Okay it's been over three weeks so I thought I've kept you long enough. I didn't actually expect it to be this long. Hahahaha anyway here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

Rewriting the schedule

It was sundown on a mild day in the middle of the week. Seijuro's lessons had concluded for the day and he was sitting in the living room of the sofa. With his fists curled up into balls and his gaze to the floor, it was clear to see that the boy was uneasy. As he sat there in place, he thought about what was going to happen, according to what he discussed with his mother the day before…

—

"Bring Reo in for healing sessions? You can do that?"

"But of course," his mother replied. "I can teach him how to use his Waterbending for healing and you can see him during your training." Seijuro was still uncertain.

"Are you sure, mother?" he asked her. "Father might not allow it."

"I'm sure he will," she reassured him. "As long as it doesn't interfere with how much time you spend training then there should be no problem. And me teaching Reo shouldn't be a problem either. After all, teaching people is what I do. With that said…" She ran a hand through his red hair.

"Does that seem like a good arrangement to you?" Seijuro nodded his head meekly and gave her a grateful smile.

"Yes. Thank you, mother."

—

This was the arrangement decided, and so today, any minute now, in fact, Seijuro would be seeing both his mother and Reo. While he was looking forward to this since yesterday, he couldn't help but feel anxious about what would happen if his father would see them. Even though his mother did say he shouldn't have a reason to take issue, she still had not discussed the matter with him. Although, Seijuro being the perceptive child he was, he could guess why she had done that. If she had discussed this with him the night before and he, for some unknown reason, refused, then Reo would not be allowed to visit and that would be that. However, if she brought Reo into the house today and he happened to stumble upon them in training, how could he possibly refuse? Reo would already be in the house and Shiori would insist on finishing the session, rendering the almighty king powerless. While Seijuro was well aware of his father's boundaries, he knew that his mother must also have boundaries. She was not some empty vessel that his father spoke through. She had her own thoughts, and her own opinions; and Seijuro loved her for that sense of independence. So if worst comes to worst, Seijuro highly doubted that his mother would go down without a fight. She'd persuade him alright, even if it took hours of conversation. If there was anything his mother taught him, it was perseverance.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard footsteps down the hall. His attention was immediately turned towards the living room entrance where he heard the footsteps approaching. Sliding off the couch, he quietly padded over to the entrance and poked his head out into the hallway. A smile of relief washed over his face when he saw who it was. Walking over towards the living room, were Shiori and Reo, the two happily discussing trivial topics such as their day and the weather. As soon as Reo saw Seijuro peering at them from behind the entrance, his eyes widened and his smile widened.

"Sei-chan!"

Seijuro smiled.

"Hi Re—ah!"

He was nearly tackled to the ground with a bone-crushing hug. If he hadn't caught himself, both of them probably would've toppled over.

"I missed you, Sei-chan."

Nevertheless, Seijuro let out a short laugh as he hugged his friend back.

"I missed you too, Reo."

Shiori chuckled softly as she walked over to the two and put a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Now, let's get started with our session."

The two nodded eagerly, and Shiori ushered them into the living room discussing the lesson they would be having that day. Once they were knelt down in front of the table, Shiori began the lesson.

"Since Reo is new to this, let me start from the beginning," said Shiori. "Healing is a special technique that Waterbenders can use to heal other people or themselves. It can heal any type of injury, whether it is internal or external." Reo put a hand in the air.

"Um, excuse me Akashi-sama—"

"No need to be formal, dear. Just call me Shiori."

"Shiori-san…what do you mean by internal and external?" Shiori smiled.

"I'm glad you asked, Reo. Allow me to explain." She walked over to him and knelt down, and held up his hand.

"By external, I mean outside of your body. Anywhere on your skin, be it your hand, your leg, or your face, is your external. A burn that could leave a scar on your body for the rest of your life could be healed in seconds with the healing properties of water."

Seijuro finger idly brushed across his thumb on the opposite hand. He remembered well how he had begun training in healing abilities. It was a burn that started it, after all. Reo nodded in understanding as he looked down at his own hand in fascination.

"That's amazing," he said in awe. "What about the internal then?" Shiori released his hand from her hold and quirked an eyebrow as her lips twitched upwards.

"If external is outside the body, what do you think internal is?" Reo thought for a moment.

"Is internal…inside the body." She nodded.

"Yes. People can get injured on the inside as well…but not always in the way you think."

"What do you mean?"

"Water can heal physical injuries, but it can also heal things that we can't see."

Reo's eyes widened as he took this information in.

"Things we can't see?" he asked. Shiori nodded once more.

"Yes," she said. "Spiritual damage, mental damage, and emotional damage are also considered injuries, and the properties of water can also heal these as well."

"Woooow…"

Seijuro continued to silently watch as he listened to his mother. She was a very knowledgeable woman of many things, healing being her specialty. The way she was explaining it so flawlessly to Reo and the way he looked so awe inspired made him wonder if this is what he looked like when she first taught him the ways of healing. When she was done explaining, she brought out the practice dummy she used and set it on the table.

"Shiori-san, what is this for?" Reo asked.

"This is just something we use for demonstrations." Shiori's fingers glided across it as she spoke. "These lines are indented into this practice dummy so you can guide the water through the channels. Seijuro dear, would you mind showing him?" Seijuro shook his head and took out his own pouch of water that he carried with him. With one swift motion, it flowed out of the pouch and into the indented channel of the arm on the practice dummy. Using the index and middle finger of his right hand, he guided the steady stream of water up the arm and down past the shoulder to the center of the heart. Once it was there, he opened up his hand and hovered it over the water. From there the water spread and a magnificent blue glow permeated the surface of the practice dummy. Soon, the glow disappeared, and Seijuro put the water back into his pouch. His mother ruffled a hand through his hair.

"Well done, Seijuro. Your form is beautiful as always."

"Sei-chan that was so amazing!" said Reo. "It looks really pretty."

Seijuro really did not think much of the appearance of his form and his bending, nor did he tend to pay attention to compliments. Many people who knew him and who his family tended to feed him compliments to satisfy his ego, but he was a very modest boy, and he had no problems keeping himself grounded. But when Reo or his mother said things like this, he couldn't help but smile. From seeing his smile, it made the others smile, and soon they were all laughing together, enjoying how the lesson was turning out.

"What is the meaning of this?"

As the group ceased their laughing, Seijuro stiffened, his head turning towards the door to acknowledge the powerful presence behind them. Standing at the entrance, leaning slightly onto the doorway, was Seijuro's father. His arms were folded across his broad chest in disapproval, his eyebrows knitted in irritation; and by the looks of the expression on his face, he was waiting for an answer. Seijuro looked up at his mother, to see how she was reacting. She seemed unfazed, but there was a subtle change in her demeanor that peaked his curiosity.

"We were doing a healing lesson."

Masaomi shifted his eyes to Reo, his glare boring through the young boy as he stood there, silently judged by the king of his tribe.

"Why is he here?"

"I am in the middle of teaching him," Shiori answered smoothly. The man frowned.

"You did not inform me of this arrangement."

"Ah, so it seems…"

Seijuro kept his mouth shut during this exchange, and he was wise to do so. His father had already targeted his friend and his mother, the last thing he wanted was to be targeted like them. But the redheaded boy was amazed at the way his mother spoke with his father. She straightened herself up to her full height, she kept her head high held and her chin up, never once turning away from the cold piercing gaze of her husband. He had seen her do this many times before when she was reasoning with his father, no matter what the issue. Shiori was the only woman on the planet who could speak to Masaomi with such confidence and grace. If this were any other person, Masaomi would consider this an act of defiance, and a challenge of his authority; but not with Shiori. She was probably the only person Seijuro could think of who wasn't afraid of him. And that almost rebellious side to her nature was another thing that Seijuro loved. He would have smiled, but he wouldn't dare do it in front of his father.

His father was still standing there, no longer leaning on the doorway. Instead, he also drew himself to his full height, glaring intensely at his wife. A faint smile slipped onto her face.

"Although," she continued. "Now that Reo is already here, it would be best to complete the lesson. In the future, he will be joining Seijuro and I during this time to learn healing techniques. I assume there will be no problem with that, yes?"

Seijuro's eyes widened slightly. Anyone who knew his father would know that before you even did as much as breathe in his presence, you had to ask for permission to do so. His father was dead-set on complete submission from his underlings, and he would not tolerate disobedience in the slightest. But his mother just now, she did not say she wanted Reo to join the healing lessons, she said that he will. Despite the fact that Shiori said this in the most normal way possible, Seijuro believed that she was hiding something under that deceptively soft and gentle tone of voice. Through the look in her eyes and the smile on her face, even though she played the submissive role as the wife, she oozed dominance. Masaomi sighed.

"There is no problem. So long as he continues to train, I will take no issue. However, if his progress is impeded by the slightest amount, I will take action."

"Of course, my love."

With a curt turn of his heels, Masaomi vanished from the doorway, and his footsteps echoed out of the hallway. And as they continued their lesson in peace, with no more interruptions, Seijuro allowed a smirk to spread across his face. Apparently, his father was not the only one who was absolute.

~O~

From then on, Reo would join Seijuro in his healing lessons and learn alongside his best friend. He was a fine pupil, and Shiori enjoyed teaching both boys. Seijuro was an immense help in assisting Reo in techniques and forms, and they continued like this for years. When Seijuro's training in Waterbending was nearly complete, as well as his education, and so Masaomi decided to discuss this with his now twelve-year-old son, one evening at the dinner table.

"Seijuro, when you turn thirteen, you will be sent away."

Seijuro put his fork down.

"Sent away?" he repeated. His father nodded.

"Yes," he said. "You will be sent away to travel the other nations to master the elements. You have virtually mastered water as it is, and so I have decided that once your education is complete, you will take the next step in mastering the rest."

Seijuro always imagined this day would come. He knew that, as the Avatar, he would eventually have to leave home to go and master the elements like he was destined to do. But he never expected it to be so sudden. The deadline was fast approaching…he was turning thirteen in one week. That was not nearly enough notice. And he assumed he would have to continue his training and education until that time was up since it was so typical of his father to do something like that. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but they all died on the tip of his tongue, and his lips pulled into a firm line.

"So, I have seven days left before I have to leave, yes?"

"Correct." Seijuro nodded and looked down at the table.

"However…"

Seijuro looked back up and gazed at his father.

"I may not be there to monitor your progress, but that does not excuse you from slacking off," said Masaomi. "As a member of the Akashi family, you will excel in all fields, and master all four elements. Do I make myself clear?"

Another nod came from Seijuro.

"Yes, father."

Shiori looked back and forth between her husband and her son. She was well aware of Masaomi's intentions long before the man told Seijuro. He had been talking about it for months, and Shiori listened, discussing their son's departure into the unknown. She said nothing against it; she had no reason to. She knew that this would need to happen one day, and if the world to be kept in balance, their son needed to go on a journey himself. It would be good for him to learn a sense of independence as well. Even so, it was the way Masaomi said it that makes one dread the journey rather than be excited about it. She decided that she would speak with Seijuro once dinner was over, and that's what she did. When they finished for the evening and Masaomi excused himself from the table, Shiori dismissed the staff for the time being while she and Seijuro were in the kitchen alone. Without question, Seijuro silently stood up from the table and began clearing the plates away with his mother, taking them to the sink to be washed. As he was clearing away, his mother turned to him.

"Seijuro, are you doing alright?" Seijuro paused in what he was doing.

"I'm fine, mother," he answered.

"I was wondering if this was all too sudden for you, having to leave home so soon."

"Not at all," Seijuro replied, taking the plates from his mother. "I had a feeling it was about time."

Shiori took a good look at her son's face. He didn't look excited, yet he didn't look unhappy either. She couldn't tell how he was feeling at all, not with that impossibly neutral expression on his face. She sighed.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I wish I could have told you sooner, but your father wouldn't let me discuss it with you. He said he would prefer it if he told you himself."

"You don't have to apologize, mother, this is not your fault. Besides, I can't stay here forever." When he returned from the sink, she took a moment to cup his face in her hands.

"You've grown quite a bit these past years," she said. "Now you're going out to go and fulfill your duty as the Avatar soon." Her smile became sad as she stared into his eyes.

"I suppose our healing lessons will come to an end by that point."

His smile mirrored hers and he stared back with his own half-lidded eyes.

"Yeah," he said. "I guess they will. But Reo and I enjoyed every one of them." Suddenly his eyes shot open as he processed what he just said.

"Reo…"

Shiori hummed.

"You still need to tell him, don't you?"

Seijuro's gaze shifted to the floor.

"Yes, but he won't like it. You know him, mother."

"That I do," she laughed. "He's awfully fond of you. You two might as well be brothers." Seijuro nodded in the midst of the silence that followed.

"…But…"

His eyes were directed back to his mother once more.

"But?" he repeated.

He may not be happy with the news of you leaving, but he'd be even unhappier if you didn't tell him. So don't waste any time. Hurry up and go tell him." Seijuro raised an eyebrow.

"Now?"

"Yes. Your father's occupied with work, so he won't be looking for you. I'll tell him you went for a walk if he asks." She nudged him towards the direction of the hallway. "Go on, dear. Take Yukimaru with you and hurry on out."

Seijuro nodded and thanked his mother, grabbing his coat and rushing outside to the stables. When he was there, he went directly to the first stall, where his reindeer Yukimaru was kept. When his footsteps approached, the white furry creature reared its head upwards and stood on its feet. Poking its head out of the stall, it spotted its owner, huffing out a breath of air in welcome. Seijuro smiled faintly.

"Hey there," he said affectionately. He reached a hand up and petted him. "Mind coming somewhere with me?"

The reindeer grunted in response. Seijuro opened the stall and let him out, stepping into the stirrups and heaving himself over. Once he was properly situated on top, he rocked the saddle forward and Yukimaru took that as the cue to move. They made their way out of the stables, and soon they were off the palace grounds. As the snow began to lightly fall onto the ground beneath them, Seijuro kept his eyes forward and exhaled softly.

"Time to pay a surprise visit."

…

Reo was just finishing dinner himself with his parents. He was clearing the plates away from the table when he heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," he said, and put the plates back down, making his way towards the front of the house. When he opened it, he was surprised to see Seijuro, holding onto the reins of his furry companion. Reo was delighted.

"Sei-chan!" he exclaimed happily. "What a nice surprise! Is there anything I can help you with?" Seijuro gripped onto the reins a bit tighter.

"Reo…do you mind if we talk outside?"

A look of slight bewilderment came over Reo's face as he stared at the boy. Already he could sense something was off with his usual behavior. Seijuro was always calm and collected, but the tone of his voice that evening sounded rather grave. Putting those thoughts aside, he blinked away the confusion as if nothing ever happened.

"Sure," he said. He looked back into the house. "Mom, Dad, I'll be talking with Sei-chan for a minute."

"Don't be long, sweetie."

"Okay."

With that, Reo shut the door behind him and went out to where Seijuro was waiting for him. With the flick of his hands, Reo made a stump of snow to sit on, next to the one Seijuro had already made for himself. He elegantly crossed his legs and put his hands on his lap, eyeing the younger boy expectantly.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Let me not beat around the bush, you at least deserve that much." Seijuro took a deep breath. "Reo…I'm leaving in a week."

Reo's face went blank as Seijuro's words registered in his head.

"You're…you're what?"

"In a week's time, I'll be leaving the Northern Water Tribe."

Reo was still staring blankly into space.

"I don't understand," he said. "Why are you leaving?"

"Reo, I'm the Avatar. I have to leave some time or I'll never master all four elements."

"But in a week? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"You'll have to take the matter up with my father if you want an answer, I'm afraid," Seijuro said with slight annoyance. "And for the record, you're not the only one who found out today…"

"You too?" Reo said in surprise. "Why are you of all people just finding out?"

"My father must have decided it already. All he needed to do was break the news."

"So, on your birthday, you're leaving?"

"So it seems…"

There were many things that Reo wanted to say to him. There were so many emotions he was feeling. But he kept silent. His face fell, and his head lowered to the ground.

"So, I won't be seeing you then," he said quietly. Seijuro frowned. There was so much sadness in his voice, and Seijuro had no idea what to do. Reo was looking forward to spending Seijuro's most important day with him. He was sure that Reo probably had the day planned out. But now, even that day would be robbed from him that year, and there was nothing that either of them could do about it.

"I apologize."

Reo looked up at Seijuro.

"What on earth are you saying, Sei-chan?" Reo asked. "Why should you be sorry?"

"I didn't mean to make you this upset," he said. "I just wanted to let you know."

"That still doesn't mean that you need to—"

"Please. Let me apologize… I don't know what else to say."

Reo felt a sudden pain in his chest. Thinking about what Seijuro just said, he realized he wasn't the one who needed comforting. Reo put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll be fine, Sei-chan," he said warmly. "And you need to do this. I'm flattered that you're worried about me, but don't keep yourself from protecting all of humanity just for my sake!"

Seijuro unexpectedly laughed at his comment. Reo smiled.

"See? You have nothing to worry about. Besides, when you've mastered all four elements and become a fully realized Avatar, I'll be waiting for you here. I can wait, but the world can't." Seijuro smiled back.

"You're right," he said. Their conversation was interrupted by Yukimaru, who snorted in their general direction. Seijuro took on an expression of exasperation.

"Yukimaru…" he complained. Reo chuckled as he watched Seijuro try to reason with his large pet.

"It's fine, I won't keep you. You should probably get back home before the snow storm gets too bad."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

They stood up from their seats, Reo circling his arms around the younger boy.

"Bye, Sei-chan." Seijuro sighed and hugged him back, burying his face in the shoulder of his coat.

"You'll come to see me off, won't you?"

Reo almost didn't hear him say that since it was so quiet, but he was glad he did. He nodded his head and smiled.

"I wouldn't miss it for anything. Now hurry on back."

Seijuro parted from his friend and went over to Yukimaru, hoisting himself onto the creature and grabbing the reins.

"Come by the palace at sunrise next week. I'll be waiting for you, Reo."

"You can count on me!"

"I'll see you then."

With a brief wave, Seijuro rocked the saddle forward, and Yukimaru trotted off into the snow, leaving Reo to wave after him. He watched them until they were out of sight, and Reo sighed in contentment as he went back into his house, and shut the door.

~O~

Once Seijuro returned from his trip, he immediately put Yukimaru back in the stables and changed into his nightwear before his father could see him. Even as he went to go and lie down in bed that night, Seijuro still couldn't get to sleep. There were too many thoughts that were swimming through his head, and his mind was way too active to just shut down, so after five minutes, he gave up in trying to sleep and decided to walk to the living room. He expected that a few minutes staring into the fireplace should do him some good. What he didn't expect, however, is for his mother to be sitting on the sofa in the living room, sipping a cup of tea in front of the very fireplace he was planning to sit next to. He blinked.

"Mother?"

Shiori looked up to find the source of the quiet voice and saw her son standing in the doorway. She smiled warmly at him.

"Seijuro, how nice to see you. Care to join me?" She patted the space next to her, and that was all the invitation Seijuro needed before he made his way over and sat down, leaning into her embrace as she put an arm around him affectionately.

"Couldn't sleep?"

She felt him shake his head slowly.

"I see," she said in understanding. "In that case, would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please."

Taking the teapot from the tray in front of her, she carefully poured him a cup of steaming chamomile tea and handed it to him. He thanked her and took the teacup, blowing on it once, twice, thrice before bringing it up to his lips.

"You brought an extra teacup, even though you were here by yourself," Seijuro said reflectively. "Did you know that I'd come here?" Shiori grinned.

"Mother's intuition," she said. "I had a feeling you'd have a lot of things on your mind, Seijuro."

"Ah…"

"So tell me, what are you thinking, dear?"

He shrugged, not really knowing what to say. But he knew his mother probably wanted an answer anyway, and so he just let out the first thing that came to mind.

"About going away next week…I don't know how to feel about it. It was a bit sudden the way father announced it during dinner."

"I know," Shiori replied. "I really do wish I could have told you sooner, but that was how your father wanted it. But if I were you, I would be excited." Seijuro looked up at his mother.

"Why?"

"Yes. This journey is something that you must absolutely go on as the next Avatar. But you shouldn't treat it as a painful ordeal to overcome. The way I see it, it is an opportunity for adventure."

"Adventure?"

"Travelling the world, learning about the different heritage and culture of the other nations, not to mention all the people you'll meet along the way. This is not just about you becoming a realized Avatar. This is about interacting with the world and seeing sights you've never seen before. During this time, you'll grow and mature into a great man, and with your new found power and abilities, you will have what it takes to protect the world from destruction. Now, doesn't that sound like fun?"

A small laugh escaped from Seijuro's mouth.

"I suppose it does sound fun, now that you've put it into this perspective."

"That's what I like to hear, Avatar Seijuro."

"Heh. Avatar Seijuro has a nice ring to it, wouldn't you say mother?" She chuckled.

"A most fitting name for the Avatar."

They both laughed through the silence together, the warmth of the fireplace filling the entire room. Once they stopped, they continued to enjoy each other's company, finishing their tea in silence. After ten minutes, Shiori finally put her cup down.

"Would you like some more tea, Seijuro?"

A long pause followed.

"Seijuro?"

The only response she got was his steady breathing. Looking down, she saw that he had already fallen asleep. She shook her head in amusement and continued to stare down at the fireplace.

"I suppose we can stay like this for a little longer…"

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