suddenly shouted and got up from my seat, this surprised everyone, and the whole room's attention was on me.
"AGNI! OH GREAT , OH POWERFUL AND IMMORTAL"
"CROSSES, AND D-D-DESCENDS TROUGH OUR SPIRIT PORTAL."
"HE SUMMONS HIS FF-F-IRE, W-W-HICH BURNS SO BRIGHT"
"IT RA-RA-RA-GES HOTTER THAN THE SUN, AND CHASES AWAY THE N-NIGHT."
I said as I made my way closer to the Fire lord, and gestured wildly with my hands to emphasize, the poetry of the ancient playwright Quaverpyke
"TO SMITE THOSE UNW-W-WORTHY BEFORE HIS SIGHT"
"BUT AGNI, DO NOT WASTE YOUR HOLLY FLAME, ON THIS PITIFUL SIGHT"
I GESTURED TO ZUKO, AND THEN BACK TO THE CRACKER CLOWN FOR EMPHASIZE.
"FOR EVEN A SMA-SMA-SMALL WASTE OF YOUR F-FLAMES, ON FOOLS, L-LEFT AND R-RIGHT"
"W-WOULD BE ON OUR NATION, A MOST D-D-DREADFUL WASTE, A-AND BLIGHT"
I finished and with a normal non theater voice added.
"F-f-for Agni read Ozai, a-and, for fo-o-o-ls, r-read everyone" I finished, and bowed, before Crazy Crackerjack.
And after my impromptu performance, to my surprise, the Flaming Freaking Circus Fool, actually laughed.
"Father, I am truly sorry, oh great and mighty Fire Lord" Zuko started to say, but I quickly cut him off.
"SILENCE, YOU FOOL OF A TOOK" I shouted at Zuko.
"DO Y-YOU NOT HAVE EARS TO HEAR, OR EYES TO LOOK?"
"YOU'RE APOLOGY WAS REJECTED AT H-H-HAND"
"SO BY MY 200 TEETH, WHICH I HAVE ONLY THRITHY"
"FACE YOU'RE M-MISTAKE, NOT LIKE AN ISECT, BUT LIKE A MAN!"
"SO SHUT YOU'RE TONG, AND DO NOT SPEAK"
"FOR THE V-V-VOICE OF AGNI, WE ALL SEAK" I turned back to Ozai, who responded with a laugh, or rather the dark, twisted sounds, of what could be considered a laugh.
"By my grandfather Roku, this one know the Minstrel! well" The Fire Lord said.
"Tell me then, scribe, if my punishment is to good for him, then what would you have me do, answer correctly and good for you and my son, answer badly, and well….use your imagination" Ozai replied, and with his depraved version of a smile eagerly awaited my answer.
This made my eyes bulge out of my head, my big mouth had gotten me into trouble, one more.
"N-NO MATHER WHAT WISDOM MORATL MAN CAN WRIGHT, HEAR OR S-S-SEE"
"IT PALES, BEFORE THE GLORY OF AGNI" I said and then got on my knees, while still gesturing with my hands, the poem to give it more of an impact.
"SO OH GREAT LORD, WHO IS HIGH ABOVE US, OR LAND AND TIME"
"ONLY YOU CAN CAST, JUDGEMENT WITH FITS THE CRIME" I said and got onto my knees, all the while I was holding hands, as if I was offering something to him, while maintaining eye contact.
"HA HA HA! How true! How very true indeed! Only the Fire Lord can cast judgment" he said as he finally deactivated his flames.
"And you are right, punishing my son, with my own hand, is inappropriate" he said as he , turned his back towards us, while gesturing for me to rise.
"So I will punish you instead, for shaming my son, by being a better man than him" he said and the words barely registered in my head, before he reignited a flame in his right hand, and lunged at me.
I quickly closed my eyes, and waited for the blow to come, but after a few moments passed, I realized that I was not dead, so I opened my eyes, and to my surprise, I saw that prince Zuko, had gotten up and was using both his hands to block, Ozai's right hand, which was ablaze for striking me.
"Father, leave him be, he has done no harm, the one who has sinned against you is me" Zuko said to him.
"He has sinned against me more than you, for he stood, while you bowed, and no one stands taller than the royal family" Ozai replied, while keeping eye contact with his son.
"You're right father…" Zuko replied, as I could sense shame creeping into his voice, shame for his folly, for his yellow spine, and suspect that for also indirectly, almost having someone else pay for his mistake.
"….No one stands taller, than the royal family" he said and suddenly grabbed Ozai's wrist with his left hand, and mashed it against his face.
Everyone in the room jumped, at this action, and our eyes bulged out in surprise, at the sight of the crown Prince maiming himself, the image, combined with the guttural sounds which came from him, as he tried desperately to not scream, combined with the smell of his burned flesh, would stay with us for the rest of our lives.
Even Ozai, was surprised at his son's actions, I could tell that the old Crackpot was not expecting this, after a few moments, Ozai tried to remove his hand, but a jerk movement from Zuko kept it pressed against his face, making the Crazy Clown's eyes bulge out even more in surprise, after this insane arm wrestling contest, which lasted almost a minute, Ozai finally submitted and extinguished his flame.
When, the fire died down, and the hellish smoke clear, what we saw left us gasping for breath, Zuko's entire left side of his face was burned, it extended from the top of his scalp, to his lower neck, his left eye was seemingly functional, but now almost entirely uncovered, since the fleshy parts of his face, which covered said organ was gone, his left cheek was mostly burned off, except for a small strip of flesh which was positioned close to his lips, still connected his upper and lower jaw.
Wordlessly they started at each other for a few moments, and I could see that Ozai was in more shock than Zuko was in pain, and he was in a lot of it.
The silence went one until, Ozai returned to his seat, Zuko did the same, while both men kept eye contact, each waiting for the other to quit this stare down.
"General, perhaps my son is right, we should not waste the lives of the 82nd , we after all do not have an unlimited supply of able warriors, so we should formulate a different plan of action" Ozai said, and the general replied with a few fake praises for the Fire Lord.
After that both men broke eye contact at the exact same time, which seemed to signal that the meeting should continue as if nothing happened, so I returned to me seat in the corner of the room and continued to write away.
After it was finished, and the Ozai, adjourned the meeting, everyone left, until I realized, that only myself and Zuko remained.
"S-Should I c-call a doctor?" I tentatively asked.
"No, the wounds already cauterized" he replied, his voice indifferent, as if loosing half your face was no big deal.
"I I am s-s-orry, for what happened t-to you" I said, trying to not let awkward silence dominate our conversation.
"Don't be, what happened is my fault, you just tried to help me, also" he said as he got up and walked towards me.
"What you did today, was braver and more nobler, than any knight or lord that I know, I will not forget what you have done, nor the boom I owe you, for trying to help me, I do not have much to offer, but I would like to offer my friendship…." He said as he extended his hand towards me.
"Names Zuko, the halface of the Fire Nation nice to meet you"
I extended my own hand, grabbed his hand and shook it.
"Names P-Petenshi, the h-h-halfwit, of the Fire N-N-Nation"
"A halface, and a halfwit, perhaps together, we could make up a full man" he said with a good natured chuckle.
"O-one can only hope" I replied and I laughed as well.
And that beloved readers was how the 'Poetry Incident' went, after that Zuko and I spent the night drinking, eating and sharing stories, Zuko became the second man I could call a true friend.
Of course if at that point in my life, I'd have know just how much trouble, our friendship or me, would have on my life I would have spat him on the face, then barge into Ozai's chamber, and show him my posterior, with a tattoo of which said, 'Kiss it Firelord' , and finally ran to the nearest Earth Village, with a shirt which said Fire Nation Rocks! While composing and sending letters to the Earth King, which basically would say, 'Come and get me if you have the stones, you bastard' , but as usual I was blissfully unaware, and that bliss would not last for long.