Avatar Zero
Chapter 13: Finding Fire
"I would have liked your lessons to have started as soon as possible," Kunju stated, "but it seems that Master Sou Shin won't be able to start teaching you until this afternoon. You will have to be until your room until then. I hope you understand."
Sukuso didn't say anything. He was looking across the table at Sukasin. Sukasin was drinking some water innocently, trying to avoid his gaze.
"Sukuso?" Tai Ling asked. "Did you hear him?"
"It's fine," Sukuso muttered.
Sukuso went back to eating, trying not to look at the girl who was black mailing him.
They were eating breakfast together in the dining room. Boku Lin was there, eating greedily. Tai Ling and Kunju were the last two at the table. Absent from the table this morning was Sinlu and her husband Colung. Sukuso didn't really worry or even think about where they were. He was more concerned about Sukasin who knew he had snuck out the day earlier.
At least I'll have some time to get her stupid comb, Sukuso thought bitterly. I can't believe her. Risking my life and freedom for a hair accessory. Sukuso took a few more bites, rolling his eyes at himself. Then again, it's not like I know what they'd do if they found out. Maybe I'm just being too suspicious. Unfortunately, I can't take that risk.
Sukuso held in a sigh.
I'll just play along with her for now, Sukuso thought. Not much else I can do.
The guard walked by on the street. Sukuso watched him disappear around the corner. Then he climbed out the window and got down onto the street like he had the day before.
Sukuso hurried away from the house, looking around for the shop.
She could have been more specific about where it was, he thought. How am I supposed to find this place?
Sukuso walked around for a few minutes, looking for the shop Sukasin had mentioned.
There was a small shop on a corner Sukuso found that had a few girls standing outside. They were talking and giggling with each other.
Maybe this is it, he thought.
Sukuso went into the shop. It was a shop filled with decorations like small tables, lamps, mirrors, vases, paintings, and much more. Sukuso spotted a counter with brushes and combs on it and walked up to it.
The girls outside the shop were watching him. They started whispering to each other.
Sukuso spotted a comb with a dragon and a flower. He smiled and picked it up.
This has to be it! He thought.
Sukuso went over to a woman next to the door to pay for it. The girls started giggling. Sukuso glanced at them through the corner of his eye.
What's with them? He wondered.
Sukuso paid the woman with the coins Sukasin had given him. He hurried out of the shop back towards Tai Ling's home. He could feel the girls watch him as he went.
Weird, he thought.
Sukuso didn't worry too much more about it. He had to hurry back before he was missed. He walked quickly back the way he had come.
Near Tai Ling's home, Sukuso heard something that stopped him.
"You still sail over to the earth kingdom, do you?"
"Yes. We will be taking another voyage in a week."
Sukuso stopped walking. He started listening in on the conversation.
"How many passengers are you taking?" the first voice asked.
"Over a dozen," the second said. "It's actually a smaller bunch this time."
Sukuso walked backwards and spotted the two men talking. One of them was actually one of the elderly men he had spoken to the day before. The one that said he knew Sukuso's father. The man he was talking to was much younger and wore a bandana over his head.
"It seems strange to me that so many would like to go," the old man said.
"They have their reasons for wanting to go," the younger man shrugged. "Who am I to ask? I just have to get them there."
Sukuso went up to them.
"Uh, sorry," he apologized. "But you take people to the earth kingdom?"
The two men looked at him.
"Oh, it's you, boy," the old man remembered him.
"Yes," the younger man nodded. "For a price of course."
"Uh," Sukuso said a little awkwardly, "for how much?"
"Fifty gold pieces," he answered.
Sukuso frowned. How was he supposed to come up with that much?
"Why the interest in the earth kingdom, boy?" the old man asked.
"No reason," Sukuso said. "Thank you."
Sukuso ran off again. The old man and the sailor watched him, confused.
"There's something strange about that boy," the old man stated.
Sukuso started to climb back through his window, still trying to come up with a plan to get to the earth kingdom. He at least knew of transportation he could use. That transportation was just out of reach for the time being.
"Hi, Sukuso!" a voice greeted excitedly.
Sukuso jerked and stumbled to the floor. He looked up to see Sukasin smiling at him.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"Waiting for you," she answered. "Did you get it or what?"
Sukuso held the comb up to her.
"I hope it's the right one," he said.
Sukasin took it and smiled.
"Good job!" she congratulated. "It's perfect! I can't wait to try it!"
Sukasin examined the comb excitedly. Sukuso let out a sigh.
At least we'll be busy doing different things for the rest of the day, he thought. I don't want to be around her too much. Hopefully, I can have a nice break from her . . .
Sukasin hurried towards the door.
"That's I'll have you do for now, Sukuso," she said. "See you at firebending training!"
Sukuso stared at her as she started to leave. Then he twitched.
"Wait, what?" Sukuso asked. "What are you talking about?"
"Didn't they tell you?" she asked, looking at him. "I'm Sou Shin's top student. We're going to be classmates!"
Sukuso almost couldn't believe it. He had hoped to avoid being around Sukasin at all costs, afraid that she would reveal him. He couldn't avoid her if they in the same class though.
"See you there!" she smiled.
Sukasin shut the door behind her. Sukuso groaned and leaned his head against the wall behind her.
"She's really getting on my nerves," he thought.
Later . . .
Sukuso sighed as Kunju lead him into a large building in the middle of town. Sukasin was walking next to Kunju, wearing her new comb in her hair. Sukuso wasn't looking forward to this bending lesson for many reasons. Sukasin was on the top of that list.
They walked through a hallway in silence, and then came to a large, open area. It looked much like an arena. The floor was covered in stone tile, and the walls were high on all four sides of them. The sun shown down on them from above.
In the center of the arena stood Sou Shin and a few other of his pupils who were about Sukuso and Sukasin's age. Kunju and Sukasin walked towards them. Sukuso followed.
"We were awaiting your arrival," Sou Shin said with his eyes on Sukuso. "Students, this is Sukuso. He will be joining our training from now on. Treat him with respect."
The students behind him bowed politely.
"Seeing as I'd just be in your way," Kunju said, "I'll take my leave." He turned to Sukuso and smiled. "Have fun and work hard, Sukuso."
Sukuso just looked away from him stubbornly.
Kunju just smiled and walked back the way they came. Sou Shin looked over his students.
"Now then," he said. "Let's get started."
Kunju stepped out of the training hall, still smiling. There was a man outside waiting for him. It was the man that had spoken to Tai Ling the day Sukuso had arrived.
"I dropped him off," Kunju said. "I'll be back when the lesson is over. Sou Shin will watch him until then."
"I have men watching the arena as well," the man told him. "He will have no way out."
"So how long are we going to keep this up?" Kunju asked. "We could just ask him about it now."
"He still harbors feelings of loyalty to the earth kingdom," the man pointed out. "He won't give the information willingly."
"Who said it had to be willingly?" Kunju smiled.
"You forget how well liked Uku was with the people," the man said, glancing around. "His death was hard enough to cover up. What do you think they will do if they find out we do something as foolish as torture his son?"
"Hey," Kunju shrugged, "it's your call."
Kunju started to walk past him.
"Don't do anything rash, Kunju," the man warned.
"You're the boss," Kunju assured him.
Kunju walked away. The man walked off in another direction.
"What do you know about firebending, Sukuso?" Sou Shin asked.
Sukuso stared at him for a moment. Then he shrugged.
"Pretty much nothing," he admitted.
The students behind him giggled softly. Sou Shin ignored them.
"Then we will start with the basics," he said. "The rest of you run your drills. I will work with Sukuso alone."
Sukasin and the other students nodded and walked to the far end of the training hall. Sou Shin stepped up to Sukuso.
"Tell me," he said, "how was it you discovered your ability?"
Sukuso seemed confused at the question, and then thought back to the day he had first created fire.
"A friend of mine was trying to help me bend," he explained. "She gave me a stick and I . . . started it on fire."
"How did you know what to do?" he asked.
"I didn't," Sukuso shrugged. "It just . . . happened."
Sou Shin nodded.
"I suspected," he said. "You truly have your father's heart."
Sukuso wasn't sure what he meant. Sou Shin went on.
"Your father once told me how he discovered his power. It happened much the same way when he was very young. You and your father share the same bending spirit. It is a part of you. Deep down, you knew it existed."
Sou Shin bent down a little and looked him in the eyes.
"This stick," he said. "The one you used to create fire. You saw something inside of it, didn't you. You saw a power within that simple twig. You couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, could you. You couldn't pull yourself away."
Sukuso listened to him closely, understanding everything. He remembered that stick very well. For whatever reason, when he held it like that, he was completely hypnotized by it. He felt something inside of it and inside of him.
And then he created fire.
"How did you know?" Sukuso asked.
Sou Shin stood up straight.
"All firebenders feel it to some degree," he said. "Fire is a part of who we are. We are not complete without a flame."
Sou Shin held up a hand and created a fire ball. It floated above his hand. He and Sukuso stared into it.
"To fully master firebending," he said, "you must be able to find fire in everything. You must feel it around you. What you felt that day you first bent is the spirit of fire, and you must find it again and again. Then you will be a true firebender."
Sou Shin closed his hand and the fire ball disappeared.
"When you can do that," he said, "fire will not only be a part of you, but you will be a part of fire."
Sukuso didn't say anything to this. He wasn't really sure what to say. He wasn't sure if he understood what Sou Shin was saying either, but he wanted to.
Sou Shin turned away a little.
"So why are we standing around?" he wondered aloud. "We have training to do."
Sometime later . . .
Sukuso didn't notice Kunju as he came back. He was focusing on his breathing as Sou Shin had instructed.
"It's time to go," Kunju said.
Sou Shin and Sukuso looked at him. The other students had joined them by this time, and they were all breathing in unison.
"Very well," Sou Shin said. "We are done for the day. You are all free to go."
"Come along Sukuso, Sukasin," Kunju said. "I will escort you home."
Sukuso sighed and went towards him. Sukasin stayed for a moment, whispering to some other girls in the class. The girls giggled together. Sukuso glanced at them.
What is it about fire nation girls that makes them so giggly? He wondered.
"Sukasin," Kunju repeated.
"Coming," Sukasin said. She hurried towards them. Kunju turned and started to walk out of the training hall. Sukasin and Sukuso followed him.
Sukuso looked at Sukasin.
"I don't get it," he whispered. "What is everyone giggling about?"
"You," she smiled. "The girls around here thing you're cute."
Sukuso stopped walking. Sukasin kept going, unfazed. Kunju didn't seem to notice.
"Huh?" was all Sukuso could say.
That night . . .
Sukuso sat in his room alone, going over what Sou Shin had taught him that day. It was nothing more than basic stances and breathing exercises, but Sukuso felt more comfortable than he had since leaving Sanyun City.
Sukuso had already been given dinner, and was now alone for the night. Nothing happened with Sukasin, and what they had talked about earlier didn't even cross his mind.
Sukuso smiled and got to his feet. He went into the middle of the room. He spread his legs a little and held his hands in front of his abdomen. He took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. He did this for a moment, and then moved his right leg back a little. He moved his right arm back as well with his left arm forward, ready to strike.
Sukuso smiled at the stance Sou Shin had taught him.
I always did feel funny when training with Master Soshi, he remembered. I felt awkward doing all those moves, trying to bend earth. Maybe Sou Shin is right and I knew all along that I was a firebender.
Sukuso paused and looked down at himself.
Master Soshi, he repeated. His teachings were a lot different. For earthbending, my right leg would be out farther . . . and my left leg would be bent.
Sukuso put his right leg back a little more and bent his knee, crouching down a little.
And my right arm would be bent like this, Sukuso remembered. He bent his right arm at the elbow, putting his hand slightly below his shoulder.
And then I move forward like this, Sukuso thought.
Sukuso pushed his right hand forward while moving his right leg forward in front of his left. He smiled.
After all this time, he thought, I still remember it.
Sukuso stepped back, taking the stance again. He chuckled at himself a little.
Of course, he thought, Master Soshi did have me do this about a thousand times.
Sukuso pushed his right hand forward again along with his right leg, doing the move again. Then he crotched down a little more, and hit the ground with both hands. He flipped his legs up into the air, hitting an imaginary opponent.
Sukuso got back to his feet and thrust a fist immediately forward. He crotched down again, leaning to the side a little and swiped a leg along the floor. He swung both arms out before regaining his footing completely. Sukuso was smiling the whole time he was doing this.
Funny, he thought. Doesn't feel so awkward anymore.
Sukuso stood back up straight. He smiled for a moment, but then his smile faded.
Sukuso suddenly felt a pain of homesickness. He had felt homesick before, but not like this. He felt almost physically sick.
Sukuso turned towards the window and went up to it. He looked out over the ocean sadly.
I almost forgot about home, he realized. Firebending makes me feel better . . . so I almost forgot. But I want to go home . . .
Sukuso fell to his knees. He rested his arms on the window sill and then his chin on his arms.
Fifty gold pieces, he remembered. That's what it'll take to get home at this point. But how am I supposed to come up with that kind of money when I'm stuck in here? I doubt they'll just give it to me . . . or that I'd be able to keep it all a secret from them. So what can I do?
Sukuso sighed.
Maybe I'll just have to find another way, he thought.
Sukuso leaned back away from the window.
But I don't have any other plans right now, he thought. I'll try to get what money I can until a new plan comes around.
Sukuso paused, and then held up his hands. He created some flames that floated in the air in front of him. He felt the warmth from them and it comforted him.
I wonder . . . he thought. Would things be better or worse if I was an earthbender like my mother?
Sukuso didn't try to answer his question. He lowered the flame a little and smiled at it.
Doesn't matter, he thought. Firebending is fine with me.
Sukuso continued to watch the flames in silence. It was helping him forget his feelings of homesickness again. He was starting to feel a little better again.
Fire was the only thing that made him feel at home these days.