More Power/New Enemies
Sozin arrived at the Black Cliffs early in the morning, far before dawn. His mind was still racing from the night before, when he, along with Princess Ursa, killed Fire Lord Azulon. Sozin was so disoriented he didn't Firebend for 3 days after reaching the Black Cliffs. He simply used his dual swords to hunt and he meditated for 3 days.
Sozin could not stop hearing Fire Lord Azulon's last words in his mind.
"Become my successor, Sozin. You are the only person who can end the war" Azulon said in Sozin's mind.
The young Firebender could not shake the thoughts from his mind. Sozin did want to rule the Fire Nation, but he was too young. The youngest Fire Lord in the history of the Fire Nation was 20, and that was Fire Lord Azulon.
Sozin was a 9 year old Firebender who could fight with dual swords, take care of himself in the wild, and Firebend. That's about everything he had to his name.
Deep down, Sozin missed his friends.
He missed Zuko, the young heir to the throne who is only a few months younger than Sozin.
He missed Azula, the younger sister of Zuko and Sozin's toughest challenge in the Agni Kai Tournament since he faced Kuzon when he was only three.
He missed Ursa, the closest thing to a mother Sozin ever had.
He missed Ozai and Iroh, combined the two Fire Princes were just like the perfect father to Sozin. Ozai's ruthless teachings and Iroh's infinite wisdom gave Sozin the perfect father.
He missed Fire Lord Azulon, the old man was Sozin's mentor and he always had a plan for Sozin, but he is dead now.
But most of all, Sozin missed Lu Ten. Lu Ten, the man who for many years had taught Sozin everything he knew about fighting and surviving in the outdoors. Lu Ten taught Sozin more than any one else could. Lu Ten taught Sozin about life. And now, like his grandfather, Lu Ten is dead.
Sozin sighed and stood up. Sozin took the scroll given to him by Fire Lord Azulon and smiled at it. There was a note on the scroll and Sozin tore it gently off the scroll.
"Sozin, by the time I found this scroll, I was too old for it to do anything useful to me. You will have the time I will not, when you master this scroll, you will have the power to defeat the avatar forever at your fingertips. Pass on this scroll until the avatar is found and this scroll is realized" Sozin read. There was a small page break and Sozin kept reading.
"There is another scroll on your boat, under your bed. This scroll has the gateway to the seven, yes seven, levels of Firebending. No one, not even my father, has been able to master all seven. My grandfather was the first to discover the scroll. He said it was written by Agni himself. My grandfather mastered the first five levels. I too have mastered the first five levels. My father, Fire Lord Sozin, had mastered the first six levels, but no one but Agni himself has been able to master all seven. With your power, and a lifetime ahead of you, I think you have the power and patience to be able to master all seven" Sozin finished. Sozin let out a breath and went back to his boat.
Sozin looked under the bed, and sure enough, he saw a scroll there. He opened the scroll gently and looked at it. Sozin looked at the scroll in awe. He had thought of red, orange, and blue fire, but he never thought the color had any extreme affect on power. He didn't expect to see seven different colors. Sozin thought blue fire was the most powerful there was since he had seen only Fire Lord Azulon and Prince Ozai use blue fire. He read over the instructions carefully three times before coming to a conclusion.
"I think I can do this. This doesn't seem too hard" Sozin thought. Then Sozin saw a note at the bottom of the Firebending Scroll.
"Do not attempt any of these fires out of order. After blue fire, the heat of the fire could kill you. Do not show purple, green, or yellow fire in public until you have mastered white fire or your life depends on it" Sozin read from the scroll.
"That sounds right. If the fire becomes more powerful it is only logical that the fire is hotter" Sozin thought.
Sozin stood up and walked off his boat and back onto the beach of the Black Cliffs. Sozin knew it would be best to keep the scrolls with him at all times. Sozin had two sets of Fire Nation Training Gear and he had some extra clothes that did not fit him anymore. His plan was to use some of the fabric and create a pocket on the inside of his training gear so he could keep the scrolls with him.
But, Sozin decided to take care of it after he found himself some dinner. Sozin decided to go out hunting. He went up to the forest, taking his dual swords with him, and entered very quietly. He listened for the sounds of signs that could mean an animal was coming as he walked. Sozin heard nothing until he reached the outskirts of a small clearing.
It was then that Sozin heard people in the clearing. He stayed back far enough not to be seen, but close enough to hear them clearly.
"We need to keep moving, I don't like staying in the Fire Nation" a young girl said.
"Well this place is uninhabited. I think we can stay here longer without getting caught" a large man said.
"I don't know about that, Pipsqueak. I agree with Smellerbee" the young boy said from the top of the large man.
"Well, what should we do?" the large man asked.
"Well, personally I think we should camp here for the night. The forest covers us well enough that no one from the Fire Nation will be able to find us" some one else said.
"Is that so?" Sozin thought. Suddenly, an arrow buzzed past Sozin.
"You missed the tree, Longshot" the new person joked.
"Leave the guy alone, Jet. He just lost his family last week" the girl said.
"We have all lost our families to the Fire Nation" Jet argued.
"Still, you could be a little nicer though" she retorted.
"You want me to be nice when the Fire Nation could be watching us right now?" Jet said angrily.
"That's why I say we should keep moving" Smellerbee said.
"Well, you were right about the Fire Nation watching you" Sozin said, walking casually into their camp.
"I thought the Black Cliffs were abandoned" Pipsqueak said.
"Other than you and me, they are" Sozin replied.
"What are you doing here" the large man asked.
"I live here" Sozin replied.
"All alone, but you are just a kid" Longshot said.
"But he is still Fire Nation, attack!" Jet commanded as he attacked Sozin with his hook swords. Sozin took out his dual swords and deflected the attack.
"Why are you attacking me? I have done nothing to harm you" Sozin said, deflecting the attacks.
"You're Fire Nation, all you know how to do is harm people" Jet retorted. The words struck Sozin right in his heart.
"That's not true" Sozin whispered, blocking all of Jet's attacks.
"Who was the last person you murdered?" Jet asked.
"Fire Lord Azulon" Sozin hissed, nailing Jet with the handle of his swords, knocking him down.
"So you're a fugitive, like us" Jet said, putting his swords down.
"In a way, where is your leader?" Sozin asked.
"That would be me. The name's Chong" the new man said.
"Sozin" Sozin said, shaking the new man's hand.
"That was a great display of swordsmanship. I would like to know if you would like to join us" Chong said.
"Thanks, but you don't want me in your gang" Sozin said.
"Are you sure? We could use someone like you" Chong said.
"Sorry, but no. I don't think it would be a good idea" Sozin replied, returning his swords to their single hilt.
"Would you like to join us for a feast tonight?" Chong asked.
"I can't turn down that offer" Sozin said, clutching his stomach.
Sozin joined everyone around a campfire for the feast and they ate.
"So Sozin, why do you live all alone? Shouldn't you have people here with you" Chong asked.
"The man who was my mentor and teacher is dead. He was killed in Ba Sing Se the day the siege ended" Sozin replied.
"I'm sorry to hear that" Chong replied. Sozin swore he heard Jet snort, but no one else heard it.
"What are all of you doing here?" Sozin asked.
"We actually leave tomorrow. Our ship was damaged in a storm and we blew here. We finally got it repaired enough to sail to Earth Kingdom soil so we will leave tomorrow morning" Chong replied.
"Good luck; I must say goodbye" Sozin said, bowing.
"I'm afraid I just can't allow that. You already know too much" Jet said.
"What?" Sozin asked, turning around. He turned around and was hit with a rock coming from the ground. Sozin flew back against a tree and fell to the ground, slumping down.
"Pack it up. Let's go" Chong ordered. Sozin saw them leave and darted after them, seeing their ship in the distance.
"Chong, Jet, look!" Smellerbee called out from the ship. Sozin saw their warning and breathed slowly. He began a slow circle of his arms and pointed two fingers at Chong. Out of his fingers came a lightning bolt. Sozin saw it connect with Chong's chest and he knew the Earthbender was dead.
"All of you Earth Kingdom scum are the same" Sozin muttered.
Sozin walked back to his campsite and found everything just where he had left it, except for a letter by his small bag. He opened it and read the short writings.
"Your mentor is dead thanks to the scum known as the Earth Kingdom. Make sure they pay" Sozin read, his anger boiling. The letter burned in his hand and Sozin stood up to begin his training.
Sozin began doing hot squats while thinking about the actions of the past few days. Sozin really wished Iroh would have taken the throne, but Iroh had been away at war and Sozin knew the old general would have turned down the throne even if he had been in the Fire Nation to be offered the position.
"Iroh would have been a better Fire Lord than Ozai" Sozin thought, reaching hot squat 12.
"Then again, Fire Lord Azulon said I would be a better Fire Lord than both" Sozin thought immediately, even before hot squat 13. Steam erupted out of Sozin's nostrils as he remembered that conversation.
"That's why I was being treated so well and trained by the Fire Lord and his grandson!" Sozin thought, anger boiling at the audacity of Fire Lord Azulon placing a 9 year old boy ahead of his sons who are 40 years his elder.
Sozin kept silent for the rest of the day and kept working on painstaking breathing exercises, trying to keep his thoughts calm, but they always returned to his old mentors or his old friends. He missed Azula and Zuko terribly, but he knew he couldn't return to the Fire Nation Capital until he had the power to defend himself against Fire Lord Ozai, or he would risk being killed. Sozin certainly didn't have a death wish.
Sozin stopped doing hot squats and returned to reread the note on his Firebending scroll.
"Do not attempt any of these fires out of order. After blue fire, the heat of the fire could kill you. Do not show purple, green, or yellow fire in public until you have mastered white fire or your life depends on it" he read again.
Sozin looked down at red fire and wondered what he would need to do to use red fire.
"To use the different colors of fire you need to open your chakras. Chakras are the pools of energy that circulate through your body. Red fire circulates through survival and is blocked by fear. Meditate on your fears" a voice in Sozin's head said. Sozin immediately realized the voice was Fire Lord Azulon.
Sozin meditated and saw Zuko and Azula surrounded by Earth Kingdom soldiers. He saw Lu Ten in a duel with a group of Earthbenders and opened his eyes quickly, breathing heavily.
"Sozin, your vision is not real. You are afraid for the survival of your friends more than your own. Such a thought is admirable, but you must know that everyone will not live and no one lives forever. Rejoice in those who join together in the spirit world. Do not miss them or mourn them. They will always be with you" Fire Lord Azulon said. Sozin took a deep breath and let in the realization, knowing Fire Lord Azulon was correct.
"Congratulations Sozin, now bend red fire. Create an orange flame in your hand and raise the temperature" Fire Lord Azulon commanded. Sozin obliged and created the orange flame. He raised the temperature and the flame turned red.
Sozin smiled and sent out a red fire blast. The blast only went a few feet before it sputtered and died. Sozin frowned and tried again, but the same affect happened.
"What's going on?" Sozin thought.
"Patience, you need to start with the basics. It is just like you are a new Firebender once again" Fire Lord Azulon said. Sozin frowned but relented as he started working with his new red flame.
Sozin spent only two months working with the red flame before he decided he was ready to work with the blue flame after winning his 7th consecutive Agni Kai Tournament.
Sozin removed his Firebending scroll and read about blue flames.
"To use blue fire you will need to open your next chakra. This chakra circulates through willpower and is blocked by shame" Sozin read.
"What you need to do is meditate on what shames you the most" Fire Lord Azulon said. Sozin obliged and sat down to meditate.
"I killed Fire Lord Azulon and I let my mentor die" Sozin thought.
"You need to accept the reality that these things happen. Fire Lord Azulon was going to die soon anyway, and you saved Zuko's life in the process. As for Fire Lord Azulon, his death was caused by all of the ruthless Earthbenders. You must realize that you can not change them, but you can help yourself and others heal by taking out your pain on the Earth Kingdom for taking your mentor away from you" Fire Lord Azulon said. Sozin's face turned from a soft breath to a look of determination as he cleared his chakra and vowed to gain revenge on the Earth Kingdom.
Sozin spent only five months working with his blue flame before he decided he was ready to work with the purple flame.
Sozin took his Firebending scroll and looked under purple fire.
"To use purple fire you need to let go of your grief and replace it by love" Sozin read.
"What grieves you the most?" Fire Lord Azulon asked. The vision of Fire Lord Azulon lying lifeless on his bed came up in Sozin's mind as well as a vision of Lu Ten surrounded by Earthbenders.
"The love Fire Lord Azulon and Prince Lu Ten had for you has not left this world. It has been replaced and has manifested itself with new love" Fire Lord Azulon said. Sozin thought about it and he saw Zuko and Azula smiling and waving to him as he returned to the Fire Nation.
Sozin stood up and created a small purple flame in his hand and let it burn for a moment before putting it out, remembering the love of his friends.
Sozin spent only eight months working with the purple flame before he decided he was ready to work with the yellow flame after winning his 7th consecutive Agni Kai Tournament. Sozin sat down and prepared to meditate, waiting for Fire Lord Azulon to begin speaking.
"Let's get down to business. It is time for you to learn how to forgive yourself for the lies you tell yourself. What lies have you told yourself?" Azulon asked.
"I never told Zuko or Azula that I knew they spied on me during my first performance in front of you" Sozin thought.
"But you need to forgive yourself for lying to them. Sometimes lying is necessary to protect those you are close to" Azulon said. Sozin nodded and took a long breath. He then made a yellow fire in his palm before slowly allowing it to die down into a subtle orange flame.
Sozin spent only nine months working with yellow fire before he decided he was ready to work with green fire. In two months he would leave for his 10th Agni Kai Tournament and attempt to become the first ever 10 time champion.
"Though it won't be too hard" Sozin thought as he sat down. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He knew Fire Lord Azulon was about to start talking and Sozin simply waited.
"You are about to work on green fire. To use green fire you must open your next chakra. This chakra circulates through insight and is blocked by illusion. The biggest illusion we face is the illusion of separation. Things we think are separate are actually one and the same" Azulon said.
"Like the world" Sozin said.
"Yes, divisions on earth are meaningless because everyone is connected. Soon we will connect everyone under Fire Nation rule. Even metal is just a part of earth; just like lightning is just a part of fire" Azulon said.
"Soon, the Fire Nation will unify the world and there will be no more separation" Sozin thought. He breathed and started a fire and made it burn green for a brief moment before it sputtered and turned into a yellow fire. Sozin knew he would have plenty of time to work with green fire so he decided to hunt for some food and go to sleep.
"Starting tomorrow, green fire will be under my control" Sozin thought as he grabbed his dual swords before walking into the forest.
Sozin was preparing to leave for his 11th Agni Kai Tournament when he finally declared himself a master of green fire. He worked for fourteen months in mastering green fire and he was finished.
"I will work with white fire when I get back" Sozin thought as he sent his small boat on the road to the Fire Nation Capitol.
Sorry about taking so long to update. School has started for me and I have a lot of homework. I will try to update as soon as I can.
Once again I am asking for 5 reviews before I post the next chapter
I hope you enjoyed the chapter