The Firebender

Chapter 9: Greg Universe?

Water, Earth, Fire, Air

Long ago the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the avatar master of all four elements could stop them but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed and my cousin and I discovered the new avatar. An airbender named, Steven. And although his airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Steven can save the world.

August 12, 1245

It has been an hour since we left to trail behind Ruby and Steven. The ride on the glider was bumpy and I could barely hold on with all of the twists and turns. But we made it and that's all that matters. This place is gross though, filled with all of this thick fog and smoke. I find myself coughing every second and it gets harder to tell where we are.

Pearl swears that she knows where we're going but I've seen that same tree five times now. The one with the lightening bolt engraved in it. I think we're lost. I hate to say it, but, Amethyst was right.

We should have just left everything alone an—

Connie was forced to shut her book as Pearl snatched it from her, frowning. "Will you stop writing in that dumb book and keep up before I lose you. We need to go that way," She pointed forward, handing the girl her journal back.

Connie huffed, placing the book back into her bag before trudging along. "You've said that five times now and I feel like we're going in circles, like the Island is making us take the same path," She bit her lip, looking in the darkness of the trees that seemed human shaped; she shivered.

"…Pearl, I don't think we belong here,"

The airbender scoffed. "Don't be silly, it's just an Island, let's just keep moving before it gets dark."

Without having any other choice, Connie followed close behind the figure that looked like Pearl.

Steven gaped, his hands falling to his knees from where he sat cross legged. "It's you—Greg Universe—the original earthbending avatar!"

Greg smiled, the bald man crossing his arms with a confident smile. "That's right Steven, I am—"

"Aw man," The teen whined, shoving his face into his hands in irritation. "I was trying to call Rose! Did I do something wrong?" He looked down at his hands, frowning. "…did I do it right?"

The older man snapped his fingers, drawing the child's attention. "Hey, kid, don't you want to talk with me?"

Steven looked up, realizing that he had said that out loud, he flushed. "I am so sorry Avatar Universe," He bowed his head in respect, looking up sheepishly. "I just…you're original element was earth, how will you help me unlock my firebending chi?"

Greg scratched his bald head where his pink arrow resided. "Well, they say that you can't just call on the Avatar you want. When you meditate it is the Avatar you need, not who you want, who reveals themselves to you." He smiled softly.

"Maybe I can help you with something Rose never could,"

Steven frowned, he didn't understand but he wanted to. "…but, Rose would be perfect right now! I've been dying to see her and she was a prodigy firebender—"

"But you aren't, fire appears to be your most difficult element," Greg said calmly. "Rose's easiest element was fire so why would she be able to help you when she never understood the struggle like you and I,"

Steven perked up. "Y-you have problems with it too? It's not just me?"

"Of course not, you're so used to calming elements that you aren't ready to jump into an element of such fierceness," Greg said, looking down at his right hand. "Earthbending is such a controlled element, so naturally firebending was difficult for me. It's so out of control, it was hard for me to master it,"

Steven nodded eagerly. "How did you unlock your chi?"

Greg smiled. "My mentor made me come here actually. But unlike yours, he left me here alone," He sighed. "I learned to become one with fire before I could learn how to bend it. I began to understand what it was,"

Steven nodded. "What is it?"

"I can't tell you that, you have to figure it out on your own," Greg chuckled at his crest fallen expression. "But you should be fine, you have a firebending teacher don't you?" He nodded his head at Ruby who was still standing guard, looking alert.

Steven smiled. "She is actually the Firelord's daughter, so my friends don't really trust her right now. But I do and I know they will too,"

Greg smiled softly. "You have such a kind spirit Steven, you're a great Avatar and I'm sure you'll overcome firebending," The older man stood up, crossing his arms. "It was nice to meet you, but I think you should get going now,"

"Aw, b-but I wanted to see how you mastered firebending!" Steven whined, begging the man to stay. "And what about Rose, have you ever met her before? Is she as nice as they claim her to be?"

Greg made a strange face before wiping it clean, he shrugged. "…goodbye Steven, don't worry about your past because your future is far more important; a lot of things are about to change and you need to be ready for them,"

Steven frowned. "Wh-what does that mean? Avatar Universe, please, answer me!"

The small teen reached out, jumping at the old man's disappearing figure.

Steven gasped as he fell onto the mossy floor. His hand clutched his chest, he felt like he had just awoken from one of those dreams where he was falling from the sky.

"R-ruby, we have to—" He stopped, looking around for his firebending teacher; she was gone. "Ruby!"

Steven rose on shaky legs, he looked left and right before he made a quick decision and ran to the right; in search of his teacher.

Connie dragged her feet over tree roots that seemed to trip her at every step, she wiped the sweat from her brow and looked up at Pearl's figure; she was walking faster. "…Pearl, you're going too fast, wait for me!" The swordsmen shouted, but her friend didn't appear to hear her for she started going even faster.

"Dang it, Pearl wait for me!" Connie shouted with weak lungs and a mouth that was in need of thirst; she jogged behind the older girl. "P-pearl," She fell on her knees, trying to catch her breath before she looked up again; she gasped.

Just a second ago she was sure she was following behind Pearl, but now there were three dark tunnels before her in the forest. Each one probably leading to a different place, she stood up on weak legs and leaned against a tree for support.

Connie, still panting violently, staggered to the middle path; there was nothing but darkness and the faint sound of footsteps in rustling leaves. "…has, to be…her," The girl decided before taking a deep breath and charging inside.

Her footsteps made a soft rustle as she ran through what felt like wet leaves and clumps of dirt. It was frighteningly dark in the tunnel she was running in, the only thing keeping her motivated was the light she saw at the end.

Connie quickened her pace when she felt a wetness on her ankles. She didn't need to look down to know that something was flooding and it was rising with each step she took.

The light got closer but the water also grew higher, rising at her waist now. She was too tired to question the laws of physics and how she was running in water instead of floating or swimming.

She didn't care, all she cared about was running faster to that light that was just within her reach. Connie shivered, the cold water splashing over her face; her breaths getting shallow as she tried to hold on.

She was almost there.

"Ahh!" Connie gasped loudly, coughing out water mixed with dirt and leaves; she fell on her stomach. "Plegh!" She spat out in disgust.

A voice chuckled beside her. "Yeah, that stuff doesn't look too appetizing,"

"Yo-you, what are you doing here?" Connie gaped, crawling up to her knees as she stared up at Ruby. "Shouldn't you be watching Steven, did you leave him and plan on telling us some story about his death? Was that your plan?"

Ruby crossed her arms, eyebrow raised. "…I took Steven to the father tree in the middle of the forest and made him meditate so he could talk to his past lives, try and get a new perspective on things." Ruby frowned. "So I'm standing guard, making sure he's okay, when I see you being dragged into the darkest part of the forest by these tight tree roots."

Connie flushed, looking away as Ruby continued.

"I can't let them kill you, Steven is quite fond of you, so, I pour some fire ash on Steven; it makes the Avatar wake up from his meditation," Ruby said, taking a breath before going on. "Once I'm sure he's waking up, I leave to save you from these guys,"

Ruby offered the teen her hand, Connie took it. "I presume that Pearl is here as well, so, we better get going; I heard something in that direction," She pointed to the left.

"…I'm not going to thank you, if that's what you think," Connie said, crossing her arms in annoyance.

Ruby sighed. "And I don't expect you to,"

Steven groaned, coming to another dead end. "Where is she? I know she wouldn't have left unless something serious was going on an—Pearl?" Steven frowned.

Across from him was an old tree with what appeared to be lacuna scattered around the trunk, each holding something inside of them. He watched his airbending teacher get dragged to the top by these sturdy vines that had tied her up. Once she was in place a strange silver string twirled around her, like a spider web, before turning a dark green color; the only thing sticking out was her head.

"H-hold on Pearl, I'll save you!" Steven ran up to the tree but just as he began to reach it a loud voice echoed to him.

"Halt, Avatar Steven, you have no power here." The ground shook before him and he struggled to hold his ground. "For these two travelers have touched their feet to our holly ground, taking no heed to our warnings. This is out of your control and I give you one chance to leave with your life, Avatar or not,"

Steven growled. "I do have power here, I'm a firebender!"

The loud voice scoffed. "You have not even opened your firebending chi and you do not even know what fire is, you don't even belong here; it's a miracle that you've even made it so far," The voice sneered. "If you haven't figured it out now then you never will, I see no hope for your future,"

"Come on Steven, ignore them, you can do this," The teen held his head in his chubby hands. "Think back to everything Ruby has told you about fire,"

She said that it's dangerous and a powerful element that most people mistake for being destructive. But how can that be when we use it for so many things? It's the light source for the whole world, it serves as a heat source and for cooking; it keeps us alive.

Fire is energy.

"I think I understand," Steven stood up, fist clenched at his side. "Firebending can be dangerous if you don't use it the right way but it is also beautiful, like waterbending. It can be controlled, and when you control it you can use it for your survival. Firebending is energy, a strong energy that only few can posses,"

The voice was silent before it spoke, changing the subject. "…this girl, is she your friend?"

Steven nodded, bowing to the tree. "My apologies, I didn't mean to disrespect your land and I just want to take them home; I will never return, if that's what you want,"

"No, she wouldn't want that," Steven began to question who but was distracted when Pearl was tossed into the air, he quickly jumped up to catch her. "These two trespassers, they are good people but they have a darkness in their heart. Hatred seeps deep within them and if you don't help them now, it will eat at them,"

"Take care, Avatar,"

Steven frowned, two of them?

Steven placed Pearl on Lion's back, making sure she was secured before he turned around; he crossed his arms. "…was this your idea Connie?"

The swordsmen bowed her head. "Part of it, yes, and I'm so sorry. We just wanted to make sure that you were safe and that Ruby wasn't—"

"Again with this?" Steven frowned, anger seeping from him. "Ruby is part of our group now and thanks to her you're alive; gosh, you two could have gotten yourselves killed! You just walked on their holly land without giving them respect, you're lucky they let you go!"

Connie looked away, mouth shut.

"…Ruby and I will be having private training sessions for now on," Steven said, walking past a gaping Connie. "I'd appreciate it if no one bothered us anymore, my chi is unlocked and I need to get serious,"

Ruby was stuck between being happy that his chi was unlocked and feeling pity for Connie. She wanted to help the girl but it was kind of hard when Connie hated her guts. Ruby should be glad that Steven is finally putting his foot down and calling her out on how stupid they have been.

Ruby looked away from Connie's tear stricken face and turned her gaze to the mountains and valleys they were soaring above. Connie was a jerk to her and she should be happy that she's finally getting what she deserves.

So why does she feel so bad?

Sorry for the long wait but I've been busy with stuff. Happy holidays and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next one will be better; maybe some Connie flashbacks or whatever.

See you guys next time.