AN: I'm a little worried about this chapter...so please let me know what you think...
Chapter 11: The Birth of the Spirit and the Wolf
A man stepped out from his restaurant in the Fire Nation capital. He slipped the sign from his door that said 'closed' and replaced it with a bright gold silken banner that proclaimed he was open. The sun was rising, and a tired traveler came up to the restaurant. The owner smiled at him.
"Hungry sir?" The traveler nodded.
"Starved."
"Well, then, please come inside, and quickly. It's almost time."
"Time for what?"
Instead of answering, the man grabbed his arm and jerked him against the wall of the restaurant. Just in time to save him from being trampled by a couple of teenagers.
"For the last time, you two, watch where you're going!"
Immediately, they stopped and turned around to face the owner.
"We're sorry."
"Really we are."
The owner snorted his disbelief and the teenage girl smiled, glancing down at her feet. The boy however crossed his arms across his chest and frowned, his golden eyes flashing mischievously.
"Besides, you forgot my birthday."
"I'm sorry, when was your birthday?"
"Yesterday!"
"So you're fourteen now? Congratulations."
The boy beamed.
"In honor of your fourteenth birthday, breakfast this morning is on me."
"Thanks lots!"
The girl placed a hand on the boy's arm.
"Come on, we're running behind."
The boy nodded and waved to the restaurant owner as he and the girl continued their race. The traveler stared at them until they were out of sight. He was shocked that the owner would let that arrogant teenager talk to him that way.
"Who was that?" The owner looked at him.
"Is this your first visit to the capital?" The traveler nodded.
"Well, you just met the Crown Prince and a Captain's daughter." The traveler's mouth fell open.
Zuko sat on the sand, letting the sun dry his body. Anzha was nearby, drawing something in the wet sand. Her dark brown hair was plastered to her skin, and he briefly noted how pretty she was. Sighing as the thought crossed his mind, he pushed it away. It was going to take a while to get used to these kinds of thoughts.
In honor of his fourteenth birthday, his father had given him his first set of armor. He'd never been so happy looking at himself in the mirror. Anzha had said that he looked dashing in it. His father had called him a true warrior. His uncle….had declared that red drop tea would go great with it, much to the dismay of everyone else.
"What are we going to do today Zuko?"
"Hmm? Oh, I have no idea."
"Well, we've already mastered all the moves on the scroll Daddy Ozai gave us a week ago. And I'm pretty sure we don't want to go bug Uncle Iroh, so you think of something."
"I don't think."
"I know that."
There was silence for a few minutes and then it seemed Anzha had an epiphany.
"I know! Let's go check out the Agni Kai arena!"
Zuko sat up straight.
"Anzha, we're not allowed in there."
"That's what makes it fun."
Zuko rolled his eyes, thinking of a million reasons not to go and one good reason why they should. And the one good reason was Anzha suggested it.
"Alright, but let's at least go get the swords so we'll have something to do when we get there, and let's change into our black training suits." She grinned and they raced off together.
After breakfast, they headed off to the Agni Kai arena. Since it was almost noon, no one should be there. Agni Kais were only performed at sunrise or sunset. Keeping to the shadows, Zuko and Anzha managed to get in without being seen.
Zuko had been to several Agni Kais, but the arena looked so different from the stands. Down in the arena itself, he was struck speechless by the size of it. Anzha herself was in shock.
"Wow, this is so cool. We should train in here."
The statement jerked Zuko from his trance.
"What if somebody sees us, Anzha? We'll get in so much trouble."
She knelt by the bag she always carried with her and pulled a couple of masks out. "They won't know it's us. I stole these from my dad. He won't even notice, considering he's a thousand miles away."
Anzha handed one to him. It was a spirit mask, blue, and it tied on with a black ribbon. After donning it, he watched as Anzha put a wolf's mask on. She then stood and held her arms out.
"How do I look?"
"Like a wolf."
"Thanks." She drew her two swords out and took a fighting stance.
"Remember, no bending Anzha."
"Remember, no bending Zuko, and no names."
"Alright, Wolf." She grinned, and they began.
They'd never trained in the Academy, and everything they knew, from knife-fighting to fire-bending, was self taught. Most of the soldiers and those their own age scorned them. The problem was, they were better than most, but no one knew it. This was the problem Ozai had. He had seen them, and he wanted the world to see them.
Two servant girls were headed to the Agni Kai arena to set up for the evening duels. They both stopped dead at the sight of the two fighters. Watching them was as amazing as watching the duels. The silver swords flashed, seeming more a part of them than a weapon.
The taller one, the one wearing the spirit mask, disarmed the wolf, but it didn't perturb him. The wolf came back and, even without blades, he disarmed the spirit. They immediately took up bending stances.
Now a crowd was forming, drawn by the servant girls' obvious stunning. They themselves were amazed. The two benders were so fast, they hardly seemed real. Finally, after a particularly large fire-blast from the spirit, they pulled back, straightened, and bowed, signaling the end of the fight. The crowd cheered.
Later on, neither Zuko nor Anzha could remember just how they got out of the Agni Kai arena without taking off their masks, but it happened. Anzha stayed at Zuko's house that night, and for the first time, Ozai wouldn't let them share a bed. This put Anzha in a miserable pout as she was forced to sleep on a couch next to Zuko's room.
It was near midnight, and Ozai slipped from his bed to go check on the children. Anzha was half hanging off the couch, so Ozai took pity on her, scooping her into his arms. He slipped into his son's room and smiled. Zuko had his back to the door, the sheet clutched to his chin. On the other side, Ozai pulled back the sheets and slipped Anzha between them. The reaction was instant for both of them. Anzha rolled over to face Zuko and Zuko freed an arm and wrapped it around her.
Heading out, Ozai stubbed his toe on something in the middle of the floor. Bending down, he discovered a spirit mask. He looked at Zuko, and then at the mask, and a plan formed in his mind.
A week later…
A crowd had gathered in the Agni Kai arena. There were going to be a series of performances, duels between some of the better fire-benders. That, and the graduating class would be determining the head of the class.
Zhao turned out to be the best of the officers, and Zula, princess of the Fire Nation, was head of the graduating class. After the students exited the arena, Ozai stood, raising his hand for silence and the crowd quieted. His voice echoed around the stands.
"Rumors have flooded the capital of two warriors like no others we have seen, their speed and skill unsurpassable. But we know these two warriors only as the Spirit and the Wolf." There was scattered clapping and a few calls as if to bring the two forth, but silence again fell when Ozai raised his hand once more.
"Very few of us were privileged enough to see these warriors in action, but now I will share that privilege with all of you. May I present the Spirit."
He waved his hand to the left of the arena and the Spirit entered and bowed to the cheering crowd.
"And the Wolf." The Wolf entered the right arena and bowed as well. Each of them drew a Dao broadsword from a sheath on their back, separated one into two, and took a fighting stance. The gong sounded.
As the two fought, gasps of awe and surprise erupted around the stands. Even Ozai himself was impressed. Even as they moved easily around each other, it was clear that, unlike most performances of this sort, it was not rehearsed. Those who had seen the two before were surprised themselves, for now the two mixed swords and bending. More often than not, the blades were lit with flames, scorching if the opponent got too close. They had their audience mesmerized.
But, two Council members next to Ozai didn't seem as impressed. They were discussing something and Ozai turned an ear to their conversation.
"I'm trying to figure out why the Fire Lord would let his son abandon the Academy. It's dishonorable. The only way the boy can prove his honor…"
"…is through a public display of his abilities. I know." Ozai finished for him. The two Council members stared at him in horror. "Perhaps you two should watch the performance."
With this, he stood and raised his hand, the gong sounded, and the two warriors stopped fighting. They were both breathing hard, panting almost.
The Fire Lord waved his hand once more and the doors surrounding the arena opened, admitting at least fifty men dressed in black with only their eyes showing. On the right shoulder of each man was the insignia of the Elite Regiment, the Fire Lord's own personal guards. The Fire Lord sank back into his seat, and frowned. I'm sorry Zuko.
The Spirit and the Wolf backed away from the advancing Elite until they were back to back. "We can beat them, my wolf."
She nodded to his words, her mouth hanging partially open as she struggled to gain breath, and then the Elite attacked, simultaneous fire blasts searing the air around them as they scorched their way towards the two warriors. An explosion of fire erupted as they met and everyone waited breathlessly for the flame and smoke to abate so they could see if the warriors had survived. But it never did, instead, all the fire of the Elite's coordinated attack formed a huge ball in the center of the arena, and then burst outward. The two warriors stood in the center, their hands still raised, their bodies shivering from the sheereffort of the bending. Then it all turned physical, but the Elite never stood a chance against the combination of the Wolf's speed and the Spirit's power.
Finally, when the last of the Elite fell to the ground, he was not the only one. The Spirit was balanced with his hands on his knees, swords forgotten at his feet as he panted. The Wolf was slumped on the ground, his head resting on the Spirit's hip. For many, it was like someone had just turned the sound back on, and the audience's roar was deafening. The Fire Lord stood, and silence reigned once more.
"Spirit, Wolf, please remove your masks."
The Spirit helped the Wolf to his feet and they both faced the Fire Lord. He nodded to them, and slowly, deliberately, they removed their masks.
Gasps and whispers stole around the arena but died when the Fire Lord raised his hand.
"Prince Zuko and Lady Anzha, you failed to graduate with your class, failed to even participate in the Academy's work. This is very dishonorable."
The two hung their heads.
"But tonight, you have displayed skill and ability beyond any of your peers. You have shown yourselves worthy of honor. You honor depends on the sway of the people." He raised his head to the crowd. "Are these two warriors honorable?"
If the arena had a roof it would've blown off.
Fire Lord Ozai looked down and smiled on his son and one he had come to think of as a daughter.
"Prince Zuko…Lady Anzha…you have great honor."
The crowd cheered and this time Ozai let them burn themselves out. Zuko and Anzha were both smiling sheepishly. Finally, the crowd quieted, for it was clear the Fire Lord had one more thing to say.
"Zuko, Anzha, you taught yourselves all that you have shown tonight. You endured the criticism of your peers and elders, and you never let competition get in your way. What you have achieved is something so rare it must be commented on." He smiled at them.
"As opponents you are formidable, but together you are unstoppable. I pity the warrior that is pitted against either one of you, but you will always be best as a team."
The crowd should definitely be hoarse by now, but they found the strength for one last resounding round of applause.
Later that night, Ozai returned to his chambers tired but happy. Iroh had let the celebrating teenagers stay with him so Ozai could get some sleep. As he opened the door to his private chambers, he froze. Sitting on his desk was an envelope. He opened it and discovered something written in his own handwriting. It was a plan to make the Fire Nation supreme…and it could work.
About two months later…
Anzha ran into Zuko in a hall a little ways from one of the war chambers.
"Where you going my spirit?"
"I figured I'd better learn how to run this country. Only four more years and I'll be of age, so I'm heading to the war chamber. Maybe I can learn something. Want to come?"
Anzha snorted, placing a hand over her mouth and fanning her face.
"Several hours in a room with a bunch of smelly old men? Spare me."
Zuko laughed.
"Alright, but don't press your luck. You're going to be high up on my Council so you better get used to it."
Anzha rolled her eyes. "Alright, great prince, but I'll be down in the cove when you get out, ok?"
"Meet you there." Anzha smiled, and on spur of the moment, pecked Zuko on the cheek, and walked off. Zuko stood there for a moment with his hand to his cheek, but then wiped the look of surprise off his face and headed towards the war chamber.
Yes...it's the meeting where Zuko speaks out...whoop de doo...