Chapter 7: Boiled Watermelons
Summary: Kojin makes a disturbing discovery. Zuko's training in the Lost Arts begins.
Warnings: Kojin reads Zuko's scrolls/schoolbooks, and there are mentions of violence against people/children, and various things that happen to people on the losing side of a war.
Though I don't intend to get too graphic, certain darker themes will be implied. If you feel at any time a warning definitely needs to be put into the tags of the fic because of something in the chapter, please let me know.
My exhausted, insomniac brain wrote most of this, hopefully things make sense. Stuff gets pretty complicated, and even more will be explained next chapter to help clarify exactly what's going on.
Previously:
Mainland Fire Nation curriculum was… interesting , to say the least.
"This is all wrong. It's so wrong, it's offensive in more ways than one. What the hell are they teaching you kids?" Kojin asked mostly himself. He nearly tossed aside the books and scrolls he didn't like. It'd make good kindling. He had plenty of his own scrolls, because Kojin loved history from all four nations. Before the Dragons had been hunted and the world was a more peaceful place, the Sun Warriors collected tomes from the other Nations.
"If I was upset or angry while I tended to the harvest, I could cause the fruit to rot because my Inner Fire isn't at peace. It could spread to the other crops. Healing also takes a special kind of focus. A person could cause serious damage if they didn't heal someone correctly.
That's why the Arts connected to such things can only be taught with a Blessing from the Masters, and never passed down in families like the attack Arts."
"The Masters can see deep, deep down in a person's heart," Pima said, giving Zuko's chest a small poke. "They can see what a person refuses to admit about themselves. They can tell if a person would abuse the power given to them."
There were times when Kojin was giving him an odd look; and he couldn't tell what it meant. Even Pima was looking at him at times, and she always masked her worry with a smile, teasing, and messing up his hair.
'Don't go anywhere by yourself.' Kojin told him very seriously, looking uneasy about something. He'd tried hiding it, but it so obviously showed. 'Don't wander out in the Ruins or go into any of the temples.'
The odd warnings felt completely out of nowhere.
He frowned a little as he looked at Zuko. He was just a child – why would – Kojin took in a deep breath to calm down. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about such things. The kid would be okay.
'Didn't they steal from people?' Zuko asked. 'They were always taking and taking. So Fire Lord S-O-Z-I-N had to stop them before they made everyone else starve.'
Kojin was gaping at him now. "What? You…" Kojin pressed a hand to his mouth, looking really uncomfortable. Finally, he pulled his hand away. "That's what you…you were taught?"
Kojin had been so bothered by Zuko's questions, he started to really wonder what the hell the kid had been learning. Kojin had briefly glanced at some random Earth Kingdom book when he first started tutoring Zuko – and he'd tossed it aside. It had been wrong. He absolutely hated misconstrued information and inaccuracy.
At first, he just sort of considered leaving it alone. It was just inaccurate information that was all – major pet peeve, yes. But. Zuko was actually learning the correct information now though, so…what did it matter? But Kojin had this niggling feeling in his gut that refused to settle.
So in between work, teaching and training Zuko, spending time with Pima, and everything else – he started reading the books and scrolls that Zuko had brought with him over the course of several weeks. There were quite a few to go through; since the kid was supposed to be learning from them for at least the next five or six years.
He didn't like what he was reading.
By Agni's Name, it was awful. Aspects of the Four Nations' combined history was completely inaccurate. Things were skewed just enough to be believable, with accurate information sprinkled throughout. The accurate information though, was just slightly off – like someone was retelling a story they'd heard that had be told and retold and overheard, but getting the facts mixed up.
But because Kojin had scrolls that detailed various aspects of the other Nations' cultures, he knew how wrong and absurd the books were.
The fact that things sounded so…ominously optimistic as the authors spoke of war and twisting words that made killing innocent people essentially seem justified – and seeing it all from one viewpoint, then yeah, it sounded perfectly justified.
It sent uncomfortable shivers up Kojin's spine and made his stomach turn. People who weren't Fire Nation weren't spoken of as if they were Human.
Animals meant for slaughter were shown more decency.
They called the Water Tribes savages because they wore animal skins and used bones as weapons… They taught that the Water Tribes ate people. There was so little food in the harsh winters that people supposedly resorted to eating their children, and the way they disposed of bodies was simply that they ate them.
The Tribes didn't eat their dead! That was taboo! The Tribes never did anything that grotesque.
By this reasoning, they had to "rescue" people from themselves so they could be raised and taught properly. They stole children; snatched people from their homes, and justified it. Twisting around details saying, "the water savages attacked Fire Nation ships" and making themselves out to be the innocent victims.
Of course they'd attack if they were defending themselves!
The Tribes had such a different way of life, so that meant they were less educated; they were lesser because they didn't have all the same advancements. Come on! The reason that they didn't have the same advancements was because there was no need to! Or it was simply a lack of the same resources. Some combination of the two with other deciding factors.
There was so much circular reasoning, and justifying such atrocities; words were twisted and woven so elaborately and expertly it could so easily be taken as fact if one didn't step back and really look and think about what they were reading as a whole.
Fire was superior because unlike the other Elements, Firebenders carried their Divine Element within themselves. Agni was clearly superior for that fact alone.
Kojin of course, told Pima what he was reading. Well, more like complained – and she listened, offering her opinion here and there.
He complained about the completely insulting inaccuracies to history and culture. There was something about it all, that reminded him of…it couldn't be, could it?
"Pima this is…" Kojin massaged his temple. "It's all so infuriatingly off. I have this bad feeling about it all…like…something's wrong."
"Like what?"
"Maybe I'm mistaken, and by Agni, I hope I'm mistaken – but – this is starting to remind me of the various Spirit-Claimed stories."
Pima visibly stiffened. "I-I don't know. The information's already all twisted up anyway, right? You…we can't be sure."
"Yeah. We can't be sure." Kojin agreed. Maybe it was wishful thinking on their parts. Maybe it was willful ignorance, and pretending everything was fine.
Just in case, he told Zuko to not go anywhere by himself, and not to wander out into the Ruins and temples. Better safe than sorry.
0000
Today was going to be fun. Plus, this was great training for not only mastering control of Fire, but also Fire's Breath and Fire's Bane. It had been nearly a year by now, and Pima had to do little to no corrections. Zuko still had a little bit more to go before she could consider him ready.
Kojin brought a small cart of watermelons to the training yard.
"We're going to boil the watermelon without it bursting." Pima happily announced. It was also delicious if done properly. So, bonus healthy snack for a job well-done.
She stabbed a few holes into the melon, as a precaution. The holes prevented the pieces from flying off into random directions and inuring someone – which had happened when people were being stupid. It always cracked and burst for beginners.
First, she demonstrated how to safely boil the melon and not cracking it.
Placing it down on the ground, Pima sat at arms' length away and concentrated. She demonstrated the correct way, and then what would happen if not done correctly.
"Concentrate. Slowly pour heat into the melon." Pima directed. "Feel how the heat moves."
Steaming watermelon pieces were soon splattered all around them. It was a sticky mess. At least they smelled nice. Sort of.
Zuko's first try cracked, of course and split. Zuko stared at the destroyed watermelon with a wide-eyed look.
Pima and Kojin both laughed.
"You'll get it. Wanna try again?" Pima placed another melon in front of Zuko.
This time, he cracked the melon on purpose. Zuko looked very proud of himself for doing so. It was fantastic. Firebending was supposed to be passionately fun, too. Sen was gleefully burying her face into the stray melon bits and her white fur turned sticky pink with seeds clumped in.
A few other animals – mole-birds, sparrow-rats, and lizard-mice snuck in to grab melon chunks.
Zuko muffled a laugh behind his hand at the sight of Sen coming up for air before burrowing her face back into a chunk of watermelon. She yipped and protectively hovered over her melon whenever one of the other animals got too close.
It was always good to hear him laugh and see him smile.
They spent several hours trying to boil the melon without it cracking.
'Guide your fire, and be patient.' Pima directed. 'Focus on your breathing. Get a feel for how your Fire moves as the melon boils.'
As he did with everything, Zuko committed himself wholeheartedly.
As she observed his progress over the following days, Pima gradually made the holes in the melons smaller.
'The smaller holes means you have to control more how much heat you're putting into it. Too little, and it takes too long – and it won't cook properly. Too much all at once, and it can-' Pima blew a raspberry to help make her point.
It had taken a few weeks to work their way there, but soon, the holes were about the size of Pima's pinky finger.
She watched as Zuko concentrated on boiling the melon – without burning the outside of it. About twenty minutes later, Zuko pulled away.
'I'm done.'
Kojin cut the melon in half to reveal a tender-looking, steaming inside.
"Let's see how it tastes," Pima said, handing Zuko a spoon.
'It tastes like…steak? Kind of?' Zuko looked thoughtful.
Kojin sprinkled fire flakes on one half of the melon. They dug in, and – it was delicious. Boiled melon had all kinds of health benefits.
"Good job," Pima said, giving Zuko's hair a ruffle.
Zuko deservedly looked pleased.
"Did you know you can make tea out of the seeds?" Kojin asked. "You could probably make some for your uncle."
Zuko smiled at the suggestion. 'I want to try it.'
00000
Today, when Zuko entered the training yard, Pima was sitting seiza in the middle of it, surrounded by a wide circle of unlit candles. She grinned and waved at him, and he returned the greeting.
'What's going on, today?' Zuko asked.
'Sit,' Pima indicated the spot in front of her with a smile.
Zuko had one last cursory glance at the candles before sitting down.
'This is training, getting a feel for outside fire.' Pima signed happily. She snapped her fingers and flicked her wrist. A string of fire spun around them, lighting all the candles within seconds.
Which was an amazing trick, and Zuko wanted to try it, too.
Pima waved at him to get his attention.
'Now. Training. This is how you'll center your Chi. And feel fire outside of you.'
She breathed, and all the lit candles moved with her. 'Get a feel for these candles, and breathe with them. It can be hard, because they are… a bunch of tiny, separate flames.'
She lit a small fire in her hands, and it moved like a heartbeat. Pima clenched her fists, and the candles went out with the fire in her hands. 'I'll show you how to do that. But first…'
Pima motioned to herself, 'Remember your breath. Close your eyes and guide your Chi here. Imagine it traveling from five points into a ball, here. You should feel hot in your belly, but not like it's burning when you've done it.'
Zuko concentrated, imagining that ball. They sat for hours, with him trying to guide and center his Chi. He felt his Inner Fire pulsing, but it didn't feel like that hot-not-burning feeling like it was supposed to.
Zuko huffed and childishly pouted. 'I can't feel anything like a stupid ball!'
'Don't get discouraged,' Pima signed, and flicked Zuko's forehead. It didn't hurt or anything, but he pouted a little at that. 'This could take hours, days, even weeks. Trying to force it will make it impossible. You're only blocking yourself. Just relax and,' she motioned with her hands, 'breathe.'
Pima smiled, and leaned forward as if she were sharing a secret. 'Let me tell you this: I took several weeks to master it. Almost two months!'
Zuko looked at her shocked. She was one of the best Firebenders he'd ever seen! He let her know this, of course.
Pima ruffled his hair and grinned. 'You flatter me, my cute student.'
Zuko huffed as he pulled away, but he was smiling.
Zuko sat with Pima in the shade of a nearby tree, after a particularly intense training session.
She had him 'sensing' for the candles. Zuko had sat for hours it felt like, blindfolded; trying to tell how many candles were lit, and where they were located. She and Kojin started moving the candles around without telling him.
So technically, he had been right when he'd guessed where a candle had been.
'You didn't tell me you were going to move it!' Zuko signed indignantly.
'I never said I wasn't going to, either.' Pima replied, with an impish grin. She started to sign something else, but Zuko didn't pay any attention to that.
'It's not fair, you can't do that!' Zuko argued. 'I was right, you can't tell me I was wrong because…'
Zuko stopped when Pima's smile fell. Her eyes narrowed, and one eyebrow arched severely. She honestly looked as if she were going to slap him, or something. Seeing Pima angry was unnerving and a tiny bit scary.
Speaking and signing, she said, "Do not take that tone with me, Zuko."
'…I don't have a tone.' Zuko replied, trying not to look at her; ashamed for his disrespect.
She snapped her fingers in front of his face, making him look at her.
"The tone was all over your face and in your hands," Pima waved her hands around in a sort-of mock Sign Language, likely an imitation of Zuko and his tone. He huffed. She then snapped her fingers again and pointed. "Up. Stretches, 30 hot-squats, and…review your basics."
Zuko slowly stood, trying to think of an argument that would spare him having to not do everything Pima had listed.
"One word, and I'll make it an extra 50 hot-squats."
Zuko sighed in defeat, and accepted his punishment. This wasn't nearly as bad as Hori smacking him when he'd been the slightest bit difficult. Or shooting fire at his feet when he'd messed up.
He was truly grateful for how Pima was always patient with him. He'd learned far more from her in just a few months compared to the, what was it – three or four years he'd been with Hori.
'Sorry,' he apologized, once he was done and thoroughly exhausted.
'You're already forgiven, my cute student.' Pima poked his forehead. 'People won't be so kind as to tell you where they'll be bending from when you're in a real fight. You most of all have to pay extra attention, got it?'
'Yeah.'
They went home for today.
He'd just sat in one spot; focusing on candles and breathing, but it was somehow exhausting.
They had just finished lunch, when Pima asked, 'Has Kojin ever told you about the Lost Arts? Why they're split up like they are?'
Zuko shook his head.
'I'm surprised he hasn't yet!' Pima shifted so that she was facing Zuko. 'You know, there used to be a time when all the Firebenders learned the Lost Arts. They could learn whatever they wanted, and there was no limit to how much they learned.
'But Humans sadly, are easily corrupted and can corrupt. Too much big-power goes to their heads. They think only of themselves. Other people are obstacles, what do they matter?
'A tyrant appeared. A woman. We don't say her name. It's bad luck to speak it. There's power in names, you know. She doesn't deserve to have it spoken.' Pima picked up a stick. 'But we write it, so we can remember her evil, and not let hungry-power-ambition corrupt us at the cost of people's lives.'
Pima wrote down the name, Huāyuán in the dirt briefly before quickly erasing it.
'Hundreds died in the fight to end her bloody-burning reign. People from all Four Nations were pulled into her war. After she was defeated, the Dragons decided that no-one could simply learn the Arts anymore. They would always be limited in what they could learn, and never allowed to be greedy.
'You remember what me and Kojin told you, about our Arts?
'Now, only one person at any given time is allowed to know all of the Lost Arts at once. That person is our Chief. You can tell because of the tattoos on his face. He'll pass his knowledge on to the next Chief when the time comes.'
'The Arts have been broken up, and combined in various ways. Because of that, the other Lost Arts had to be broken up as well. To keep it fair between the Elements. It's a deeply sacred rite. Many techniques are combined and overlaid. So two people can know the same techniques, but have other Lost Arts that go in completely different directions. Pretty cool, right?'
It really was cool.
It was also…sad. The actions of one person had rippling effects across the Nations. He tried not to think of Great-Grandfather…it – it wasn't the same, right? Not really?
'The Lost Arts used to…' Pima paused, and did a weird, too-tight-crooked smile. 'Never mind.' Her smile went back to normal. Sort of. It was small, and didn't exactly reach her eyes.
That was…odd. Pima almost never told him 'never mind' before. She'd usually explained things. Or…if she randomly changed the subject, it wasn't done so bluntly.
'Anyway. If you meet another Bender who knows certain Lost Arts of their Element, you can work together. I told you about how Firebenders and Earthbenders worked together to grow forests? We can do so much more than that.'
It seemed that Pima was trying to change the subject without directly changing it? If Zuko asked or called her out on it – would she tell him? What exactly would he even be calling her out on?
'The thing about Bending. It isn't really our own. Not really. Bending is giving back, in a way. It's creating for the sake of other people. Just because some people can't Bend doesn't mean they should be thrown out.
'You remember when I showed you all the stuff people had made? When you make something for someone else – like a little statue, a vase, or a weapon, you're giving a personal wish to them. The more Benders working together to create something wonderful, the stronger that feeling is.'
'A wish?'
'Yeah…' Pima smiled gently. 'Like, giving someone a weapon that they'll carry into battle. You can wish for protection, wisdom, strength, and power. A wish that they'll return home. They carry all of that with them.
'Or you give a small statue to a new household, with wishes that the people live long lives, are happy, they always have everything they need.
'The Lost Arts that are connected to crafting - Bending can create that. The way Kojin can help plants grow – it's making sure farmers have plenty of crops to survive on and sell, supporting their families.
'The Lost Arts connected to fighting – it's having the desire of protecting people – strangers and people you love – who can't protect themselves from nasty-mean people who only want to destroy without a care. Understand?'
'Yes.' Zuko wondered if she was telling him this because it was really important, somehow. Or maybe it was just because it was interesting.
Pima stood and stretched. She faced him. 'Ready to try again?'
Zuko sighed, and nodded. He followed after her, not exactly looking forward to 'sensing' for a bunch of tiny flames.
'Don't roll your eyes at me,' Pima raised an eyebrow. 'If you can sense tiny flames, you can sense flames like this,' Pima sent a wave of fire into the air.
'But I can see it.' Zuko sort of complained as he scowled.
'Yes.' Pima agreed. 'But what if you could tell how it was going to move? Not all Firebenders have this control or even care to.'
Pima paused, then faced him. 'Make some flames. Be random, and just-' she made what was probably some sort of sound effect and wiggled her fingers.
She closed her eyes.
Zuko arched an eyebrow.
She peeked at him. 'Today, please.'
Oh, right. Zuko just sent an arc of flames off to the side. He was fascinated when the flames reversed, and pulled towards Pima as she swept her arms gracefully in a swirling motion; sweeping her arms out to the sides, whirling around her before going out.
'A lot of accidents have caused burning destruction because someone didn't have proper control. Or they don't care for control.' Pima told him. 'But if you can pull even the tiniest spark towards yourself, you can stop a situation from going wrong. This is the kind of control you want. This is why you're learning to sense something so tiny like a candle.'
Zuko felt a renewed sense of determination.
Zuko dreamt he was sitting somewhere…he didn't know where this place was, but he recognized it. It felt as if he'd been here before. There was a white, sandy beach, and the ocean.
It all seemed endless, with the ocean and the sky blending into one, big, blue entity in the distance.
He was sitting on a porch. When had he gotten there? How had he come to be here? He didn't remember.
Sitting next to him, was that strange, old man. He was staring out at the ocean; looking at a volcano in the distance.
Zuko really studied him this time. He looked so familiar, but Zuko couldn't place him. He had a Fire Lord's crown in his Phoenix Tail; but he wasn't dressed anything like a Fire Lord would be. Zuko remembered looking at all the tapestries of the previous Fire Lords back at the palace…this man wasn't on any of them. Or at least…he didn't remember him being there? It had been quite a few years since…
The man felt…comfortable, and safe.
Zuko knew this man, but he didn't know his name.
The old man slowly turned to look at Zuko. He reached and cupped the left side of Zuko's face. His hands were warm – he was a Firebender. And he was powerful.
The man looked so sad.
I'm sorry
This is my fault
Words that were like a barely there thought brushed against Zuko's mind.
I should have stopped him
The blue sky started to turn red, and the old man hugged Zuko so tight.
It reminded Zuko of Mother's too-tight hug when he left her behind.
You shouldn't have to carry the burden of my mistake
The world shook as it burned.
Zuko woke up in a cold sweat. He shot to his feet, but his legs were tangled in his blanket. Zuko yelped as he crashed to the floor. He was gasping for air when someone leaned over him, and Zuko almost panicked. But a warm hand touched his arm, and it brought him back to reality.
He was looking up at a visibly concerned Kojin who had a small flame in his palm; lighting up his face so Zuko could see.
'You okay?'
Zuko sat up. 'Bad dream. Weird.'
He brushed the left side of his face, but…it felt normal? It must have looked exactly the same, since Kojin didn't say anything.
Pima was there as well, and she quickly helped untangle the blanket, while Kojin ran glowing hands along Zuko's arms and legs, and the back of his head – probably checking for injuries. He felt fine, but he appreciated the thought.
Kojin looked relieved upon not finding anything.
Pima brushed Zuko's hair out of his face – far more gently then her usual, purposeful hair-ruffling. It actually reminded Zuko of Mother when she used to run her fingers through his hair.
'You're really okay?' Kojin asked again.
Zuko could only shrug. 'Just a dream.'
'You want to talk about it?' Pima asked.
He shrugged again. 'It was just some weird dream.'
'You woke us up, Sen was barking.' Pima frowned. 'You made enough noise we were worried.'
He did? 'Sorry.'
It was just some dream, wasn't it? Still… Zuko told them what he could remember: sitting with an old man on a porch somewhere, and he was sorry about something.
'He hugged me, and then…there was an earthquake? The sky also turned red.'
Pima and Kojin shared a look between themselves.
'…Perhaps Spirits are…showing you something important.' Pima signed.
Her expression was…although it was mostly hidden in the shadows since it was still dark out, Zuko could see enough of it to know something was off. Her smile was oddly tight and crooked.
Zuko laid back down.
'Want us to stay until you fall asleep again?' Pima asked.
Zuko blinked at her and blushed a little. He was probably getting too old to have another person there when he fell asleep. He'd be eleven in a few months. He wasn't a baby.
'No.' Zuko signed. Pima and Kojin both started to leave, but Zuko sparked his hands a little, getting their attention. He didn't really look at either of them as he signed, 'Maybe stay for a few minutes.'
'Just a few.' Pima agreed.
They stayed much longer than a few minutes, but Zuko didn't mind. He was asleep again soon after that, with Sen curled under his arm.
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One book detailed the slaughtering of the Dragons; the Masters themselves. This was…
The Dragons they had…successfully killed…had been young. Adolescents who were still powerful, but didn't yet know all the things a Dragon was fully capable of.
That was the only reason the Firebender had won. There was no mention of those who had failed. Of course, why would there be?
Kojin had a difficult time reading about the "valiant" conquests of Fire Benders killing off those who symbolized so much and had been gifted to them. The carriers of the Lost Arts who would have passed on their knowledge to those willing to learn.
Back then, the Sun Warriors had only been somewhat aware of what Sozin was doing; the absurd beliefs he started spouting had caused them concern. And Sozin began hunting the Dragons; Agni and Svāhā's gift to them – the audacity!
Kojin's grandfather had told him that the Dragons had started hiding themselves among Humans; as a mercy. They were not willing to use true firebending on Agni's Blessed.
Meanwhile, Masters Ran and Shaw had chosen to remain in their Dragon forms in order to pass on the Lost Arts to those who still wanted to learn.
It was also for the sake of people like himself and Pima, who wanted to pass on a legacy, but couldn't without a Blessing from the Masters or having a child. It was believed that the Dragons could only pass on their Blessings and knowledge in their original forms. Likely due to some sort of Spirit-induced rules that only the Masters knew of; and normal people weren't meant to know them.
Would Sozin still have permitted the slaughter of the Dragons had he known that they were essentially killing people? Practically killing children? Taking everything else into account…it was difficult to say.
No other Dragons had been born since then. It was likely because Svāhā no longer wanted to lose her children. In a way, it was punishing the entire Fire Nation. Kojin felt exhausted frustration as he ran a hand through his hair.
When Sozin's madness started (what else could it be even be called at this point?) the Sun Warriors began pulling back and distancing themselves, not wanting anything to do with the man and his crazed ideals.
The Wilds had given them fairly good protection; the Lesser Spirits drove people mad – and spirited many of them away. But some people had managed to get through, and to his ancestors' shame they let the Shrines and temples fall into disrepair to make their land look abandoned. They didn't want people exploring. Thank Agni they didn't know about the Lost Arts – or if they did, they had no way of actually learning them without facing the Masters.
The Sun Warriors certainly rebuilt, but they adapted on a smaller scale. They purposefully built to make the outside of the buildings look as if the city had fallen into disrepair. They made the traps surrounding the Ruins far more dangerous and deadly. They did not celebrate Chantico's Comet the last time she visited lest they risk being noticed.
Their city wasn't nearly as impressive as it once was, unfortunately.
Of all those who had managed to find them, Iroh was one of two people ever able to leave freely; promising that they'd never reveal the Sun Warriors' greatest secrets. The rest contributed to the madness in the Wilds upon their passing.
More than once, Kojin had to put whatever he was reading down and take in a calming breath. This was…horrifying. They twisted Agni's Will around to fit their own narrative.
Over and over, there was the oft repeated phrase; "Sozin, the embodiment of Agni's Will" or it was Azulon, depending on what year events took place…
How could mere men think so highly of themselves?
000000
When Zuko found that he could sense each of the candles; how many were and weren't lit, and where they were located even when they got moved, Pima cheered. She was obviously so excited, that she forgot to sign.
"I'm so proud! Your******ing and ******** the ******* was just so ***** and aw*****!"
She grabbed Zuko and hugged him really tight. He just sighed, and submitted to his fate of being hugged. He'd had no idea what she was saying, but she was happy – and happy for him.
After several minutes, Pima calmed down.
'You're ready. I'm going to teach you something special, today. A bunch of the Sun Warriors learn this. It's called, Dragon's Heart.' Pima explained. 'I told you that Dragons can see a person's heart, and they can judge them. Us Firebenders can do the same thing, but not to the same, deep level. We can only see…' Pima frowned and spun her hands a bit, searching for the right word, '…top emotion. Now, emotion.'
'We can do that?' Zuko asked excitedly.
"Yes!" Pima nodded. 'People have a color of fire that surrounds them. Everyone does, Firebender or not. It's the color of their heart. Color of life. You are a golden-yellow color…sort of like a big sunflower. It's very warm.'
That made Zuko duck his head and blush. It was only somewhat embarrassing that her casual compliments always made him do so.
'We can't see our own. We know our own hearts, after all. Once you can tell me what color I am, we'll move on.'
He nodded, looking forward to this lesson.
'Important thing. People don't change color. They don't go from green to red. It will always be that one color. No-one's ever two colors.' Looking serious, Pima added, 'But dark colors… Sometimes, it's just them having a bad day, or week, or something.
'But if someone is nearly black – think…' bouncing her knee as she shifted, Pima continued, 'Pink that goes to really dark, almost black-red. They're not black, but close to it.'
Pima frowned. 'That near-black means that person still has hope of not crossing a line they can never come back from. Maybe they can still step away from it. But if they have a black-heart – it's a twisted, evil, vile thing. Very scary. Those are the people you want to avoid if you can.'
Zuko slowly nodded, taking all the information in.
'What you're going to do is wear this blindfold, and reach for my Fire with your Inner Flame. It's sort of the same thing like when you were reaching out for the candles. Focus on me. Imagine a flame reaching out and connecting and…' she twirled her fingers, searching for the word, 'twisting together. Search for Life. Remember: Fire is Life.'
They still sparred and trained, of course; but over the course of the following weeks, Zuko spent hours just sitting, while being blindfolded. It was best described as being boring.
Kojin often came with them, offering advice when and where he could.
In the darkness of his blindfold, Zuko thought of Pima and Kojin. His fingers twitched where he rested them on his lap. He thought of flames reaching out towards both of them, but not burning. Deep breath. After some time, he felt a…pulse? It was a feeling he slowly began reaching for, and encouraging it to come closer. Or was he approaching it?
But soon, there was a small, pink flame in front of him. A sort of dark orange one was off to the side. Like a pair of heartbeats.
His eyes were still closed, but he could still somehow see in a way. He stared at the pink flame in front of him. It felt…bouncy and light. Like sakura trees?
The dark orange felt calm, steady, and determined. It reminded him of a combination of summer and fall.
Zuko removed the blindfold, and the colors slowly disappeared.
'You're…pink,' he signed to Pima, and to Kojin, 'You're orange.'
Pima cheered, while Kojin patted Zuko's shoulder.
"Good job, kid."
00000
Winter was steadily closing in; and in the Fire Nation, that meant the nights were slightly colder – and rain. Lots and lots of rain. Winter storms would kick up, soaking anyone who was unfortunate enough to get caught in them.
Zuko had some memories of watching the storms with Mother and Azula. He remembered lightning flashes, and how he hugged Mother tightly when it'd gotten too loud. There was that time that Azula had flinched as lightning ripped across the sky. She'd pretended she hadn't been scared.
(He wondered how she was doing.)
The storms also brought humidity when it cleared up in the afternoons.
The air practically clung to them – and everyone just had to accept everything that came with it. Hopelessly frizzy hair; sweat; certain foods risking going stale if not stored properly…
But staying inside all day while equally miserable was worse; because that meant boredom. So being outside, while it felt like wading through heavy-wet-sticky-hot misery; it was better than being cooped up.
Hana had some sort of duty or something with Yong-Am, so she wasn't able to play with them that day.
Ryu and Zuko though, didn't really mind.
They were playing in one of the abandoned yards; Ryu was striking a broken pillar with a segmented staff, while Zuko practiced his sword forms.
Ryu got Zuko's attention. He signed, while asking, "Have you ever tried cutting a boulder with your swords?"
No, Zuko hadn't. 'No sword could do that.'
"But there are all kinds of stories of swordsman cutting boulders in half." Ryu insisted. He very dramatically chopped his hand through the air and made the motions of a boulder falling apart.
'Those are just plays and Spirit-tales.' Zuko pointed out.
"Well. Those stories exist for a reason, right? I mean, there's a kernel of truth in every story."
Ryu then had to briefly explain what 'kernel of truth' meant.
"It would be awesome to see, wouldn't it?" Ryu asked. "Wouldn't it be cool if you could do it?"
Yes, it would.
'But it's impossible.'
"I've researched it, you know." Ryu told him. "The thing all the stories have in common is, the swordsman intensely focusing, taking a deep breath, speed, and striking true – believing and not doubting they could do it. I bet you could do it if you tried."
Zuko startled a bit. Ryu really thought that?
Well…
It would be cool if he could.
'I could try, I guess.'
"You should probably start with something simple," Ryu glanced around, until he pointed out a large rock. Or was it a small boulder? When exactly did it go from being a rock to being called a boulder?
The rock-maybe-a-boulder was already cracked halfway through, so the work was already halfway done for him. He just had to cut it the rest of the way.
The first time, Zuko was a few feet away. He swung in the direction of the – his target. Nothing happened.
"Maybe try building up to it?" Ryu suggested.
Zuko went through a series of complex spins that were supposed to help build up speed. Again, nothing happened.
Maybe he had to actually touch it?
So, Zuko tried again; all the same moves, and struck in a fierce arc downwards – and his blade bounced off, vibrations ringing through his entire body.
Ryu took a closer look at the boulder-maybe-a-rock and smiled. "I think I saw it shift, a little."
Maybe he had it this time? Zuko tried again, but this time – the blade slid down in the crack and got very jammed.
He pulled at it, but couldn't get it out.
Ryu also tried to help – but – it wouldn't budge.
This was bad…
"Oh, no…" Ryu looked panicked. "We should…tell…I don't know…"
Embarrassingly, Zuko had to tell Pima and Kojin that he'd lost one half of his Dao. And that it was currently jammed in the crack of a rock-boulder.
"How'd that even happen?" Kojin asked, looking as if he were trying to figure something out.
Zuko glanced at Ryu for help, but – Ryu was looking elsewhere, and – he just said, "I'm sorry. It was my fault…" and offered up nothing else.
"Zuko. How exactly did your sword get stuck?"
Zuko bit his lip a little, and glanced very much off to the side, desperately trying to think of an excuse – beyond what he'd been trying to do.
But nothing came to him, except for, 'I don't know. It just happened?'
He couldn't think of a believable lie…why hadn't he thought of a good one on his way back home?!
Pima looked far too entertained as she hid a smile behind her hand.
He focused back on Kojin.
Kojin didn't look impressed. "And how exactly, did it 'just happen'?"
Finally, Zuko admitted that he'd been trying to cut the boulder-rock.
"Seriously?" Kojin asked. "Seriously?"
He glanced at Pima, who was now lying her face down on the counter and her shoulders were shaking. She was very obviously laughing at Zuko.
Zuko's face burned.
He looked at Ryu, who started signing, "It was my fault, I wanted to see if Zuko could cut the boulder, so I…"
Ryu looked guilty.
Kojin motioned for both of them to walk.
"Let's go see if we can get it out…"
The blade unfortunately, had perfectly slotted itself into the crack.
Pima got one of her friends to come help – because he had the tools for it.
They did get the sword out – but it was damaged. It was scratched and had a – what Pima's friend called 'hairline crack'. The blade would break if Zuko tried to use it.
Ryu looked like a kicked rhino-puppy.
He wouldn't stop apologizing. Zuko had to convince him that it was okay, because he'd gone along with it.
"You can get new Dao," Kojin assured Zuko.
"You know," he said to Zuko on the way back, "There was the time I got stuck in a tree. I was a year older than you are now. I wanted a rope swing, and I wanted to do it myself. Well. I managed to tangle myself in the rope and branches. My dad had to cut me down. My brothers still don't let me forget it."
Winter also meant – Zuko's birthday, and Pima's as well, though hers was just a month and a day after his.
They went to Pima's parents' house for the party. Compared to the parties he'd had back at the palace before he'd been flawed…he'd had to sit there, and watch. (And it made him feel like he'd been on display.) This party was small. But then, it was also the only one he'd had after being flawed that wasn't just Mother and a few servants. Azula had snuck in to see him, late into the evenings; or sometimes it was the next day. She was the only friend who'd come to see him.
Wasn't that a depressing realization?
Nani kept pinching at Zuko's cheeks, causing him to blush more than once. None of it hurt, though. He couldn't even consider it annoying. She also kept piling his plate with food.
Gramps had a slate and some pencils, and sat there talking with him while showing him how to play a few card and board games. None of them had overly complicated rules and strategies like Pai-Sho.
Gramps did his best to sign here and there, and Zuko truly appreciated the effort.
"You've really gotta work on your ****** face, kid." Gramps told him.
He then had to write down 'poker face' and then explain what that term meant.
It was honestly one of the best parties he'd ever been to. He didn't really have to try and lip-read; his attention wasn't really being pulled every which way; he wasn't an observer; he didn't feel like he was on display; he didn't have to pretend to know what was going on, and he was actually included in everything.
Hana looked particularly pleased when she gave Zuko a little turtle-duck toy she had sewn.
Ryu gave Zuko a wooden, carved and painted Dragon on a string toy.
"They almost didn't get done in time," Kojin signed with one hand a bit clumsily as he placed a cloth bundle on the table in front of Zuko.
Carefully, Zuko unwrapped the bundle to reveal a pair of Dao. He picked them up, gingerly. Komodo-rhino hide sheaths…
'Can I unsheathe them? I'll be careful.'
After getting permission, Zuko stepped away from the others so he wouldn't accidently hit someone – or – someone wouldn't worry about being hit. He unsheathed the sword, and it shined for the briefest of seconds, like direct sunlight had hit it.
All at once, several emotions hit him. He felt a sense of warmth from the Dao. Like he could go up against anything and win. A sense of hope, courage, and safety. He had a calmness that gave him focus.
He looked at the blades – there was a pattern of twisting Dragons, but it was subtle enough that it could pass for a unique pattern.
"Our wish for you is contained in these Dao." Kojin said, resting a warm hand on Zuko's shoulder.
Zuko ducked his head, and quickly – but carefully, sheathed the swords. He bowed to both Pima and Kojin for a few seconds.
'Thank you.'
Zuko deservedly felt proud of himself when he managed to light the candles, and snuff them out all at once – just like Pima had done.
He focused on Pima's movements, and how the fire moved.
Zuko didn't even flinch as Pima shot a wild stream at him. From an outsider's perspective, Zuko wondered if they would think she wasn't in control. But from her quick, and precise movements, it was obvious to Zuko how much control she was actually in.
Zuko had a close call more than once.
A few times, the flames singed his hair, and the smell was awful. He winced when his skin was somewhat burned – but it wasn't bad enough to scar. Pima actually wasn't trying to attack him – the fact that this was her holding back, made him wonder what Pima would be like in a real fight.
And when he actually caught the fire; spinning it around in his hand for a few seconds, slowing its momentum, so that it wouldn't spark everywhere; he then released it into the sky.
He'd done it…just like the Sun Warriors had on that day. Zuko beamed at Pima.
She smiled, proud and warm. She grabbed Zuko into a tight hug, before letting him go.
The air seemed to shift… Pima looked particularly serious.
She signed and spoke. "Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you the Lost Arts that I know."
Zuko absolutely beamed. He was so excited, without really thinking, he asked, "Really?"
He froze, and Pima was now staring at him.
That had been an accident.
His voice was unpleasant. She probably hated it. Or maybe she'd want him to start talking all the time. Maybe she would-
Pima was hugging him again, cutting off his thoughts. She also ruffled his hair before letting him go.
Pima spoke and signed. "I'm so proud of you!"
She gently pulled him along, as they headed home. "I can't wait to tell Kojin that you're finally going to learn the Arts! We're gonna make all your favorites for dinner tonight to celebrate."
And that was that. She didn't act any different; and she didn't try and push him to use his voice.
He wondered if she told Kojin – but…Kojin didn't act any different or say anything.
00000
They came to a rocky beach that morning to begin their lessons. Sen was currently exploring the cliffs, and various areas along the shore. She was smart enough to stay away – and observe from a distance.
They were surrounded by mountainous hills; and the terrain was mostly bowl-shaped.
It was impossible for ships to come here, since they would have had to navigate through winding pathways and swirling whirlpools that could tear ships apart or suck them under the waves. There were also jutting rocks that ships had too high a risk of being rammed into. There were also Spirits – and a several dark ones – those who had been pulled under and not properly buried.
So they attacked ships that got too close.
Or at least, that was what her Grandfather claimed.
But they had plenty of privacy here, and could firebend to their collective hearts' content without worry of discovery.
Pima's family helped her set up several training dummies and melons for target practice.
Mama, Papa, and Kojin, all stood off to the side, waiting and watching.
Pima formed the Flame, and bowed. Zuko copied her. She straightened, then signed as she spoke.
"Zuko, Master Ran has given me the blessing and ultimate honor of passing these lessons onto you. May Agni's Fire favor you; and light the path wherever life leads you; granting you wisdom. May Svāhā's love empower you; always blazing with courage, fighting to protect and never destroy."
Motioning for them to sit, Pima sat very straight, so Zuko did, too. He was looking at her wide-eyed, ever the willing student. Pima could certainly be serious when it came to ceremony, and her student seemed a bit thrown that she was being such.
Kojin sat off to the side, interpreting for her. She needed to have her hands free.
"First, there are strict-tight rules. You remember when I told you how the Master can see your heart? How they can tell if a person would abuse the power given to them?"
Zuko slowly nodded.
"You can teach these Lost Arts to your children, if you have them. Because you know the blessed burden that is Fire, and you'll pass that understanding on to them. You know the nasty-burning-pain it causes when someone uses it in anger. But, if there is someone you want to teach who's outside of your family, do not share this knowledge with them. I told you about the Tyrant.
"Some people go their entire lives not being Blessed by the Masters, because the Masters can see their true selves. The Masters know that they would use that power just like she did."
Zuko visibly swallowed and nodded.
"Controlling Fire is controlling anger. Getting angry is normal. But when you lash out and burn, harm, and do not care, even without the Master's blessing… People who cannot control anger and Fire have no right to learn. Their jealously is big-loud. Being jealous is normal. It's a Human emotion. But it's how you handle jealousy when you feel it. Do not let jealousy control you.
"I'm warning you, do not share these Lost Arts with other Firebenders outside of family, no matter how good and just and kind you believe they are. You do not know their deep, deep, true heart. Do not take that risk."
This was why they were kept in certain families. And why it was only through the Blessing of the Masters that outsiders could be permitted to learn them.
Zuko quickly agreed.
"Good boy. What I'm going to teach you are what I know of the attack Arts. They are dangerous – they are to be used to fight and passionately protect those you love – for desperate enough self-defense. But you'll have to be the judge of when and where to use them.
"They are called, Fire's Breath, Fire's Bane, and Amaterasu's Blaze."
First off was Fire's Breath. Firebending was so closely connected to breathing, that Pima's grandmother had told her how Firebenders used to go to the Air Nomads just to learn breathing techniques.
(How unfortunate that had been lost)
There was of course, the normal way to breathe fire. Pima stood, and turned away; she took a deep breath in; and let out a stream of flames from her mouth. Simple enough.
It was the basics.
"Now. Take a deep, deep breath in, down into your belly, pulling, gathering, and centering your Chi here."
Pima smacked her stomach. She emphasized breathing in deeply, allowing a few seconds to pass as her Chi gathered into her belly like a hot ball.
She then whirled her hands in front of her, releasing a massive stream of flames – controlling and spreading the blaze outward. Several rocks around them cracked loudly and melted from the severe heat.
She performed the technique again, but cupped her hands around her mouth. This allowed for a winding, thin, controlled burst. Sort of like a twisting Dragon. With a twist and a thrust of her hand, she struck several melons that were set up several feet away and up above them on various ridges – cleanly searing through – the melons melted into overcooked, nasty-smelling, steaming blobs.
She struck holes through thick rocks, searing and melting.
A third time. She made a twisting inferno that tore through the training yard. The rocks around them melted, and everyone else – they clearly could feel the intense heat from the flames as it melted and burned the ground; leaving behind a large, black scar.
Zuko was looking at her absolutely transfixed.
Fire's Bane was next.
Just like reaching out, lighting and putting out the candles – they could do the same thing to other people – and other Firebenders especially.
They could burn, incapacitate…and – they had to pause a moment to explain what 'incapacitate' meant.
"Oh. It means weaken. You can pull at their internal Flame. Put it out, sort of, but not kill. It makes them not able to move for a few minutes."
Taking out one person or a few more was easy enough – striking at their bellies, lungs, or Inner Fire with a fierce jab. It could take a Firebender out for several hours, because it was hitting them internally.
It was possible to do several people at once without touching them – but that involved pulling their Chi – their very life force.
"By using your own. So be careful. It can tire you out doing too much at one time, and not letting your Chi time to recover."
But it could slow down a too-large crowd – giving a person or others a tiny bit of time to fight back or escape. If they were desperate enough and cornered – and didn't think they could get out of a situation using conventional means.
The next level was combustion. Bursting the other person's Chi from the inside out – just like the melons – refining it to such a point that the user either burned the person entirely – or only certain points like their limbs and keeping the person alive – unable to use their arms and legs. But that was done as – cruelty by the Tyrant. Or a punishment – showing a person's shame – they had done something so dishonorable; they hadn't deserved to die, but they didn't deserve to Bend or be free.
Kojin then walked over to assist her.
The final level of Fire's Bane was... Pima reminded Zuko that a person's Chi path was located in the belly - she pointed at Kojin's stomach.
Zuko was looking at her wide-eyed.
"Zuko, you should only use this when you are cornered and desperate and have no other way out with someone very powerful. Okay? If you feel like you can't do anything else, and must resort to more drastic measures – and I mean, you strike with the intent of taking their life. Only – only if the situation absolutely calls for it – you can use this. Please. Promise me you'll only use it in super-absolutely desperate times."
Frowning, he still nodded. His expression looked hesitant and nervous. She waited for a few minutes as Kojin had to explain what a few of the words that she'd just used meant.
Zuko was understanding how serious she was taking this. That was good. Because – this was a move no-one should ever go out of their way to use. The Tyrant had loved using it – bloody-burning-destruction.
"This move uses a person's Chi – or a Firebender's Inner Flame, against them." Pima faced Kojin, signing as she did. "Never, ever do this with your arms stretched out like this. Even if you lock your arms, your bones," she linked her fingers then violently separated them. "They'll shatter into splinters. Always, always come in like this."
She ducked down and came up into Kojin's stomach, and braced her shoulder against him. The flat palm of her other hand was placed next to her shoulder.
"Brace yourself against their body like this, channel your Chi into them – just like you did with the melons and then…" she spread out her hands, rather dramatically, "You have a…boom."
Zuko's expression was…he didn't seem like the type of kid who would use techniques like this for the heck of it. Which was really good.
The next was Amaterasu's Blaze.
This was similar to catching the bursts of flames, except – they always would catch and hold, then toss away. Part of the reason that they couldn't simply hold onto another person's flames for an extended amount of time was because it wasn't their own – a person's Chi went into their fire.
Opposing Chi fought and repelled each other. It was why it was best to cut through someone's Fire with your own – or catch and release it quickly. Otherwise, it could damage Chi paths in the user's hands. Hands were kind of really necessary.
Part of the training that they did on a normal basis was combining their Fire and tossing it between themselves – was so that they could learn control, timing, endurance, and speed with great efficiency. Getting a feel for how fire moved; how combining it felt so powerful. If it was just one person, arrogantly thinking they could control it on their own; they would lose control and be consumed.
Amaterasu's Blaze, though – it took manipulating Chi to grab control of another Firebender's flames.
She motioned to Zuko to stand next to her.
Mama, Papa, and Kojin all sent streams of fire at her. Pima whirled her arms, whipping the flames around her; manipulating them as if they were her own. The fire got bigger as her parents and Kojin basically fed the flames with their own fire.
Pima manipulated the flames so that they swirled around them and in between them.
It was a combination of manipulating her Chi – breathing – and – dancing with the flames. They moved with her, and she moved with them.
They were not her flames, but they were hers to control.
She struck the training dummies, burning them up.
Zuko was watching, absolutely transfixed at how they moved through the blaze.
Sweat rolled down Pima's brow. She finally reached her limit, and released the flames into the air. She rubbed her hands together to get rid of the pins-and-needles feeling in them.
"This is for when you have a whole bunch of enemies with fire. You can grow your flames, but you have to keep moving. You can control them with your Chi – but it can eat away at your energy. Give and take, kinda. It'll make you collapse if you aren't careful and use too much."
'That was…I can learn to do all that?' Zuko didn't really look as if he could believe it.
"You will." Pima smiled. "I have faith in my cute student, after all."
Zuko visibly flushed – words of praise often got him too easily flustered. So she kept saying them. Even when he'd finally stop getting flustered, she'd keep saying them.
"Now, you're going to learn using your Chi to passionately heat up your flames."
Zuko stood very straight, all-too-seriously. 'I'm ready."
00000
Hana walked confidently along overgrown tree roots and over broken pieces of buildings. Nature had reclaimed this part of the Ruins. The roots were so dense, they made perfectly fine pathways.
Ryu and Zuko followed after her, though – they followed along off to the side. Ryu insisted on scooting alongside the old buildings, because he was worried about the roots not supporting his weight or something stupid like that.
"I'm telling you," Ryu insisted, "that it isn't safe! This is definitely for sure a path that won't fall out from under you!"
Zuko seemed more amused than anything as he followed Ryu.
It seemed that he was treating Ryu's pathing more like a game.
She turned when she heard Sen yipping, and some other creature screeching. Sen shot out from under some bushes, chasing a squirrel-pig. It didn't take very long for Sen to catch her prey. She then climbed up onto Zuko's shoulders and tried to shove it into his mouth.
It was a common enough occurrence that Zuko seemed to block the attempt without really having to think about it.
Sen whined, like she was scolding and complaining.
She carried her meal while riding Zuko, probably waiting for the chance to eat it in peace.
"Be careful, look at that!" Ryu pointed at something – only he could see the danger of whatever it was. He stepped over something so cautiously that it looked as if he were trying to avoid one of the traps. But come on.
"There aren't any traps, here you know." Hana said a bit smartly.
"There may not be any traps – but there's a massive hole!" Ryu shot back.
'It's not that big…' Zuko pointed out, and Ryu seriously panicked over nothing as Zuko stepped into the hole – and it wasn't that deep. Zuko just walked out of it like he was walking up stairs.
"You're being all panicky over noth-AHHHH!" Hana yelled as she fell.
Ryu cried out – and Zuko started running over to her.
Hana stood up, pointing at them and laughing like they were a couple of idiots – especially Ryu. He was too much fun to tease because he worried about nothing. Seriously.
There were certainly things he was willing to try – like climbing really high trees, as long as he knew he could get down. And yeah, he may have accidently caused Zuko to lose a Dao. But – he probably thought that they could try it, and in their little experiment either Zuko couldn't cut the dumb rock – or he could.
Hana thought that if she had been there, she would have told them they were being dumb, and she would've had the gratification of being right.
But – he liked having some kind of safety, or whatever. Have the assurance of – not taking too-crazy or too-dangerous risks.
"That's not funny, Hana!" Ryu complained.
"See? It's nothing." Hana bragged a little to Zuko, who only rolled his eyes and scowled at her.
He admonished her with no words. Hana pouted. "It was just a joke. You guys should learn to take one."
'Whatever.'
There was a massive peach-berry tree on hill out here.
The fruit was so juicy, Hana had to bend over while eating it; otherwise it'd dribble down her chin and onto her clothes.
Ryu climbed the tree, and grabbed several of the fruit – and dropped it down to her and Zuko below.
They enjoyed the fruit, and tossed a several to Sen – who had a riot jumping up and catching the fruit out of the air.
When Agni slowly started to rest, Hana pointed out the Ruins, and their home, and the way his light hit everything, making the shadows stretch across the fields.
Zuko said that it was beautiful.
It most certainly was, which was why Hana loved it here.
She heard the call of a lizard-owl in one of the trees, somewhere.
When the air started getting a bit nippy, Ryu stood.
"We should head back, now. Before it's too dark."
Ryu insisted on scooting along the edges of buildings.
Zuko followed her this time. Because he was smart, and didn't have dumb fears about falling into the ground or something.
They said their goodbyes outside of Pima and Kojin's house, and made plans to do something else tomorrow or a few days from now – because all of them had their own obligations.
00000
Kojin started finally got around to reading the book detailing the war with the "Air Army". The book made Air Monks sound like war generals. It was such a ridiculous, conflicting concept.
…They taught that the Air Nomads stole children from their mothers, and kidnapped others. That…was a twisted kernel of truth. The Air Nomads had impersonal physical relationships with each other; but had extremely close friendships. Air Nomad women never even saw the babies she'd given birth to, but she still helped take care of them amongst the other children. She simply never knew who the father was; or which one was her child.
It was simply how they practiced detachment.
And yes, they took children – but that was because some Monks ran orphanages and schools outside of the Air Temples.
And seriously. What was with these people and naming things after themselves? Couldn't they at least get a little more creative? Sozin and Azulon were truly full of themselves.
The more Kojin read about this so-called war with the Air Nomads, the more he became increasingly disturbed. He never once thought in his life he'd read about someone twisting things around so much they could actually justify genocide; genuinely make it seem like it was for the greater good of the world, and make it sound believable.
Who in Agni's Light actually thought that this…
Was this how they justified it?
He stopped, doing a double, then triple take because he had to read a paragraph a few times over to make absolutely sure he understood it.
'Agni heard the desperate prayers of his people, and the Comet that comes every 100 years was perfectly aligned with the timing of the inevitable fight. Fire Lord Sozin's soldiers now stood a fighting chance against the Air Nation's armies. Even with the power of Sozin's Comet, the valiant men and women struggled against the Scourge's storms.'
Wait…what? What?!
A feeling of dread washed over Kojin. He couldn't have. Did Sozin actually name Chantico after himself?! Or was that what people started calling her and no-one bothered to correct them? They used Chantico's power to…slaughter people?
Kojin swore under his breath and squeezed the book in his hands. He had to put it down at the risk of accidently setting it on fire. Deep breath, in and out.
Be calm, and try not to panic.
This wasn't good.
What if… Maybe it was nothing. Please, Agni, let it be nothing. Except… Sozin had pretty much listed all of his crimes, pretty much bragging about them like some great accomplishments.
And Zuko was here.
And…Chantico's Comet was in their lifetime, wasn't it? Right now, the Ruins were the worst place Zuko could be in. They were surrounded by temples and Shrines dedicated to Agni and his Children, along with Lesser Fire Spirits.
It was better to be safe than sorry.
That evening, after Zuko had gone to bed, Kojin showed Pima the paragraph. She frowned at what she read, and her expression fell.
"He gave Chantico a new name…and used her power for...that…" Pima looked stricken. Her voice was eerily quiet. "Oh, no, no, no. Kojin…this…this can't be. It could be wrong. The information's already all twisted up. It's probably a mistake."
Pima sounded as if she were telling herself that more than she was Kojin.
"Pima. The last time Iroh was here, he introduced himself with his royal title. Azulon is his father, and – Sozin is…was…" Kojin stared at the book on the table in front of them as if it were the very source of the problem. He gripped Pima's hand in his, and she squeezed back, with a feeling of quiet desperation. "And Zuko is his nephew. So, you know that's not true."
"We should tell the Chief and Priestess Kaori. She'll…she'll know what to do. Maybe."
Kojin hoped so.
Chapter title is mildly deceptive. Something big is coming. A collective, "oh, no" resounds.