Hey guys I'm back again, and hopefully will be back a lot more regularly. I have moved into my own place and now have my own apartment, and so far its led to me being more able to sit down and write so I'm thinking I'll be around a bit more than I have. Anyway, as far as the story itself goes, I have an idea of how to get where I want to get to. So just letting you all know now, we will be skipping through time a lot more than we have, and Iroh will grow up fast. Soon enough we might reach some pivotal moments in his life *wink wink* I'm hoping ya'll are enjoying this and looking forward to what's on the horizon, because the end is in sight! Idk how long it will take exactly, but the plan is vaguely and haphazardly laid out, and we have a path! So as the great plumber Mario
They awoke at the break of dawn. Thankfully, Iroh was already quite used to this from his days as a military recruit. He followed Master Kuzon down to the beach, where the barely visible sliver of the sun reflected harshly off of the vast stretch of water. It was all Iroh could do to keep his eyes up. This was made doubly difficult by the strong winds that were whipping sand up into his eyes.
"What do you know about Firebending, Iroh?" Kuzon said, facing away from his student, towards the water.
Iroh wasn't sure how to answer the question. Wasn't this too obvious?
"It's the ability to control fire..."
Kuzon nodded. "Do you know what the source of Firebending is?"
Iroh's brow furrowed as he considered this. The source of the fire...
"Our energy?" He asked.
Kuzon turned, the barest hint of a smile visible. "You're on the right track." He bent down, picking up some sand. "At its barest level, Earthbending is strength. All of these tiny particles of sand, dirt, and all of the other things that make up the Earth, they come together, and form something much stronger than they could be when alone. This applies to the Earth Kingdom as well, whose people are numorous and incredibly stubborn. The most powerful Earthbender is one who is never alone."
Kuzon let the sand fall away, and walked to the water's edge. A wave swept over his ankles, soaking his shoes. "Look at the shoreline. The swell of the water is never even, is it? No, it is always moving, up and down, up and down. And it does not remain constant. It is always moving, always changing. At its barest level, Waterbending is always about change. push and pull, yin and yang, back and forth. Always changing. The Water Tribes in the North and South poles are quite famous, but did you know that there are other homes for Waterbenders as well? Island villages much like here, along rivers, lakes, and from some rumors I've heard, even deep in swamps. These are all homes to the Water Nation because they are adaptable, and able to undergo any change they need to. Their people are smart and incredibly hardy. The most powerful Waterbender is one who knows how to change."
Kuzon stepped out of the shallow water, now gazing up at the sky. "Air..." He stopped. His gaze lowered to the ground for a moment, then picked back up, now looking at the rising dawn.
"Look at the sun. Feel its heat coming down. Do you feel that? That energy, over the entire planet, bringing life to the plants, who bring life to the animals, who bring life to us. At its barest level, Firebending is energy, which is to mean that it is life. The people of the Fire Nation are ambitious and prideful, and will let nothing stop them. They aim to bend the world to their will. The strongest Firebender is driven, but also full of life."
"So your training right now will be to try to sense your energy, the energy around you, and most importantly, the energy of the sun."
"How do I do that?" Iroh asked. Feel his energy? What kind of training was this?
"Just stand still, and breathe." Kuzon said. "I'll be back in a couple hours, see if you can connect with your life." Kuzon began walking back to the place they were staying.
"Wait! Where are you going?"
"To sleep." Kuzon said without turning. "Getting up at dawn is for the young."
And so Iroh was stuck there as the sun rose, his only training being to breathe. "What is it with him and having the most boring training ever created?" He muttered. "First the leaf, now this? What could this possibly teach me?"
Even if he didn't get it, Iroh stayed. He breathed in, and breathed out. Again, and again, and again. As the minutes ticked by his mind wandered, and Iroh wished he were able to do anything other than this. He could be over in the village, or playing a game, or anything else. He could even be training for real. But no, he had t e.
It felt like it took all day, but after a couple of hours, Master Kuzon returned.
"Have fun?" Kuzon asked.
"Oh, plenty." Iroh said.
"Count yourself lucky, Prince Iroh. This is hardly strenuous."
"I know." Iroh responded. "So what is the point of it?"
"It will help you unlock your potential in ways you don't realize." Kuzon advised. "It may not seem like it, but breath control is perhaps the most essential part of becoming a true Firebending Master."
"How? That doesn't make any sense." Iroh complained. "None of my other teachers talked about breathing like this. Not even my father."
Kuzon smiled mischievously. "None of them are true Firebending Masters."
"What?" Iroh was shocked. "You're saying that none of my teachers, handpicked by the Firelord himself, were Masters? You're saying even my father, THE Firelord, is not a Firebending Master?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"Do you realize that if I tell him what you just said, he would probably have your head on a platter?"
Kuzon shrugged. "He would have to defeat me. Besides, if you have me killed, I can't teach you anything, can I?"
Iroh let out a sigh. "Alright. I'll humor you. Teach me."
"There is a critical difference between their bending and mine. Do you remember what I told you before? Firebending, as well as Firebenders themselves, are driven and thrive off of a goal they tirelessly aim to succeed at. That's why we've fared so well in this war, because its in our nature. Your father, as well as your grandfather, and every man who has fought for them, has that drive that fuels their fire. But without that drive, they will find they are missing the key ingredient to fire. What happens to a Firebender without a goal? What happens to a fire without fuel? They are dependent on their anger and will, while I, and soon you, are instead using our energy. Our life. That is our power."
Kuzon glanced at the sky. "That's enough training for now. Go and acquaint yourself with the townfolk again."
"But its still so early!" Iroh exclaimed. "What kind of training is this?"
"I have two things I'm training you to be, Prince Iroh. A Master Firebender, and a masterful leader. If you want to continue training to be a soldier as well, feel free, but do it on your own time. I don't think I'm asking much of you. Breathing, and then interaction with your subjects. From the outside, it looks maddeningly unlike any sort of training. I understand that. But its what will help you, Iroh, and its what I ask of you. Outside of that, feel free to do what you wish, although I advise you stay wise in your decisions."
"Understood, sir." Iroh said.
"Good." Kuzon said. "Now go and enjoy yourself for a bit."
And thus the day went much like the previous day, with Iroh spending time with the people of Ember Island. After he would return, and because Iroh felt like he needed to maintain his fitness, did some training of his own. But even so, the day had been strangely... easy.
The next day followed the last two. Iroh was to breathe for a few hours in the burning sun, then spent his day with the town. Iroh had even been convinced by one of them to assist in their souvenir shop for the time being. It felt so normal. Like he wasn't a prince, but truly one of them.
The days continued, with Iroh growing closer and closer to the people of Ember Island. He spent so much time they truly started to feel like more than friends and acquaintances. They weren't family, of course, but there was a sort of kinship, as they were a welcome part of each other's lives.
In addition, after a few days of the breathing training, he began to feel something. It wasn't exactly something physical, more like an awareness. When he breathed deep, he felt his lungs inhaling like normal, but he could also feel the drawing in of power, something that he knew had been there before but he couldn't sense.
Iroh begrudgingly had to admit that Kuzon's methods, however unorthodox, were beginning to have an affect. Perhaps the Firebending Master knew what he was doing after all. Soon enough Iroh was told to add the other training exercise where he maintained a small flame along with his breathing.
One week passed, then another. Before Iroh knew it, a month had passed, with the most relaxed training Iroh could have ever imagined on an island paradise. The last thing Iroh expected to come from it however, was the peace that came with it. The storm that had been thundering in his mind since Mylo had been killed had quieted down, and was now just a light rain. It wasn't gone, and neither was the pain, but Iroh wasn't at its mercy like he had been before.
He was, for the first time in a while, at peace.
And through those rainy clouds, he could just barely make out that faintest ray of sunshine peeking through.
