Chapter sixteen Chi

"Hello Iroh."

The old man looked up at his tea, surprised at the newcomer, "Nazca," he said surprised at the intrusion, "What brings you to this tea shop?"

"I was just in town and decided to swing by," He said with a smile.

"Why are you in Ba Sing Se?" The old man asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've been following the path of some merchandise and it was last seen here. Come sit down," He said gesturing to a nearby table, "I want to ask you something."

They were in a tea shop that Iroh had recently started working at. They were in the city of Ba Sing Se, the capitol of the earth kingdom that had stayed safe from the fire nation with giant walls, taller than any building. It was one of the largest cities and housed the earth king himself. Nazca and Iroh walked over to a table and sat down.

"So," Iroh began, "What merchandise have you been tracking."

Nazca lowered his voice, "I've been following the avatar's bison, it was stolen and sold to a circus but then broke free. I lost it for a while then followed it to air temple where the bison got a note from a guru that he was supposed to give to Aang, then he came here and I lost him."

"This note," Iroh asked, "Did you happen to read it?"

"No, it was addressed to Aang and I decided maintain some privacy."

"So why are you here?"

"A couple reasons actually," Nazca said with a smile, "But first let's have some tea."

Iroh got up and grabbed a kettle. He poured them both a cup and then sat down, "So tell me," he began, "What's on your mind?"

Nazca sat back, taking a sip of tea, "The first thing is I was just wondering if you heard anything about the sky bison?"

Iroh shook his head, "No, nothing."

"As expected," Nazca said smiling, " however my next inquiries are things I wish to ask you alone."

Iroh nodded, leaning forward to maintain the integrity of their conversation.

"I heard from an outside source that you can redirect lightning and I was wondering if you would teach me."

Iroh smiled, "Where did you learn I could redirect lightning?"

"From your niece Azula," Nazca said with a grin.

Iroh sighed, "Azula, ah my niece is one confused child, may I ask where you encountered her?"

"I encountered soon after I left you, she was with some friends of hers, a girl named Mai and one named Ty Lee. She said that this time she wounded you and you couldn't redirect it."

"Yes," Iroh said, stretching back, "She was cornered and of course she didn't give up. She caught me by surprised with a bolt of lightning, I should have seen it coming and redirected it but I thought she would have given up," he sighed, "I should have known her better."

"So you can redirect lightning," Nazca pushed, intrigued.

"Yes," Iroh said with a smile, "And if you wish I could teach you."

Nazca nodded, "Whenever you get the chance," he said smiling, then he lowered his voice, his tone now serious he said, "Now, let's talk Pai Sho."

"Nazca, couldn't you have picked a more fragrant place to practice?"

Nazca and Iroh were standing in a garbage dump. Nazca had lead them here so that Iroh might be able to teach him how to redirect lightning.

"This is the best place if we don't want to get detected," Nazca said, "Now teach me the move."

Iroh nodded, "I would go through the same steps that I showed Zuko but I guess we can skip the introduction to waterbending," He said laughing, then his tone got serious, "Redirecting lightning is not something that most people will know how to do seeing as I invented it. It involves the controlling, patient and calm work of waterbending if it is to be performed successfully," Iroh took a deep stance, inhaled then exhaled.

'When you decide to redirect the lightning coming at you must have no second thoughts. You will raise any arm of your choosing," he said demonstrating, "Take the lightning into your arm, guide up your arm, down and through your stomach and out the other arm," Iroh repeated the movements, starting by pointing his right arm and left arm to his right then bringing them down to his stomach and raising them both to his left, then he inversed them, going the other way. Then he gestured for Nazca to join him.

Nazca took the stance and repeated the movement carefully executed each move as the elder master had.

"You must be sure to focus your chi, your life force and eternal energy, but most important you must be sure not to let the lightning pass through your heart, for your heart is you life force and the center of your chi."

After minutes of executing the move he turned to Iroh and said, "Let's trying it."

Iroh looked up at him and said, "I will tell you the same thing I told my nephew, lightning is too dangerous and there is no way I would shoot it at you, hope you never have to use this move."

Nazca raised his head, meeting his eyes with Iroh's, "I am not your nephew Zuko, I am not completely helpless, I am your fellow grandmaster and you and I both know I will have to use this move one day, so teach me it."

Iroh looked at him sternly then said, "As you wish."

Iroh stood up and took a stance across form Nazca, he breathed in then moved him arms in a unique pattern, summoning the energy. As the electricity took shape, Iroh pointed his finger towards Nazca and unleashed the lightning. Nazca raised his arm and absorbed it. He followed the lightning's path up his arm, through his stomach and out the other arm. He raised his arm as he completed the move, sending the lightning into the night sky. Nazca panted, exhilarated from the immensity of the energy that had just passed through him. "Wow."

Nazca then turned to Iroh and said, "What do you know about air?"

Iroh looked at him and laughed.

He was floating on a rock pedestal, hovering five feet in the air. In his right arm he held water, bending it so it floated around him, and with the other hand he bended a circle of fire around him. He was focusing his chi, maintaining self control. Right now he felt as if the avatar state a step away and was truly tempted to enter it but he knew he needed to learn to airbend without it and that was what he was doing. It had been a week since he had been with Iroh who told him that if he wanted to learn air he would have to do it from an airbender. That airbender Nazca was choosing was himself. He knew he held the power deep inside him was focusing, attempting to uncover it. So far no luck.

He inhaled and exhaled attempting to feel the air around him. He focused all his mind and energy on the slight breeze blowing past him. He felt the air, more free that even water, as it blew right around his face, then he realized it. Air was freedom. Air had no limits, no bounds. It was everywhere and anywhere. It sought the smallest crack and used it to its advantage. It had no limits, no rules. Then Nazca could see. He was still blind but he could see. With the other elements he could feel them but their supplies where limited to the ground and rivers. Now the air came alive. The tree that he had shaped with water and earthbending became even more clear, every notch and scratch visible to him. Then he released the other elements he was bending. He walked over to the nearby lake and inhaled. Facing away from the lake he started bending fire to the west, sending a immense plume of white fire forward and sustaining it. He then turned to the south sending an immense blast of rock flying away. He faced the river and bended a wave larger than any he had created before. Then he turned to the North, he inhaled then bended air, pushing it across the beach. He held all the elements, suspending them for a moment, then released them letting nature gain control of them. He sat down, exhausted from his work, but he was proud. He had bended and mastered all four elements, he was a fully realized avatar. He laid back to take a nap, closing his eyes, relieved. The he opened them wide awake and alert. He felt the energy of his past lives flowing through him and with him. He saw in front f him was a crystal wall and he realized Aang had entered the avatar state. He shattered the crystals around him and felt himself rise, using air to lift him into the air. He stared at the men in front of them, ready to punish them. Then he was hit by lightning. He saw in the corner of his eye, Azula, standing there smirking, as she had just shot him. Then he lost consciousness. He felt his body fall losing life, the energy of his past lives leaving him, his own life leaving him as darkness consumed him. Then all was dark.