Chapter 7: The Master of Elements
"How long have we been at sea now?"
Yori leaned over the edge of the ship and stared into the water that slapped across the side of the boat.
"Youre a water bender Yori, you are supposed to enjoy being at sea!"
Katara smiled as she stared off into the distance at a giant block of ice that lay in front of them. They had been at sea for nearly a week, if not more, since the left the southern earth kingdom. Ryou never showed any annoyance with the situation and simply offered his presence to the other two in the group as the sailed to the northern water tribe.
"Do you see that children? That is the northern water tribe, that giant wall, is the entrance. We finally made it."
She had visited the northern tribe many times since the war ended and it was much easier to find than the first time when they were looking for a water bending master to teach them. To think, she had become the greatest master now, she smiled at the memories and the boat came to a halt before the wall.
"Wow, this place is amazing!!,"
Just then the wall opened up and the ship sailed on inside, water benders were within a series of walls as the water beneath their boat rose and fell leading them to the inner city.
"This place is rather…amazing.."
Despite his attempt to hide his excitement, he failed miserably and looked all around him as water benders greeted them and led them off the boat, a man stood at the docks waiting for them. Katara ran to him and jumped in his arms,
"Sokka!! Its so great to see you!"
She held him tightly and released her grip when the avatar and Ryou exited the boat.
"So, this is the avatar then is it? I don't know…it's your word against the word of all the monks…but we can try."
Yori began to get very angry with the master, for every one question answered, twelve more appeared,
"Katara, when are you planning on explaining all of this stuff to me?"
She ran to catch up with the master but she simply continued her conversations with the man,
"Is that him? The "avatar"? Hmph…I hate him already, but these monks tend to be rather ignorant. How are we going to do this?"
She had a worried expression on her face and she turned to Yori and smiled,
"It'll all be answered once this gets worked out."
Yori ranted aimlessly at Ryou who listened to every word but simply looked over to her and smiled when she was done.
"UUGGHH! Would it kill you to say something every once in a while!!"
She crossed her arms and looked off at the group of monks and a young boy that approached them.
"Master Katara, have you no manners, you should know to bow when in the presence of the avatar!"
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"Things are looking up for us Zai…after you mastered that last form, there is little left that I can teach you…It also turns out there is an inner conflict within the water tribe, they seem to have become confused as to what the identity of the true avatar really is."
The old woman smiled as she penetrated a young boys eyes who sat on a platform on a much lower level than her own.
"Yes master, this really could be our opportunity to strike."
His face never looked up to the old woman as he spoke, or at all during the whole confrontation.
"The avatar seems to be traveling with a firebender…a pitiful child raised by water benders, a true disgrace to the firenation…"
Zai never really understood why she always spoke of the fire nation as though she were its queen and was the greatest place the world had ever seen, and yet, she had been banished, wouldn't that make her a disgrace?
"Master, why do you believe him to be a disgrace, you yourself were banished from the fire nation."
The woman almost killed him with the look she gave him. He took in a deep breath thinking it would be his last.
"You're wrong…I was never banished from the fire nation. The fire nation was strong, powerful, beautiful….perfect…No, I was not banished from the fire nation, I was banished from a piece of earth that lies in the western sea, a place filled with pathetic weak creatures who wouldn't last a single second in the old world…the better world…I was never banished from the fire nation…"
Zai understood perfectly now. That was a word he used a lot, a word he thought of a lot. From his perfect bending, to his perfect home, to his perfect teacher…to his perfect mother. Most would resent their parents for treating them so horribly, but there was something about the way his mother, Azula, treated him; it made him feel a great sense of respect for her. She had broken him at an early age, and now he was her pawn.
"I see…how do you suppose we should confront the avatar?"
Azula's smile widened greatly,
"So quick to get to the avatar, when the true risk lies at our doorstep. Earth benders, and water benders are head here to try and rebuild this place to make it a livable place…if they discover us, were finished. You know what we must do then don't you?"
Zai smiled just as maliciously,
"Kill them all?"
Azula laughed in pleasure from the comment,
"Perhaps, but remember what I taught you, wait for the enemy to come to you, then, when the perfect moment arrives, strike them, and destroy them."
Zai pondered for a while before he lifted his head up,
"Lure them in, get them where we want them, a place where we have the upper hand, and when they are trapped, we strike."
Azula got up and walked down to her son, she pulled him up from the ground so they were at eye level, she lifted his bowed head so they were looking each other in the eyes.
"Excellent…its such a…perfect..plan…you've earned it, you can look me in the eyes.."
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"No, I'm sorry but I will not bow in front of this, this, this child!"
The master swiped her arm through the air and ice cracked beneath it,
"WHAT?! You will bow to me! I, am the avatar!!"
The boy who claimed to be the avatar stepped forward towards the master showing no respect at all.
"What a pitiful lie, the true avatar would be much more humble than you! This girl here, she is the avatar!"
She pointed at Yori who backed away and blushed as if she weren't the one Katara had pointed at.
"I really think you should listen to my sister…she wouldn't lie about something like this, please."
The man begged the priests and obviously respected his input more than that of the master water bender because they motioned the girl forward.
"WHAT!! Theres no way you could possibly think this, this southern scum is the avatar! HA! She couldn't even stand up against, a, a koala seal!!"
"Wanna make a bet on that you little spoiled ostrich horse egg?"
Yori stepped forward and put a fist out at the boy, the master grabbed her other arm and pulled her back,
"Your better than that Yori, to fight with such a little brat… go on to the priests, hopefully they aren't as ignorant as I think they are."
They exchanged a light chuckle with each other and Yori went forth towards the priests who examined her.
"No, no…no, its possible she could be the avatar, but it is highly unlikely…This boy has proven several times his capabilities as the avatar…so, we must pit them against each other in battle, who ever is the true Avatar is sure to win…"
The priest left without word from Yori who stared amazed at what they had just said, or even the great master katara,
"I could go for that, its good enough for me!"
Sokka said and walked forward with the priests.
"This is crazy, completely crazy!! What is it with men and fighting, they think it will solve everything!! Ughh!!"
Katara slapped her forehead and moved on with little other choice than to follow the priest orders, after all, even their word was more powerful than the chiefs.
What a screwed up world when crazy spirit channelers have more say than the chief of a nation!
Katara thought to herself.
"It sounds like this'll work to me! Lets go, you'll beat this kid no problem."
Ryou ran forward to catch up with the other after he said this to Yori who slapped her forehead as well before running alongside Ryou. They finally got to a big flat area just below the capitol, Katara recognized the place and respected it more than any other place in the whole northern tribe.
"This remind you of anything sis?"
Sokka punched her shoulder,
"Come on Sokka, your how old and you still talk like that? Grow up.."
"Look who's talking!"
Sokka smiled and Katara tried to hide hers, she remembered an event almost exactly like this one, but a lot less was on the line, after all this was the avatar, all her event was was about water bending training, the whole thing seemed silly to her now that she looked back on it, but had no regrets.
Yori closed in on the middle of the area and Ryou had stopped a while back behind her to watch from the sidelines.
"Would the avatar and the incompetent little girl please step forward.
The boy smiled and Yori closed a fist as the ice beneath her was crushed, she glared at the boy who almost jumped at the sight.
"Now, bow to each other, and begin."
Yori bowed, but the boy did not, he simply punched an arm forward as a chunk of ice hit yori in the stomach, she flew in the air and flipped as she landed on her feet, she spread her arms and the boy fell in a hole in the ice just created, she sealed it up and only the boys face was left out of the hole.
"Why don't you breath some fire "avatar" get yourself out of this mess why don't ya! HA!"
The boy tried to breath fire as he blew out his nose heavily, the cold air allowed for his breathe to be seen in the air,
"See that! Smoke!! I'm firebending!! See, I am the avatar!!"
He struggled more and more, one of the priest hiding in the back motioned his arms and the boy was set free, no one noticed what he had done.
"Haha!! See?!"
Yori was extremely surprised and looked back at katara who looked in anger at the priests, she looked to Ryou who pointed his head at his, they were in fists doing little punches as best they could without being noticed, Yori smiled.
She bent towards the ground then back up as she punched into the air, she did it a few times and all that happened was giant chunks of ice flew at her opponent who sent them flying back at her, she however, would catch them with her hands and throw them back at the boy, unlike him who simply stopped them in flight and bent them back to her.
She continued to punch and focused as hard as she could, feeling the anger she felt towards the boy,
Come on Yori, remember what Ryou was telling you about firebending, "It comes from the breath, firebenders find a source for their power and release it, for most this is anger, for others it is a mix of emotions…" she told her self repetitively continuing to throw fist in the air, chunks of ice continued on for a long time, until at last, a small puff of fire, not even powerful enough to last beyond a few inches flew from her hand instead of ice from the ground, she threw a couple dozen more punches of small flame until finally a full fledged blast of fire released itself from her hand.
"HA!! Ryou, Ryou I did it!! Did you see that?! Katara, you, weird guy with the beard, did you see that!! I did that!! I'm a water bender!! I, I made f-f-fire!!"
She failed to notice the other boy had dodged the flames and sent a giant ice ball straight at her head, she fell to the ground as the boy became a blurred vision and she saw Ryou run towards the boy with white flames engulfing his hands as he chased the boy away before running toward Yori as she faded from reality…
