Breathe
"It´s all in the breath." That´s what his father used to tell him. And he treasured these words as he treasured all the others he had said when he was alive. And it´s weird how they came to his mind now, in the middle of a pro-bending match. The Fire Ferrets are fighting another team, a not so strong one (but he better keep an eye on the earthbender anyway) and Mako´s mind is remembering his father´s teachings.
"To be able to firebend, you´ll first have to learn how to breathe."
"But I already do that." He had said, not quite sure he understood what his father meant.
"No, you´re not. Nowadays people are too stressed, too busy with their life that they have forgotten how to breath correctly. That way they don´t let the energy flow in and out their body. If you want to become a good firebender you will have to learn how to control your inner energy, your chi, and how to let it out, by using your breath."
It took months and months before he finally could control his energy, his breath, and by the time he truly became a firebender his father was no longer in this world (killed by someone who had his same gift).
But he remembers, and really it is all in the breath, he thinks as he dances through the waterbender opponent´s attacks. Dances. Right, because firebending is some kind of dance. A wild, dangerous one.
One step to the right. Turn around, breath in, fire out.
Three quick steps to the left, breath in, punch out, let your breath become fire.
Jump up, kick out, let the fire push the earthbender back towards the waterbender. Two down.
He´s not done yet. He moves quickly (breath in, breath out) in the hypnotic dance of firebending. He knows, his father told him. Fire can be harsh, aggressive, uncontrollable and destructive. But fire is the one that provides light and warmth. It provides life, and that is why he hadn´t give up on fire when his father died (he couldn´t, he wouldn´t). Because he believes in his teachings (and he had a brother to protect).
He lets Bolin take down the other opponent and as the crowd bursts out in acclaims he lowers his head and closes his eyes, (breath in, breath out) and smiles.