Tadashi felt his stomach tighten as he neared the palace. Firelord Azulon walked outside with a look of irritation. He stopped a few inches from Tadashi and waited for him to speak.

"Firelord Azulon, I don't mean to sound rude but can you let Aang learn airbending as well as firebending?"

"So he can become a fully realized avatar and thwart our plans like Roku did?"

"But he'll be on our side and it's not like he's going to learn about his culture he's just using bending."

"Fine, but I'm gonna get Afiko to change his clothes."

Tadashi bowed to the firelord. "Thank you."

"Afiko!"

The elderly air nomad appeared next to Azulon.

"Yes your highness?"

"Since you're the only airbender left I want you to assist Tadashi with training the avatar."

Afiko scowled but kept his mouth shut.

"Keep in mind that the only reason you're still alive is because we need the avatar to learn airbending and you're the only airbender left."

"And who also gave you the idea of using him to dominate the other nations?" Afiko snarked.

"Just teach him basic moves or tactics. I seen what air can do and I also want him to learn the ruthless versions so he can be trained in combat."

"Yes your highness."

Afiko left the firelord alone in his palace. He followed Tadashi until they reached his house. Aang walked up to them while their backs were turned against him.

"Hey Tadashi."

It took everything within Tadashi not to accidentally send a wave of fire at the nomad. "Please don't do that."

"Sorry Tadashi." Aang looked at the grouchy male air nomad next to him. "Who's this?"

"I'm gonna teach you airbending young a—"

"—Dorable baby boy," Tadashi interrupted without skipping a beat.

He widen his eyes as a makeshift glare as he looked at Afiko, subtly warning and daring him to say anything about his son's identity.

Afiko rolled his eyes before focusing back on the task. "Anyway we're going to start your training in airbending as well as firebending."

Aang leaped up and twirled in enthusiasm. "Really? Alright!"

"I'll be expecting you to be able to actually focus and not dawdle."

"Yes Sifu Afiko."

Afiko rolled his eyes in exasperation. "For the first few weeks you're gonna meditate so you can become spiritual then we're actually going to start your training."

"How long is a few weeks?"

"Until you get spiritual enough to airbend."

"I've been meditating ever since Tadashi taught me."

"Yeah, only for a couple days," Tadashi mumbled out loud.

Afiko turned on his heels and walked away. "When you create your first air blast I'll teach you."

Aang stared at the nomad then at the ground. Tadashi rubbed his head to comfort him.

"Let's try it alright?"

"Try what?" Aang asked as he turned to face his father.

"Make your first air blast."

"But I—"

"Just try to make a gust."

Aang faced forward, bowed his head, relaxed his shoulders, and breathed in. He pushed his hands forward creating a gust so powerful that Afiko and Tadashi had to fight to regain their footing.

Afiko scowled while Tadashi beamed proudly at his son.

"Surprisingly strong for his young age," Afiko noted out loud.

"What's next?" Aang asked excitedly.

"This was a test to see if you can airbend. I'll be training you but you better grow some thick skin 'cause I ain't coddling you."

Afiko left leaving a confused Aang behind.

"What did I do to make him unhappy?"

Tadashi got in a fighting stance. "Just ignore him. Let's continue your training."

Aang repeated his actions. Aang kicked and blasted fire with an opened palm. He made a fist and struck at the sky.

"I want you to use your airbending and firebending at the same time."

"Like this?" Aang asked. He threw a colomn of fire in the sky then made the air spiral around it.

"That's more like it."

Tadashi held back his tears. Aang was going to be an excellent avatar when he gets older. His son was growing up so fast.

"So when is my airbending training going to begin?" Aang asked.

"Soon son."

"So how come no one else is able to bend two elements?"

Tadashi lost his voice when Aang asked that question. Aang kept that in the back of his mind while he played with the air. He made a ball, jumped on, then zoomed passed Tadashi. If his father wasn't going to train him then it was best to go to the airbender who will. Aang hopped off the air ball once the air nomad was in sight and bowed.

"Master Afiko," Aang greeted timidly.

"What is it Aang?" Afiko asked menacingly.

"I was wondering if you would be able or willing to teach me?"

Afiko glared at the black haired nomad. "Teach you what?"

"I want to learn airbending."

"You're lucky that I'm forced to teach you," Afiko grumbled.

Afiko pushed past Aang who rose up and followed him. He snatched his staff from behind a bush then gave it to Aang. He went to fetch a broom stick then came back outside.

"First we're going to make a hurricane."

"Isn't that move too advanced for him?" asked Tadashi as he walked up to them.

"He already know how to make wind so it shouldn't be too hard for him."

Afiko dropped the broom, put his arms up and waved them in a circle with his palms facing upward. The wind picked up dust and rocks obscuring everyone's vision.

"AFIKO!" Tadashi yelled over the wind. "Dial it down before you blow us and the palace away!"

Afiko dropped his arms then raised them above his stomach but below his chest. To Tadashi's dismay Aang repeated his actions but Aang stopped after seeing his mentor and father fighting against the wind and struggling to keep their footing.

"Okay, so you've mastered that at a young age," Afiko said.

"Let's take a break and have some fun shall we?" Tadashi suggested.

Aang quickly ran away to spend some time with the fire nation citizens. Afiko and Tadashi slumped to the floor grateful that it was over.

"I've never seen such raw power," Afiko stated.

"All he needs is water and he'll be able to make a hurricane."

"At this rate I'll give him three months or less to master all the elements."

"We better do this quickly before Azulon gets to the water tribes."

"Why don't you ask firelord Azulon to force a waterbending and earthbending master to teach Aang? That way by the time he turns twelve he'll be a fully realized avatar."

"But what if he turns—"

Afiko interrupted the firebender. "The boy already believes that this is his native home. I'm sure he's not gonna turn on us." He gave him a suspicious glare."If you haven't given him clues about his past already."

"Like I told Azulon, I only wanted him to learn airbending so he can become a fully realized avatar and help us win the war. It's not like he's learning about his culture."

"Meditating is one of the ways of air nomad culture because they are the most spiritual nation of all nations."

"But when air nomads' spirituality are very low then they can't airbend very well."

"And how exactly do you know that?"

Tadashi glared at Afiko. "You're an air nomad yourself for crying out loud! You've been with us before we raided the air temples."

Afiko shook his head and rolled his eyes. "After the thirty six tiers I'll send him to Azulon so he can go learn waterbending, earthbending, and firebending."

"Isn't the avatar suppose to go across the world?" Tadashi deadpanned.

"We don't have time to learn cultures if we're going to conquer them all. If he does that then he'll rebell for sure."

"Fine but the tiers better not take too long."

"Trust me after that display its gonna take four weeks for him to master."

Tadashi nodded. "Then we got earthbending and waterbending."

"We got two masters that are in camps so that's nothing to worry about. So now we just got to create a schedule for him so that by the time he turns twelve he'll be able to rush into the avatar state and help us with the war."

Tadashi looked out the window. Aang was dodging jabs from Ty Lee while trying to find an opening. He closed his eyes and turned his head the other way. This was his son. His innocent baby boy was being raised to commit a mass genocide when he turns into a teenager.

"How long do we got before we tell him?" his voice was almost a whisper.

"Let's speed it up to twelve or even ten. The sooner he masters the avatar state the better. Then we'll test him on some high level techniques during that time span as well."

Tadashi put a hand to the window as if he was reaching for his adoptive son through the glass calling his name. "We need to teach him earthbending after his waterbending training so that when he gets to firebending he can learn how to be stable."

"That is how the avatar cycle works."

"No wonder it's hard to control him. He's acting like his element."

"After his airbending training we need to capture a master waterbender and earthbender so his training can be sped up."

"Fine, just ruin the kid's childhood why don't we?" Tadashi snarked.

"For someone who is fire nation you sure act like a water tribe peasant than a high class citizen."

Tadashi walked away from the air nomad not in the mood to continue the conversation.

"Acting like a typical airbender, avoid and evade when things get tough!"

Tadashi gritted his teeth in anger as he faced Afiko. "I swear if it weren't for the fact that we need an airbending master to teach Aang you'd be roasted alive right now. And I'll do that personally with no question."

"And if you do so you'll lose your rank in the fire nation for I am Azulon's advisor."

It took all of Tadashi's strength to not pounce on the air nomad and make Aang truly the last airbender in the world.

Afiko shook his head. "I hate to say it but the boy is going to find out about his heritage regardless. The boy is not that naive and he is clever for his age. But the whole point of taking him was to indoctrinate him so we can win the war. I'll teach him the techniques but you have to do your part and not tell him where he came from. If you do that it'll be like Roku all over again." He narrowed his eyes. "Or should I tell Firelord Azulon that we got a traitor on our side?"

"I won't tell him but it is my responsibility to raise him to be a weapon."

Heat rose in Afiko's chest. "So get him vicious for agni sake! He can't become a weapon if he keeps on goofing around. He needs to concentrate."

"He needs to have a childhood as well though. He's only four. If he was twelve then it would be different."

"He can have a childhood while he trains."

Tadashi finally relented. "Alright. He can learn airbending first, then waterbending, earthbending third, and then firebending."

"But he's not gonna leave the premises."

"Why not?"

"When the avatar leaves their native home to travel the world they are exposed to different cultures. If he gets exposed then there's a high probability that he's gonna rebell and turn against us. Azulon captured a waterbender and an earthbender who will train Aang when he turns seven then we can do firebending afterwards."

"That seems reasonable."

"Azulon already told them to not say anything about his status and just train him."

"So he's just basically staying in one place while everyone comes here to teach him?"

"That's the plan. After he masters airbending just send in a master waterbender so they can handle him. We'll keep this up until he masters all of the elements then we'll have to take him somewhere to master the avatar state so he can become a fully realized avatar."

"So how are you gonna get a waterbending master?"

Afiko made a tent with his hands as he tapped them together with a smirk on his face. "Oh, I have my ways."