Avatar Zero
Chapter 3: Bending Ban
"Bojin was so happy Sukuso learned how to bend fire," Tay stated. "You should have seen him. He was so excited for him and kept asking Sukuso to show him more. He was so proud of him."
Tay giggled softly for a moment. But then she frowned.
"Lady Zazai got really mad at Sukuso for learning how to bend fire," Tay explained. "But I don't get why. If he's the Avatar, he was going to bend fire sometime anyway, right?"
Tay's mother was behind her, scrubbing some clothes in a bin of water. She had grown her hair out a little over the last fourteen years, and had become a little aged. Tay was hanging up the clothes to dry while her mother washed them.
"Lady Zazai," Tay's mother said, "she misses Chiso very much. She's trying to blame her death on someone so that she has an excuse to be angry about it. If she didn't have the firebenders, it would just be someone else."
"Still not an excuse to get angry at Sukuso," Tay said.
"No," Tay's mother sighed, "it isn't."
Tay's mother stood up and turned to her.
"Isn't it about time for you to go to your lessons with Master Soshi?" she asked her daughter. "You don't want to be late."
"Oh, yeah!" Tay agreed. "Sukuso is going to show off his fire bending to everyone. It's going to be great!"
Tay ran off towards Soshi's training hall, waving to her mother.
"See you later, Mom!" she yelled.
Tay's mother smiled and waved back. Then she sighed.
"Lady Zazai," she puffed. "How long will you bear this grudge?"
Tay's mother then turned back to her laundry and scrubbed it in silence.
Sukuso was waiting outside of Soshi's training hall when Tay got there. He smiled at her.
"Morning, Tay!" he called, waving wildly.
"Hi, Sukuso!" she yelled back.
"Are you ready for class?!" he asked.
"You know it!" she grinned.
She reached him and they walked inside together. Soshi was waiting in the front room with the seven other students learning with Master Soshi. Soshi looked at Tay and Sukuso as they entered.
"Ah, Sukuso," Soshi teased. "Glad to see you on time today."
Soshi just giggled oddly and rubbed the back of his head.
"Tay," Soshi nodded at her. "Good to see you too."
"Glad to be here," she giggled.
"Master Soshi," Sukuso said bravely, "if you don't mind, before we start, I have some news."
"News?" Soshi asked. "What kind of news is more important than bending?"
"That's actually what it's about," Sukuso told him. "I was finally able to bend!"
"You were?" Soshi asked, suddenly very interested. "When?"
"Yesterday," Sukuso told him. He rubbed the back of his head again. "Unfortunately, it wasn't earthbending."
Soshi bowed his head disappointedly and groaned.
"So what did you bend?" a boy from the class asked.
"Come into the training room and I'll show you!" Sukuso stated, hurrying past them into the larger training room.
The rest of the class followed him, including Soshi who looked curious, and Tay who had a big smile on her face.
Sukuso ran into the middle of the room and then faced everyone.
"Stay back, everyone!" he called to them. "And watch this!"
Sukuso lifted one foot off the ground and pulled one arm back. He stomped his foot down as he pushed his hand forward. A stream of flame flew from his hand and went several feet before disappearing. The class was in awe, even Soshi.
"Firebending," Soshi gaped.
"Do it again, Sukuso!" a girl from the class cheered.
"If you say so," Sukuso smiled.
Sukuso continued to show them various trick with the flames he could create. The class members watched in amazement and would clap now and then.
Soshi was smiling proudly at Sukuso as he showed them his bending. Tay was standing next to him.
"So," Soshi said, more to himself than anyone, "I was always right about him."
Tay looked up at him.
"Right about what?" Tay asked.
"Sukuso always had that bending spirit in him," Soshi stated while still watching Sukuso. "He always wanted to bend so much. He's just like his mother in that sense, I suppose. Chiso loved bending, and now her son has inherited that love. There was always a pain in his eyes when he failed to bend earth." He smiled wider. "Now his love has taken full form in his flame."
Sukuso created another flame and spun around a little, throwing it out around him. This flame went further than the others had, and got closer to the rest of the class. They all stepped back in surprise, although the flame vanished before it got close enough to hurt any of them.
Sukuso faced them worriedly.
"I'm sorry!" he yelled. "Are you all okay?!"
"We're fine, Sukuso," Soshi stated, walking up to him. "But I think we've seen enough."
He stopped in front of him and raised a finger.
"Fire can be very dangerous," he said, "and shouldn't be treated as a toy. It especially shouldn't be used like that just to show off."
Sukuso giggled oddly again.
"You can practice more when you're on your own," Soshi said, "or in our private lessons together. Until then, keep the firebending to a minimal."
"Or rather," a voice interrupted, "don't firebend at all."
Soshi and Sukuso turned towards the voice, joined by the class and Tay. Zazai was standing in the doorway, glaring over at Sukuso.
"Lady Zazai," Soshi said. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"I came here to make sure Sukuso wasn't going to use his new abilities," Zazai explained, stepping forward, "but I see I was wrong."
"He was just showing us . . . " Soshi started to defend.
"This new power may prove that he's the Avatar," she stopped him. "And it makes him a bender. But that doesn't change that fire is the one thing that threatens to conquer us all."
"Sukuso using his bending abilities does not make him the same as the fire nation," Soshi insisted. "There abilities are similar, but their hearts are in two different places."
"You said yourself how dangerous fire was," Zazai reminded him. "I cannot allow such danger around my people. You saw how he almost hit your students."
"You disrespect me," Soshi said sternly. "If my students were in any danger from Sukuso's fire, I could have easily risen a wall to protect them. They were in no danger. And Sukuso will be more careful from now on."
"Yeah, I'll be careful," Sukuso promised.
"Yes, you will be," Zazai said, "because from this day forth, firebending is banned from Zuki Village."
"What?" Sukuso exclaimed. "I finally learn how to bend and then you ban it? Grandma . . . "
"There will be no excuses," Zazai snapped. "Anyone, no matter who they are, caught firebending in my village will be severely punished!"
Zazai turned and calmly walked out of the training hall. Soshi looked annoyed.
"Wait here everyone," he said. "No bending of any kind until I get back."
Soshi went after Zazai with his students watching him as he left. Tay ran up to Sukuso's side.
"I'm really sorry, Sukuso," she said. "It's my fault you learned how to bend in the first place. Now your grandma's mad at you."
"It's not your fault," he assured her. "Grandma's always finding an excuse to be mad about something."
"I thought you did great," Tay told him.
Sukuso blushed softly and smiled.
"Thanks, Tay," he said.
"Lady Zazai!" Soshi yelled.
Zazai stopped walking and turned to him.
"Now what was that about?" Soshi demanded. "Sukuso finally learns how to bend, and you act as if it's the end of us all."
"It might as well be," Zazai muttered.
"Sukuso is not a danger to anyone," Soshi continued. "He would not purposefully hurt anyone."
"Purposefully, no," she agreed, "but this power of his is too new. He can't control it properly. It is for the safety of everyone in the village that I prevent him from using it."
"How can he learn how to control it if you won't let him at least practice?" he inquired.
"He can practice at the other elements first," she told him. "Then he may learn how to better control fire. Just as long as that doesn't happen inside the borders of Zuki Village."
Zazai turned to leave again.
"Lady Zazai," Soshi said.
She looked at him. He was looking at her seriously.
"I can't help but feel you are not acting in the best interests for Sukuso," he said. "It's as though you think the Avatar learning how to bend is a bad thing."
Zazai looked at him for a moment. Then she looked away.
"That boy is the least of my concerns," she said. "The village must come first."
"Before your own grandson?" he asked. "You place the village before Chiso's son?"
Zazai didn't say anything.
"You know how much bending meant to Chiso," he pointed out. "It means just as much, if not more to Sukuso. You must know what you're doing to him by trying to take it away."
"Don't you dare compare him to my daughter!" she yelled, looking at him. "He is nothing like her!"
She looked away again.
"There will be no firebending in Zuki Village, and that is final!" she maintained. "He can use any other form of bending he wants, just not fire!"
Zazai walked away, agitated. Soshi stood there and watched her. Then he growled and headed back to his training hall.
Hours later . . .
"I just don't get why your grandma got so angry like that," Tay said sadly. "You're the Avatar. You were practically born to bend."
"Yeah," Sukuso sighed, "but who cares about her? Master Soshi said we'll keep practicing earthbending like normal, and in our private lessons, he'll take me into the forest to practice fire. He wants me to learn how to control it perfectly just to prove to my grandma that I can use it without hurting anyone."
"But still," Tay said, looking at him, "she's your grandmother. She has to be even a little proud of you, doesn't see?"
Sukuso let out a laugh and closed his eyes. They were sitting up in a tree together. Sukuso leaned against the trunk.
"Uncle Bojin says that after my mom died," he told her, "and they brought me here, my grandma refused to take care of me. She wouldn't even hold me. I hardly get to see her unless she's mad at me about something, and I barely get to talk to her either. I doubt she could be proud of me if she tried. I can't remember even seeing her smile." Sukuso opened his eyes. "Uncle Bojin says that when my mom died, so did grandma's smile."
Tay frowned and leaned closer to him.
"I'm sorry, Sukuso," she repeated.
"It's okay," he assured her. "I don't really care much for her either. I don't even really consider her family. Uncle Bojin is the only family I need."
Tay smiled a little.
"You really care about your uncle," she noticed.
"Uncle Bojin is the best!" he grinned. "He's raised me like I was his own kid. He's always looking out for me. I don't know what I'd do without him. He means more to me than anything in the world!" Sukuso hesitated for a moment and blushed softly. He looked at her. "So do . . . you, Tay."
Tay blushed too and looked away from him.
"We've been friends forever," he continued. "I don't know what I'd do without you either." He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Thanks . . . for always being there."
Tay smiled at him happily, and then leaned even closer to him.
She kissed him on the cheek gently.
Sukuso's face went bright red. Tay pulled away from him quickly. Sukuso sat there in shock for a long moment.
Then suddenly, Sukuso tipped over limply. He fell out of the tree and landed hard near the tree's roots. He laid there stiffly, still blushing.
Tay looked down at him, and then burst out laughing again.
"You're always doing that!" she laughed.
Sukuso didn't defend himself. He just sat up and brushed himself off with a blank look on his face.
Tay continued to laugh and then jumped down from the tree. She giggled for another moment, and then looked around.
"It's getting late," she said. "It's going to be dark soon. I hope we don't get lost."
"Well, here," Sukuso said, standing up finally. He pulled a branch off the tree and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a piece of cloth and wrapped it around the end. He then held a hand up to the clothe and flicked it with his finger. It started on fire.
"We can use this to light the way," he said, holding it up to her.
Tay smiled and took the torch from him.
"You're not supposed to use your firebending," she reminded him.
"She said I couldn't in Zuki Village," he retorted. "We're not in Zuki Village right now, are we?"
She giggled at him.
"You're going to get in trouble," she taunted.
"I won't tell if you won't," he said.
Tay took his hand again while still holding the torch in the other.
"I won't," she promised. "Our little secret."
Tay lead the way back through the trees, holding up the torch to light the way. Sukuso wasn't watching where they were going as much as he was watching Tay.
Tay started to enter her home.
"Mom, I'm . . . " she started.
Tay went inside to find it dark and empty. No one was home.
Tay glanced around outside, but didn't see her mother anywhere.
"Wonder where mom went?" Tay thought aloud.
Tay went inside, still holding the torch Sukuso had given her. She carefully stacked some wood in the center of the hut and then put the torch to it. The wood was soon on fire, lighting up the shack.
Then Tay sat down on her cot, looking down at the torch. She held it over a bucket of water to put it out, but then pulled it back again. She smiled at the flame.
The first present Sukuso has ever given me, she thought happily.
Sukuso entered his own hut to find it also dark. Bojin was inside, stacking some wood in the center.
"There you are, Sukuso," Bojin said, looking at him and smiling. "I didn't light the fire yet, so how about you come and do it." Bojin's arms shook excitement. "I want to see some more firebending."
"Sorry, Uncle Bojin," Sukuso said. "Grandma banned firebending in Zuki Village."
"She what?" he asked.
"She came to earthbending class today and caught me firebending," he explained. "She was really mad and so she said there would be no more firebending in Zuki Village."
"Oh," Bojin groaned, bowing his head. "Lighting fires the old way is no fun."
"I'm sorry," Sukuso apologized again.
"It's not your fault, so don't worry," Bojin said. He took the stick from behind his ear and began to rub it against the logs to start a fire. "I guess a law against firebending was bound to happen someday."
Bojin continued to rub the stick against the log, but then stopped after a long moment. He stood up and hit a fist against his other hand.
"No," he said, determined. "This time, I'm not letting this stand. You finally learned how to bend, and I'm not letting her stop you."
"What are you going to do?" Sukuso asked.
Bojin put the stick back behind his ear.
"We are going to have a talk with her," he said.
"We are?" Sukuso asked.
"Yes we are," he nodded.
Bojin started for the doorway. He took Sukuso's arm as they went.
"Come on," Bojin urged as he pulled Sukuso outside. "Time to get this ban lifted!"