Chapter 36 – Mako's Secret
Disclaimer: I own a cup noodle. It was delicious.
The Bone Witch Unmasked!
The Bone Witch once again displayed her penchant of ward-breaking. In a surprising maneuver, the Bone Witch broke into the United Nations Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry, one of the most secured locations in Republic City. An exclusive interview with Council Sage Tarrlok, in charge of a contingent of Metal Mages assigned to bolster the security of the Academy after an alleged earlier break-in by the Witch, revealed that Council Sage Tarrlok was forewarned of the Bone Witch's action and set up an ambush to apprehend the Witch.
The confrontation culminated in a duel within an obscured location within the school grounds. While the ambush failed and resulted in heavy injuries sustained by three Metal Mages, Council Sage Tarrlok has this to say.
"We don't know what the Bone Witch's aim was for such daring move", the Council Sage commented in an exclusive interview. "However, during a single duel with the Bone Witch, in which I wounded her quite badly, I managed to unmask the Witch. Ladies and gentlemen, we now confirmed the Bone Witch's identity as Ming Hua of Northern Water Tribe."
"Hey, Zook."
"Don't call me Zook", Zuko lowered his newspaper to glare at Haru who grinned from across the table.
"Quiz me", Haru pushed his Magical Creatures Lore notebook to Zuko and grabbed a plate of bacons to his direction. Grumbling, Zuko complied.
The Academy might only have one exam at the end of teaching year, but it did not stop the teachers to give first graders a mock exam at the last weeks before Christmas holiday.
"To give you children a taste of what is to come", Master Zei had explained, a week before the mock exams. The mild-mannered History Master was always appointed to be the bearer of this news, according to the older students. No one could get mad at him.
Master Jeong Jeong and Madame Kwan had given the first graders their own version of the speech and they did so make things sounded so much graver. It did not help the first graders' nerves at all.
"If you fail the mock exams, you can be sure to fail the real one", Madame Kwan had said to the much terrorized class. Master Jeong Jeong, one fine morning, added. "Therefore, I expect all of you to study for these exams seriously. No excuses."
And it arrived just when Zuko finally felt comfortable with his classes.
Of all the Lore classes, History and its dates and events of the past remained the most mind-numbing, despite Master Zei's amiable attitude; the man did tend to babble on about historical facts that, despite his enthusiastic attitude, could never be interesting enough for Zuko.
Astronomy Lore came second. Master Shiro Shinobi's curious affliction was the saving grace. The small middle-aged Astronomy Master, whose buggy eyes and slightly-drawn face made him look like a flat-faced turtle, according to school rumor, was cursed by either a rouge wizard, a jilted lover, a student who was dissatisfied with the quality and neutrality of his announcing during one fateful Broom Balls game, or a Hanging Hag (it depended on who was telling the story), and it resulted in him only able to speak in sports announcer mode. Even the boring stuff in Astronomy Lore could be interesting if the Master's lecture went like. "And it's on, folks! As you can see on this chart, Jupiter approaches the Axis, pulling the energy of Mars and Saturn along, you can see the effects on the stars surrounding the field in the weeks to come. It takes two weeks, folks, for Jupiter to finish the short rotation. And after two weeks, Mars settles and Fire Element scores a neutralism! It scores! It scoreeesss!"
"Yay!" the students would then clap.
Studying it from books…? Yeesh! How the freshmen worshipped Haru when he took it upon himself to read aloud their chapters of Stars and the Magics They Hold that they needed to review for the mock exams last week a la Master Shiro Shinobi.
In Herbal Lore, Zuko found himself maybe only passable. Madame Taku had a healthy blend of theoretical knowledge and practical study in her class, which was great, but Zuko had been a little apprehensive about Herbal Lore after Madame Taku taught them how to repot Rotgut Roses and Zuko passed out in the class after accidentally whiffing a full sniff of the nasty flower's pungent odor.
Magical Creatures Lore was probably Zuko's favorite of all Lore classes, though not his favorite class for sure. Master Malu had similar approach of balanced theoretical and practical studies, but the young Master was alarmingly prone to accident in his classes, all related or caused by the creatures he brought to class. At least the Fire Fairies Fiasco had been a great opportunity for the students to practice their Water Magics, said Asami once rather brightly. It had earned her the collective glare of her sooty and mildly burnt classmates.
Of the Crafts classes, Zuko had been hoping he would be good at Potions Craft, perhaps owing to his mother's gene. Of course, they soon found out that excellent skills as potioneer were not hereditary. Sokka was still convinced that he still had pustules in his throat from the time Madame Lilly made the kids tried their Throat Clearing Juice on each other's partner.
Talismanic Craft was as complicated as ever, though Zuko was not the worst in that class; he was only among the worst and took comfort in it. Madame Hama was an excellent teacher, Zuko knew, but Talismanic Craft was like physics or algebra to Zuko: a bunch of numbers doing something that Zuko was sure numbers should not be doing onto themselves (replace numbers with spells, Sigils, and Elements, and you got it). Sokka was the ace student here though, followed closely by Asami.
Elemental Magics, ironically, was Zuko's best subject. His skills in weaving the Elements was nearly unparalleled by his peers; that was not to say his quality of work was infallible, as Master Jeong Jeong had once pointedly informed. It was just that Zuko had the uncanny ability to draw Elements from the ether with great success. He was, nonetheless, the only student who earned Master Jeong Jeong's genuine smile in the class when he became the only one to successfully perform Dusty Wind Charm, a spell that combined both Earth and Air Elements, a fourth year level spell that Master Jeong Jeong showed to the class as a sneak peek to higher level Elemental Magics. Master Jeong Jeong had said that Zuko was the first freshman to succeed in casting the spell in the last fifteen years, which made Zuko blushed so hard, he was sure his face was all red, scar and all. Still, it was ironic that he found Master Jeong Jeong exceedingly intimidating and could never feel comfortable in the Master's presence.
Transfiguration Magics remained the greatest terror of the freshmen's lives. Madame Kwan could give any drill sergeant a lesson in strictness. The Transfiguration Mistress always demanded the students to sit straight, listen well, and not speak unless spoken to. They were not even allowed to go to the toilet when she was giving a lecture. The humanity! Oh, and the subject itself was difficult too. Zuko was not sure he had had the hang of it.
Charms and Spells was always fun. Sister Xing Ying, being rather lax but fair, often let the kids do whatever they liked provided they had done whatever task she set them on and they did not disturb the class. Suki even went as far as calling Charms and Spells the best part of Tuesdays, it being the last class of the day after Elemental Magics and Transfiguration.
Zuko found Defensive and Exorcism Magics to be his favorite class. But, then again, so did all the other boys. And Suki. Master Kunyo might be a lunatic who needed to be either in a counseling or a straightjacket, but he knew what he was doing. He put great emphasis on practical skills, much to the curriculum's chagrin. However, no students complained so far. Learning Defensive and Exorcism spells was much more fun if you get to wield your wands doing it. Still, Zuko had quite a scare when Master Kunyo called him forth to be a volunteer when he was teaching the class how to deflect a spell during combat, in which he commanded Zuko to deflect a Wagging Wart Hex he would cast upon Zuko. Luckily, Zuko had mastered the elusive art of ducking an incoming spell. And the Master had been unhealthily giddy when he informed the kids that the practical parts of the mock exams would take place in the first of the two weeks allotted time and he had corralled a group of Hopping Zombies for the test.
It had been quite stressful for the freshmen, since the mock exams took place along with their usual classes. The teachers just dedicated two periods of their classes for each exam sessions. It was now Wednesday of the second week of mock exams and they had Magical Creatures and Magical History Lore exams today. Zuko had been unable to sleep well the previous night, ended up waking up before any of his roommates did, and gone to breakfast early.
The Sokka and Aang were the last to arrive. Zuko passed Haru's notebook and the chore to Sokka and returned to his breakfast. He looked for the newspaper and found it being read by Opal a few seats away. Shrugging, Zuko picked up more eggs.
Magical Creatures exam borrowed a classroom inside the castle. It was not as difficult as Zuko was expecting. He and his friends left the exam in a rather good mood. Double periods of Transfiguration Magics that came next crushed most of them before lunch. Madame Kwan did not let mock exams as an excuse for underperforming in her class. Though she did allow students who managed to change the color of their yarn balls to her satisfaction to leave the class early for lunch. So, only Yue, Asami, and Suki got to leave early. Aang would have been allowed too had he not been fooling around with the spell and turned his blue yarn balls into a loud rainbow palette instead of just plain green.
During lunch, Sokka was fussing. "Should I study for History exam? Or Talismanic? What should I study?" the gang would have sympathized had Sokka not been panicking with his mouth full of bread and spraying the bits everywhere. "You know what, I'm gonna study for History. It's harder."
The gang exchanged a knowing look. Sokka had been on this subtle boasting these past two weeks. They just did not bother to point it out, though they were vigilant in keeping their eyes on Suki lest she called out Sokka's boasting. They simply did not have the energy to deal with another conflict with the mock exams going on.
Group study after dinner was exceptionally subdued. Potions Craft and Transfiguration Magics theoretical exams the next day warranted extra effort. Transfiguration practical had been hard enough, the theoretical was guaranteed to be even more so. And Potions Craft, no sane person could possibly guessed what Madame Lilly had in store for them; certainly no one had guessed that for the practical exam the previous week, Madame Lilly would hex them with a Plump Pimple Hex and they would have to cure themselves by brewing their own Pimple Removal Potion. Zuko was still not entirely convinced that such practice abides to the school codes of safe and ethical conducts.
Needless to say, come Friday and the end of Astronomy Lore exam, the last of the mock exams, the freshmen's mood improved visibly. On their way down the corridor from the East Wing of the castle where the Astronomy Tower was, the gang ran into Mako who was walking to the opposite direction and not noticing them as the older boy was reading a book while walking.
Zuko knew that the mock exams were a suffering exclusive to the freshmen, and thought he should find the scene strange, but then again, ever since his release from the Infirmary, Mako had often been found with his nose buried behind a book in Cloud Hall, during meals, or in the corner of the library whenever the gang went there to study.
Mako did not seem like the studious kind, a fact corroborated by the concerned Bolin and Korra who cornered Zuko at some point and asked if he knew what was up with Mako; their concern, of course, being less than righteous since the semi-finals of School Tournaments would be at the second weekend before Christmas holiday.
"He's reading!" Bolin had expressed unnecessarily. "All the time! Books!"
"Yes, Bolin. That's what people usually read."
"Yeah, but he's reading books about magical creatures and plants", Korra added. "And spells. One time, according to a third grader friend of his, he was reading this book about Mind Magics. During Transfiguration! He was sneaking the book under his desk right in front of Madame Kwan's nose."
Zuko did not know what to make of the last bit of Korra's information, but the first bit, it aroused a suspicion. He evasively reassured the two that Mako was probably just researching for spells to add to his arsenal, probably a sentiment spurned by the outcome of his short duel with the Bone Witch.
In any case, Zuko had not talked to Mako about it, as Korra and Bolin had hoped. As Mako walked past, eyes glued to the book, Asami looked like she wanted to greet him but faltered. Suki nudged her ribs and frowned, her version of encouragement. Asami shook her head and sped ahead towards Dining Hall.
Warm Fire Nation Scarlet Bird Soup, perfect for winter, banished any thought from Zuko's mind. He was beginning to enjoy the good meal and the good company, and the scene of Sister Xing Ying and Master Chong arguing about how they should decorate the half-bare Christmas tree behind the teacher's table; even Asami cheered up a bit, chatting happily with Suki, discussing their plans for Christmas holiday. Halfway though his second helping of soup, Mako tapped him on the shoulder.
It was the first time Zuko looked at the older boy up close in awhile. Mako looked rather gaunt and there were bags under his eyes; he looked like he had not been sleeping well. He nudged his head and Zuko, understanding the gesture nodded back without hesitation. He dropped his spoon, picked up his bag, and followed Mako out of the Dining Hall.
They caught a cloud and rode it to the Students Hall.
"I need you to come with me Sunday morning", Mako said without preamble.
"Where?"
Zuko was not surprised when Mako answered. "The Forbidden Forest."
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As luck would have it, the weekend was dedicated to semi-final matches for Tri-E and Broom Balls. Saturday was Tri-E day, of course. Despite the lack of practice, as Korra and Bolin had insinuated, the Fire Ferret played beautifully and won their match against the Iron Wolves. When Madame Wu, the Head of Mountain Hall from whence the Iron Wolves hailed, shook Master Jeong Jeong's hand to congratulate him, the crowd was half-fearing half-expecting a duel to erupt (many a rumor circulated regarding those two being rivals). Nothing of the sort happened, of course.
Much to everyone's chagrin, the Wolfbats also won their match. The Ferrets would face off with them on the final. At the celebratory party though, following Mako's example, Zuko retired early.
On Sunday, Broom Balls semifinal day – curse Haru and his prediction! - Zuko was woken up by Mako who shook him awake in the ungodly hour of very early morning. It was still dark outside, but then again it was winter. Wrapped in his warmest jacket, Zuko followed Mako out to the east side. If for nothing, this journey allowed Zuko to learn a very useful Illumination Charm, a spell that summoned a bright light on the tip of his wand to help light their way. He would never need a flashlight ever again.
They climbed up the Tree Fairies' way, walked through a few twists and turns unguided, and dropped right in front of a hut in the heart of the forest. A humble hut that looked sad and pathetic, titling slightly as it stood in a clearing, even sadder looking it was to Zuko as it stood in the still dark morning. A small campfire was lit in the front yard, surrounded by seats made of a stump of a tree and four flat-topped rocks.
Perching on the stump, stroking the fire with a stick, was the great frame of the oni.
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Mako brought breakfast for everyone, a humble offering of ham and cheese sandwich and a can of coke for each. Zuko glanced between bites at the oni's face, curious as to how he could chew his food with those fangs. Unfortunately, the oni held his half-folded newspaper with his other hand, reading it while eating, blocking his face from Zuko's view.
Mako seemed unconcerned, eating silently and staring into the fire.
So, Zuko looked around instead. The clearing was a neat circle, with the hut and the campfire sitting right in the center. The trees lining the clearing reminded Zuko of the trees on the outside of the Forbidden Forest: densely packed. Zuko wondered how anyone could get in or out without using the Tree Fairies' platforms.
The oni, towering over the two kids even as they sat, finished his food first. He rolled up his newspaper and shoved it to Zuko who took it. He waited, sitting straight-backed like a statue, for the kids to finish their breakfast.
"So", the oni spoke at last as Mako swallowed his last bite. "You are Zuko."
"I am", Zuko replied. "Who are you?"
"Does it hurt?" the oni pointed one gloved finger at his scar.
"No, it's pretty much numb", Zuko shrugged. "So, who are you?"
"Dragon Fire, is it not? To survive Dragon Fire is a miracle in and of itself", the oni commented.
"Thanks. Who are you?" Zuko asked again.
"That Fire Blast Curse you cast, where did you learn it?" the oni ignored his question.
"Who are you?" two can play the game.
The oni simply glared at him, waiting for answer. Zuko glared back. Mako picked a side after five seconds. "Answer the question, Zuko. Or we'll be here all day."
Traitor.
Zuko held on petulantly for a few more seconds. Then, as the oni showed absolutely no sign of backing down, he relented and told him of the ghostly Sigils. The oni showed no reaction to the explanation, though Mako seemed surprised.
"I've never heard of such a thing", Mako said after Zuko finished his explanation. "Could it be close proximity to Book of Shadows? But, then again, how could he summon Sigils that haven't been recorded yet."
"It's not the Book of Shadows", the oni grunted. He turned and looked straight at Zuko. "The Sigils you've been seeing are all Fire Sigils, either full or partial", he said it like a statement.
"Yes", Zuko's gaped. "Now that I think about it… How do you—"
"And you see these Sigils…" he raised his left hand, waving it in front of his left eye. "…on the left side of your vision."
"Yeah… I never realized it. How do you know?" Zuko insisted.
The oni did not answer. He just straightened his posture and, for a second there, Zuko could have sworn he looked satisfied with himself. Abruptly, the oni stood and, in a whirl of black, he teleported away.
It was like he pulled the very air with him as he disappeared into thin air and the air snapped back into place when the process was complete. Zuko could feel the whiplash on his face, even his scarred flesh, and the snow around them was blown like sand.
"I hate it when he does that", Mako said, rubbing dust off his eye.
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"So, who was that?" Zuko went on the offensive.
He and Mako were on their way back to the school, walking through the deserted east side. Mako, hands stuffed in the pockets of his jacket, turned slightly to Zuko but kept walking. "Remember the story of how I saved the Tree Fairies?"
"Master Kunyo, wild yeren, yeah", Zuko replied.
"Well, I didn't do it alone. He saved me first, then we saved the Tree Fairies", Mako said. "After that, I dunno, one thing led to another, he began asking me to visit him. Do you know the story about Minamoto no Yoshitsune?"
What an interesting and unexpected segue.
"The founder of Chivalry Code? The guy who basically invented Fire Nation? Sure", everyone knows the story of Yoshitsune, a King-Arthur-esque character from the Four Nations folklore.
"Well, there was one time when he was a child, he wandered off to the mountains where he discovered a group of onis. They taught him how to wield magics and he went on to use his skills to unify the Four Nations."
"I thought he met tengus…" Mako snorted at this but Zuko continued. "And they taught Yoshitsune swordsmanship."
"Well, no. It's onis. In old tongue, oni means 'demon' and Norms don't seem to like their folk hero to associate with demons so the story got changed a bit", Mako explained. "And, it was magic. Do you notice some movies where swordsmen shoot laser with their swords and stuff? Well, in the olden days, before wands, people use swords and other weaponries as a medium to cast their spells."
"So…" Zuko drawled. "You've been learning magic from the oni?"
Mako smirked enigmatically but did not answer.
"Oh, right", Zuko sighed. "That black Sigil."
It did explain Mako's skills with dueling, which was painfully obvious years above his peers. And Zuko realized it was the first time since their ordeal with the Bone Witch that Zuko saw some form of good humor back in him.
"So, you two saved some Tree Fairies and he decided to take you under his wings?" Zuko asked.
"I asked", Mako said.
"Aren't you suspicious?" Zuko had to ask. "And he just agreed? He didn't ask for anything in return?"
"Nothing I can't afford to give", Mako shrugged.
They walked a little more and Mako finally addressed the look of concern on Zuko's face. "I never told you that Bolin and I are orphanage kids, right? When we weren't sleeping on the streets, that is" he said. "Or we were, anyway. Headmaster Iroh was kind enough to arrange for a more permanent and hassle-free residence and guardian for us when I was accepted here."
"Yeah, you kinda said your parents are no longer around", Zuko said carefully. "Uh… mugging?"
"Yeah", Mako said stiffly. "Dad's… well, he integrated into Norms world. For mom's sake at first, but then he continued for our sake. We didn't know we were wizards until my letter arrived. Anyway, they were out one night. Dad didn't even carry his wand; he hadn't been carrying his wand in years", the handle of Mako's wand, protruding from his pocket where his hand was also in, moved. Zuko suddenly suspected that it was his father's wand. He too became aware of his own inherited wand tucked in his waist, on his lower back.
"His muggers", Mako continued. "They were Triads. Wizards", he glowered at the path before them.
"That's why you want to be a Lizard."
"Yeah. And, man, don't call them Lizards!"