Chapter 7: The Fire Lord

Camping on the beach had stopped being fun several days ago. For the first few weeks Suda had been just fine setting up a makeshift bed on the rocky coastline and waiting it out, but his patience had run a little thin. Sen could take several months to learn firebending; it was time Suda got himself a real bed.

Finding space in Gai Zhu was not exactly an easy task, though. There were several hotels, but none of them were willing to keep a tenant for several months. Moving between hotels every few weeks would be difficult as well as suspicious, so Suda was looking for rooms for rent. The Fire Nation money that Ada had gotten from her boss a long time ago could keep them supplied for a little less than a year if they spent it very frugally; it was only a matter of finding a place that fit under the "frugal" category.

After several hours of searching, he had found a decent place. It was a small rental house on the outskirts of town, which was a good thing considering the secrecy Ada insisted they maintain. It was a little small and run-down, but Suda wasn't planning on living there for very long. As soon as Sen was done with firebending they'd head out and never look back.

He made up his mind. All Suda needed to do now was get in touch with the landlord. He got back on the main road and headed back into the center of town. He drew a little more attention than he liked. It was hard for anyone over six feet tall to pull a low profile, and Suda was well above six feet. His appearance didn't help either; unlike Sen and Ada, who looked generic enough to fit into the Fire Nation citizens, Suda was quite distinctly an Earth citizen.

Being so tall did have one advantage, at least; he could see right over the top of most peoples heads. Even in the midst of a bustling town square, he could see an unmarked military vehicle park off the side street. He tried to act like he was doing something non-suspicious and observed the situation. The people who got out of the vehicle weren't wearing Energybender uniforms of any kind, rather dressing in professional business attire, but they were still acting fairly suspicious.

Suda watched two men get out of the vehicle and observe the city streets. They were not even bothering to hide what they were doing. People seemed to walk right around them as if it were an ordinary occurrence. One of the men scanned right over Suda and continued his appraisal of the city. Suda let out a sigh of relief and quietly snuck away to get back to Sorikami and Ada.

"You saw the earthbender, right Luan," the agent said to his partner.

"Naturally, Zouf."

"Looks like he might be worth tailing, right Luan?"

"Of course, Zouf."

Agents Luan and Zouf set out chasing Suda down. It was surprisingly hard. Suda had very little idea how to not look like a criminal, but he was really good at getting away from people chasing him. Luan and Zouf were professionals, though, and even the best bandit was not a match for their tracking skills. They followed Suda from a distance, all the way to the beach.

Suda hurdled a fence that separated the road from their beachside camp and sprinted over to Sorikami. She and Ada were practicing some sword technique he didn't recognize or care about, but they paused when they saw his panic. Suda pointed back at town and began to explain the situation without bothering to catch his breath.

"We got weird guys in suits," Suda gasped. "Doing suspicious stuff."

The weird guys in suits stepped around a corner and held up their hands in an attack pose. Their moves were oddly synchronized. Sorikami and Ada readied their blades. Their practices had tired them out a little bit, but they were still quite ready for a fight.

"Freeze, all of you-"

The speaker paused and stared Sorikami down for a moment. He fell out of his offensive stance.

"Hey, that's Master Sorikami, isn't it, Luan?"

"Looks like her, Zouf."

Sorikami lowered her blade, though she did not sheathe it just yet. Just because they recognized her did not mean they were friends.

Agent Zouf reached into an interior pocket of his suit coat and pulled out a silver badge with the symbol of the Fire Nation royal family on it. Sorikami put her blades away and the two young ones behind her relaxed. The two agents bowed to the master swordswoman.

"Master Sorikami, is this boy in your care?"

Suda thought about protesting; he was an adult, after all. He decided that it wasn't worth it to antagonize these two any further. Sorikami glanced at the metalbender hesitantly.

"I suppose," Sorikami said reluctantly. Now was not the time to share her distrust of the bandit metalbender. "What is your business with him?"

"We were evaluating this city for security reasons, and your friend was looking a little suspicious. We needed to investigate, just part of the job."

"Understandable," Sorikami said.

"Yeah, sorry about the confusion," Suda said. "It's just that last time suspicious guys rolled into town in a military vehicle, they killed one of my friends. Excuse me for being a little wary."

Luan and Zouf exchanged an awkward glance. They were eager to change the subject.

"So, I'm thinking the Comet Kid will want to see Master Sorikami, don't you think Luan?"

"I guess, Zouf."

Sorikami was puzzled by who would be looking for her and why. Agent Zouf reached to his belt and pulled out a radio. Before using it, he pointed to Ada and Suda.

"These two have got to go," Zouf said. Sorikami planted her feet.

"They are under my care," She protested. "They will stay until such time as I choose to dismiss them."

Zouf shrugged and walked away from the scene to talk on his radio in private. Luan stayed to stare them down. Suda asked what exactly was going on and who the "Comet Kid" was. Sorikami quickly shushed him. She could answer both questions, but chose to delay. If the time for answers came, she would explain everything, but right now it demanded she wait. Agent Zouf returned, having put away his radio.

"Comet Kid says he'll put up with whoever Sorikami keeps around. You sure these two can be trusted, Master Sorikami?"

Sorikami spared a quick glance to Suda. Ada caught the way she still looked at him. She had yet to receive an answer to that question.

"They can be," Sorikami finally said. "More than you know. I believe they will have something to offer today."

Zouf shrugged. He waited silently for whatever it was he was waiting for. Suda really didn't like much of this situation. His trust in the old swordswoman was wearing a bit thin. He wanted some answers. An armored vehicle, just like the one Zouf and Luan had arrived in, pulled up to the beach. Suda hoped it would have some answers. The satomobile's door opened, and an old man in plain robes stepped out, along with four more agents dressed identically to Zouf and Luan. Sorikami bowed when she saw the old man, and after a brief moment of shock, Ada did the same. Suda figured it would be a good idea to bow.

"Sorikami," The old man said. His voice was harsh and cruel, and he had a face to match. It did not seem to be age that damaged his complexion so; rather it was anger that gave his face so many lines. "I'm surprised to see you out of your castle, much less in the company of children."

"These are strange times, Fire Lord Goto."

Suda nearly hopped out of his shoes. Ada was maintaining a very rigid, formal posture, and Suda tried his best to mimic her. The Fire Lord rolled his eyes.

"At ease, children."

Ada relaxed, but only a little bit. She had never met anyone so important before, and all of Ko Rin's lessons on etiquette had faded from her mind. She did the best she could to remember, and Suda tried to mimic her. The Fire Lord saw the blatant display of formal showmanship and sneered. He turned his attention back to Sorikami.

"Are you on a visit to Master Hayao as well?"

"In a manner of speaking," Sorikami said. She recognized Goto's mocking tone. He knew that Hayao had never spoken to her. "What brings you to him today?"

Sorikami had deliberately avoided answering his question, and Goto didn't much like that. He kept his temper in check and glanced at the children flanking the Master. Something was at work here, he could already tell.

"I have been consulting with the wisest of the Fire Nation, in these troubling times," Goto explained. "There are those who believe the Avatar is dead. The situation is changing, and I must decide our course. I would consult with Hayao. Might as well meet with you too, since you're here."

Goto was not a wise man, but he was smart enough to know it about himself. When such intricate problems faced him, he sought the counsel of those much wiser than himself. Hayao was among the wisest, but also the hardest to reach, which annoyed Goto to no end. Sorikami was significantly less wise, paranoid old bat that she was, but since she was here, Goto might as well ask.

"I believe the children have more to offer than I do," Sorikami said. She stepped back and gestured for Ada to take the front. The young girl bowed nervously to the Fire Lord. She was shaking slightly despite all attempts to stop herself. Fire Lord Goto had a reputation for being judgmental.

The current Fire Lord was not quite as popular as his predecessors. It seemed as though the streak of goodwill from Fire Lord Zuko's heritage had finally run out. Goto was abrasive, short-tempered, and violent. Thanks to him, the Fire Nation had been the first country other than the Earth Kingdom to join the Seventh Kingdom war, and it had been on his recommendation that the brutal General Rahm had been promoted to leadership of the Coalition forces. Still, he was not necessarily a bad leader. Under his leadership, the Fire Nation had acquired the best educational system of any nation, and it's economy had been skyrocketing. Goto was, thus, tolerated, but not particularly liked. Ada nervously began speaking to him.

"Fire Lord, sir, I can put your mind at ease now, if I could just-"

She paused and looked to Suda and Sorikami. She did not get time to gauge their reactions before Fire Lord Goto yelled at her.

"Spit it out!"

"The Avatar is alive, Fire Lord!"

Goto raised his eyebrows. They had little points on them, right where they arched. Ada looked at him and noticed just about every part of him had points. Even parts of him that were supposed to be round, like his eyes, seemed oddly angular. He rubbed a hand across his pointed beard.

"Oh, I get it now," Goto said, amused. "You're the new round of teenage prodigies the Avatar is collecting. That makes you, what, the love interest? Have you gotten it done yet or are you playing the long game?"

Ada's face turned a brand new shade of crimson. Goto laughed at her embarrassment.

"She has a boyfriend, actually, a boyfriend who is not the Avatar," Suda interjected. "And I'm twenty, so…not actually a teenager, you know."

Goto stopped laughing and looked at Ada. The red faded from her face.

"Eh, I can respect that," Goto admitted. "Though on a different note, you're much too short. Now, short-stuff, tell me what the Avatar is like."

Ada almost launched into an explanation of Sen's history, but Goto quickly shut her up by holding up his hand for her to stop.

"Wait, no, never mind, I'll just ask them myself," Goto said. "No point wasting the time. He's at Hayao's island, right? Not hard to guess. Zouf! Bring the boat around."

Goto quite deliberately ignored Ada and Suda, speaking only to Sorikami as he waited for his vessel to come around. As soon as it did, he hopped aboard and sailed off without so much as a goodbye. Sorikami seemed to be glad that he was gone.

"He was kind of a jerk," Suda observed. Ada smacked him for disrespecting a world leader, but Sorikami nodded subtly.

"Despite his character failings, he is an ally," Sorikami said. "His family has long been tied to the Avatar."

"Not always for the best," Suda added. Ada smacked him again. Zouf and Luan watched the repeated acts of violence.

"You heard the kid call our boss a jerk, didn't you Luan?"

"Yes I did, Zouf."

"But you don't think we should tell the boss, because you also think he's a jerk, right Luan?"

"Yes I do, Zouf."

"Thought so."

Sen's training had been going fairly poorly so far, at least to his consideration. Miyani had limited the training regimen to focus on meditation, stances, and philosophy. It had been comfortable in the first few days, it had helped him deal with his emotions, but as days turned into weeks it was starting to get more and more tedious. Sen wasn't quite frustrated enough to press the issue yet, but he hoped they would be moving on to actual firebending soon.

He wondered if he had really dealt with the problems he was facing. He had learned to avoid using the name 'Sozin Syndrome' due to Hayao's distaste for the term, but the affliction still plagued him to an extent. No matter what he did, he still had nightmares, and though he wasn't quite as hot anymore, his skin was still warm to the touch. Maybe Miyani knew something about his condition that he didn't. Maybe their slow pace was his fault, not hers.

He wondered if it was his refusal to talk about Hanjo that was causing him so much trouble. Miyani kept asking him about Hanjo, and Sen always refused. Miyani was apathetic; she didn't really care about Hanjo, she just thought knowing would help her do her job. It might have been much easier to talk to her if she actually cared, but she didn't.

They were sitting back to back now, atop a small stone pillar overlooking the ocean. Miyani had done this much more often lately, hunting down quiet places overlooking the ocean, and not interacting with Sen while they trained. Sen wondered if she was this passive by nature, or if he had done something to make her act this way.

He heard footsteps on the beach and resisted the urge to investigate. Miyani had urged him to ignore all distractions and focus on the self. It became harder to ignore the distraction when it demanded your attention.

"Hey, dynamic duo," The stranger commanded. "Your Fire Lord needs you."

Sen could feel Miyani rise behind him, so he followed suit. Turning his attention to the new arrival, he saw the heavily lined face of a bitter-looking old man standing in the fog. Miyani gave the Fire Lord a very stiff bow. Goto nodded back. They seemed to recognize each other, though they didn't seem to like one another.

"Miyani, you should go," the Fire Lord snorted. He turned to Sen. "You stay."

Miyani left, and Sen watched her go as the crotchety old Fire Lord clambered his way onto the rocky pillar. He grunted from the exertion and gave a deep sigh as he settled down.

"Nice to meet you, Avatar. I'm Fire Lord Goto."

Sen sat down. He had no reason to distrust the Fire Lord. It would be nice to talk to someone who really had the power to change the world. Maybe he could get something done for once.

"Hayao told me all about you. Sorry about your buddy Hanjo."

Goto's voice was naturally harsh, but even his ragged words could be tinged with sympathy. Sen did not reply. Goto continued. Hayao had told him of the Avatar's plight, and what the masked one was doing to help the Avatar overcome it. As usual, Hayao was taking things in a gentle, passive manner. Goto had no patience for that. The world needed saving, and the Avatar was going to save it. The Fire Lord had some plans to give him a little push.

"I think I know a little of what you're going through. You want to act one way, the world forces you to do something else. Why, if it were up to me, we would've all joined hands and burned the Energybender to the ground a long time ago. But as soon as I propose it to the military, everybody says 'oh no, it'll be the Hundred Year War all over again.' Feh. The Fire Nation was neutered by all that nonsense. I can't apply a little pressure without everyone calling me the next Ozai."

Goto realized his lecture was getting a little self-centered and got himself back on topic.

"Anyway, the lesson here is how to deal with opposing forces. To find the balance that exists in the middle. You've got to understand why the world makes you do things you don't want to do, and how you can do things the world doesn't want you to do."

Goto stood up and flexed his arms. He was hardly out of shape, but it paid to stretch before exerting yourself.

"What do you know about firebending, Avatar?"

"Not much," Sen admitted. "We've been dealing with 'inner peace' first."

"Well, I can still work with that," Goto said. "Let me show you what you're working towards."

Goto had long since come to terms with the burdens he had to bear. He swept his left hand in a broad circle, focusing on the burdens he was forced to bear as a result of Sozin, Azulon, and Ozai. He matched the motion with his right hand, tracing a circle in the air as he focused on the privileges of his station, all the good he had brought into the world because of his birthright as Fire Lord.

The opposing traits given to him by his birth clashed in the middle, creating a sharp burst of energy. He focused the energy, directing it outwards to his fingertips.

A massive crack of thunder and a roaring burst of power heralded the release of the conflicting energies. The lightning stormed from his fingertips, arcing through the foggy air. The bolt of screaming electricity collided with the ocean, boiling the water and sending sparks crackling through the waves.

The display of power was over as soon as it began, and Fire Lord Goto drew his hands back. Sen was suitably impressed by the show of force. Goto smiled smugly.

"Very impressive, right?"

Many people said Goto was supernaturally gifted as a firebender due to the fact that he'd been born on the day Sozin's Comet passed overhead. Personally, he thought that theory was idiotic. He was a good firebender because he had worked hard at it. The first few times he'd tried lightning generation he had failed spectacularly. He was very familiar with the cost of failure when it came to lightning.

"That was great, sir," Sen said sheepishly. When even the Avatar was cowed by a display of power, you knew you were good. Goto continued his lecture in a self-assured tone.

"That is what comes when you have the strength to find the balance," Goto said. "Why don't you try?"

Sen had a sneaking suspicion that it was not a good idea. He shook his head, but Goto insisted.

"You're the Avatar, kid," Goto said. "Nothing is beyond your potential. Bloodbending, lavabending, lightning- you name it, the Avatar can do it."

"I just don't know if I'm ready for it."

"You'll never know unless you try. Aren't you getting sick of waiting around?"

Sen nodded, but he still wasn't sure of this idea. Jumping right into lightning without even learning firebending first seemed like a bad idea. Goto continued to insist, and he had learned to be very persuasive.

"Look at where you are, what you've been through. If anyone ever needed to find the balance between good and bad, it's you. Make it happen."

The Fire Lord had a point. Sen could only get so far by repressing his negative emotions, at some point he had to harness them, use them to his advantage. Sen stood up and accepted Goto's teaching. The Fire Lord demonstrated the motions for lightning generation and informed Sen of the methodology. Goto was very quick to tell Sen he was ready.

"Now, give it a try."

Sen took a deep breath and went through the motions. His left hand circled, drawing with it all the guilt and anger he felt, and his right hand mirrored it, dragging behind with all the joy he'd experienced. The two met in the middle.

He felt a spark of pain in his stomach and had just a brief moment to panic before blinding agony turned the whole world black. The last thing he remembered was a loud sound in his ears, though he never could remember if it was a side effect of the pain or the sound of his own screaming.

Miyani was glad to have a little time to herself. Training Sen was an interesting diversion, and an enlightening experience, but having to deal with another person so often was a significant distraction. She tried to use the short reprieve to return to her own meditation, but found she could not. She did not know why Master Hayao had placed Sen in her care, and try as she might she could not understand a possible reason for it. What was different about Sen that demanded her meager wisdom? The arrival of the Fire Lord was yet another layer of curiosity. Why would the Fire Lord himself be so interested in Sen?

Miyani's attempts to center herself were further distracted by the sound of slow, plodding footsteps and heavy breathing. She ignored the sounds and turned her thoughts inwards.

"Hey, beanstalk, I'm here to give your student back."

Miyani opened her eyes and looked up at the figure standing in front of her. Her impressions of the Fire Lord's nickname for her were immediately cast aside by the sight of an unconscious Sen slung over his shoulders. The Fire Lord tactlessly dumped Sen onto the ground in front of Miyani and stretched his aching shoulders.

"What happened to him?"

"Oh, well don't sound so concerned," Fire Lord Goto said sarcastically. Miyani's tone was as blank as ever. "He only electrocuted himself."

"Why did he do that," Miyani asked. She placed her hand on Sen's forehead. The bandages around her hand made it hard to feel his temperature or his heartbeat.

"Because I told him to," Goto said cheerily. He turned around and began to vanish into the fog, heading back towards his boat. He had no desire to spend time around Miyani. Miyani had the same sentiment in regards to Goto, but she still had questions about Sen.

"Why did you tell him that?"

"You ask a lot of questions," Goto replied. He was now just a silhouette in the fog. "There's other ways to get answers."

The Fire Lord took another step away and vanished completely in the bank of mist that surrounded the island. Miyani tried to lift Sen off the ground, and was just barely able to do it. Despite her height, she wasn't strong, and she barely held Sen up on the short march to Hayao's chamber. Exhausted and confused, Miyani asked the Master for his help.

There was no response.

"He could be hurt," Miyani said. "Should I take him into the city? Can I do something myself?"

There was no response. Hayao sat motionless amidst his circle of candles, observing the world through the hollow eyes of his mask. He paid no mind to either of his students. Miyani didn't bother asking twice. Hayao did this often. He spoke for his own reasons, and stayed silent when he wanted to. Miyani would have to do this alone. The candles surrounding Hayao flickered slightly as Miyani carried Sen away again.