Avatar Zero

Chapter 10: Separate Secrets

Sukuso walked down the palace hallway carrying a bucket of water. A cloth was in it, ready for him to use. Two guards were once again following him everywhere he went.

"You there! Boy!" a voice called.

Sukuso and the guards stopped. The head of staff was hurrying towards him.

"Sir Morsung wants to speak to you," he said, taking the bucket from him. "Go see him in the counsel room."

"Oh, all right," Sukuso said. "What's it about?"

"How should I know?" the man grumbled.

The head of staff walked away. Sukuso and the two guards headed in another direction to see Morsung.

Morsung was sitting quietly at the table with a map laid out in front of him. Morfu was sitting next to him, just as silently as his father.

The door opened and Sukuso stepped inside.

"You wanted to see me, Mister Morsung?" he asked.

"Yes, Sukuso," Morsung nodded. "Come here."

Sukuso walked into the room. The two guards came with him.

Sukuso glanced at Morfu, but the two of them quickly looked away from each other. The fight they had the day before had left them both a little bitter. They refused to look at each other.

Sukuso looked at Morsung closely as he approached. For the first time in a long time, Morsung looked very serious. He wasn't smiling either.

"Is something . . . wrong, Mister Morsung?" Sukuso asked.

"Morfu here has just given me his report," Morsung explained. "As I told you, he was monitoring the fire nation's progress for us."

Morsung motion to the map. He pointed to part of the earth nation.

"They just attacked a city right here," he said.

Sukuso looked at the map. Then he gasped.

"That's near Zuki Village!" he exclaimed.

"I know," Morsung told him. "Giving Zuki Village's size and isolation, there's no way they could stand up against the fire nation's armies. They are in grave danger."

"We have to do something!" Sukuso insisted, leaning on the table. "We can't let them get attacked!"

"Which is why I asked you here, Sukuso," he said. "There is only one way I can think of to save your village . . . and that is to bring them here."

Sukuso looked surprised.

"Bring them here?" he asked. "To Sanyun City?"

Morsung nodded.

"They will be protected here," he said. "We will send messengers to Zuki Village, and request that they come to Sanyun City. I will need your help with that."

"My help?" Sukuso asked. "What can I do?"

"I would send you there to bring them," Morsung stated, "but unfortunately, that would bring opposition to the plan. The people of Sanyun would not want you to go free, and the leader of your village would not agree to cooperate with you. So instead, I would like you to write a letter."

"A letter?" Sukuso repeated.

He nodded.

"I will write a letter to your grandmother, Zazai," he said. "I will explain the situation. You will write a letter that will be secretly given to your uncle. I want you to tell him that you are in Sanyun City and to help convince the village and Zazai to come here in case she doesn't want to."

He smiled.

"From what you've said about your uncle," he said, "I'm sure he'll try his best once he finds out you're here. And I'm sure that he would like to know you're safe."

Sukuso paused. Then nodded excitedly.

"Of course!" he smiled. "Thank you, Mister Morsung! I'll finally be able to see him again! Along with all of my friends like Utsi and Ta . . ."

He stopped.

Tay, he remembered. I wonder how her wound is doing. Does she hate me? Does she want to see me?

Sukuso made a fist, determined.

Either way, he thought, she and everyone else has to come here. Even if Tay isn't happy to see me, at least she'll be safe. That's all that matters . . .

Morsung looked at Sukuso, a little confused. He stood up and put a hand on his shoulder.

"There's another reason I'd like to call on Zuki Village," he told him. "The others still refuse to believe that you grew up there and have not had any contact with the fire nation. If we can bring Zuki Village here, we will finally have all the proof we need to set you free. You can be reunited with your friends and family . . . and I will be able to release you." He smiled softly at him. "I hope then that you can find happiness."

Sukuso looked at him. Then he smiled.

"Thank you for everything, Mister Morsung," he said.

Morsung smiled back at him, but then it faded as he turned and looked back at the map.

"It still pains me to see how far the fire nation is going," he said. "I hope all the world can have peace very soon."

He frowned for a moment, and then looked at Sukuso.

"Back to business," he said seriously. "After you write your letter, I have something else I would like you to do."

Sukuso looked at him, waiting for his next instruction and wondering what it was.

Just outside Sanyun City walls . . .

"Miss Jinko," the boy said, holding up a bucket of water. "I got the water from the well for you."

"Thank you dear," Jinko smiled at him.

Jinko took the bucket and then looked at the children around her. The three boys and two girls had come there every single day, even without Sukuso there. They helped her with her chores and saw to it that she had everything she needed.

"You have all helped enough for today," she said. "Why don't you go on home?"

"Won't you be lonely all by yourself?" a girl asked.

"I'll manage," she assured them. "I just don't want your parents to worry."

"But we're worried about you, Jinko," a boy said.

"Really," Jinko insisted, "I'll be okay on my own."

The group heard footsteps and looked up. Sukuso was standing on the dirt road with two guards still behind him. They were joined this time by Morfu.

"Is this what you do without me?" Sukuso smiled. "Just stand around?"

"Sukuso!" the children cried, running towards him.

They jumped on him, pushing him to the ground. Sukuso laughed as they all tried to hug him at once.

Jinko stared at them, not really believing what she was seeing. Then she smiled with tears appearing in her eyes.

Sukuso managed to get to his feet. He knelt down to the children.

"Have you been taking care of Miss Jinko for me?" he asked.

"Yeah!" one of the boys said. "We've been here every day!"

"We took care of her just like you asked us to!" another boy said.

"I'm glad you're back, Sukuso!" one of the girls said, hugging him again.

Sukuso smiled at them, and then looked up at Jinko. He stood up and went towards her.

"I'm sorry . . . I didn't tell you I was a firebender," he said. "I'm glad to see that you're okay though."

Jinko stared at him for a moment, and then dropped the bucket of water. She hugged him tightly.

"I'm glad you're safe, Sukuso!" she wept.

Sukuso smiled softly and hugged her back.

"I missed you too, Miss Jinko," he told her.

"What do you mean you can't stay?" a girl cried.

"They want me back at the palace by sundown," Sukuso explained. "Mister Morsung's advisors don't trust me yet." He glanced at Morfu and then leaned towards the children. He whispered, "That's Morfu, Mister Morsung's son. He doesn't trust me either. He insisted he come with me to make sure I didn't run away."

They were sitting in front of Jinko's house. Jinko was on a chair, but Sukuso and the children were on the ground.

"Why did you come, Sukuso?" Jinko asked.

"Mister Morsung wanted me to come out here so you could all know that I'm okay," he said. "I also wanted to tell you what's going to be happening here soon."

"Oh?" Jinko asked.

"Mister Morsung is sending a group of soldiers to my home village tomorrow," Sukuso explained. "They're traveling by wagon and should get there in about a week. They're going to be bringing the villagers here because of the war."

"You're home village?" Jinko asked. "They're coming here?"

"Yeah," Sukuso nodded. "I'll finally be able to see my family and friends again. I can finally tell them how sorry I am." He sighed. "I just hope they're not too mad at me."

Jinko smiled.

"I'm happy for you, Sukuso," she said. "I'm sure they'll forgive you. I just know it."

One of the boys leaned over to Sukuso and sniffed him a few times. Sukuso looked down at him.

"What are you doing?" he inquired.

"I'm seeing if you smell bad," the boy answered.

"Smell bad?" he repeated.

"My dad says that you're a filthy firebender," he told him. "But I think you smell fine."

Sukuso twitched a little. Then he looked away.

"I can bend fire," he puffed. "But I'm not like the fire nation. At least . . . I hope not."

Sukuso looked at Jinko.

"If you don't mind," he said, "I'd like to finally tell you what happened back in my village. The whole story this time." He looked at the children. "If you all want to hear it."

"I want to hear," a boy said.

Jinko paused, and then nodded.

"Yes," she said. "Tell us."

Sukuso finished his story, and bowed his head.

"And that's what happened," he said softly. "I burned down my village on accident."

He cringed a little.

"That's why I'm afraid they won't want to forgive me," he said. "What if they're still mad?"

"But it was an accident," a girl said, trying to comfort him. "They can't hate you for an accident . . . can they?"

"Some people can try," Jinko sighed.

Morfu was standing off to the side with the two guards. He was pretending not to be listening, but had heard Sukuso's whole story.

So that's what happened . . . he thought.

"We believe you, Sukuso!" one of the boys said sternly. "We know you didn't mean it!"

"That's right!" another boy agreed. "We'll stick up for you. We'll get them to understand somehow."

Sukuso smiled.

"Thank you," he said. He was glad at least that his story hadn't upset them or made them think twice about being friends with him. He did leave out some of the more complicated or graphic parts of his story which he thought would be inappropriate for children.

"Sukuso," Jinko said, making him look at her, "I told you that I had a story too. I think it's time I tell you about my past."

She hesitated for a moment. They all looked at her and waited for her to explain.

"When I was only just older than you are," she started, "I came into possession of an item that could have helped end the war. We could have used it to fight the fire nation off our shores forever. But before I could get it to the earth kingdom armies, my home town was attacked by the fire nation. I fled from town to keep this item out of their hands, but while I ran, I fell. Tripped.

"I was near the river. When I fell, this item escaped my grasp and disappeared into the water. Of course, I tried to get it back. I searched for hours on end, but it was completely gone. I lost the very thing that could have saved our country."

Jinko looked at Sukuso sadly.

"Only a few people knew I had it," she explained. "Those who did blamed me for the loss. I tried to tell them it was an accident, but they wouldn't forgive me. I eventually couldn't take it and left home. I was like you, Sukuso. I wandered for days without eating or drinking. I could have helped stopped the war, but because of my mistake, the war continued. I felt so horrible. I absolutely hated myself."

"That's why you were so determined to help me," Sukuso realized.

She nodded.

"Eventually," she said, "I was found by an elderly couple who took care of me. They made sure I recovered and helped me stop blaming myself. It was an accident. An accident that was mostly my fault, but punishing myself wouldn't fix anything. I will have to live with the consequences of that mistake for the rest of my life, but punishing myself now isn't going to change what happened back then."

She looked back at Sukuso.

"I only have on regret," she said. "The couple that took care of me kept trying to get me to come home to be with my friends and family. But I couldn't face them. I was worried they wouldn't forgive me. It was years before I finally returned. By that time, my mother and father had both passed on, and my friends had gone off to help with the war."

She looked at the tree.

"So I stay here to protect my mother's tree," she stated. "It was something she left behind, and also something that reminds me that forgiveness is something that should be obtained sooner rather than later."

"That's why you wanted me to go home," Sukuso said.

She nodded at him.

"But now Zuki Village is coming here," he stated. "I'll get my chance to talk to them all very soon now."

She smiled.

"Good," she said. "I know it'll work out somehow."

"Sukuso," one of the guards said. "We better be getting back."

"All right," he nodded, standing up.

"Don't leave again, Sukuso," one of the girls begged.

"I have to," he told her. "But I'll visit again as soon as I can."

Jinko and the children stood up. Sukuso walked off with the guards and Morfu.

"Bye Sukuso," the children said, smiling and waving at him.

"Good bye," he said, waving back. "I promise to be back!"

"Take care of yourself," Jinko said.

"I will if you will," Sukuso said.

They continued to show goodbyes and wave at each other until Sukuso was out of sight.

Sukuso, the guards, and Morfu entered the palace again. Sukuso started down the hall to go to his room.

"Sukuso," Morfu said.

Sukuso stopped and looked at him.

"I heard . . . what you told them," he said. "I agree with my father. I don't think you're a fire nation spy."

Sukuso stared at him for a moment, and then he smiled.

"But don't think I won't keep an eye on you," Morfu snapped.

"I'll keep that in mind, Morfu," Sukuso smirked.

The two boys separated and went on their way.

One week later . . .

A large bird circled the palace for several minutes. It flew high about Sanyun City without many paying attention to it. The bird then flew downward toward the castle where Sukuso had been residing.

The bird landed on the window sill. It had a piece of paper tied to it's leg. A dark figure took the paper and read its contents.

Then the figure smiled.

Sukuso watched Morsung and Morfu uneasily.

"You're going out on the water?" he asked.

"Just for a little ride around the bay," Morsung said. "We'll be back."

Morfu and Morsung climbed onto the boat. There were soldiers and other workers getting a boat ready for them. According to Morsung, he and his children would often go for boat rides together. Since it had been so long, they wanted to go on a ride now.

Kunju walked past Sukuso without looking at him. He headed towards the boat.

"Why don't you bring the fire nation boy with us?" he asked smugly. "Wouldn't it prove that he's never been on a boat seeing as there are no bodies of water around Zuki Village? And since that's the only way a fire nation spy could get her is by boat, it would prove that he's not from the fire nation."

Morsung simply smirked.

"Hey," he said, "you said it first."

Morsung looked at Sukuso.

"Why not come out with us, Sukuso?" he invited. "It'll be fun."

"Fun?" Sukuso asked.

"You afraid, Sukuso?" Morfu sneered.

Sukuso glared at him, and then walked onto the dock. He went up to the ramp leading to the boat, but then lost his courage. He stood there nervously.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, boy," Kunju spat. "In fact, I would prefer if you didn't. I was merely joking. Morsung would say the way you breathe is proof you're not a spy if he could."

"I'm not a spy," Sukuso said. "Somehow I'm going to prove that to you."

Sukuso looked at the ramp, and then stepped onto it. He walked onto the boat, wobbling a little.

Morsung motioned to the boat's workers.

"Let's go out," he said.

Sukuso leaned over the edge, looking at the water below them curiously. He was trying to figure out how something as heavy as a boat could float on top of the water. They were out in the bay, not too far from the ocean wall.

"The messengers from Zuki Village should be back any day now," Morsung stated, making Sukuso look at him. "Hopefully with the people of the village."

"Yeah," Sukuso smiled. "I'm really excited to see them again."

Sukuso looked back at the water, still smiling.

I can't wait until I see Uncle Bojin and Utsi and my other friends, he thought. And mostly Tay.

His smile faded.

I have to know, he realized. I just have to know if she hates me or not. I don't care if she does but . . . I can't stand wondering anymore. I want to see her and make sure she's all right. If she does hate me for what I did to her . . . I guess I'll just have to live with it.

"Zuki Village," Kunju muttered suddenly. "An odd place to find General Uku's son."

Sukuso paused.

"General?" he asked, looking at him.

"You didn't know?" Kunju asked. "Uku, your father, was a general for the fire nation armies."

Sukuso stared at him for a moment, and then back at the water.

"I didn't know," he said softly.

"Your father was brilliant," Morsung told him. "He was haled a genius by many. His battle strategies were nearly unbeatable. If he hadn't disappeared, he could have lead the fire nation into victory many years ago."

"Disappeared?" Sukuso asked, standing up straight and looking at him. "I thought my father was killed in battle."

"He was," Kunju nodded. "But first he disappeared from the fire nation for almost two years. One can only assume that is when he met your mother and married her. He returned to the fire nation eventually, but was killed in battle shortly after. They say he didn't even fight back . . ."

"Perhaps your mother changed his heart," Morsung speculated.

"More like polluted," Kunju spat. "In this war, no one can be allowed to just switch sides. Not even a fire nation boy raised by the earth nation."

Morsung looked a bit confused.

"So you believe Sukuso's story now?" he asked. "You were so against him before."

"I believed him from the start," Kunju shrugged. "The fire nation wouldn't waste their time with a spy like him."

"Then why . . .?" Morsung asked slowly.

Kunju let out a laugh.

"You know what they say," he said. "As one finger points forward, three point back."

A long piece of rope was suddenly thrown over the wall. The end had a metal foot hold on it. That foot hold landed on the deck of the boat.

Kunju rushed forward toward Sukuso. He grabbed him with one arm and the rope with the other. He put his foot into the hold as he tugged on the rope.

"By the way, Morsung," Kunju grinned. The rope started to pull him and Sukuso into the air. "I quit!"

"Sukuso!" Morsung shouted, running to the edge of the boat.

Kunju landed on top of the wall. He released the rope and grasped the struggling Sukuso.

"This boy couldn't be a spy from the fire nation!" Kunju yelled. "Why would they send him when they have me?"

"You were the spy?" Morsung demanded. "This whole time?"

"Had you really fooled, didn't I?" Kunju laughed. "And here you were supposed to be the observant one!"

Four more ropes with foot holds appeared. They landed on the boat the same way. Four of the boat's soldiers and workers grabbed them and were hoisted up along side Kunju. They stood next to him on top of the wall.

"Those were some of the sailors on my ship!" Morfu observed. "We've been tricked."

"Let him go, Kunju!" Morsung ordered.

"Never!" Kunju said. "As the great general's son, he belongs to the fire nation!"

"I do not!" Sukuso yelled, trying to get away from him. "Let me go!"

"You're coming with me," Kunju told him, smiling. "You're going home."

"This is home!" Sukuso snapped.

Kunju laughed again. He looked down at Morsung.

"You said this boy wouldn't be the fall of the earth kingdom," he reminded him. "You're wrong! With him, the fire nation will finally have all we need to win this war!"

"What do you mean?" Morsung questioned.

"You'll just have to wait to find out!" Kunju stated.

Kunju turned, still holding Sukuso tightly. Some earth kingdom soldiers were on the wall, running towards them. The fire nation soldiers threw flames at them, knocking them down into the water.

"Goodbye forever, Morsung!" Kunju yelled. "My mission in this mud hole is finally over!"

Kunju jumped off the wall towards the open ocean, still holding onto Sukuso. The fire nation soldiers jumped after them.

"Sukuso!" Morsung yelled helplessly. "Sukuso!"